VOA慢速英语2011--Short Story: 'One Thousand Dollars' by O

AMERICAN STORIES - Short Story: 'One Thousand Dollars' by O. Henry

FAITH LAPIDUS: Now, the VOA Special English program, AMERICAN STORIES.
(MUSIC)
Our story today is called “One Thousand Dollars.” It was written by O. Henry. Here is Steve Ember with the story.
STEVE EMBER:
"One thousand dollars," said the lawyer Tolman, in a severe and serious voice. "And here is the money.”
Young Gillian touched the thin package of fifty-dollar bills and laughed.
"It's such an unusual amount," he explained, kindly¹, to the lawyer. “If it had been ten thousand a man might celebrate with a lot of fireworks. Even fifty dollars would have been less trouble."
"You heard the reading of your uncle's will after he died," continued the lawyer Tolman. "I do not know if you paid much attention to its details. I must remind you of one. You are required to provide us with a report of how you used this one thousand dollars as soon as you have spent it. I trust that you will obey the wishes of the your late uncle."
"You may depend on it," said the young man respectfully².
(MUSIC)
Gillian went to his club. He searched for a man he called Old Bryson.
Old Bryson was a calm, anti-social man of about forty years old. He was in a corner reading a book. When he saw Gillian coming near he took a noisy, deep breath, laid down his book and took off his glasses.
"Old Bryson, wake up," said Gillian. "I have a funny story to tell you. I’ve just come from a meeting with my late uncle's lawyers. He leaves me an even thousand dollars. Now, what can a man possibly do with a thousand dollars?"
Old Bryson showed very little interest. "I thought the late Septimus Gillian was worth something like half a million."
"He was," agreed Gillian, happily. "And that's where the joke comes in. He has left a lot of his money to an organism³. That is, part of it goes to the man who invents a new bacillus and the rest to establish a hospital for doing away with it again. There are one or two small, unimportant⁴ gifts on the side. The butler and the housekeeper⁵ get a seal ring and ten dollars each. His nephew gets one thousand dollars."
"Were there any others mentioned in your uncle’s will?" asked Old Bryson.
"None." said Gillian. “There is a Miss Hayden. My uncle was responsible for her. She lived in his house. She's a quiet thing, the daughter of somebody who was unlucky enough to be his friend. I forgot to say that she was in on the ring and ten dollar joke, too. I wish I had been. Then I could have had two bottles of wine, given the ring to the waiter and had the whole business off my hands.
Tell me what a man can do with a thousand dollars."
“There are many good things a man could do with a thousand dollars,” said Bryson. "You?" said Bryson, with a gentle laugh. "Why, Bobby Gillian, there's only one reasonable thing you could do. You can go buy Miss Lotta Lauriere a diamond necklace with the money.”
"Thanks," said Gillian as he rose from his chair. "I thought I could depend on you, Old Bryson. You've hit on the very idea. I wanted to spend the money on one thing, because I have to turn in a report for it, and I hate itemizing.”
Gillian phoned for a cab⁶ and said to the driver: "The stage entrance of the Columbine Theatre."
(MUSIC)
The theater was crowded. Miss Lotta Lauriere was preparing for her performance when her assistant spoke⁷ the name of Mr. Gillian.
"Let it in," said Miss Lauriere. "Now, what is it, Bobby? I'm going on stage in two minutes."
“It won't take two minutes for me. What do you say to a little thing in the jewelry⁸ line? I can spend one thousand dollars."
“Say, Bobby,” said Miss Lauriere, “Did you see that necklace Della Stacey had on the other night? It cost two thousand two hundred dollars at Tiffany's.”
Miss Lauriere was called to the stage for her performance.
Gillian slowly walked out to where his cab was waiting. "What would you do with a thousand dollars if you had it?" he asked the driver.
"Open a drinking place," said the driver, quickly. "I know a place I could take money in with both hands. I've got it worked out--if you were thinking of putting up the money.”
"Oh, no," said Gillian. “I was just wondering.”
Eight blocks down Broadway Gillian got out of the cab. A blind man sat on the sidewalk selling pencils. Gillian went out and stood in front of him.
"Excuse me, but would you mind telling me what you would do if you had a thousand dollars?” asked Gillian.
The blind man took a small book from his coat pocket and held it out. Gillian opened it and saw that it was a bank deposit⁹ book.
It showed that the blind man had a balance of one thousand seven hundred eighty-five dollars in his bank account. Gillian returned the bank book and got back into the cab.
"I forgot something," he said. "You may drive to the law offices of Tolman & Sharp.”
(MUSIC)
Lawyer Tolman looked at Gillian in a hostile¹⁰ and questioning way.
"I beg your pardon," said Gillian, cheerfully¹¹. "But was Miss Hayden left anything by my uncle's will in addition to the ring and the ten dollars?"
"Nothing," said Mr. Tolman.
“I thank you very much, Sir," said Gillian, and went to his cab. He gave the driver the address of his late uncle's home.
Miss Hayden was writing letters in the library. The small, thin woman wore black clothes. But you would have noticed her eyes. Gillian entered the room as if the world were unimportant.
“I have just come from old Tolman's," he explained. “They have been going over the papers down there. They found a…” Gillian searched his memory for a legal term. “They found an amendment¹² or a post-script or something to the will. It seemed that my uncle had second thoughts and willed you a thousand dollars. Tolman asked me to bring you the money. Here it is.”
Gillian laid the money beside her hand on the desk. Miss Hayden turned white. "Oh!" she said. And again, "Oh!"
Gillian half turned and looked out the window. In a low voice he said, "I suppose, of course, that you know I love you."
"I am sorry," said Miss Hayden, as she picked up her money.
"There is no use?" asked Gillian, almost light-heartedly.
"I am sorry," she said again.
"May I write a note?" asked Gillian, with a smile. Miss Hayden supplied him with paper and pen, and then went back to her writing table.
Gillian wrote a report of how he spent the thousand dollars: “Paid by Robert Gillian, one thousand dollars on account of the eternal¹³ happiness, owed by Heaven to the best and dearest woman on earth."
Gillian put the note into an envelope. He bowed to Miss Hayden and left.
His cab stopped again at the offices of Tolman & Sharp.
"I have spent the one thousand dollars," he said cheerfully, to Tolman. "And I have come to present a report of it, as I agreed.” He threw a white envelope on the lawyer's table.
Without touching¹⁴ the envelope, Mr. Tolman went to a door and called his partner, Sharp. Together they searched for something in a large safe. They brought out a big envelope sealed with wax¹⁵. As they opened the envelope, they shook their heads together over its contents. Then Tolman became spokesman¹⁶.
"Mr. Gillian," he said, “there was an addition to your uncle's will. It was given to us privately¹⁷, with instructions that it not be opened until you had provided¹⁸ us with a full report of your handling of the one thousand dollars received in the will.
“As you have satisfied the conditions, my partner and I have read the addition. I will explain to you the spirit of its contents.
“In the event that your use of the one thousand dollars shows that you possess any of the qualifications that deserve¹⁹ reward, you stand to gain much more. If your disposal²¹ of the money in question has been sensible²², wise, or unselfish, it is in our power to give you bonds²³ to the value of fifty thousand dollars. But if you have used this money in a wasteful²⁴, foolish way as you have in the past, the fifty thousand dollars is to be paid to Miriam Hayden, ward²⁰ of the late Mr. Gillian, without delay.
“Now, Mr. Gillian, Mr. Sharp and I will examine your report of the one thousand dollars.”
Mr. Tolman reached for the envelope. Gillian was a little quicker in taking it up. He calmly tore the report and its cover into pieces and dropped them into his pocket.
"It's all right," he said, smilingly. "There isn't a bit of need to bother you with this. I don't suppose you would understand these itemized bets²⁵, anyway. I lost the thousand dollars on the races. Good-day to you, gentlemen."
Tolman and Sharp shook their heads mournfully at each other when Gillian left. They heard him whistling happily in the hallway as he waited for the elevator.
(MUSIC)
FAITH LAPIDUS:
“One Thousand Dollars” was written by O. Henry. It was adapted for Special English by Lawan Davis. The storyteller and producer was Steve Ember.
You can read and listen to other American Stories on our website, voaspecialenglish.com. I’m Faith Lapidus.

