麦琪的礼物

章节摘录

　　"Isn' that young lady Polly Simpson?" asked Jimmy， with specious guile.　　"Naw," said the boy. "She's Annabel Adams. Her pa owns this bank. Why'd you come to Elmore for? Is that a gold watch-chain?　　I'm going to get a bulldog. Got any more dimes?"　　Jimmy went to the Planters' Hotel, registered as Ralph D.　　Spencer, and engaged a room. He leaned on the desk and declared his platform to the clerk. He said he had come to Elmore to look for a location to go into business. How was the shoe business, now, in the town? He had thought of the shoe business. Was there an opening?　　The clerk was impressed by the clothes and manner of Jimmy.　　He, himself, was something of a pattern of fashion to the thinly gilded youth of Elmore, but he now perceived his shortcomings.　　While trying to figure out Jimmy's manner of tying his four-in-hand he cordially gave information.　　Yes, there ought to be a good opening in the shoe line. There wasn't an exclusive shoe-store in the place. The dry-goods and general stores handled them. Business in all lines was fairly good.　　Hoped Mr. Spencer would decide to locate in Elmore. He would find it a pleasant town to live in, and the people very sociable.　　Mr. Spencer thought he would stop over in the town a few days and look over the situation. No, the clerk needn't call the boy. He would carry up his suitcase, himself； it was rather heavy.　　Mr. Ralph Spencer, the phoenix that arose from Jimmy　　Valentine's ashes-ashes left by the flame of a sudden and alterative attack of love-remained in Elmore, and prospered. He opened a shoe-store and secured a good run of trade.　　Socially he was also a success, and made many friends. And he accomplished the wish of his heart. He met Miss Annabel Adams, and became more and more captivated by her charms..　　At the end of a year the situation of Mr. Ralph Spencer was this： he had won the respect of the community, his shoe-store was flourishing, and he and Annabel were engaged to be married in two weeks. Mr. Adams, the typical, plodding, country banker, approved of Spencer. Annabel's pride in him almost equaled her affection. He was as much at home in the family of Mr. Adams and that of　　Annabel's married sister as if he were already a member.　　One day Jimmy sat down in his room and wrote this letter, which he mailed to the safe address of one of his old friends in St.　　Louis：　　Dear Old Pal：　　I want you to be at Sullivan's place, in Little Rock, next　　Wednesday night, at nine o'clock. I want you to wind up some little matters for me. And, also,l want to make you a present of my kit of tools. I know you'll be glad to get them-you couldn't duplicate the lot for a thousand dollars. Say, Billy, I've quit the old business-a year ago： I've got a nice store. I'm making an honest living, and I'm going to marry the finest girl on earth two weeks from now. It's the only life, Billy-the straight one. I wouldn't touch a dollar of another man's money now for a million.　　After I get married I'm going to sell out and go West, where there won't be so much danger of having old scores brought up against me. I tell you, Billy, she's an angel. She believes in me； and　　I wouldn't do another crooked thing for the whole world. Be sure to be at Sully's, for I must see you. I'll bring along the tools with me.　　Your old friend,　　Jimmy.　　On the Monday night after Jimmy wrote this letter, Ben Price jogged unobtrusively into Elmore in a livery buggy. He lounged about town in his quiet way until he found out what he wanted to know. From the drug-store across the street from Spencer's shoe-store he got a good look at Ralph D. Spencer.　　"Going to marry the banker's daughter are you, Jimmy?" said Ben to himself, softly. "Well, I don't know!"　　The next morning Jimmy took breakfast at the Adamses. He was going to Little Rock that day to order his wedding-suit and buy something nice for Annabel. That would be the first time he had left town since he came to Elmore. It had been more than a year now since those last professional "jobs", and he thought he could safely venture out.　　……

前言

　　欧·亨利（0.Henry,1862-1910），原名威廉·西德尼·波特（William Sydney Porter），美国著名短篇小说家，被誉为“美国现代短篇小说之父”，与莫泊桑、契诃夫并称为世界三大短篇小说之王。　　1862年9月11日，欧·亨利出生在美国北卡罗来纳州一个名叫格林斯波罗的小镇。他的一生极富传奇色彩，3岁丧母，15岁就走向社会，从事过牧牛人、药剂师、会计员、土地局办事员、新闻记者、制图员、出纳员等职业；创办过一份名为《滚石》的幽默周刊，并在休斯敦一家日报上发表过幽默小说和趣闻轶事。1897年，欧·亨利因挪用银行资金被判5年徒刑；1901年，因“行为良好”提前获释，之后迁居纽约专门从事写作。.　　欧·亨利一生共创作了300多篇短篇小说，分别收录在《白菜与国王》（1904）、《四百万》（1906）、《西部之心》（1907）、《市声》（1908）、《滚石》（1913）短篇小说集中，其中以描写纽约曼哈顿市民生活的作品最为著名，因此被誉为“曼哈顿的桂冠诗人”。他的作品构思新颖，语言诙谐，结局常常出人意料；又因描写了众多的人物，富于生活情趣，被称为“美国生活的幽默百科全书”。他的代表作，如《爱的奉献》（A Service of Love）、《警察与颂歌》（The Cop and the Anthem）、《带家具的房间》（The Furnished Room）、《麦琪的礼物》（The Gift of the Magi）、《最后一片叶子》（Last Leaf）等使他获得了世界声誉。欧·亨利还以擅长结尾闻名遐迩，美国文学界称之为“欧·亨利式的结尾”，他给美国的短篇小说带来新气息，他的作品因而久享盛名，并具有世界影响。1918年，美国设立了“欧·亨利纪念奖”，以奖励每年度的最佳短篇小说，由此可见其声望之卓著。　　一个世纪以来，欧·亨利的小说在全世界产生了巨大的影响，始终拥有大量的读者。本书精选了他的19篇短篇小说，采用中文导读英文版的形式出版。在中文导读中，我们尽力使其贴近原作的精髓，也尽可能保留原作的故事主线。我们希望能够编出为当代中国读者所喜爱的经典读本。读者在阅读英文故事之前，可以先阅读中文导读，这样有利于了解故事背景，从而加快阅读速度。同时，为了读者更好地理解故事内容，书中加入了大量的插图。我们相信，该经典著作的引进对加强当代中国读者，特别是青少年读者的人文修养是非常有帮助的。　　本书主要内容由王勋、纪飞编译。参加本书故事素材搜集整理及编译工作的还有郑佳、刘乃亚、赵雪，熊金玉、李丽秀、熊红华、王婷婷、孟宪行、胡国平、李晓红、贡东兴、陈楠、邵舒丽、冯洁、王业伟、徐鑫、王晓旭、周丽萍、熊建国、徐平国、肖洁、王小红等。限于我们的科学、人文素养和英语水平，书中难免会有不当之处，衷心希望读者朋友批评指正。

书籍目录

麦琪的礼物我们选择的路艺术中的良知重获新生天命之路二十年后巫婆的面包快递员斯芬克斯的苹果言外之意最后一片叶子公主和美洲狮人生的起起伏伏一个没有结束的故事山外有山人外有人灵魂和摩天大楼财神和爱神射手修剪狼毛一千美元

作者简介

《麦琪的礼物(插图•中文导读英文版)》精选了美国著名作家欧·亨利的短篇小说19篇，世界短篇小说文学宝库中的经典名篇。这些世界公认的文学名著被译成各种文字，影响了一代又一代世界各地的读者，并且被改编成戏剧、电影、电视剧和卡通片等。无论作为语言学习的课本，还是作为通俗的文学读本，这些经典名篇对当代中国的读者都将产生积极的影响。

图书封面

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