英语小说欣赏入门The Lady Or The Tiger.docx

英语小说欣赏入门The Lady Or The Tiger.docx

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英语小说欣赏入门TheLadyOrTheTiger

TheOpenWindow

BasedonastorybyFrankStockton

Abouttheauthor:

FrankStockton（1834-1902）wasborninPhiladelphia.Stocktonwasanengraverbytrade,buthespentmuchofhistimewritingstories.Hisearlieststorieswereforchildren,butlaterhebeganwritingforadults.StocktonwasoneofthemostfamousAmericanwritersofthe1880sand1890s.

HewaswidelyadmiredinhisdayandevenMarkTwainwasoneofhisfans.“TheLadyortheTiger?

”isStockton’sbestknownwork.Whenitwaspunishedin1882,itcausedasensationthroughoutthecountryasreadersdebatedwhattheendingshouldbe.

Thetext

Manyyearsagotherelivedacruelandsavageking.Thiskinghadawildandviolentimagination,andsincehewasking,hehadthepowertomakehiswishescometrue.

Thekinglovedtodiscussthingswithhimself.Whenheandhimselfagreedonsomething,thekingcommandedthatitbedone,anditwasdoneatoncebecauseeveryoneinthekingdomwasafraidoftheking.

Whenthingwentsmoothly,thekingwaspleasantandcalm.Butwhenaproblemarose,hiseyesgleamedandherubbedhishandstogetherwithgleesincetherewasnothinghelovedmorethancorrectingthingsthatwerewronganddestroyingthosewhoneededtobepunished.[1]Thekinghadheardaboutthepublicarena—aplacewheremenandwildanimalscoulddemonstratetheircourageandstrengthbyfightingeachother,Theideaappealedverymuchtothisbarbaricking.Butheuseditinadifferentway—topunishtheguiltyandrewardtheinnocent.

Hereishowitworked.Whenamanwasaccusedofaseriouscrime,thekingpostedanotice.Itsaidthatinacertaindaytheman’sfatewouldbedecidedintheking’sarena.Everyonewasinvitedtoattendthetrail.

Theking’sarena!

Ah,howwellitdeservedthatname!

Yousee,theideaofanarenawasnotnew,butthewayitwasusedherewasdifferent,andcamesolelyfromthebrainoftheking.Hethoughtofitbecauseitdelightedhimandgavehimpleasure.

Onthedayofthetrail,alargecrowdwouldgatherintheking’sarena.Aftereveryonewasseated,thekingentered,followedbyhiscourt.Thekingsatonhisroyalthroneononesideofthearena.Whenthekinggaveasignal,adoorwouldopenandtheaccusedmanwouldstepoutintothearena.Oppositehim,ontheothersideofthearena,weretwodoors,exactlyalikeandsidebyside.

Thepersonontrailwouldwalktothesedoorsandopenoneofthem.Hecouldopeneitherdoorhepleased.Noonespoketohimorofferedanyadvice.Thechoicewashisown.

Behindoneofthedoorswasahungrytiger,thefiercestandmostcruelthatcouldbefound.Ifthemanopenedthatdoor,thetigerimmediatelyleapedoutandtorethemantopieces.Thatwasthepunishmentforhisguilt!

Thenironbellsbegantoclang,criesofsorrowwereheard,andthevastcrowd,withheavyhearts,slowlymadeitswayhome.Everyonefeltsadthatthemanhaddeservedtomeetsuchahorriblefate.

Butiftheaccusedpersonopenedtheotherdoor,aladysteppedout.Shewasasperfecta

matchforhimascouldbefoundintheland.Thekingnoddedhisheadandsingersanddancerscameforward.Musiciansplayedbeautifulmelodiesongoldenhorns,andthetwopeopleweremarriedatonce.Thenjoyousbellsrangout,thepeopleshoutedandcheered,andeveryonethrewflowersinthepathoftheinnocentmanasheledhisbridetohishome,[2]

Itdidn’tmatterifthemanalreadyhadawifeandfamily,orifhewasinlovewithanotherlady.Forasthekingoftensaid,“Nothingcaninterferewithmywonderfulplanforpunishingtheguiltyandrewardingtheinnocent.”

Thekingwasveryproudofhiswayofadministerjustice.Hethoughtiswasperfectlyfair.Afterall,theaccusedmancouldopeneitherdoorhepleased.Thechoicewashis.Ofcourse,themanneverknewwhetherhewasgoingtobedevouredmarried,forsometimesthetigercameoutonedoorandsometimesoutiftheother.Still,theman’sfatewasinhisownhands.And,ineverycase,justicewasswiftandfinal.[3]

Theplanwaspopularwiththepeopletoo.Theyneverknewwhattheyweregoingtosee.Woulditbeabloodymurder,orajoyfulwedding?

Therewaslotsofsuspense.

Thissavagekinghadabeautifuldaughter.Shewaswildandrecklessasherfatherand,aasyoumightexpect,helovedherverymuch.AsIhavesaid,therecklesswasreckless.Shewassorecklessshefellinlovewithoneoftheking’sservants.[4]Andthoughhewashandsomeandbrave,hewas,afterall,onlyaservant.Still,helovedherverydeadly.

Theirloveaffairwentonhappilyformanymonths.Andthenonedaythekinghappenedtodiscoveritsexistence.

ThekingdidnothesitateorwaverforamomentTheyoungmanwasimmediatelythrownintojail,andadatewassetforhistrailintheking’sarenas.

