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In a little district west of Washington Square, the streets have run crazy and have broken the district into strange shapes. This district is called Greenwich Village. An artist once discovered a valuable feature of this district. On such streets, it is very likely that a bill collector with a bill for paints, paper, and canvas would get lost while trying to find the address of the artist who owes him money! So, artists came in large numbers to quaint, old Greenwich Village.
At the top of an ugly, three-story brick apartment building, Sue and Johnsy rented a small studio. Sue was from Maine; Johnsy was from California. They had met at a small cafe on Eighth Street and found that their tastes in art, food, and clothes were so much alike that they decided to rent a place together. That was in May.
In November, a cold, unseen stranger whom the doctors called pneumonia came to Greenwich Village, touching people here and there with his icy fingers. A small woman with blood thinned by the warm California sun was no match for the tough and deadly illness. Johnsy got pneumonia, and it made her very ill. She lay, hardly moving, on her iron–framed bed, looking through the small window at the brick wall of the building next door.
One morning, the busy doctor invited Sue into the hallway. His eyes were sad under his bushy gray eyebrows.
"She has one chance in –let us say, ten," he said, as he looked at his clinical thermometer. "And that chance depends on her will to live. Sometimes when people give up trying to live, it doesn't matter what medicines I give. Your friend has decided, for some reason, that she is not going to get well."
"Is she worried about anything?" continued the doctor.
"She...she wanted to paint the Bay of Naples some day," said Sue.
"Paint? Nonsense! Does she have any important worries, like about a man, for instance?"
"A man?" asked Sue, with a touch of sarcasm in her voice. "Is a man worth dying for? But, no, doctor; there is nothing of the kind."
"Well, she is weak," said the doctor. "I will do all that science, as I understand it, can accomplish. But whenever my patient begins to count the days until her own funeral, I subtract 50 percent from the power of medicine to cure. If you could get her to ask one question about the new winter clothing styles, I will promise you a onein-five chance for her, instead of one-in-ten."
After the doctor had gone, Sue went into the workroom and cried her eyes dry. Then she walked carelessly into Johnsy's room with her drawing board, whistling a popular and lively tune.
Johnsy lay, scarcely making a move under the bedsheets, with her face toward the window. Sue stopped whistling, thinking she was asleep.
Sue arranged her board and began a pen-and-ink drawing to illustrate a magazine story. Young artists must find their ways to true Art by drawing pictures for magazine stories that young authors must write to find their ways to true Literature.
As Sue was sketching a pair of elegant trousers and a cowboy hat on the figure of the hero, an Idaho cowboy, she heard a low sound, several times repeated. She went quickly to the bedside.
Johnsy's eyes were open wide. She was looking out the window and counting–counting backward.
"Twelve," she said, and a little later, "eleven"; and then "ten," and "nine"; and then "eight" and "seven,"almost together.
Sue looked curiously out the window. What was there to count? There was only a bare, dreary yard to be seen, and the blank side of the brick building eight meters away. An old, old ivy vine climbed halfway up the brick wall. The cold breath of autumn had blown its leaves from the branches.
"What is it, dear?" asked Sue.
"Six," said Johnsy, in almost a whisper. "They're falling faster now. Three days ago, there were almost a hundred. It made my head ache to count them. But now it's easy. There goes another one. There are only five left now."
"Five what, dear? Tell your Susie."
"Leaves. On the ivy vine. When the last one falls, I must go, too. I've known that for three days. Didn't the doctor tell you?"
"Oh, I've never heard of such nonsense," complained Sue, with magnificent scorn. "What do old ivy leaves have to do with your getting well? And you used to love that vine, you silly girl. Why, the doctor told me this morning that your chances for getting well very soon were–let's see exactly what he said–he said the chances were ten to one! Why, that's almost as good a chance as we have in New York when we ride on the subway or walk past a new building. Try to eat some soup now and let Susie go back to her drawing, so she can sell it to the editor. Then I'll buy some port wine for my sick friend, and pork chops for my own greedy self."
"You don't have to get any more wine," said Johnsy, keeping her eyes fixed out the window. "There goes another. No, I don't want any broth. That leaves just four. I want to see the last one fall before it gets dark. Then I'll go, too."
