In the Arnold house it was almost as cold as it was outside.
阿诺德家里温度几乎和外面一样。
The children's father had died since coming to the new country,
孩子们的父亲来到美国后就去世了，
and there were only Beth and William and their mother left to face this dreary winter.
只有贝丝、威廉和他们的母亲留下来度过这个凄凉的冬天。
Mrs. Arnold did sewing,
阿诺德夫人做针线活，
and William ran errands for the sailors down at the wharves,
威廉为码头下的水手们办差，
having his basket filled with food in return for his work.
换回一篮子的食物。
It was a hard winter for them, though; no one could deny that.
不过，对他们来说，这个冬天很难熬；没有人能否认这一点。
Mrs. Arnold drew her chair up to the fireplace now and got out her sewing.
阿诺德太太把椅子拉到壁炉边，取出针线活。
Beth leaned over her shoulder, watching the thin fingers trying to make the needle fly in and out of the white cloth.
贝丝靠在阿诺德太太的肩膀上，看着她纤细的手指拿着针在白布里飞进飞出。
"Your fingers are stiff with the cold!" Beth exclaimed,
“你的手指冻僵了!”贝丝喊道,
as she blew the coals with the bellows and then rubbed her mother's hands.
她一边用风箱吹着煤块，一边搓着妈妈的手。
"Not very." Mrs. Arnold tried to smile.
“没有冻僵。”阿诺德夫人尽力露出微笑。
"Yes, very," William said, as he swung his arms and blew on his finger tips.
“是冻僵了。”威廉说话时摆动着手臂，伸出手指帮着鼓风。
"We're all of us cold.
“我们都很冷。
It would be easier to work if we could keep warm."
如果我们能保持温暖，工作起来就会更容易。”
MR. FRANKLIN’S SURPRISE Just then they heard a rap at their door.
富兰克林先生的惊喜 就在这时，他们听到有人敲门。
Beth ran to open it, and both children shouted with delight as a strange, slightly stooping figure entered.
贝丝跑过去开门，两个孩子高兴地叫着，这时一个奇怪的人走了进来，微弯着腰。
His hair was long and white, his fore- head was high, and his eyes were deep-set in his long, thin face.
他的头发又长又白，前脑门高高的，脸瘦长瘦长的，一双眼睛凹陷进去。
His long cloak was folded about him as he reached out his hands to greet the family.
当他伸出手向家人致意时，他的长披风折叠到了一起。
"Mr. Franklin!" their mother exclaimed.
“富兰克林先生!”母亲喊道。
"We are most glad to see you.
“很高兴见到你，
You are our very wel- come guest always, even if our fire is very small and the house cold."
你永远是我们的客人，即使我们的火很小，房子很冷。”
