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Chapter 1. School in England
第1章 英国的学校
One cold winter day a little girl and her father arrived in London.
那是一个寒冷的冬天，一个小女孩儿跟她的父亲来到了伦敦。
Sara Crewe was seven years old, and she had long black hair and green eyes.
小女孩儿名叫萨拉·克鲁，7岁了，有着长长的黑发，眼睛碧蓝明亮。
She sat in the cab next to her father and looked out of the window at the tall houses and the dark sky.
她坐在出租车里父亲的身边，眼睛望着窗外高大的房屋和昏暗的天空。
'What are you thinking about, Sara?' Mr Crewe asked. 'You are very quiet.' He put his arm round his daughter.
“你在想什么呢，萨拉？”克鲁先生问她，“怎么不说话？”他搂着自己的女儿说。
'I'm thinking about our house in India,' said Sara. 'And the hot sun and the blue sky. I don't think I like England very much, Father.'
“我想我们在印度的房子，”萨拉说，“还有火热的太阳和蓝蓝的天空。我觉得我不怎么喜欢英国，爸爸。”
'Yes, it's very different from India,' her father said. 'But you must go to school in London, and I must go back to India and work.'
“是的，这里跟印度很不一样，”父亲说道，“可你得在伦敦上学，我得回印度工作。”
'Yes, Father, I know,' said Sara. 'But I want to be with you. Please come to school with me! I can help you with your lessons.'
“是的，爸爸，我知道，”萨拉回答，“可我想跟你在一起。跟我一起来上学吧！我会帮你学习功课的。”
Mr Crewe smiled, but he was not happy.
克鲁先生笑了，可他并不高兴。
He loved his little Sara very much, and he did not want to be without her.
他非常爱他的小萨拉，也不想离开她。
Sara's mother was dead, and Sara was his only child. Father and daughter were very good friends.
萨拉的母亲去世了，萨拉是他唯一的孩子。父亲和女儿是很好的朋友。
Soon they arrived at Miss Minchin's School for Girls and went into the big house.
他们很快来到了明钦小姐的女子学校，走进了那座高大的建筑。
Miss Minchin was a tall woman in a black dress. She looked at Sara, and then gave a very big smile.
明钦小姐个头很高，一身黑色的衣着。她望着萨拉，笑容可掬。
'What a beautiful child!' she said to Mr Crewe.
“这孩子长得真漂亮！”她对克鲁先生说。
Sara stood quietly and watched Miss Minchin. 'Why does she say that?' she thought. 'I am not beautiful, so why does she say it?'
萨拉静静地站着，看着明钦小姐。“她为什么这么说呢？”她想，“我不漂亮呀，可她为什么那样夸我？”
Sara was not beautiful, but her father was rich. And Miss Minchin liked girls with rich fathers, because it was good for the school (and good for Miss Minchin, too).
萨拉确实不漂亮，可她父亲很有钱。明钦小姐就喜欢父亲有钱的女孩儿，因为这样对学校有好处（当然对明钦小姐也有好处）。
'Sara is a good girl,' Mr Crewe said to Miss Minchin.
“萨拉是个好姑娘，”克鲁先生对明钦小姐说道。
'Her mother was French, so she speaks French well. She loves books, and she reads all the time. But she must play with the other girls and make new friends, too.'
“她妈妈是法国人，所以她法语说得很好。她喜欢书，经常读书。可她也得跟其他姑娘一起玩，也得交些新朋友。”
'Of course,' said Miss Minchin. She smiled again. 'Sara is going to be very happy here, Mr Crewe.'
“当然是了，”明钦小姐说着又笑了，“克鲁先生，萨拉在这里会很快乐的。”
Mr Crewe stayed in London for a week. He and Sara went to the shops, and he bought many beautiful, expensive dresses for his daughter.
克鲁先生在伦敦待了一周时间。他和萨拉一同逛了许多商店，给女儿买了许多漂亮、昂贵的衣服。
He bought books, and flowers for her room, and a big doll with beautiful dresses, too.
还给她的屋里买了书和花儿，还有一个穿着漂亮衣服的洋娃娃。
Miss Minchin smiled, but she said to her sister Amelia: 'All that money on dresses for a child of seven! She looks like a little princess, not a schoolgirl!'
明钦小姐面带笑容，可她对她姐姐阿米莉亚说：“给一个7岁的女孩儿花那么多钱买衣服！她看起来就像个小公主一样，不像学生！”
