The Last Leaf教师用Word文档格式.docx

The Last Leaf教师用Word文档格式.docx

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snotgoingtogetwell.Hassheanythingonhermind?

5"

She--shewantedtopainttheBayofNaplessomeday,"

saidSue.

6"

Paint?

--bosh!

Hassheanythingonhermindworththinkingabouttwice--aman,forinstance?

"

7"

Aman?

saidSue."

Isamanworth--but,no,doctor;

thereisnothingofthekind."

8"

Well,"

saidthedoctor."

Iwilldoallthatsciencecanaccomplish.ButwhenevermypatientbeginstocountthecarriagesinherfuneralprocessionIsubtract50percentfromthecurativepowerofmedicines."

AfterthedoctorhadgoneSuewentintotheworkroomandcried.ThenshemarchedintoJohnsy'

sroomwithherdrawingboard,whistlingamerrytune.

9Johnsylay,scarcelymakingamovementunderthebedclothes,withherfacetowardthewindow.Shewaslookingoutandcounting--countingbackward.

10"

Twelve,"

shesaid,andalittlelater"

eleven"

;

andthen"

ten,"

and"

nine"

eight"

seven,"

almosttogether.

11Suelookedoutofthewindow.Whatwastheretocount?

Therewasonlyabare,drearyyardtobeseen,andtheblanksideofthebrickhousetwentyfeetaway.Anold,oldivyvineclimbedhalfwayupthebrickwall.Thecoldbreathofautumnhadblownawayitsleaves,leavingitalmostbare.

12"

Six,"

saidJohnsy,inalmostawhisper."

They'

refallingfasternow.Threedaysagotherewerealmostahundred.Itmademyheadachetocountthem.Butnowit'

seasy.Theregoesanotherone.Thereareonlyfiveleftnow."

13"

Fivewhat,dear?

"

14"

Leaves.Ontheivyvine.WhenthelastonefallsImustgo,too.I'

veknownthatforthreedays.Didn'

tthedoctortellyou?

15"

Oh,Ineverheardofsuchnonsense.Whathaveoldivyleavestodowithyourgettingwell?

Don'

tbesosilly.Why,thedoctortoldmethismorningthatyourchancesforgettingwellrealsoonweretentoone!

Trytotakesomesoupnow,andletSudiegoandbuyportwineforhersickchild."

16"

Youneedn'

tgetanymorewine,"

saidJohnsy,keepinghereyesfixedoutthewindow."

Theregoesanother.No,Idon'

twantanysoup.Thatleavesjustfour.Iwanttoseethelastonefallbeforeitgetsdark.ThenI'

llgo,too.I'

mtiredofwaiting.I'

mtiredofthinking.Iwanttoturnloosemyholdoneverything,andgosailingdown,down,justlikeoneofthosepoor,tiredleaves."

17"

Trytosleep,"

ImustcallBehrmanuptobemymodelfortheoldminer.I'

llnotbegoneaminute."

18OldBehrmanwasapainterwholivedonthegroundfloorbeneaththem.Hewaspastsixtyandhadalongwhitebeardcurlingdownoverhischest.Despitelookingthepart,Behrmanwasafailureinart.Forfortyyearshehadbeenalwaysabouttopaintamasterpiece,buthadneveryetbegunit.Heearnedalittlebyservingasamodeltothoseyoungartistswhocouldnotpaythepriceofaprofessional.Hedrankgintoexcess,andstilltalkedofhiscomingmasterpiece.Fortheresthewasafiercelittleoldman,whomockedterriblyatsoftnessinanyone,andwhoregardedhimselfasguarddogtothetwoyoungartistsinthestudioabove.

19SuefoundBehrmansmellingstronglyofgininhisdimlylightedstudiobelow.Inonecornerwasablankcanvasonaneaselthathadbeenwaitingtherefortwenty-fiveyearstoreceivethefirstlineofthemasterpiece.ShetoldhimofJohnsy'

sfancy,andhowshefearedshewould,indeed,lightandfragileasaleafherself,floataway,whenherslightholdupontheworldgrewweaker.OldBehrman,withhisredeyesplainlystreaming,shoutedhiscontemptforsuchfoolishimaginings.

20"

What!

hecried."

Aretherepeopleintheworldfoolishenoughtodiebecauseleafsdropofffromavine?

Ihaveneverheardofsuchathing.Whydoyouallowsuchsillyideastocomeintothatheadofhers?

God!

ThisisnotaplaceinwhichonesogoodasMissJohnsyshouldliesick.SomedayIwillpaintamasterpiece,andweshallallgoaway.Yes."

21Johnsywassleepingwhentheywentupstairs.Suepulledtheshadedown,andmotionedBehrmanintotheotherroom.Intheretheypeeredoutthewindowfearfullyattheivyvine.Thentheylookedateachotherforamomentwithoutspeaking.Apersistent,coldrainwasfalling,mingledwithsnow.Behrman,inhisoldblueshirt,tookhisseatasthemineronanupturnedkettleforarock.

22WhenSueawokefromanhour'

ssleepthenextmorningshefoundJohnsywithdull,wide-openeyesstaringatthedrawngreenshade.

