by Declan Wang

希望所有人在圣诞节🎄都收到了自己喜欢的礼物🎁，今天要读的就是一个跟圣诞礼物有关的故事，来自美国著名短篇小说家欧·亨利（O. Henry）的作品 The Gift of the Magi，中文通常译为《麦琪的礼物》。这是一个非常知名的故事，你之前也许不知道作者是谁，但是肯定听过这个故事，甚至可能读过英文的简写版，我们今天要读的就是这个故事的英文原版。

One dollar and eighty-seven cents. That was all. And sixty cents of it was in pennies. Pennies saved one and two at a time by bulldozing the grocer and the vegetable man and the butcher until one's cheeks burned with the silent imputation of parsimony that such close dealing implied. Three times Della counted it. One dollar and eighty- seven cents. And the next day would be Christmas.

penny: 美分，1美分硬币，币值就是one cent； 便士；

1美分硬币，正面为林肯像，背面图案根据年代有所不同，上图为2010年以后发行版本，图案为联邦盾 (Union shield)。美元硬币一共有6种币值: one cent 1美分；five cents 5美分；one dime 10美分，相当于美国的1角；quarter dollar 25美分；half dollar 50美分；one dollar 1美元。现在常见的是前面四种。

bulldoze /'bʊldəʊz/: v. force, frighten 强迫，威胁; （用推土机）推平

bulldoze的衍生词bulldozer就是推土机

grocer /'ɡrəʊsə/: 食品杂货店，杂货商

imputation /ˌɪmpju'teɪʃn/: 非难，归罪

parsimony /ˈpɑ:sɪməni/: 极度节俭，吝啬

先来分析一下这个长句：Pennies saved one and two at a time...such close dealing implied.

Pennies saved one and two at a time by bulldozing the grocer and the vegetable man and the butcher... 这些分币是通过跟食杂店主、蔬菜商和屠户使劲儿讨价还价每次一分、两分地省下来的。

...until one's cheeks burned with the silent imputation of parsimony that such close dealing implied. until部分进一步说明了Della讨价还价的情形。one's cheeks指的是黛拉的脸颊；burned是说因为羞愧而变红；silent imputation of parsimony 对极度悭吝的无声责难；that such close dealing implied 是定语从句修饰parsimony，意思是这种为了一分、两分钱而斤斤计较的交易方式体现出来的吝啬。

解读：第二天就是圣诞节了，女主角Della手里只有1美元87美分，而且其中60美分还是通过四处讨价还价省下来的。作者在描述Della为了节约每一分钱bargain时用了bulldozing，非常传神，因为从本性来讲Della并不是一个吝啬的人，但是由于没有钱又特别想给她的Jim买一份像样的礼物，只能在平时生活中节约每一分钱，bulldozing显示出Della为了凑买礼物的钱，为了节约这一分、两分钱，她每次都得放下尊严硬砍价，就像bulldozer一样不容店主们说不，使得店主们都认为她是个吝啬鬼，用异样的眼光一言不发地看着她，谴责和看不起她的这种行为，每次都让Della羞愧得满脸通红，可以自行脑补一下Della讨价还价时的尴尬。

There was clearly nothing to do but flop down on the shabby little couch and howl. So Della did it. Which instigates the moral reflection that life is made up of sobs, sniffles, and smiles, with sniffles predominating. While the mistress of the home is gradually subsiding from the first stage to the second, take a look at the home. A furnished flat at $8 per week. It did not exactly beggar description, but it certainly had that word on the lookout for the mendicancy squad.

nothing to do but do: 只能，仅仅

flop: 猛地坐下，笨重地落下

flop down on: 一屁股坐在...