1 kindly   

adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地

参考例句：

• Her neighbours spoke of her as kindly and hospitable.她的邻居都说她和蔼可亲、热情好客。
• A shadow passed over the kindly face of the old woman.一道阴影掠过老太太慈祥的面孔。

2 respectfully   

adv.恭敬地；此致敬礼

参考例句：

• People respectfully called him the venerable Zhu.人们尊称他为朱老。
• We respectfully request your guidance.敬祈指导。

3 organism   

n.生物，有机体；(如生物的)机体、有机组织

参考例句：

• The economy is not a mechanical device but a living organism.经济不是一套机械装置,而是活的有机体。
• Selection will root out such organism.自然选择将把这些物种消灭掉。

4 unimportant   

adj.不重要的，无意义的

参考例句：

• Let's not quarrel about such unimportant matters.我们不要为这些小事争吵了。
• Money seems unimportant when sets beside the joys of family life.与天伦之乐相比，金钱显得微不足道。

5 housekeeper   

n.管理家务的主妇，女管家

参考例句：

• A spotless stove told us that his mother is a diligent housekeeper.炉子清洁无瑕就表明他母亲是个勤劳的主妇。
• She is an economical housekeeper and feeds her family cheaply.她节约持家，一家人吃得很省。

6 cab   

n.计程车，出租车，出租单马车；vi.乘出租马车

参考例句：

• The cab drove over his legs.马车从他腿上碾过。
• Shall we walk or take a cab?我们步行还是坐出租车？

