Mrs. Marshall, I presume, has been speaking to you;  我在揣摩马歇尔夫人与你说话的意思。

　　she was here yesterday, and I was quite pathetic upon the subject; telling her the loss your favorite would sustain, and so forth; 她昨天来这里了，谈到你要离开，我就很难过，还与她谈些不忍美好流失的道理等等；

　　and she said how delighted she would be to have it in her greenhouse; it is in such a fine state now, so full of buds. 她说，如果香水月季能送给她，挪到她家花房，她可就太开心了。眼看花快开了，花苞这么多，

　　I told her I knew you would like to give it to her; you are so fond of Mrs. Marshall, you know. 我告诉她，我知道你打算将花送给她，再说，你对马歇尔夫人那么好，是吗？

　　Now, Kate, I am sorry, but I have otherwise engaged. 哦，凯特，很抱歉，我还在想其他办法。

　　Whom can it be to? you have so few intimates here. 还会是谁？你在这没什么密友吧。

　　Oh, it is only one of my odd fancies. 哦，不过是个奇怪想法吧。

　　But do tell me, Florence. 那，弗罗伦丝，你得告诉我。

　　Well, cousin, you know the little pale girl to whom we give sewing? 好吧，表妹，你还记得我们送缝活时，那个脸色苍白的小姑娘吗？

　　What! little Mary Stephens? How absurd, Florence! 什么？你说的是玛丽.斯蒂芬？弗罗伦丝，你太搞笑了！

　　This is just another of your motherly, old-maidish ways;  你婆婆妈妈、古板迂腐的另外一张面孔竟然是这样，

　　dressing dolls for poor children, making bonnets, and knitting socks for all the little dirty babies in the neighborhood. 什么给穷孩子缝娃娃啦，缝制帽子，钩织袜子啦，给街坊四邻那些脏兮兮的孩子送点礼物什么的。

　　I do believe you have made more calls in those two vile, ill-smelling alleys behind our house than ever you have in Chestnut Street,  我确实相信，你在我们屋后那两条臭味难闻的街巷里走家串户，比你在宽敞漂亮的栗树大街上做得多，

　　though you know everybody is half dying to see you; 虽然你知道，那些穷人眼巴巴地想见到你。

　　and now, to crown all, you must give this choice little bijou to a seamstress girl,  既然这样，给所有穷人都戴上皇冠？借机再给那个做缝活小姑娘送件小玩意，

　　when one of your most intimate friends, in your own class, would value it so highly. 你那些同阶层的闺蜜好友，或许极为赞赏这些，

　　What in the world can people in their circumstances want with flowers? 我实在搞不懂，生活在世上如此低劣环境里的人难道需要花？