THE GIFT OF THE MAGI麦琪的礼物中英对照

THEGIFTOFTHEMAGI

麦琪的礼物中英对照

Onedollarandeighty-sevencents.Thatwasall.Andsixtycentsofitwasinpennies.Penniessavedoneandtwoatatimebybulldozingthegrocerandthevegetablemanandthebutcheruntilone'scheeksburnedwiththesilentimputation1ofparsimony2thatsuchclosedealing3implied.ThreetimesDellacountedit.Onedollarandeighty-sevencents.AndthenextdaywouldbeChristmas.

Therewasclearlynothingtodobutflop4downontheshabbylittlecouchandhowl.SoDelladidit.Whichinstigates5themoralreflectionthatlifeismadeupofsobs6,sniffles,andsmiles,withsnifflespredominating.

Whilethemistressofthehomeisgraduallysubsiding7fromthefirststagetothesecond,takealookatthehome.Afurnishedflatat$8perweek.Itdidnotexactlybeggardescription,butitcertainlyhadthatwordonthelookout8forthemendicancy9squad10.

Inthevestibulebelowwasaletter-boxintowhichnoletterwouldgo,andanelectricbuttonfromwhichnomortalfingercouldcoax11aring.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--somethingjustalittlebitneartobeingworthy12ofthehonorofbeingownedbyJim.

Therewasapier-glassbetweenthewindowsoftheroom.Perhapsyouhaveseenapierglassinan$8flat.Averythinandveryagile13personmay,byobservinghisreflectioninarapidsequenceoflongitudinalstrips,obtainafairlyaccurateconceptionofhislooks.Della,beingslender,hadmasteredtheart.

Suddenlyshewhirledfromthewindowandstoodbeforetheglass.hereyeswereshiningbrilliantly,butherfacehadlostitscolorwithintwentyseconds.Rapidlyshepulleddownherhairandletitfalltoitsfulllength.

Now,thereweretwopossessionsoftheJamesDillinghamYoungsinwhichtheybothtookamighty14pride.OnewasJim'sgoldwatchthathadbeenhisfather'sandhisgrandfather's.TheotherwasDella'shair.HadthequeenofShebalivedintheflatacrosstheairshaft,Dellawouldhaveletherhairhangoutthewindowsomedaytodryjusttodepreciate15HerMajesty'sjewelsandgifts.HadKingSolomonbeenthejanitor16,withallhistreasurespiledupinthebasement,Jimwouldhavepulledouthiswatcheverytimehepassed,justtoseehimpluckathisbeardfromenvy.

SonowDella'sbeautifulhairfellaboutherrippling17andshininglikeacascade18ofbrownwaters.Itreachedbelowherkneeandmadeitselfalmostagarmentforher.

Andthenshediditupagainnervously19andquickly.Onceshefaltered20foraminuteandstoodstillwhileatearortwosplashedonthewornredcarpet.

Onwentheroldbrownjacket;onwentheroldbrownhat.Withawhirlofskirtsandwiththebrilliantsparklestillinhereyes,sheflutteredoutthedooranddownthestairstothestreet.

Whereshestoppedthesignread:"Mne.Sofronie.HairGoodsofAllKinds."OneflightupDellaran,andcollectedherself,panting.Madame,large,toowhite,chilly21,hardlylookedthe"Sofronie."

"Willyoubuymyhair?"askedDella.

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

Downrippled22thebrowncascade.

"Twentydollars,"saidMadame,liftingthemasswithapractisedhand.

"Giveittomequick,"saidDella.

Oh,andthenexttwohourstrippedbyonrosy23wings.Forgetthehashedmetaphor24.Shewasransacking25thestoresforJim'spresent.

Shefounditatlast.ItsurelyhadbeenmadeforJimandnooneelse.Therewasnootherlikeitinanyofthestores,andshehadturnedalloftheminsideout.Itwasaplatinum26fobchainsimpleandchaste27indesign,properlyproclaimingitsvaluebysubstancealoneandnotbymeretricious28ornamentation--asallgoodthingsshoulddo.ItwasevenworthyofTheWatch.AssoonasshesawitsheknewthatitmustbeJim's.Itwaslikehim.Quietnessandvalue--thedescriptionapplied29toboth.