"Johnsy, dear," said Sue, bending over her, "will you promise me to keep your eyes closed and not to look out the window until I am done working? I must hand those drawings in by tomorrow. I need the light, or I would draw the shade down."
"Couldn't you draw in the other room?" asked Johnsy, coldly.
"I'd rather be here by you," said Sue. "Besides, I don't want you to keep looking at those silly ivy leaves."
"Tell me as soon as you have finished," said Johnsy, closing her eyes and lying white and still as a fallen statue, "because I want to see the last one fall. I'm tired of waiting. I'm tired of thinking. I want to let go of everything and go sailing down, down, just like one of those poor, tired leaves."
"Try to sleep," said Sue. "I must call Behrman up to be my model for the old Western miner. I'll be right back. Don't move until I come back."
KEY WORDS
pneumonia n. 肺炎
district n. 地区，区域
square n. 广场
shape n. 形状
discover v. 发现
valuable adj. 有价值的
feature n. 特点
bill n. 账单
canvas n. 画布
get lost 迷路
owe v. 欠（钱）
quaint adj. 奇异的，古怪的
ugly adj. 难看的
three-story adj. 三层楼的
brick n. 砖
rent v. 租，租住
studio n. 工作室
cafe n. 小餐馆，咖啡馆
taste n. 品味，鉴赏力
alike adj. 相同的，相似的
unseen adj. 看不见的
icy adj. 冰冷的
thin v. 使变淡
match n. 对手
tough adj. 严酷的
deadly adj. 致命的
illness n. 疾病
lie v. 躺
(lie-lay-lain)
hallway n. 走廊
bushy adj. 浓密的
eyebrow n. 眉毛
clinical thermometer 体温计
depend on 依靠，依赖
will n. 意志，决心
give up 放弃
matter v. 要紧，有重要性
medicine n. 药物
get well 恢复
the Bay of Naples 那不勒斯湾（意大利南部旅游胜地）
for instance 比如，例如
a touch of 有一点
sarcasm n. 讽刺，挖苦
be worth doing sth. 值得做某事
accomplish v. 完成，实现
patient n. 病人
count v. 数，计数
funeral n. 葬礼
subtract v. 减去，扣除
cure v. 治疗
instead of 而不是
workroom n. 工作室
cry one's eyes dry 痛哭
drawing board 画板
whistle v. 吹口哨
lively adj. 欢快的
tune n. 曲子
scarcely adv. 几乎不
make a move 动弹
bedsheet n. 被单
asleep adj. 睡着的，熟睡的
arrange v. 安排，摆设
pen-and-ink adj. 钢笔画的
illustrate v. 配插图
magazine n. 杂志
author n. 作者
literature n. 文学
sketch v. 绘略图，勾画
elegant adj. 优美的
figure n. 轮廓，体形
hero n. （男）主角
repeat v. 重复
bedside n. 床边
curiously adv. 好奇地
bare adj. 光秃的，荒凉的
dreary adj. 阴沉的
yard n. 庭院，院子
blank adj. 空白的
ivy vine 常春藤
climb v. 爬
halfway adv. 在半路
breath n. 气息，呼吸
autumn n. 秋季
blow v. 吹，刮
(blow-blew-blown)
in a whisper 小声地
ache v. 疼，痛
complain v. 埋怨
magnificent adj. 夸张的
scorn n. 讽刺
have to do with 与……有关
silly adj. 愚蠢的
exactly adj. 确切地
ride v. 乘坐，搭乘
(ride-rode-ridden)
subway n. 地铁
soup n. 汤
editor n. 编辑
port wine 波尔图葡萄酒
pork chop 猪排
greedy adj. 贪吃的
fix v. 固定
broth n. （鱼、肉或蔬菜）原汤
bend over 俯身
hand in 上交
draw down 拉下来
shade n. 百叶窗
would rather 宁可
besides adv. 此外
still adj. 不动的
statue n. 塑像，雕像
be tired of 厌倦
let go of 放开
miner n. 矿工
One Point Lesson
It made my head ache to count them.
数得我头都疼了。
make＋sb. / sth.＋ 动词原形：让……做……
e.g. My father made me give up marrying her.
我父亲让我放弃了娶她的念头。
And you used to love that vine, you silly girl.
傻姑娘，你过去那么喜欢那棵藤。
used to＋ 动词原形：过去（经常）做……
e.g. I used to enjoy climbing mountains.