7 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

8 jewelry   

n.（jewllery）（总称）珠宝

参考例句：

• The burglars walked off with all my jewelry.夜盗偷走了我的全部珠宝。
• Jewelry and lace are mostly feminine belongings.珠宝和花边多数是女性用品。

9 deposit   

n.定金，存款，矿藏；vt.使沉淀，寄存，储蓄

参考例句：

• There is too much deposit in a bottle of wine.酒瓶里有太多的沉淀物。
• The hotel requires a deposit for all advance bookings.旅馆规定凡预订房间都要先付订金。

10 hostile   

adj.不友好的，敌对的；敌方的，敌人的

参考例句：

• The local people are hostile to outsiders.当地人敌视外地人。
• Their hostile looks showed that he was unwelcome.他们怀敌意的表情说明他不受欢迎。

11 cheerfully   

adv.高兴地，愉快地

参考例句：

• The train rolled cheerfully into the station.火车欢呼着驶进车站。
• He takes our advice quite cheerfully.他欣然接受我们的劝告。

12 amendment   

n.改正，修正，改善，修正案

参考例句：

• The amendment was rejected by 207 voters to 143.这项修正案以207票对143票被否决。
• The Opposition has tabled an amendment to the bill.反对党已经就该议案提交了一项修正条款。

13 eternal   

adj.永久的，无休止的，永恒的，永不改变的

参考例句：

• Stop this eternal chatter!不要唠叨个不停！
• Rome has been called the Eternal City.罗马一向被称为不朽之城。

14 touching   

adj.动人的，使人感伤的

参考例句：

• It was a touching sight.这是一幅动人的景象。
• His letter was touching.他的信很感人。

15 wax   

n.蜡，蜡状物，震怒；vi.变大，增大，月亮满；vt.用蜡涂

参考例句：

• I wax my boots chiefly to waterproof them.我给靴子打蜡主要是为了防水。
• I wax the floor once a month.我每月给地板打一次蜡。

16 spokesman   

n.发言人，代言人

参考例句：

• The government spokesman gave a quick briefing to the reporters.政府发言人向记者们作了情况简介。
• They drew lots to decide who should be their spokesman.他们抽签决定谁是他们的发言人。

17 privately   

adv.以私人的身份，悄悄地，私下地

参考例句：

• Some ministers admit privately that unemployment could continue to rise.一些部长私下承认失业率可能继续升高。
• The man privately admits that his motive is profits.那人私下承认他的动机是为了牟利。

18 provided   

conj.假如，若是；adj.预备好的，由...供给的

参考例句：

• Provided it's fine we will have a pleasant holiday.如果天气良好，我们的假日将过得非常愉快。
• I will come provided that it's not raining tomorrow.如果明天不下雨，我就来。

19 deserve   

vt.应受，值得；vi. 应受报答，值得受赏

参考例句：

• You really deserve a good beating,you naughty boy.你这个调皮孩子真该打。
• I do not deserve all the praises bestowed upon me.我不配得到这些赞扬。

20 ward   

n.守卫，监护，病房，行政区，由监护人或法院保护的人（尤指儿童）；vt.守护，躲开

参考例句：

• The hospital has a medical ward and a surgical ward.这家医院有内科病房和外科病房。
• During the evening picnic,I'll carry a torch to ward off the bugs.傍晚野餐时，我要点根火把，抵挡蚊虫。

21 disposal   

n.处理，消除，销毁，处置；弃菜碾碎器

参考例句：

• The safe disposal of nuclear waste is a major problem.安全处置核废料是个大问题。
• You had better discuss with her the disposal of the furniture.你最好和她讨论一下如何布置家具。

22 sensible   

adj.可察觉的，意识到的，实用的；n.可感知物

参考例句：

• Are you sensible of the dangers of your position? 你觉察到你处境中的危险了吗？
• He was sensible enough to mind his own business.他颇有见识，不去管闲事。

23 bonds   

镣铐，监禁； [常作复数]结合（力）( bond的名词复数 )； 结合物； 联系； 连接

参考例句：

• He paid the pill by cashing in some bonds. 他把一些证券兑换成现金付账。
• They are eager to buy their government bonds. 他们热心购买公债。

24 wasteful   

adj.（造成）浪费的，挥霍的

参考例句：

• It is a shame to be so wasteful.这样浪费太可惜了。
• Duties have been reassigned to avoid wasteful duplication of work.为避免重复劳动浪费资源，任务已经重新分派。

25 bets   

v.敢说，八成儿( bet的第三人称单数 )；打赌(on,against,with)；敢断定；敢说

参考例句：

• Place your bets now—the race begins in half an hour! 现在可以下赌注——赛事于半小时后开始。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• But he did not enter all the losing bets in the accounts-book. 但输家交来的赠金，他并不全部登记入册。 来自辞典例句