Twenty-onedollarstheytookfromherforit,andshehurriedhomewiththe87cents.WiththatchainonhiswatchJimmightbeproperlyanxiousaboutthetimeinanycompany.Grandasthewatchwas,hesometimeslookedatitontheslyonaccountoftheoldleatherstrap30thatheusedinplaceofachain.

WhenDellareachedhomeherintoxication31gavewayalittletoprudence32andreason.Shegotouthercurlingironsandlightedthegasandwenttoworkrepairingtheravages33madebygenerosity34addedtolove.Whichisalwaysatremendoustask,dearfriends--amammoth35task.

Withinfortyminutesherheadwascoveredwithtiny,close-lyingcurlsthatmadeherlookwonderfullylikeatruant36schoolboy.Shelookedatherreflectioninthemirrorlong,carefully,andcritically.

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

At7o'clockthecoffeewasmadeandthefrying-panwasonthebackofthestovehotandreadytocookthechops.

Jimwasneverlate.Delladoubledthefobchaininherhandandsatonthecornerofthetablenearthedoorthathealwaysentered.Thensheheardhissteponthestairawaydownonthefirstflight,andsheturnedwhiteforjustamoment.Shehadahabitforsayinglittlesilentprayeraboutthesimplesteverydaythings,andnowshewhispered:"PleaseGod,makehimthinkIamstillpretty."

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

Jimstoppedinsidethedoor,asimmovableasasetteratthescent37ofquail38.Hiseyeswerefixed39uponDella,andtherewasanexpressioninthemthatshecouldnotread,anditterrifiedher.Itwasnotanger,norsurprise,nordisapproval40,norhorror,noranyofthesentimentsthatshehadbeenpreparedfor.Hesimplystaredatherfixedly41withthatpeculiar42expressiononhisface.

Dellawriggled43offthetableandwentforhim.

"Jim,darling,"shecried,"don'tlookatmethatway.IhadmyhaircutoffandsoldbecauseIcouldn'thavelivedthroughChristmaswithoutgivingyouapresent.

It'llgrowoutagain--youwon'tmind,willyou?Ijusthadtodoit.Myhairgrowsawfully44fast.Say`MerryChristmas!'Jim,andlet'sbehappy.Youdon'tknowwhatanice--whatabeautiful,nicegiftI'vegotforyou."

"You'vecutoffyourhair?"askedJim,laboriously45,asifhehadnotarrivedatthatpatentfactyetevenafterthehardestmentallabor46.

"Cutitoffandsoldit,"saidDella."Don'tyoulikemejustaswell,anyhow?I'mmewithoutmyhair,ain'tI?"

Jimlookedabouttheroomcuriously47.

"Yousayyourhairisgone?"hesaid,withanairalmostofidiocy48.

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

OutofhistranceJimseemedquicklytowake.HeenfoldedhisDella.Fortensecondsletusregardwithdiscreet49scrutiny50someinconsequentialobjectintheotherdirection.Eightdollarsaweekoramillionayear--whatisthedifference?Amathematician51orawitwouldgiveyouthewronganswer.Themagibroughtvaluablegifts,butthatwasnotamongthem.Thisdarkassertionwillbeilluminated52lateron.

Jimdrewapackagefromhisovercoatpocketandthrewituponthetable.

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

Whitefingersandnimbletoreatthestringandpaper.Andthenanecstaticscreamofjoy;andthen,alas53!aquickfemininechangetohysterical54tearsandwails55,necessitating56theimmediate57employmentofallthecomfortingpowersofthelordoftheflat.

FortherelayTheCombs--thesetofcombs,sideandback,thatDellahadworshippedlonginaBroadwaywindow.Beautifulcombs,puretortoiseshell,withjewelledrims--justtheshadetowearinthebeautifulvanishedhair.Theywereexpensivecombs,sheknew,andherhearthadsimplycraved58andyearned59overthemwithouttheleasthopeofpossession.Andnow,theywerehers,butthetressesthatshouldhaveadorned60thecoveted61adornmentsweregone.

Butshehuggedthemtoherbosom62,andatlengthshewasabletolookupwithdimeyesandasmileandsay:"Myhairgrowssofast,Jim!"

AndthemDellaleapeduplikealittlesinged63catandcried,"Oh,oh!"

Jimhadnotyetseenhisbeautifulpresent.Shehelditouttohimeagerlyuponheropenpalm.Thedullpreciousmetalseemedtoflashwithareflectionofherbrightandardent64spirit.

"Isn'titadandy,Jim?Ihuntedall