The Last Leaf教师用.doc

The Last LeafO. Henry 1 At the top of a three-story brick building, Sue and Johnsy had their studio. Johnsy was familiar for Joanna. One was from Maine; the other from California. They had met at a cafe on Eighth Street and found their tastes in art, chicory salad and bishop sleeves so much in tune that the joint studio resulted. 2 That was in May. In November a cold, unseen stranger, whom the doctors called Pneumonia, stalked about the district, touching one here and there with his icy fingers. Johnsy was among his victims. She lay, scarcely moving on her bed, looking through the small window at the blank side of the next brick house. 3 One morning the busy doctor invited Sue into the hallway with a bushy, gray eyebrow.4 She has one chance in ten, he said. And that chance is for her to want to live. Your little lady has made up her mind that shes not going to get well. Has she anything on her mind? 5 She - she wanted to paint the Bay of Naples some day, said Sue. 6 Paint? - bosh! Has she anything on her mind worth thinking about twice - a man, for instance? 7 A man? said Sue. Is a man worth - but, no, doctor; there is nothing of the kind. 8 Well, said the doctor. I will do all that science can accomplish. But whenever my patient begins to count the carriages in her funeral procession I subtract 50 per cent from the curative power of medicines. After the doctor had gone Sue went into the workroom and cried. Then she marched into Johnsys room with her drawing board, whistling a merry tune. 9 Johnsy lay, scarcely making a movement under the bedclothes, with her face toward the window. She was looking out and counting - counting backward. 10 Twelve, she said, and a little later eleven; and then ten, and nine; and then eight and seven, almost together. 11 Sue looked out of the window. What was there to count? There was only a bare, dreary yard to be seen, and the blank side of the brick house twenty feet away. An old, old ivy vine climbed half way up the brick wall. The cold breath of autumn had blown away its leaves, leaving it almost bare. 12 Six, said Johnsy, in almost a whisper. Theyre falling faster now. Three days ago there were almost a hundred. It made my head ache to count them. But now its easy. There goes another one. There are only five left now. 13 Five what, dear? 14 Leaves. On the ivy vine. When the last one falls I must go, too. Ive known that for three days. Didnt the doctor tell you? 15 Oh, I never heard of such nonsense. What have old ivy leaves to do with your getting well? Dont be so silly. Why, the doctor told me this morning that your chances for getting well real soon were ten to one! Try to take some soup now, and let Sudie go and buy port wine for her sick child. 16 You neednt get any more wine, said Johnsy, keeping her eyes fixed out the window. There goes another. No, I dont want any soup. That leaves just four. I want to see the last one fall before it gets dark. Then Ill go, too. Im tired of waiting. Im tired of thinking. I want to turn loose my hold on everything, and go sailing down, down, just like one of those poor, tired leaves. 17 Try to sleep, said Sue. I must call Behrman up to be my model for the old miner. Ill not be gone a minute. 18 Old Behrman was a painter who lived on the ground floor beneath them. He was past sixty and had a long white beard curling down over his chest. Despite looking the part, Behrman was a failure in art. For forty years he had been always about to paint a masterpiece, but had never yet begun it. He earned a little by serving as a model to those young artists who could not pay the price of a professional. He drank gin to excess, and still talked of his coming masterpiece. For the rest he was a fierce little old man, who mocked terribly at softness in any one, and who regarded himself as guard dog to the two young artists in the studio above. 19 Sue found Behrman smelling strongly of gin in his dimly lighted studio below. In one corner was a blank canvas on an easel that had been waiting there for twenty-five years to receive the first line of the masterpiece. She told him of Johnsys fancy, and how she feared she would, indeed, light and fragile as a leaf herself, float away, when her slight hold upon the world grew weaker. Old Behrman, with his red eyes plainly streaming, shouted his contempt for such foolish imaginings. 20 What! he cried. Are there people in the world foolish enough to die because leafs drop off from a vine? I have never heard of such a thing. Why do you allow such silly ideas to come into that head of hers? God! This is not a place in which one so good as Miss Johnsy should lie sick. Some day I will paint a masterpiece, and we shall all go away. Yes. 21 Johnsy was sleeping when they went upstairs. Sue pulled the shade down, and motioned Behrman into the other room. In there they peered out the window fearfully at the ivy vine. Then they looked at each other for a moment without speaking. A persistent, cold rain was falling, mingled with snow. Behrman, in his old blue shirt, took his seat as the miner on an upturned kettle for a rock. 22 When Sue awoke from an hours sleep the next morning she found Johnsy with dull, wide-open eyes staring at the drawn green shade. 23 Pull it up; I want to see, she ordered, in a whisper. 24 Wearily Sue obeyed. 25 But, Lo! after the beating rain and fierce wind that had endured through the night, there yet stood out against the brick wall one ivy leaf. It was the last on the vine. Still dark green near its stem, but with its edges colored yellow, it hung bravely from a branch some twenty feet above the ground. 