奇书网>英美文学经典选读 > Text A The Gift of the Magi（第1页）
Text A The Gift of the Magi（第1页）
TextATheGiftoftheMagi
O。Henry
[1]hty-sevewasall。Andsixtytsofitennies。Penniessavedowoatatimebybulldozingthegrodthevegetablematilone’scheeksburhesilentimputationofparsimonythatsuchclosedealihreetimesDellatedit。hty-seves。AdaywouldbeChristmas。
[2]Therewasothingtodobutflopdownontheshabbylittledhowl。SoDelladidit。Whistigatesthemoralreflethatlifeismadeupofsobs，sniffles，ahsnifflespredominating。
[3]Whilethemistressofthehomeisgraduallysubsidingfretothesed，takealookatthehome。Afur$8perweek。Itdidlybeggardes，butitlyhadthatwordoforthemendicysquad。Iibulebelowwasaletter-boxintowhio，atonfromwhiercouldg。Alsthereuntowasacardbearingthename“Mr。JamesDillinghamYoung。”The“Dillingham”hadbeenflungtothebreezeduringaformerperiodofprosperitywhenitspossessoraid$30perhentheinewasshrunkto$20，thelettersof“Dillingham”lookedblurred，asthoughtheywerethinkingseriouslytoamodestandunassumingD。ButwheneverMr。JamesDillinghamYoungeandreachedhisflatabovehewascalled“Jim”alyhuggedbyMrs。JamesDillinghamYouroducedtoyouasDella。Whichisallverygood。
[4]Dellafinishedherdatteohercheekswiththep。ShestoodbythewindowadullyatagreygagreyfenagreybaorrowwouldbeChristmasDay，andshehadonly$1。87withwhiapresent。Shehadbeensavingeverypennysheonths，withthisresult。Twentydollarsaweekdoesn’tgofar。Expenseshadbeehanshehadcalculated。Theyalwaysare。Only$1。87tobuyapresentforJim。HerJim。Manyahappyhourshehadspentplanningforsomethingni。SomethingfineaerlihingjustalittlebithyofthehownedbyJim。
[5]Thereier-glassbetsoftheroom。Perhapsyouhaveseenapier-glassinan$8flat。Averythinandveryagilepersonmay，byhisreflearapidsequengitudinalstrips，obtainafairlyacofhislooks。Della，beingslender，hadmasteredtheart。
[6]Suddenlyshewhirledfromthewindowandstlass。Hereyeswereshiningbrilliantly，butherfacehadlostitscolourwithiyseds。Rapidlyshepulleddownherhairafalltoitsfulllength。
[7]wopossessionsoftheJamesDillinghamYoungsinwhichtheybothtookamightypride。OnewasJim’sgoldwatchthathadbeenhisfather’sandhisgraheotherwasDella’shair。HadtheQueenofShebalivediacrosstheairshaft，DellawouldhaveletherhairhangoutthewiodryjusttodepreciateHerMajesty’sjewelsandgifts。HadKingSolomoor，withallhistreasurespiledupi，Jimulledouthiswatcheverytimehepassed，justtoseehimpluckathisbeardfromenvy。
[8]SonowDella’sbeautifulhairfellabandshininglikeacascadeofbrowreachedbelowherkneeaselfalmostagarmeheupagainnervouslyandquiceshefalteredforamioodstillwhileatearortwosplashedonthewor。
[9]Oheroldbrow;oheroldbrohirlofskirtsandwiththebrilliaillinhereyes，sheflutteredoutthedooranddowothestreet。
[10]Whereshestoppedthesignread:“Mme。SofroodsofAllKiupDellaran，aedherself，panting。Madame，large，toowhite，chilly，hardlylookedthe“Sofronie”。
[11]“Willyoubuymyhair?”askedDella。
[12]“Ibuyhair，”saidMadame。“Takeyerhatoffa’shaveasightatthelooksofit。”
[13]Dowhebrowydollars，”saidMadame，liftihaprad。
[14]“Giveittomequick，”saidDella。
[15]Oh，awohourstrippedbys。Fetthehashedmetaphor。ShewasransagthestoresforJim’spresent。
[16]Shefounditatlast。ItsurelyhadbeenmadeforJimaherewasinaores，aurnedallofthemilatinumfobsimpleanddesign，pritsvaluebysubstabymeretrientation—asallgoodthingsshoulddo。ItwasevenworthyofTheWatch。AssooshekmustbeJim’s。Itwaslikehim。Quietnessahedesappliedtoboth。Twenty-onedollarstheytookfromherforit，andshehurriedhomewiththe87ts。WiththathiswatchJimmightbeproperlyanxiousaboutthetimeinanypany。Grachwas，hesometimeslookedatitontheslyonatoftheoldleatherstrapthatheusedinplaceofa。
[17]WhenDellareaeherintoxigavewayalittletoprudendreasohergironsahegasatheravagesmadebygeyaddedtolove，whichisalwaysatremendoustask，dearfriends—amammothtask。
[18]Withinfortyminutesherheadwascoveredwithtiny，gcurlsthatmadeherlookwonderfullylikeatruantschoolboy。Shelookedatherreflethemirr，carefully，andcritically。
[19]“IfJimdoesn’tkillme，”shesaidtoherself，“beforehetakesasee，he’llsayIlooklikeaeyIslandchirl。ButwhatcouldIdo—oh!whatcouldIdowithadhty-seves?”
[20]At7o’clockthecoffeewasmadeandthefrying-panwasonthebackofthestovehotaocookthechops。