23"

Pullitup;

Iwanttosee,"

sheordered,inawhisper.

24WearilySueobeyed.

25But,Lo!

afterthebeatingrainandfiercewindthathadenduredthroughthenight,thereyetstoodoutagainstthebrickwalloneivyleaf.Itwasthelastonthevine.Stilldarkgreennearitsstem,butwithitsedgescoloredyellow,ithungbravelyfromabranchsometwentyfeetabovetheground.

26"

Itisthelastone,"

saidJohnsy."

Ithoughtitwouldsurelyfallduringthenight.Iheardthewind.Itwillfalltoday,andIshalldieatthesametime."

27Thedayworeaway,andeventhroughthetwilighttheycouldseetheloneivyleafclingingtoitsstemagainstthewall.Andthen,withthecomingofthenightthenorthwindwasagainloosed.

28WhenitwaslightenoughJohnsy,themerciless,commandedthattheshadeberaised.

29Theivyleafwasstillthere.

30Johnsylayforalongtimelookingatit.AndthenshecalledtoSue,whowasstirringherchickensoupoverthegasstove.

31"

I'

vebeenabadgirl,Sudie,"

SomethinghasmadethatlastleafstaytheretoshowmehowwickedIwas.Itisasintowanttodie.Youmaybringmealittlesoupnow,andsomemilkwithalittleportinitand--no;

bringmeahand-mirrorfirst,andthenpacksomepillowsaboutme,andIwillsitupandwatchyoucook."

32Anhourlatershesaid:

33"

Sudie,somedayIhopetopainttheBayofNaples."

34Thedoctorcameintheafternoon,andSuehadanexcusetogointothehallwayasheleft.

35"

Evenchances,"

saidthedoctor,takingSue'

sthin,shakinghandinhis.

36"

Withgoodnursingyou'

llwin.AndnowImustseeanothercaseIhavedownstairs.Behrman,hisnameis--somekindofanartist,Ibelieve.Pneumonia,too.Heisanold,weakman,andtheattackisacute.Thereisnohopeforhim;

buthegoestothehospitaltodaytobemademorecomfortable."

37ThenextdaythedoctorsaidtoSue:

She'

soutofdanger.You'

vewon.Therightfoodandcarenow--that'

sall."

38AndthatafternoonSuecametothebedwhereJohnsylayandputonearmaroundher.

39"

Ihavesomethingtotellyou,whitemouse,"

shesaid."

Mr.Behrmandiedofpneumoniatodayinthehospital.Hewasillonlytwodays.Hewasfoundonthemorningofthefirstdayinhisroomdownstairshelplesswithpain.Hisshoesandclothingwerewetthroughandicycold.Theycouldn'

timaginewherehehadbeenonsuchaterriblenight.Andthentheyfoundalantern,stilllighted,andaladderthathadbeendraggedfromitsplace,andsomescatteredbrushes,andapalettewithgreenandyellowcolorsmixedonit,and--lookoutthewindow,dear,atthelastivyleafonthewall.Didn'

tyouwonderwhyitneverflutteredormovedwhenthewindblew?

Ah,darling,it'

sBehrman'

smasterpiece--hepaintedittherethenightthatthelastleaffell."

References

1.O.Henry（1862-1910）:

pseudonymofWilliamSydneyPorter（1862-1910）.Americanwriterofshortstories,bestknownforhisironicplottwistsandsurpriseendings.BornandraisedinGreensboro,NorthCarolina.O.Henryattendedschoolonlyuntilage15,whenhedroppedouttoworkinhisuncle'

sdrugstore.Duringhis20shemovedtoTexas,whereheworkedformorethantenyearsasaclerkandabankteller.O.Henrydidnotwriteprofessionallyuntilhereachedhismid-30s,whenhesoldseveralpiecestotheDetroitFreePressandtheHoustonDailyPost.In1894hefoundedashort-livedweeklyhumormagazine,TheRollingStone.

In1896,O.HenrywaschargedwithembezzlingfundsfromtheFirstNationalBankofAustin,Texas,wherehehadworkedfrom1891to1894.Theamountofmoneywassmallandmighthavebeenanaccountingerror;

however,hechosetofleetoHondurasratherthanstandtrial.Learningthathiswifewasdying,hereturnedtoTexasin1897and,afterherdeath,turnedhimselfintotheauthorities.Heservedthreeyearsofafive-yearsentenceatthefederalpenitentiaryinColumbus.Ohio,wherehefirstbegantowriteshortstoriesandusethepseudonymO.Henry.

Releasedfromprison,O.HenrymovedtoNewYorkCityin1901andbeganwritingfulltime.InhisstorieshemadesubstantialuseofhisknowledgeofTexas,CentralAmerica,andlifeinprison.HealsobecamefascinatedbyNewYorkstreetlife,whichprovidedasettingformanyofhislaterstories.Duringthelasttenyearsofhislife.O.HenrybecameoneofthemostpopularwritersinAmerica,publishingover500shortstoriesindozensofwidelyreadperiodicals.

O.Henry'

smostfamousstories,