26 It is the last one, said Johnsy. I thought it would surely fall during the night. I heard the wind. It will fall today, and I shall die at the same time. 27 The day wore away, and even through the twilight they could see the lone ivy leaf clinging to its stem against the wall. And then, with the coming of the night the north wind was again loosed. 28 When it was light enough Johnsy, the merciless, commanded that the shade be raised. 29 The ivy leaf was still there. 30 Johnsy lay for a long time looking at it. And then she called to Sue, who was stirring her chicken soup over the gas stove. 31 Ive been a bad girl, Sudie, said Johnsy. Something has made that last leaf stay there to show me how wicked I was. It is a sin to want to die. You may bring me a little soup now, and some milk with a little port in it and - no; bring me a hand-mirror first, and then pack some pillows about me, and I will sit up and watch you cook. 32 An hour later she said: 33 Sudie, some day I hope to paint the Bay of Naples. 34 The doctor came in the afternoon, and Sue had an excuse to go into the hallway as he left. 35 Even chances, said the doctor, taking Sues thin, shaking hand in his. 36 With good nursing youll win. And now I must see another case I have downstairs. Behrman, his name is - some kind of an artist, I believe. Pneumonia, too. He is an old, weak man, and the attack is acute. There is no hope for him; but he goes to the hospital today to be made more comfortable. 37 The next day the doctor said to Sue: Shes out of danger. Youve won. The right food and care now - thats all. 38 And that afternoon Sue came to the bed where Johnsy lay and put one arm around her. 39 I have something to tell you, white mouse, she said. Mr. Behrman died of pneumonia today in the hospital. He was ill only two days. He was found on the morning of the first day in his room downstairs helpless with pain. His shoes and clothing were wet through and icy cold. They couldnt imagine where he had been on such a terrible night. And then they found a lantern, still lighted, and a ladder that had been dragged from its place, and some scattered brushes, and a palette with green and yellow colors mixed on it, and - look out the window, dear, at the last ivy leaf on the wall. Didnt you wonder why it never fluttered or moved when the wind blew? Ah, darling, its Behrmans masterpiece - he painted it there the night that the last leaf fell. References 1. O. Henry (1862-1910): pseudonym of William Sydney Porter (1862-1910). American writer of short stories, best known for his ironic plot twists and surprise endings. Born and raised in Greensboro, North Carolina. O. Henry attended school only until age 15, when he dropped out to work in his uncles drugstore. During his 20s he moved to Texas, where he worked for more than ten years as a clerk and a bank teller. O. Henry did not write professionally until he reached his mid-30s, when he sold several pieces to the Detroit Free Press and the Houston Daily Post. In 1894 he founded a short-lived weekly humor magazine, The Rolling Stone.In 1896, O. Henry was charged with embezzling funds from the First National Bank of Austin, Texas, where he had worked from 1891 to 1894. The amount of money was small and might have been an accounting error; however, he chose to flee to Honduras rather than stand trial. Learning that his wife was dying, he returned to Texas in 1897 and, after her death, turned himself in to the authorities. He served three years of a five-year sentence at the federal penitentiary in Columbus. Ohio, where he first began to write short stories and use the pseudonym O. Henry.Released from prison, O. Henry moved to New York City in 1901 and began writing full time. In his stories he made substantial use of his knowledge of Texas, Central America, and life in prison. He also became fascinated by New York street life, which provided a setting for many of his later stories. During the last ten years of his life. O. Henry became one of the most popular writers in America, publishing over 500 short stories in dozens of widely read periodicals.O. Henrys most famous stories, such as The Gift of the Magi, The Furnished Room. and The Ransom of Red Chief, make simple yet effective use of paradoxical coincidences to produce ironic endings. For example, in The Gift of the Magi a husband sells his watch to buy his wife a Christmas present of a pair of hair combs; but, she cuts and sells her long hair to buy him a Christmas present of a new chain for his watch. His style of storytelling became a model not only for short fiction, but also for American motion pictures and television programs.Writing at the rate of more than one story per week, O. Henry published ten collections of stories during a career that barely spanned a decade. They are Cabbages and Kings (1904), The Four Million (1906), Heart of the West (1907), The Trimmed Lamp (1907), The Gentle Grafter (1908), The Voice of the City (1908), Options (1909), Roads of Destiny (1909), Whirligigs (1910), and Strictly Business (1910). The collections Sixes and Sevens (1911), Rolling Stones (1912), and Waifs and Strays (1917) were published after his death. In 1919 the O. Henry Memorial Awards for the best American short stories published each year were founded by the Society of Arts and Sciences. The Complete Works of O. Henry was published in 1953.Words and expressions 1. in tune: harmonious(ly) (often followed by with, the opposite: out of tune)Examples: His ideas are in tune with the times.The price of gold coins fluctuates in tune with that of commodities.Her character is quite out of tune with her beauty.2. Joint: held or done by two or more persons togetherExamples: She had taken the money out of the joint account she had with her husband.There are a number of different forms of business ownership, such as partnerships, corporations and joint ventures.To attract foreign capital, China issued new economic