shabby /ˈʃæbi/: 破旧的

howl /haʊl/: 嚎啕大哭

instigate /'ɪnstɪɡeɪt/: 激起，煽动，鼓动

moral reflection:

sob: 啜泣，哭泣，指哭的时候伴有突然、短暂的呼吸；或者哭着说

sniffle: 抽噎，哭泣或者感冒时抽鼻子的声音

predominate /prɪ'dɒmɪneɪt/: 占主导，占优势，支配

mistress /'mɪstrəs/: 女主人，主妇

subside /səb'saɪd/: 平静，平息

While the mistress... take a look at the home: 趁女主人从嚎啕大哭到逐渐平复，先来看看女主人的家。

furnished /ˈfɜ:nɪʃt/: 有家具的

flat: 公寓

beggar: n. 乞丐、贫穷；v. 使极度贫穷，使不能。这里做动词，是无法，难以的意思。

beggar description: If something beggars description, it is impossible to describe it. 难以形容，无法描述

that word: 指beggar

Mendicancy = beggary

on the lookout: 注视着，警惕着，密切留意

mendicancy /'mendɪkənsɪ/: 乞丐，乞讨

squad /skwɑːd/: 小组，小队，编组

mendicancy squad: 指的是当时抓捕乞丐和无家可归者的警察小队。police department经常被叫做squad。

It did not exactly beggar description, but it certainly had that word on the lookout for the mendicancy squad: 这个句子很短，但是信息量很大。首先在当时确实有个法案，叫做vagrancy act，乞丐和无家可归者会被警察抓起来，所以mendicancy squad真实存在的。整句的意思是，Della她们租住的这间公寓也不是完全无法形容，但是能想象到的任何形容词几乎都是跟beggar有关的，对流浪罪抓捕警察来说，这个公寓绝对是他们密切关注的对象，住在这里的人很容易被怀疑是犯有流浪罪的人。

In the vestibule below was a letter-box into which no letter would go, and an electric button from which no mortal finger could coax a ring. Also appertaining thereunto was a card bearing the name "Mr. James Dillingham Young."

vestibule /'vestɪbjuːl/: 门厅，前厅

mortal /'mɔːrtl/: n. 凡人，普通人

coax /kəʊks/: 本意是哄骗，劝诱；这里意为小心地摆弄（装置、设备）

from which no mortal finger could coax a ring: 这个定语从句修饰button，意思是没有哪个凡人的手指能使用这个按钮让门铃响。这里作者用一种比较诙谐的方式表达了no one could make the doorbell ring by the electric button，也就是说门铃也已经坏了。

appertain /ˌæpəˈteɪn/: 附属于，和...有关

thereunto /ˌðeəʌn'tuː/: adv. to that 到那儿

bear: 支撑，承担，忍受

Also appertaining thereunto was a card... 这句发生了倒装，正常的语序是 a card... was also appertaining thereunto.

译文：下面的门厅里有个从来都不会有信件投进去的信箱，有个任何凡人的手指都按不响的门铃按钮，另外在那儿还有一个上面写着“Mr. James Dillinghamn Young”的卡片。

解读：这里描述了门厅内的情况，按照小说Jim和Della的flat是在2楼，所以这里才会说“下面的门厅”，这里讲的门厅应该是西式建筑的一种结构，算是公寓内部与外部街道的衔接，现在的门厅应该都是封闭的，所以外面可能还有一道门，但是在当时门厅也有可能是个半开放式的空间。信箱里不会有信，可能是没有人给他们写信，但更有可能是信箱已经坏了，根本没法用。写有姓名的卡片很有可能就在信箱上或者信箱旁边。

The "Dillingham" had been flung to the breeze during a former period of prosperitywhen its possessor was being paid $30 per week. Now, when the income was shrunk to $20, the letters of "Dillingham" looked blurred, as though they were thinking seriously of contracting to a modest and unassuming D. But whenever Mr. James Dillingham Young came home and reached his flat above he was called "Jim" and greatly hugged by Mrs. James Dillingham Young, already introduced to you as Della. Which is all very good.