我过去很喜欢爬山。
Tell me as soon as you have finished.
那你一画完就马上告诉我。
as soon as ：一……就……
e.g. We will leave this country as soon as we get married.
我们一结婚就离开这个国家。
A 根据故事内容判断正误，正确的选T，错误的选F。
① Greenwich Village was perfect for artists who wanted to escape from bill collectors.
T F
② Johnsy was from the cold north; Sue was from the warm south.
T F
③ Johnsy and Sue met in college as roommates.
T F
④ Sue made money by drawing advertisements for magazines.
T F
B 用所给词语的适当形式填空。
whistle sketch get well count look
① As Sue was _____________ a cowboy, she heard a low moaning sound.
② Johnsy lay on her bed _____________ through her window at a brick wall.
③ What do old ivy leaves have to do with your _____________?
④ Sue came into Johnsy's room, _____________ a popular tune.
⑤ Johnsy was _____________ backward: "Eight-seven-six..."
C 选择正确的答案。
① What does Johnsy believe?
(a) She believes she will die when the night falls.
(b) She believes she will die when the first snowflake falls.
(c) She believes she will die when the last leaf falls from the ivy.
② What does the doctor tell Sue?
(a) That Johnsy's chances of survival will increase if she becomes interested in fashion.
(b) That Johnsy must find the will to live.
(c) That Johnsy should move to a warmer apartment.
D 选择适当的词填空。
unseen climbed breath touching blown
① In November, a cold, ①_____________ stranger whom the doctors called pneumonia came to Greenwich Village, ②_____________ people here and there with his icy fingers.
② An old, old ivy vine ③_____________ halfway up the brick wall. The cold ④_____________ of autumn had ⑤_____________ its leaves from the branches.
答案
A ① T
② F
③ F
④ F
B ① sketching
② looking
③ getting well
④ whistling
⑤ counting
C ① (c)
② (b)
D ① unseen
② touching
③ climbed
④ breath
⑤ blown
Old Behrman was a German painter who lived on the ground floor beneath them. He was past sixty and had a beard like Michael Angelo's Moses curling down from his wide head. Behrman was a failure in art. He had been painting for forty years, but he had never produced anything noteworthy. He had always been ready to paint a masterpiece, but he never actually started one. For several years, he had painted nothing except a small graphic now and then for an advertisement.
He earned a little money by serving as a model to young artists in the colony who could not afford a professional model. He drank a lot of gin and still talked about the masterpiece he would paint one day. He was a fierce little old man, who severely criticized softness in anyone. He regarded himself as a bulldog ready to protect the two young artists in the studio above.
Sue found Behrman smelling strongly of wine in his dimly lit den below. In one corner was a blank canvas on an easel that had been waiting for twenty-five years to receive the first line of a masterpiece. She told him of Johnsy's idea. She explained how she feared that Johnsy would indeed float away herself like a leaf when she became too weak. Old Behrman's eyes were dripping with tears, but he shouted his contempt for such idiotic thoughts.
"What!" he cried. "Are there people in the world with the foolishness to die because leaves drop off from a simple vine? I have never heard of such a thing. No, I will not pose as a model for you. Why do you allow such silly thoughts to come into Johnsy's brain? Oh, the poor little Miss Johnsy."
"She is very ill and weak," said Sue, "and the fever has left her mind gloomy and full of strange ideas. Very well, Mr. Behrman, if you do not care to pose for me, you don't have to. But I think you are a terrible old man."
"You are just like a woman!" yelled Behrman."Who said I will not pose? Go on. I come with you. For half an hour, I have been trying to say that I am ready to pose. 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. God, yes."
Johnsy was sleeping when they went upstairs. Sue pulled the shade down to the window sill and motioned to Behrman to come into the other room. From there, they looked 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 shirt, took his seat as the Western miner.
When Sue awoke from an hour's sleep the next morning, she found Johnsy with dull, wide-open eyes staring at the drawn green shade.
"Pull it up. I want to see," Johnsy ordered, in a whisper.
Wearily Sue obeyed. But, wait! After the beating rain and fierce gusts of wind that blew through the entire night, there yet remained against the brick wall one ivy leaf. It was the last on the vine. Still dark green near its stem, but with its serrated edges tinted with the yellow of dissolution and decay, it hung bravely from a branch some twenty feet above the ground.
