英文故事TheGiftoftheMagi附理解练习.docx
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英文故事TheGiftoftheMagi附理解练习
英文故事-The-Gift-of-the-Magi(附理解练习)
TheGiftoftheMagi
O.Henry
ItwasChristmas,andDellaandJimwantedtogiveeachotherspecialgifts.
Theyhadnoextramoney,buttheyeachcouldsacrificesomethingdear.
Oncedollarandeighty–sevencents.Thatwasall.Andsixtycentsofitwasinpennies.Penniessavedoneandtwoatatimebybargainingwiththegrocerandthevegetablemanandthebutcher.ThreetimesDellacountedit.Onedollarandeight–sevencents.AndthenextdaywouldbeChristmas.
Therewasclearlynothingtodobutflopdownontheshabbylittlecouchandhowl.SoDelladidit.Whichinstigatesthemoralreflectionthatlifeismadeupofsobs,sniffles,andsmiles,withsnifflespredominating.
Whilethemistressofthehomeisgraduallysubsidingfromthefirststagetothesecond,takealookatthehome.Afurnishedflatat$8perweek.Itdidnotexactlybeggardescription,butratherlookedasifitwere“begging.”
Inthedoorwaybelowwasaletter-boxintowhichnoletterwouldgo,andanelectricbuttonfromwhichnomortalfingercouldcoaxaring.Alsoappertainingthereuntowasacardbearingthename“Mr.JamesDillinghamYoung.”ButwheneverMr.JamesDillinghamYoungcamehomeandreachedhisflatabovehewascalled“Jim”andgreatlyhuggedbyMr.JamesDillinghamYoung,alreadyintroducedtoyouasDella.Whichisallverygood.
Dellafinishedhercryandattendedtohercheekwiththepowderrag.Shestoodbythewindowandlookedoutdullyatthegraycatwalkingagrayfenceinagraybackyard.
TomorrowwouldbeChristmasDay,andshehadonly$1.87withwhichtobuyJimapresent.Shehadbeensavingeverypennyshecouldformonths,withthisresult.Twentydollarsaweekdoesn’tgofar.Expenseshadbeengreaterthanshehadcalculated.Theyalwaysare.Only$1.87tobuyapresentforJim.HerJim.Manyahappyhourshehadspentplanningforsomethingniceforhim.Somethingfineandrareandsterling–somethingjustalittlebitneartobeingworthyofthehonorofbeingJim’swife.
Suddenlyshewhirledfromthewindowandstoodbeforethemirror.Hereyeswereshiningbrilliantly,butherfacehadlostitscolorwithintwentyseconds.Rapidlyshepulleddownherhairandletitfalltoitsfulllength.
Now,thereweretwopossessionsoftheJamesDillinghamYoung’sinwhichtheybothtookamightypride.OnewasJim’sgoldwatchthathadbeenhisfather’sandhisgrandfather’s.TheotherwasDella’shair.HadtheQueenofShebalivedtheflatacrosstheway,DellawouldhaveletherhairhangoutthewindowsomedaytodryjusttodepreciateHerMajesty’sjewelsandgifts.HadKingSolomonbeenthejanitor,withallhistreasurespiledupinthebasement,Jimwouldhavepulledhiswatcheverytimehepassed,justtoseehimpluckathisbeardfromenvy.
SonowDella’sbeautifulhairfellaboutherripplingandshininglikeacascadeofbrownwaters.Itreachedbelowherkneeandmadeitselfalmostagarmentforher.Andthenshediditupagainnervouslyandquickly.Onceshefalteredforaminuteandstoodstillwhileatearortwosplashedonthewornredcarpet.
Onwentheroldbrownjacket,onwentonoldbrownhat.Withawhirlofskirtsandwiththebrilliantsparklestillinhereye,sheflutteredoutthedooranddownthestairstothestreet.
Whereshestoppedthesignread:
“Mme.Sofronie.HairGoodsofAllkinds.”OneflightupDellaran,andcollectedherself,panting,Madame,large,toowhite,chilly,hardlylookedthe“Sofronie.”
“Willyoubuymyhair?
”askedDella.
“Ibuyhair,”saidMadame.“Takeyethatoffthelet’shaveasightatthelooksofit.”
Downrippledthebrowncascade.
“Twentydollars,”saidMadame,liftingthemasswithapracticedhand.
Oh,andthenexttwohourstrippedbyonrosywings.Forgetthehashedmetaphor.ShewasransackingthestoresforJim’spresent.
Shefounditatlast.ItsurelyhadbeenmadeforJimandnooneelse.Therewasnootherlikeitinanyofthestores,andshehadturnedalloftheminsideout.Itwasaplatinumfobchainsimpleandchasteindesign,properlyproclaimingitsvaluebysubstancealone.ItwasevenworthyofTheWatch.AssoonasshesawitsheknewthatitmustbeJim’s.Itwaslikehim.Quietnessandvalue–thedescriptionappliedtoboth.Twenty-onedollarstheytookfromherforit,andshehurriedhomewiththe87cents.WiththatchainonhiswatchJimmightbeproperlyanxiousaboutthetimeinanycompany.Grandasthewatchwas,hesometimeslookedatitontheslyonaccountoftheoldleatherstrapthatheusedinplaceofachain.
WhenDellareachedhomeherintoxicationgavewayalittletoprudenceandreason.Shegotouthercurlingironsandlightedthegasandwenttoworkrepairingtheravagesmadebygenerosityaddedtolove.Whichisalwaysatremendoustask,dearfriends–amammothtask.
Withinfortyminutesherheadwascoveredwithtiny,close-lyingcurlsthatmadeherlookwonderfullylikeaschoolboy.Shelookedatherreflectioninthemirrorlong,carefully,andcritically.
“IfJimdoesn’tkillme,”shesaidtoherself,“beforehetakesasecondlookatme,he’llsayIlooklikeaConeyIslandchorusgirl.ButwhatcouldIdo–oh!
WhatcouldIdowithadollarandeight-sevencents?
”
At7o’clockthecoffeewasmadeandthefrying-panwasonthebackofthestovehotandreadytocookthechops.
Jimwasneverlate.Delladoubledthefobchaininherhandandsatonthecornerofthetablenearthedoorthathealwaysentered.Thensheheardhissteponthestairwaydownonthefirstflight,andsheturnedwhiteforjustamoment.Shehadahabitofsayinglittlesilentprayersaboutthesimplesteverydaythings,andnowshewhispered:
“PleaseGod,makehimthinkIamstillpretty.”
ThedooropenedandJimsteppedinandclosedit.HelookedthinandveryseriousPoorfellow,hewasonlytwenty-twoandtobeburdenedwithafamily!
Heneededanewovercoatandhewaswithgloves.
Jimstoppedinsidethedoor,asimmovableasasetteratthescentofquail.HiseyeswerefixeduponDella,andtherewasanexpressioninthemthatshecouldnotread,anditterrifiedher.Itwasnotanger,norsurprise,nordisapproval,norhorror,noranyofthesentimentsthatshehadbeenpreparedfor.Hesimplestaredatherfixedlywithatpeculiarexpressiononhisface.Dellawriggledoffthetableandwentforhim.
“Jim,daring.”Shecried,“don’tlookatmethatway.IhadmyhaircutoffandsolditbecauseIcouldn’thavelivedthroughChristmaswithoutgivingyouapresent.It’llgrowoutagain–youwon’tmind,willyou?
Ijusthadtodoit.Myhairgrowsawfullyfast.Say‘MerryChristmas!
’Jim,andlet’sbehappy.Youdon’tknowwhatanice–whatabeautiful,nicegiftI’vegotforyou.”
“You’vecutoffyourhair?
”askJim,laboriously,asifhehadnotarrivedatthatpatentfactyetevenafterthehardestmentallabor.
“Cutitoffandsoldit,”saidDella.“Don’tyoulikemejustaswell,anyhow?
I’mmewithoutmyhair,aren’tI?
”Jimlookedabouttheroomcuriously.
“Yousayyourhairisgone!
”hesaid,withanairalmostofidiocy.
“Youneedn’tlookforit,”saidDella.“It’ssold,Itellyou–soldandgone,too.It’sChristmasEve,boy.Begoodtome,foritwentforyou.Maybethehairsofmyheadwerenumbered,”shewentonwithasuddenserioussweetness,“butnobodycouldevencountmyloveforyou.ShallIputthechopson,Jim?
”
OutofhistranceJimseemedquicklytowake.HeenfoldedhisDella.Fortensecondsletusregardwithdiscreetscrutinysomeinconsequentialobjectintheotherdirection.Eightdollarsaweekoramillionayear–whatisthedifference?
Amathematicianorawitwouldgiveyouthewronganswer.Themagicbroughtvaluablegifts,butthatwasnotamongthem.Thisdarkassertionwillbeilluminatedlateron.
Jimdrewapackagefromhisovercoatpocketandthrewituponthetable.“Don’tmakeanymistake,Della.”hesaid,“aboutme.Idon’tthinkthere’sanythinginthewayofahaircutorashaveorashampoothatcouldmakemelikemygirlanyless.Butifyou’llunwrapthatpackageyoumayseewhyyouhadmegoingawhileatfirst.”
Whitefingersandnimbletoreatthestringandpaper.Andthenanecstaticscreamofjoy,andthen,alas!
Aquickfemininechangetohystericaltearsandwails,necessitatingtheimmediateemploymentofallthecomfortingpowersofthelordoftheflat.
FortherelaytheCombs–thesetofcombs,sideandback,thatDellahadworshippedforlonginaBroadwaywindow.Beautifulcombs,puretortoiseshell,withjeweledrims–justtheshadetowearinthebeautifulvanishedhair.Theywereexpensivecombs,sheknew,andherhearthadsimplycravedandyearnedoverthemwithouttheleasthopeofpossession.Andnowtheyhers,butthetressesthatshouldhaveadornedthecovetedadornmentsweregone.Butshehuggedthemtoherbosom,andatlengthshewasabletolookupwithdimeyesandasmileandsay:
“Myhairgrowssofast,Jim!
”
Jimhadnotyetseenhisbeautifulpresent.Shehelditouttohimeagerlyuponheropenpalm.Thedullpreciousmetalseemedtoflashwithareflectionofherbrightandardentspirit.
“Isn’titadandy,Jim?
Ihuntedallovertowntofindit.You’llhavetolookatthetimeahundredtimesadaynow.Givemeyourwatch.Iwanttoseehowitlooksonit.”Insteadofobeying,Jimtumbleddownonthecouchandputhishandsunderthebackofhisheadandsmiled.
“Dell,”saidhe,“Let’sputourChristmaspresentsawayandkeep‘emawhile.They’retoonicetousejustatpresent.Isoldthewatchtogetthemoneytobuyyourcombs.Andnowsupposeyouputthechopson.”
Themagi,asyouknow,werewisemen–wonderfullywisemen–whobroughtgiftstotheBabeinthemanger.Theyinventedtheart