THU生活英语慕课|名著欣赏｜《欧亨利短篇小说集》

_本文原题：名著欣赏｜《欧亨利短篇小说集》
【作者简介】
欧·亨利（O.Henry ， 1862年9月11日—1910年6月5日），又译奥·亨利，原名威廉·西德尼·波特（William Sydney Porter），美国短篇小说家、美国现代短篇小说创始人，其主要作品有《麦琪的礼物》、《警察与赞美诗》、《最后一片叶子》、《二十年后》等。
1862年9月11日，欧·亨利生于美国北卡罗莱纳州格林斯伯勒，曾当过银行职员、药剂师等。 1896年2月，欧·亨利因受到盗用公款的指控入狱，后逃亡洪都拉斯。 1898年再次入狱，期间开始发表作品。 1902年，欧·亨利移居纽约，成为职业作家。 1910年6月5日，欧·亨利因肝硬化在美国纽约去世。欧·亨利与契诃夫和莫泊桑并列世界三大短篇小说巨匠，曾被评论界誉为曼哈顿桂冠散文作家和美国现代短篇小说之父，他的作品有“美国生活的百科全书”之誉。

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【含英咀华】

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1.When one loves one's Art no service seems too hard.
That is our premise. This story shall draw a conclusion from it, and show at the same time that the premise is incorrect. That will be a new thing in logic, and a feat in story-telling somewhat older than the great wall of China.
当你爱好你的艺术时，就没有什么难以忍受的牺牲。
这是我们的前提。而这篇故事将从中得出一个结论，同时也证明这个前提是不正确的。从逻辑的角度来说，这将是件新鲜事，但在文学的角度中，这可是门比中国的长城还古老的艺术。
"When one loves one's Art no service seems--"
But Delia stopped him with her hand on his lips. "No," she said-- "just 'When one loves.”
乔开口说：“当你爱你的艺术时，就没有什么牺牲......”
但德丽亚把手放在他的嘴唇上打断了他。 “不， ”她说， “只需要说，当你爱时。 ”
——A Service of Love
小记：开篇略带幽默地引出了“爱好艺术”和“牺牲”两个概念，经历了全篇故事的波折后又回到这个话题， “love”显然比“love your art”更适合作为“service”的原因。
2. "There are some things that money can't accomplish," remarked young Rockwall, rather gloomily.
"Now, don't say that, "said old Anthony, shocked."I bet my money on money every time. I've been through the encyclopedia down to Y looking for something you can't buy with it; and I expect to have to take up the appendix next week. I'm for money against the field. Tell me something money won't buy."
"For one thing," answered Richard, rankling a little, "it won't buy one into the exclusive circles of society."
“有些事情即使有了钱也办不到， ”小罗克韦尔相当抑郁地说。
“别那么讲， ”老安东尼惊愕地说， “我始终相信钱能通神。我查遍了百科全书，已经查到字母Ｙ，还没有发现过金钱办不到的事；下星期我还要查附录。我相信钱能对付世上的一切。你倒说说，有什么东西是钱买不到的。 ” 分页标题
“举个例吧， ”理查德哀怨地说， “有钱也挤不进排外的社会圈子。 ”
——Mammon and the Archer
小记：父与子的对话以“钱”为讨论中心，结合开篇父亲对荷兰旧式贵族邻居的嘲讽，鲜明地描摹出父亲作为新兴资本家的形象，其观念其实也是当时社会观念的缩影。而篇末的转折也紧扣此处，带有“即使是排外的上流社会社交圈也可以用钱来买到”的讽刺。
3. And also in a moment his heart responded thrillingly to this novel mood. An instantaneous and strong impulse moved him to battle with his desperate fate. He would pull himself out of the mire; he would make a man of himself again; he would conquer the evil that had taken possession of him. There was time; he was comparatively young yet; he would resurrect his old eager ambitions and pursue them without faltering. Those solemn but sweet organ notes had set up a revolution in him. To-morrow he would go into the roaring downtown district and find work. A fur importer had once offered him a place as driver. He would find him to-morrow and ask for the position. He would be somebody in the world. He would--
Soapy felt a hand laid on his arm. He looked quickly around into the broad face of a policeman.
"What are you doin' here?" asked the officer.
"Nothin'," said Soapy.
"Then come along," said the policeman.
"Three months on the Island," said the Magistrate in the Police Court the next morning.
顷刻间，这种新的思想境界令他激动万分。一股迅急而强烈的冲动鼓舞着他去迎战坎坷的人生。他要把自己拖出泥淖，他要征服那一度驾驭自己的恶魔。时间尚不晚，他还算年轻，他要再现当年的雄心壮志，并矢志不渝地去实现它。管风琴的庄重而甜美音调已经在他的内心深处激起了一场革命。明天，他要去繁华的商业区找事干。有个皮货进口商一度让他当司机，明天找到他，接下这份差事。他愿意做个煊赫一时的人物。他要……
索比感到有只手按在他的胳膊上。他霍地扭过头来，只见一位警察的宽脸盘。
"你在这儿干什么呀？"警察问道。
"没干什么， "索比说。
"那就跟我来， "警察说。
第二天早晨，警局法庭的法官宣判："布莱克韦尔岛，三个月。 "
——The Cop and the Anthem
小记：由“赞美诗”激起的理想与警察所标志的现实在三言两语间交错、呼应，使人读罢既有扼腕感，又不禁叫绝。
【欧亨利式结尾】
欧·亨利式结尾，通常指短篇小说大师们常常在文章情节结尾时突然让人物的心理情境发生出人意料的变化，或使主人公命运陡然逆转，出现意想不到的结果，既在意料之外，又在情理之中。

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【THU生活英语慕课|名著欣赏｜《欧亨利短篇小说集》】THU生活英语慕课