"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."
"Dear, dear!" said Sue, leaning her worn face down to the pillow, "Think of me if you won't think of yourself. What would I do?"
But Johnsy did not answer. The loneliest thing in all the world is a soul when it is making ready to go on its final mysterious, far journey. The idea seemed to possess her more strongly as one by one, the ties that bound her to friendship and to earth were loosened.
The day wore away, and even through the twilight they could still see the lone ivy leaf clinging to its stem against the wall. And then, with the coming of the night, the north wind again howled, while the rain still beat against the windows and dripped down from the low eaves.
When it was light enough, Johnsy mercilessly commanded that the shade be raised.
The ivy leaf was still there. 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.
"I've been a bad girl, Susie," said Johnsy."Something has made that last leaf stay there to show me how bad I was. It is a sin to want to die. You may bring me a little soup now, and some milk with a little wine in it. Wait, pack some pillows about me, and I will sit up and watch you cook."
An hour later, she said, "Susie, some day I hope to paint the Bay of Naples."
The doctor came in the afternoon, and Sue went into the hallway with him as he left.
"Even chances," said the doctor, taking Sue's thin, shaking hand in his. "With good nursing, you'll 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 severe. There is no hope for him, but he goes to the hospital today to be made more comfortable."
The next day, the doctor said to Sue, "She's out of danger. You've won. Nutrition and care now –that's all."
And that afternoon, Sue came to the bed where Johnsy lay, happily knitting a very blue and very useless woolen scarf. Sue put one arm around Johnsy, pillows, and all.
"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. The janitor found him on the morning of the first day in his room downstairs helpless with pain. His shoes and clothing were completely wet and icy cold. They couldn't imagine where he had been on such a dreadful night. And then they found a lantern, still lit, 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. Didn't you wonder why it never fluttered or moved when the wind blew? Ah, darling, it's Behrman's masterpiece –he painted it there the night that the last leaf fell."
KEY WORDS
ground floor （建筑物的）底层
beneath prep. 在……下面
beard n. 胡子
curl v. （毛发等）卷曲
failure n. 不成功的人
produce v. 创作，制作
noteworthy adj. 出色的
graphic n. 图画
now and then 偶尔，不时
advertisement n. 广告
earn v. 挣（钱）
colony n. 聚居地
professional adj. 专业的
gin n. 杜松子酒
fierce adj. 暴躁的
severely adv. 猛烈地
criticize v. 批评
softness n. 温情，温柔
bulldog n. 斗牛犬
dimly adv. 微暗地，朦胧地
light v. 照亮
(light-lit-lit)
den n. 小房间
easel n. 画架
explain v. 解释
fear v. 担心，害怕
indeed adv. 确实
float v. 漂浮
drip v. 滴落
contempt n. 轻视，轻蔑
idiotic adj. 白痴般的
thought n. 想法
foolishness n. 愚蠢
drop off 掉下，落下
pose v. 摆姿势
gloomy adj. 悲观的
care v. 喜欢，愿意
window sill 窗台
motion v. 打手势，示意
for a moment 一会儿，片刻
without prep. 没有
persistent adj. 持续的
mingle v. （使）混合
take one's seat 坐下
awake v. 醒来
(awake-awoke-awoken)
dull adj. 呆滞的
stare at 盯着看
pull...up 拉起来
wearily adv. 疲惫地
obey v. 服从
beat v. 反复击打
gust n. 一阵狂风
stem n. 茎，梗
serrated adj. 锯齿状的
edge n. 边缘
tint v. 染色
dissolution n. 腐朽，腐烂
decay n. 腐败，衰败
hang v. 悬挂
(hang-hung-hung)
at the same time 同时
lean v. 使倾斜，倚靠
worn adj. 筋疲力尽的
pillow n. 枕头
lonely adj. 孤独的
soul n. 灵魂
mysterious adj. 神秘的
possess v. 支配
tie n. 纽带，联系
bind v. 绑，系
(bind-bound-bound)
loosen v. 松开
wear away 消逝
twilight n. 黄昏，薄暮
lone adj. 孤独的
cling to 紧贴，依附
howl v. 怒吼
eaves n. (pl.) 屋檐
mercilessly adv. 残忍地
command v. 命令
raise v. 升起
stir v. 搅拌
sin n. 罪过
pack v. 塞满，挤满
even adj. 平均的
shaking adj. 颤抖的
nursing n. 护理
attack n. （疾病）侵袭
comfortable adj. 舒服的
out of danger 脱离危险
nutrition n. 营养
care n. 照顾
knit v. 编织
useless adj. 毫无用处的
woolen adj. 羊毛制的
scarf n. 围巾
die of 死于
janitor n. 看门人
helpless adj. 无助的
completely adv. 完全地
imagine v. 想象
dreadful adj. 可怕的
lantern n. 灯笼
ladder n. 梯子
drag v. 拖，拽
scattered adj. 散乱的
brush n. 画笔
palette n. 调色板
mix v. 混合
flutter v. 摆动
One Point Lesson
This is not a place in which one so good as Miss Johnsy should lie sick.