regulations giving more preferential treatment to joint ventures.3. stalk: (of an evil force) move through (a place) in a threatening way; move quietly and cautiously in order to gel nearExamples: When night falls, danger stalks the streets of the city.Polar bears prefer to hunt seats on land or ice but may stalk them from under water.The criminal stalked his victims like a hunter after a deer.4. here and there: in various placesExamples: During the summer vacation he will do a bit of teaching here and there.Toys were scattered here and there on the floor.5. victim: person, animal, etc. suffering death, injury or lossExamples: Police and hospital records indicate that the majority of victims of domestic violence are women.The Red Cross assists victims of natural and man-made disasters.6. scarcely: not quite; almost notExamples: I can scarcely remember when I last ate home-baked bread.The couple has scarcely gone out since the baby was born.7. subtract: take (a number, quantity) away fromExamples: Passenger cars can be added or subtracted at either end of the subway train.When total taxes are subtracted from personal income, the remainder is called disposable income.Students were given a lot of practice in writing, adding, subtracting, multiplying, dividing, and reading-8. merry: happy; cheerful; bright and gayExamples: From the other room, we could hear the merry sound of laughter and glasses clinking.Peter and Mary were strolling about among the merry crowd enjoying Christmas Eve in Time Square.9. backward: with the back or end firstExamples: The helicopter can travel forward, backward, or sideways.Radar tests indicated Venus was actually rotating backward, compared to our planet.10. bare: without covering, clothing, or decorationExamples: Soil held in place by plant roots is less likely to blow or wash away than bare soil.In the 1970s China implemented its barefoot doctor campaign, which trained thousands of villagers in rudimentary health care.In giving first aid to an electric-shock victim, a caregiver must not touch me victim with bare hands.11. dreary: dull; gloomy; causing low spiritsExamples: By the time they had waited five hours for their delayed flight, everyone looked dreary.She had spent a dreary day in the dormitory writing the term paper.12. in a whisper: in a low voiceExamples: He bent down and addressed her in a whisper.I was awakened by hearing my own name spoken in a whisper.13. hear of: be told about or have knowledge ofExamples: Three weeks passed, and nothing was heard of the missing boy.She called me as soon as she heard of the trouble I was in.14. nonsense: foolish talk, ideas, behaviorExamples: I think the report is nonsense and nothing but a waste of paper.Currently, the Web contains everything from nonsense to up-to-the-minute news about the US presidency or US stock quotes from Wall Street.Stop that nonsense, children, and get into bed!15. turn loose: allow (sth.) to be free of controlExamples: The sick whale will be taken care of by the scientists before being fumed loose.The soldiers turned the prisoners loose one by one shortly after the city was conquered.16. look the part: have an appearance for a particular job, role, or positionExamples: I think he must be a captain he certainly looks the part.Despite looking the part, Michael was not an artist at all.17. masterpiece: a piece of work, esp. art, which is the best of its type or the best a person has doneExamples: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is considered Mark Twains masterpiece.Many consider Michelangelos sculpture David to be his masterpiece.The Wealth of Nations is Adam Smiths masterpiece.18. to excess: to an extreme degreeExamples: His father never smoked or drank to excess.Red meat, very high in fat and calories, is harmful to health if eaten to excess.19. for the rest: as regards other mattersExamples: The book contains some interesting passages about the authors childhood. For the rest, it is rather dull.The working conditions in my new job are excellent, but for the rest, I am not impressed.20. fierce: 1) violent and angryExamples: A fierce police dog was chained to a wall.It was estimated that the fierce storm killed at least several thousand people and left more than one million without homes.2) intense: strongExamples: The world is becoming a global market, and the competition is fierce.While Apple enjoyed brighter sales, competitors in the IBM PC world fought a fierce battle for market share.21. mock: ridicule; make fun of (used in the pattern: mock (at) sb./sth.)Examples: They mocked him and called him a coward.Dont mock at him just because he keeps falling off his bike.22. fancy: sth. imagined; unfounded opinion or beliefExamples: The forecasts in his book were not wild fancies.I think the story is a mixture of fad and fancy.23. stream: move in a continuous flow, pour outExamples: The river streamed past my house.Sweat was streaming down his face.The workers came streaming out of the gates, all heading for home at the end of their shift.24. persistent: continuing; occurring again and againExamples: Neither high prices nor high wages could explain persistent depression and mass unemployment.The persistent growth of the EU countries has been remarkable.During the summer months persistent, heavy rainfall caused the Mississippi and Missouri rivers to overflow.25. mingle: mix (followed by with)Examples: The singers style mingles jazz and country music.Many traditions have mingled to form modem American Christmas celebrations and folklore.The smell of smoke mingles with the smell of the food.26. pull up: raiseExamples: I sat at my desk, knees pulled up to my chin.The old woman pulled the curtain up to see what was going on outside.27. stand out: be easily seen above or among othersExamples: