麦琪的礼物 英文版 The Gift of the Magi之欧阳物创编.docx

麦琪的礼物 英文版 The Gift of the Magi之欧阳物创编.docx

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麦琪的礼物英文版TheGiftoftheMagi之欧阳物创编

麦琪的礼物英文版TheGiftoftheMagi

时间：

2021.02.07

命题人：

欧阳物

Onedollarandeighty-sevencents.Thatwasall.Andsixtycentsofitwasinpennies.Penniessavedoneandtwoatatimebybulldozingthegrocerandthevegetablemanandthebutcheruntilone'scheeksburnedwiththesilentimputationofparsimonythatsuchclosedealingimplied.ThreetimesDellacountedit.Onedollarandeighty-sevencents.AndthenextdaywouldbeChristmas.

Therewasclearlynothingtodobutflopdownontheshabbylittlecouchandhowl.SoDelladidit.Whichinstigatesthemoralreflectionthatlifeismadeupofsobs,sniffles,andsmiles,withsnifflespredominating.

Whilethemistressofthehomeisgraduallysubsidingfromthefirststagetothesecond,takealookatthehome.Afurnishedflatat$8perweek.Itdidnotexactlybeggardescription,butitcertainlyhadthatwordonthelookoutforthemendicancysquad.

Inthevestibulebelowwasaletter-boxintowhichnoletterwouldgo,andanelectricbuttonfromwhichnomortalfingercouldcoaxaring.Alsoappertainingthereuntowasacardbearingthename"Mr.JamesDillinghamYoung."

The"Dillingham"hadbeenflungtothebreezeduringaformerperiodofprosperitywhenitspossessorwasbeingpaid$30perweek.Now,whentheincomewasshrunkto$20,though,theywerethinkingseriouslyofcontractingtoamodestandunassumingD.ButwheneverMr.JamesDillinghamYoungcamehomeandreachedhisflatabovehewascalled"Jim"andgreatlyhuggedbyMrs.JamesDillinghamYoung,alreadyintroducedtoyouasDella.Whichisallverygood.

Dellafinishedhercryandattendedtohercheekswiththepowderrag.Shestoodbythewindowandlookedoutdullyatagraycatwalkingagrayfenceinagraybackyard.TomorrowwouldbeChristmasDay,andshehadonly$1.87withwhichtobuyJimapresent.Shehadbeensavingeverypennyshecouldformonths,withthisresult.Twentydollarsaweekdoesn'tgofar.Expenseshadbeengreaterthanshehadcalculated.Theyalwaysare.Only$1.87tobuyapresentforJim.HerJim.Manyahappyhourshehadspentplanningforsomethingniceforhim.Somethingfineandrareandsterling--somethingjustalittlebitneartobeingworthyofthehonorofbeingownedbyJim.

Therewasapier-glassbetweenthewindowsoftheroom.Perhapsyouhaveseenapierglassinan$8flat.Averythinandveryagilepersonmay,byobservinghisreflectioninarapidsequenceoflongitudinalstrips,obtainafairlyaccurateconceptionofhislooks.Della,beingslender,hadmasteredtheart.

Suddenlyshewhirledfromthewindowandstoodbeforetheglass.hereyeswereshiningbrilliantly,butherfacehadlostitscolorwithintwentyseconds.Rapidlyshepulleddownherhairandletitfalltoitsfulllength.

Now,thereweretwopossessionsoftheJamesDillinghamYoungsinwhichtheybothtookamightypride.OnewasJim'sgoldwatchthathadbeenhisfather'sandhisgrandfather's.TheotherwasDella'shair.HadthequeenofShebalivedintheflatacrosstheairshaft,DellawouldhaveletherhairhangoutthewindowsomedaytodryjusttodepreciateHerMajesty'sjewelsandgifts.HadKingSolomonbeenthejanitor,withallhistreasurespiledupinthebasement,Jimwouldhavepulledouthiswatcheverytimehepassed,justtoseehimpluckathisbeardfromenvy.

SonowDella'sbeautifulhairfellaboutherripplingandshininglikeacascadeofbrownwaters.Itreachedbelowherkneeandmadeitselfalmostagarmentforher.Andthenshediditupagainnervouslyandquickly.Onceshefalteredforaminuteandstoodstillwhileatearortwosplashedonthewornredcarpet.

Onwentheroldbrownjacket;onwentheroldbrownhat.Withawhirlofskirtsandwiththebrilliantsparklestillinhereyes,sheflutteredoutthedooranddownthestairstothestreet.

Whereshestoppedthesignread:

"Mne.Sofronie.HairGoodsofAllKinds."OneflightupDellaran,andcollectedherself,panting.Madame,large,toowhite,chilly,hardlylookedthe"Sofronie."

"Willyoubuymyhair?

"askedDella.

"Ibuyhair,"saidMadame."Takeyerhatoffandlet'shaveasightatthelooksofit."

Downrippledthebrowncascade.

"Twentydollars,"saidMadame,liftingthemasswithapractisedhand.

"Giveittomequick,"saidDella.

Oh,andthenexttwohourstrippedbyonrosywings.Forgetthehashedmetaphor.ShewasransackingthestoresforJim'spresent.

Shefounditatlast.ItsurelyhadbeenmadeforJimandnooneelse.Therewasnootherlikeitinanyofthestores,andshehadturnedalloftheminsideout.Itwasaplatinumfobchainsimpleandchasteindesign,properlyproclaimingitsvaluebysubstancealoneandnotbymeretriciousornamentation--asallgoodthingsshoulddo.ItwasevenworthyofTheWatch.AssoonasshesawitsheknewthatitmustbeJim's.Itwaslikehim.Quietnessandvalue--thedescriptionappliedtoboth.Twenty-onedollarstheytookfromherforit,andshehurriedhomewiththe87cents.WiththatchainonhiswatchJimmightbeproperlyanxiousaboutthetimeinanycompany.Grandasthewatchwas,hesometimeslookedatitontheslyonaccountoftheoldleatherstrapthatheusedinplaceofachain.

WhenDellareachedhomeherintoxicationgavewayalittletoprudenceandreason.Shegotouthercurlingironsandlightedthegasandwenttoworkrepairingtheravagesmadebygenerosityaddedtolove.Whichisalwaysatremendoustask,dearfriends--amammothtask.

Withinfortyminutesherheadwascoveredwithtiny,close-lyingcurlsthatmadeherlookwonderfullylikeatruantschoolboy.Shelookedatherreflectioninthemirrorlong,carefully,andcritically.

"IfJimdoesn'tkillme,"shesaidtoherself,"beforehetakesasecondlookatme,he'llsayIlooklikeaConeyIslandchorusgirl.ButwhatcouldIdo--oh!

whatcouldIdowithadollarandeighty-sevencents?

"

At7o'clockthecoffeewasmadeandthefrying-panwasonthebackofthestovehotandreadytocookthechops.

Jimwasneverlate.Delladoubledthefobchaininherhandandsatonthecornerofthetablenearthedoorthathealwaysentered.Thensheheardhissteponthestairawaydownonthefirstflight,andsheturnedwhiteforjustamoment.Shehadahabitofsayingalittlesilentprayeraboutthesimplesteverydaythings,andnowshewhispered:

"PleaseGod,makehimthinkIamstillpretty."

ThedooropenedandJimsteppedinandclosedit.Helookedthinandveryserious.Poorfellow,hewasonlytwenty-two--andtobeburdenedwithafamily!

Heneededanewovercoatandhewaswithoutgloves.

Jimstoppedinsidethedoor,asimmovableasasetteratthescentofquail.HiseyeswerefixeduponDella,andtherewasanexpressioninthemthatshecouldnotread,anditterrifiedher.Itwasnotanger,norsurprise,nordisapproval,norhorror,noranyofthesentimentsthatshehadbeenpreparedfor.Hesimplystaredatherfixedlywiththatpeculiarexpressiononhisface.

Dellawriggledoffthetableandwentforhim.

"Jim,darling,"shecried,"don'tlookatmethatway.IhadmyhaircutoffandsoldbecauseIcouldn'thavelivedthroughChristmaswithoutgivingyouapresent.It'llgrowoutagain--youwon'tmind,willyou?

Ijusthadtodoit.Myhairgrowsawfullyfast.Say`MerryChristmas!

'Jim,andlet'sbehappy.Youdon'tknowwhatanice--whatabeautiful,nicegiftI'vegotforyou."

"You'vecutoffyourhair?

"askedJim,laboriously,asifhehadnotarrivedatthatpatentfactyetevenafterthehardestmentallabor.

"Cutitoffandsoldit,"saidDella."Don'tyoulikemejustaswell,anyhow?

I'mmewithoutmyhair,ain'tI?

"

Jimlookedabouttheroomcuriously.

"Yousayyourhairisgone?

"hesaid,withanairalmostofidiocy.

"Youneedn'tlookforit,"saidDella."It'ssold,Itellyou--soldandgone,too.It'sChristmasEve,boy.Begoodtome,foritwentforyou.Maybethehairsofmyheadwerenumbered,"shewentonwithsuddenserioussweetness,"butnobodycouldevercountmyloveforyou.ShallIputthechopson,Jim?

"

OutofhistranceJimseemedquicklytowake.HeenfoldedhisDella.Fortensecondsletusregardwithdiscreetscrutinysomeinconsequentialobjectintheotherdirection.Eightdollarsaweekoramillionayear--whatisthedifference?

Amathematicianorawitwouldgiveyouthewronganswer.Themagibroughtvaluablegifts,butthatwasnotamongthem.Thisdarkassertionwillbeilluminatedlateron.

Jimdrewapackagefromhisovercoatpocketandthrewituponthetable.

"Don'tmakeanymistake,Dell,"hesaid,"aboutme.Idon'tthinkthere'sanythinginthewayofahaircutorashaveorashampoothatcouldmakemelikemygirlanyless.Butifyou'llunwrapthatpackageyoumayseewhyyouhadmegoingawhileatfirst."

Whitefingersandnimbletoreatthestringandpaper.Andthenanecstaticscreamofjoy;andthen,alas!

aquickfemininechangetohystericaltearsandwails,necessitatingtheimmediateemploymentofallthecomfortingpowersofthelordoftheflat.

FortherelayTheCombs--thesetofcombs,sideandback,thatDellahadworshippedlonginaBroadwaywindow.Beautifulcombs,puretortoiseshell,withjewelledrims--justtheshadetowearinthebeautifulvanishedhair.Theywereexpensivecombs,sheknew,andherhearthadsimplycravedandyearnedoverthemwithouttheleasthopeofpossession.Andnow,theywerehers,butthetressesthatshouldhaveadornedthecovetedadornmentsweregone.

Butshehuggedthemtoherbosom,andatlengthshewasabletolookupwithdimeyesandasmileandsay:

"Myhairgrowssofast,Jim!

"

AndthenDellaleapeduplikealittlesingedcatandcried,"Oh,oh!

"

Jimhadnotyetseenhisbeautifulpre