Thiswas,ofcourse,anespeciallyimportantoccasion.Theking,andallofthepeople,wereveryinterestedinhowthetrailwouldturnout.Neverbeforehadsuchacaseoccurred.Neverbeforehadaslavedaredtolovethedaughterofaking!

Thekingsentoutmentofindthefiercesttigerintheland.Atthesametimethekingdomwassearchedforayoungladysuitableinbeautyandrank,sothattheyoungmancouldhaveafittingwifeincasefatedidnotthrowhimtothetiger.

Ofcourse,everyoneknewthattheslavewasguiltyofthecrimewithwhichhehadbeencharged.Hehadfalleninlovedwiththeprincess.Bothheandsheadmittedthisfact!

Butthekingwouldnotthinkofallowingthistostandinthewayofthetrail.No,nothingcouldinterferewiththeworkingsofhisarena.Hesimplyenjoyedittoomuch.Besides,itdidn’treallymatterhowthingsworkedout.Theyoungmanwouldbemurdered—ormarried—andineithercasehe’dbeoutoftheway.

Thegreatdayfamilyarrived.Peoplecamefromnearandfar,fillingupeveryseatinthehugearena.Thosewhocouldnogetinhuddledtogetheragainsttheoutsidewallsandwaitedfornews.

Thekingenteredandtookhisplaceontheroyalthrone.Theywerereadytobegin.Thekinggaveasignal.Adooropenedandthesalvewalkedintothearena.

Whatasighthewas—tall,handsome,andproud!

Nowondertheprincesslovedhim.Whataterriblethingforhimtobethere!

Theyouthtookhistimeashewalkedacrossthearena.Thenheturnedandbowedtotheking,forthatwasthecustom.However,theyoungmanwasnotthinkingatallabouttheking.Hiseyeswerestaringattheprincess,whosatnexttoherfather.

Fromthemomentthehadorderedherlovertoappearinthearena,shehadthought,dayand

night,ofnothingelsebutthisgreatevent.Theprincesshadmorepowerandinfluencethananypersonwhohadeverpersonwhohadeverbeeninterestedinacase.Andsoshedidwhatnooneelsebeforeherhadeverdone.Shehadlearnedthesecretofthedoors.Sheknewbehindwhichdoorwaitedthetiger,andbehindwhichdoorstoodthelady.Goldandherpowerasprincesshadbroughtherthesecret!

Butsheknewmorethanwhichdoorhidthelady.Shealsoknewwhotheladywasoneoftheloveliestandmostbeautifulladiesintheking’scourt.She,alone,hadbeenselectedtobethewifeoftheyouth,ifhewasfoundinnocentofdaringtofallinlovewiththeprincess.

Yes,theprincessknewwhoshewas,

Andtheprincesshatedher!

Theprincesshadseen—orthoughtthatshesaw—theladywas!

Andshethoughthehadevenglancedback.Once,shehadseenthemtalkingtogether.Itwasonlyforaminute,itistrue.Butmuchcanbesaidinaminute!

Perhapstheywerespeakingaboutnothingatall.Buthowcouldtheprincessknowthat?

Theyoungladywaslovely—butshehaddaredtolookattheprincess’lover!

Sotheprincesshatedthewomansilentlywaitedbehindthedoor.

Whentheyoungmanturnedandlookedattheprincess,hiseyesmethers.Hesearchedherface,whichwaspalerthananyintheoceanoffacesaroundher.Andthen,astheireyesandsoulsmet,hesawthatsheknew.Sheknew!

Sheknewbehindwhichdoorcrouchedthetiger,andbehindwhichdoorstoodthelady.Sheknew!

Hehadexpectedhertoknow.Heunderstoodher,andhewascertainthatshewouldnotrestuntilshehaddiscoveredthesecret—thesecrethiddentoeveryoneelse,eventotheking.

Theonlywaytheyouthcouldbesureofsuccesswasfortheprincesstodiscoverthesecretthedoors.Andashelookedather,hesawthatsheanddiscoveredthesecret,asheknewshewould.

Ashestaredather,hiseyesburnedwiththequestion:

WHICH?

Itwasasplaintoherasifhewasshoutingittoherfromwherehestood.Therewasnotasecondtolose.Thequestionwasaskedinaflash.Itmustbeansweredinaninstant!

Theprincessraisedherhandandmadeasudden,quickmovementtotheright.Noonebutherloversawher.Everyeyewasstaringonthemaninthearena.

Heturnedandwithafirmstepwalkedquicklyacrossthearena.Everyheartstoppedbeating,everybreathwasheld,everyeyewasonthatman.Withouttheslightesthesitation,hewenttothedoorontherightandpulleditopen.

Nowthepointofthestoryisthis:

Didthetigercomeoutthatdoor,ordidthelady?

Themorewethinkaboutthisquestion,theharderitistoanswer.Itmeanswemuststudythehumanheart—somethingthatisverydifficulttodo.

Thinkaboutthis.Shewasawildandsavageprincesswhosesoulwasburningwithjealousyandhate.Shehadlostherlover.Shouldanotherwomanhavehim?

Howoften,duringthedayandinherdreams,shehadthoughtaboutthetigerleapingoutwithitscruel,sharpclaws.Thenshecoveredherfacewithherhandsandwasfilledwithhorror.

Buthowmuchoftenersheimaginedhimattheotherdoor!

Shepicturedhislookofdelightashesawthelady.Hersoulburnedinagony