flung: fling的过去式和过去分词

fling: 猛扔，用力抛

breeze: 微风

prosperity /prɒ'sperəti/: 繁荣、兴旺

modest: 谦虚的，适度的

unassuming /ˌʌnəˈsju:mɪŋ/: 谦逊的，不招摇的

The "Dillingham" had been flung to the breeze during a former period of prosperity ... 这个句子有些难理解，flung to the breeze意为Jim在自己春风得意、赚很多钱的时候把“Dillingham”这个名字很心安理得地加到了自己的名卡上，“Dillingham”在这个故事里是一个代表着上流社会和有钱人家的名字，让人印象深刻，这个名字很可能来自Jim的爷爷，Jim的爷爷以前应该是个很有身份和地位的人物，Jim的祖传金表就来自他的爷爷，所以在Jim赚得比较多的时候，他会觉得把“Dillingham”这个能显示他社会出身，让他感到自豪的名字写到名字卡上是很重要的一件事。不过，Jim以现在的处境，显然已经不符合“Dillingham”这个名字所暗示的阶层了，所以后面作者说当名卡主人的周薪降到20美元的时候，“Dillingham”这个名字的字母看上去都有些模糊了，仿佛它们在慎重考虑是不是要缩写成一个不那么招摇的“D.”。以Jim现在的情况，他既没钱也没心情像以前那么在意他的名卡，他肯定宁愿把“Dillingham”缩写成不那么引人注意的“D.”。

Della finished her cry and attended to her cheeks with the powder rag. She stood by the window and looked out dully at a gray cat walking a gray fence in a gray backyard. Tomorrow would be Christmas Day, and she had only $1.87 with which to buy Jim a present. She had been saving every penny she could for months, with this result. Twenty dollars a week doesn't go far. Expenses had been greater than she had calculated. They always are. Only $1.87 to buy a present for Jim. Her Jim. Many a happy hour she had spent planning for something nice for him. Something fine and rare and sterling--something just a little bit near to being worthy of the honor of being owned by Jim.

attend to: 处理，照料

rag: 碎布，破布，抹布；这里powder rag指的是粉扑

dully: 无精打采地

with this result: 才有这样的结果。这句意思是Della在好几个月的时间里节省了她能节约的每一分钱才得到这样的结果。

go far: 本意是走的远，这里表示20美元的周薪根本维持不了多久。

many a hour = many hours；这句意思是她花了很多时间快乐地盘算着买个什么好东西给Jim。happy hour表示她在这么做时很高兴，可以看出Della loves Jim very much.

rare: 稀有的，罕见的

sterling /ˈstɜ:lɪŋ/: high quality, excellent 质量非常好的，优异的

near to: 接近于。这里to是介词，后面要加名词或者动名词。

be worthy of: 值得，配得上

something just a little bit ... by Jim: 直译：某样正好有点接近于配得上被Jim拥有的荣耀的东西。 从这句可以看得出Della wants to buy Jim a really nice gift.

There was a pier-glass between the windows of the room. Perhaps you have seen a pier-glass in an $8 flat. A very thin and very agile person may, by observing his reflection in a rapid sequence of longitudinal strips, obtain a fairly accurate conception of his looks. Della, being slender, had mastered the art. Suddenly she whirled from the window and stood before the glass. her eyes were shining brilliantly, but her face had lost its color within twenty seconds. Rapidly she pulled down her hair and let it fall to its full length.

pier-glass /piə ɡlɑ:s/: 穿衣镜

agile /ˈædʒaɪl/: 灵活的，灵巧的

reflection: 镜子里的像，反射

longitudinal /ˌlɒŋgɪˈtju:dɪnl/: 纵向的

strip: 条，带

fairly: 相当地，还算

conception: 印象；概念

A very thin and very agile person ... of his looks. 解释一下这句，前面说了每周租金8美元的公寓的状况很差，所以这样的公寓里的穿衣镜肯定也不怎么样，从作者对穿衣镜的描述可以得知：镜子在两个窗户中间，是很窄的竖条状的，一个又瘦又灵活的人要想得到自己还算准确的全身像，需要在镜子前快速的左右移动然后自己脑补拼接看到的那些竖条映像。

slender: 苗条的

mastered the art: 掌握了这项技艺。the art指的是如何在这么窄的镜子里看到自己的样子。

whirl /wɜ:l/: 旋转。因为Della正站在窗前看院子里的猫，所以才会说她whirled from the window，从窗边转了个身站在镜子前。

lost its color: 意为turn pale 变得苍白，失色

her eyes were shining brilliantly, but her face had lost its color within twenty seconds: 她的眼睛里闪出明亮的光，但是不到20秒的功夫她的脸就失去了颜色变得苍白。这里描述了Della先是因为想到卖头发可以筹钱给Jim买礼物这个想法而兴奋得眼睛放光，然后很快就因为对这样做的后果的担心和不安而使得脸上没了血色。

附上剩下部分的原文，英文朗读和后面部分的精读笔记请关注公众号“英文经典悦读”。

Now, there were two possessions of the James Dillingham Youngs in which they both took a mighty pride. One was Jim's gold watch that had been his father's and his grandfather's. The other was Della's hair. Had the queen of Sheba lived in the flat across the airshaft, Della would have let her hair hang out the window some day to dry just to depreciate Her Majesty's jewels and gifts. Had King Solomon been the janitor, with all his treasures piled up in the basement, Jim would have pulled out his watch every time he passed, just to see him pluck at his beard from envy.

So now Della's beautiful hair fell about her rippling and shining like a cascade of brown waters. It reached below her knee and made itself almost a garment for her. And then she did it up again nervously and quickly. Once she faltered for a minute and stood still while a tear or two splashed on the worn red carpet.

On went her old brown jacket; on went her old brown hat. With a whirl of skirts and with the brilliant sparkle still in her eyes, she fluttered out the door and down the stairs to the street.

Where she stopped the sign read: "Mme. Sofronie. Hair Goods of All Kinds." One flight up Della ran, and collected herself, panting. Madame, large, too white, chilly, hardly looked the "Sofronie."

"Will you buy my hair?" asked Della.

"I buy hair," said Madame. "Take yer hat off and let's have a sight at the looks of it."

Down rippled the brown cascade. "Twenty dollars," said Madame, lifting the mass with a practiced hand.

"Give it to me quick," said Della.

Oh, and the next two hours tripped by on rosy wings. Forget the hashed metaphor. She was ransacking the stores for Jim's present. She found it at last. It surely had been made for Jim and no one else. There was no other like it in any of the stores, and she had turned all of them inside out. It was a platinum fob chain simple and chaste in design, properly proclaiming its value by substance alone and not by meretricious ornamentation--as all good things should do. It was even worthy of The Watch. As soon as she saw it she knew that it must be Jim's. It was like him. Quietness and value--the description applied to both. Twenty-one dollars they took from her for it, and she hurried home with the 87 cents. With that chain on his watch Jim might be properly anxious about the time in any company. Grand as the watch was, he sometimes looked at it on the sly on account of the old leather strap that he used in place of a chain.

When Della reached home her intoxication gave way a little to prudence and reason. She got out her curling irons and lighted the gas and went to work repairing the ravages made by generosity added to love. Which is always a tremendous task, dear friends--a mammoth task.

Within forty minutes her head was covered with tiny, close-lying curls that made her look wonderfully like a truant schoolboy. She looked at her reflection in the mirror long, carefully, and critically.

"If Jim doesn't kill me," she said to herself, "before he takes a second look at me, he'll say I look like a Coney Island chorus girl. But what could I do--oh! what could I do with a dollar and eighty- seven cents?"

At 7 o'clock the coffee was made and the frying-pan was on the back of the stove hot and ready to cook the chops.

Jim was never late. Della doubled the fob chain in her hand and sat on the corner of the table near the door that he always entered. Then she heard his step on the stair away down on the first flight, and she turned white for just a moment. She had a habit for saying little silent prayer about the simplest everyday things, and now she whispered: "Please God, make him think I am still pretty."

The door opened and Jim stepped in and closed it. He looked thin and very serious. Poor fellow, he was only twenty-two--and to be burdened with a family! He needed a new overcoat and he was without gloves.

Jim stopped inside the door, as immovable as a setter at the scent of quail. His eyes were fixed upon Della, and there was an expression in them that she could not read, and it terrified her. It was not anger, nor surprise, nor disapproval, nor horror, nor any of the sentiments that she had been prepared for. He simply stared at her fixedly with that peculiar expression on his face.

Della wriggled off the table and went for him.

"Jim, darling," she cried, "don't look at me that way. I had my hair cut off and sold because I couldn't have lived through Christmas without giving you a present. It'll grow out again--you won't mind, will you? I just had to do it. My hair grows awfully fast. Say `Merry Christmas!' Jim, and let's be happy. You don't know what a nice-- what a beautiful, nice gift I've got for you."

"You've cut off your hair?" asked Jim, laboriously, as if he had not arrived at that patent fact yet even after the hardest mental labor.

"Cut it off and sold it," said Della. "Don't you like me just as well, anyhow? I'm me without my hair, ain't I?"

Jim looked about the room curiously.

"You say your hair is gone?" he said, with an air almost of idiocy.

"You needn't look for it," said Della. "It's sold, I tell you--sold and gone, too. It's Christmas Eve, boy. Be good to me, for it went for you. Maybe the hairs of my head were numbered," she went on with sudden serious sweetness, "but nobody could ever count my love for you. Shall I put the chops on, Jim?"

Out of his trance Jim seemed quickly to wake. He enfolded his Della. For ten seconds let us regard with discreet scrutiny some inconsequential object in the other direction. Eight dollars a week or a million a year--what is the difference? A mathematician or a wit would give you the wrong answer. The magi brought valuable gifts, but that was not among them. This dark assertion will be illuminated later on.

Jim drew a package from his overcoat pocket and threw it upon the table.

"Don't make any mistake, Dell," he said, "about me. I don't think there's anything in the way of a haircut or a shave or a shampoo that could make me like my girl any less. But if you'll unwrap that package you may see why you had me going a while at first." White fingers and nimble tore at the string and paper. And then an ecstatic scream of joy; and then, alas! a quick feminine change to hysterical tears and wails, necessitating the immediate employment of all the comforting powers of the lord of the flat.

For there lay The Combs--the set of combs, side and back, that Della had worshipped long in a Broadway window. Beautiful combs, pure tortoise shell, with jewelled rims--just the shade to wear in the beautiful vanished hair. They were expensive combs, she knew, and her heart had simply craved and yearned over them without the least hope of possession. And now, they were hers, but the tresses that should have adorned the coveted adornments were gone. But she hugged them to her bosom, and at length she was able to look up with dim eyes and a smile and say: "My hair grows so fast, Jim!"

And them Della leaped up like a little singed cat and cried, "Oh, oh!"

Jim had not yet seen his beautiful present. She held it out to him eagerly upon her open palm. The dull precious metal seemed to flash with a reflection of her bright and ardent spirit.

"Isn't it a dandy, Jim? I hunted all over town to find it. You'll have to look at the time a hundred times a day now. Give me your watch. I want to see how it looks on it."

Instead of obeying, Jim tumbled down on the couch and put his hands under the back of his head and smiled.

"Dell," said he, "let's put our Christmas presents away and keep 'em a while. They're too nice to use just at present. I sold the watch to get the money to buy your combs. And now suppose you put the chops on."

The magi, as you know, were wise men--wonderfully wise men--who brought gifts to the Babe in the manger. They invented the art of giving Christmas presents. Being wise, their gifts were no doubt wise ones, possibly bearing the privilege of exchange in case of duplication. And here I have lamely related to you the uneventful chronicle of two foolish children in a flat who most unwisely sacrificed for each other the greatest treasures of their house. But in a last word to the wise of these days let it be said that of all who give gifts these two were the wisest. O all who give and receive gifts, such as they are wisest. Everywhere they are wisest. They are the magi.

原创文章，未经许可，谢绝转载。