这个地方实在不适合像约翰茜小姐这样的好姑娘养病。
介词（ in, at, on 等） ＋which ：功能上相当于关系代词 where
e.g. That is the house in which I lived in my childhood.
(= That is the house where I lived in my childhood.)
那就是我小时候住的房子。
A 选择正确的答案。
① What was old Behrman's masterpiece?
(a) He never painted a masterpiece.
(b) He painted a leaf on the wall of the building.
(c) He painted a very realistic painting of an old miner.
② How did Behrman die?
(a) He died of old age.
(b) He drank too much wine and fell down.
(c) He got very cold and wet when he painted outside.
B 将下列两栏相关的内容连线。
C 根据故事内容判断正误，正确的选T，错误的选F。
① Behrman was very protective of Sue and Johnsy.
T F
② The doctor did not put all his faith in medicine alone.
T F
③ Behrman would not pose for Sue.
T F
④ Two leaves remained on the ivy branch for many days.
T F
D 将下列两栏相关的内容连线。
答案
A ① (b)
② (c)
B ①–c
②–d
③–a
④–b
C ① T
② T
③ F
④ F
D ①–d
②–e
③–b
④–a
⑤–c
Unexpected Humanity
出人意料的人性光芒
Although O. Henry certainly did not invent the short story, he mastered this form and perfected the technique of the surprise ending. O. Henry became a master at doing this by laying the construction for these endings in the story itself. He gives hints to his readers of the endings to come by briefly including details that seem unimportant at first mention, but become immensely important when the surprise ending is"revealed". An example of this is in the story "The Last Leaf"where the reader sees clues of what the old artist living downstairs has done to save the life of the girl upstairs.
We know the old man has been waiting his whole life to paint his masterpiece, but we don't expect him to. Not until the very ending do we realize that the old artist has indeed fulfilled his dream while at the same time, fatally injuring himself in a selfless act of kindness. O. Henry is a master at leading the reader down one path of expectation, and then shattering these expectations at the surprising conclusion of the story. However, just as in "The Last Leaf", these endings are rarely random acts of cruel fate. Instead, they are carefully constructed by the masterful author to show the reader the humanity of our frail and sometimes foolish, but also generous and kind nature.
尽管短篇小说这种文学形式绝非欧·亨利首创的，但他堪称这种文体的大师级人物，而且还将出人意料的结局这种技巧臻至完美。在故事展开的过程中，他就开始为结局埋下伏笔，手法非常熟稔巧妙。通过那些初看似乎无关紧要的细节设置，他不断给读者“小小的”暗示；然而，直到故事真相大白的那一刻，读者才会意识到当初那些细枝末节是多么重要。《最后一片叶子》就是一个典型例子。在这篇小说里，读者其实可以发现很多蛛丝马迹，揭示了楼下的那位老画家是如何挽救楼上那位姑娘的生命的。
我们都知道，那位老人终生都在等待创作出一部经典画作，可我们却觉得他不过是在白日做梦。直到小说结尾，我们才意识到，他确实实现了梦想，同时却因为自己善良无私的行为身染致命重病。在小说中，欧·亨利非常善于引导读者满怀期望地开始阅读，却在故事结尾用出人意料的结局打碎这些期望。然而，正如在《最后一片叶子》里一样，这些结尾大多并非命运残酷无常造成的，而是这位大师级的作者精心构造出来的，旨在向读者揭示我们那脆弱、有时愚蠢却亦慷慨而善良的本性。