The Last Leaf教师用.docx

The Last Leaf教师用.docx

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TheLastLeaf教师用

TheLastLeaf

O.Henry

1Atthetopofathree-storybrickbuilding,SueandJohnsyhadtheirstudio."Johnsy"wasfamiliarforJoanna.OnewasfromMaine;theotherfromCalifornia.TheyhadmetatacafeonEighthStreetandfoundtheirtastesinart,chicorysaladandbishopsleevessomuchintunethatthejointstudioresulted.　

2ThatwasinMay.InNovemberacold,unseenstranger,whomthedoctorscalledPneumonia,stalkedaboutthedistrict,touchingonehereandtherewithhisicyfingers.Johnsywasamonghisvictims.Shelay,scarcelymovingonherbed,lookingthroughthesmallwindowattheblanksideofthenextbrickhouse.

3OnemorningthebusydoctorinvitedSueintothehallwaywithabushy,grayeyebrow.

4"Shehasonechanceinten,"hesaid."Andthatchanceisforhertowanttolive.Yourlittleladyhasmadeuphermindthatshe'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";andthen"eight"and"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,"saidSue."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,"saidJohnsy."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,