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哈里发、丘比特和时钟 by 欧·亨利

时间:2016-05-29 22:39来源:互联网 提供网友:nan   字体: [ ]
    (单词翻译:双击或拖选)

The Caliph, Cupid and the Clock by O. Henry 哈里发、丘比特和时钟 by  欧·亨利 

We present the short story "The Caliph, Cupid and the Clock" by O. Henry. The story was originally1 adapted and recorded by the U.S. Department of State.

Prince Michael of Valleluna sat in the park on the seat he liked best. In the coolness of the night, he felt full of life. The other seats were not filled. Cool weather sends most people home.

The moon was rising over the houses on the east side of the park. Children laughed and played. Music came softly2 from one of the nearer streets. Around the little park, cabs3 rolled by. The trains that traveled high above the street rushed past. These cabs and trains, with their wild noises, seemed like animals outside the park. But they could not enter. The park was safe and quiet. And above the trees was the great, round, shining face of a lighted clock in a tall old building.

Prince Michael’s shoes were old and broken. No shoemaker could ever make them like new again. His clothes were very torn. The hair of his face had been growing for two weeks. It was all colors—gray and brown and red and green-yellow. His hat was older and more torn than his shoes and his other clothes.

Prince Michael sat on the seat he liked best, and he smiled. It was a happy thought to him that he had enough money to buy every house he could see near the park, if he wished. He had as much gold as any rich man in this proud city of New York. He had as many jewels, and houses, and land. He could have sat at table with kings and queens. All the best things in the world could be his—art, pleasure, beautiful women, honor4. All the sweeter things in life were waiting for Prince Michael of Valleluna whenever he might choose to take them. But instead he was choosing to sit in torn clothes on a seat in a park.

For he had tasted of the fruit the tree of life. He had not liked the taste. Here, in this park, he felt near to the beating heart of the world. He hoped it would help him to forget that taste.

These thoughts moved like a dream through the mind of Prince Michael. There was a smile across his face with its many-colored hair. Sitting like this, in torn clothes, he loved to study other men. He loved to do good things for others. Giving was more pleasant to him than owning all his riches. It was his chief pleasure to help people who were in trouble. He liked to give to people who needed help. He liked to surprise them with princely gifts. But he always gave wisely, after careful thought.

And now, as he looked at the shining face of the great clock, his smile changed. The Prince always thought big thoughts. When he thought of time, he always felt a touch of sadness. Time controlled the world. People had to do what time commanded. Their comings and goings were always controlled by a clock. They were always in a hurry, and always afraid, because of time. It made him sad.

After a little while, a young man in evening clothes came and sat upon a seat near the Prince. For half an hour he sat there nervously5. Then he began to watch the face of the lighted clock above the trees. The Prince could see that the young man had a trouble. He could also see that somehow the clock was part of the trouble.

The Prince rose and went to the young man’s seat.

“I am a stranger, and I shouldn’t speak to you,” he said. “But I can see that you are troubled. I am Prince Michael of Valleluna. I do not want people to know who I am. That is why I wear these torn clothes. It is a small pleasure of mine to help those who need help. First I must feel sure they are worth helping6. I think you are. And perhaps your trouble may be ended if you and I together decide what to do about it.”

The young man looked up brightly at the Prince. Brightly, but he was still troubled. He laughed, then, but still the look of trouble remained. But he accepted this chance to talk to someone.

“I’m glad to meet you, Prince,” he said pleasantly. “Yes, I can see you don’t want to be known7. That’s easy to see. Thanks for your offer to help. But I don’t see what you can do. It’s my own problem. But thanks.”

Prince Michael sat down at the young man’s side. People often said no to him, but they always said it pleasantly.

“Clocks,” said the Prince, “are tied to the feet of all men and women. I have seen you watching that clock. That face commands us to act, whether or not we wish to act. Let me tell you not to trust the numbers on that face. They will destroy you if they can. Stop looking at that clock. What does it know about living men and women?”

“I usually don’t look at that clock,” said the young man. “I carry a watch, except when I wear evening clothes.”

“I know men and women as I know the trees and the flowers,” said the Prince, warmly and proudly. “I have studied many years. And I am very rich. There are few troubles that I cannot help. I have read what is in your face. I have found honor and goodness8 there, and trouble. Please accept my help. I can see that you are wise. Show how wise you are. Do not judge me by my torn clothes. I am sure I can help you.”

The young man looked at the clock again, and his face grew darker. Then he looked at a house beside the park. Lights could be seen in many rooms.

“Ten minutes before nine!” said the young man. He raised his hands and then let them fall, as if hope had gone. He stood up and took a quick step or two away.

“Remain!” commanded Prince Michael. His voice was so powerful9 that the young man turned quickly. He laughed a little.

“I’ll wait ten minutes and then I’ll go,” he said in a low voice, as if only to himself. Then to the Prince he said, “I’ll join you. We’ll destroy all the clocks. And women, too.”

“Sit down,” said the Prince softly. “I do not accept that. I do not include women. Women are enemies of clocks. They are born that way. Therefore they are friends of those who wish to destroy clocks. If you can trust me, tell me your story.”

The young man sat down again and laughed loudly.

“Prince, I will,” he said. He did not believe that Prince Michael was really a prince. His manner of speaking proved that. “Do you see that house, Prince? That house with lights in three windows on the third floor? At six tonight I was in that house with the young lady I am going to—was going to marry. I’d been doing wrong, my dear Prince, and she heard about it. I was sorry. I wanted her to forget it. We are always asking women to forget things like that, aren’t we, Prince?

“ ‘I want time to think,’ she said. ‘I will either forget it forever, or never see your face again. At half-past eight,’ she said, ‘watch the middle window on the third floor of this house. If I decide to forget, I will hang out a long white cloth. You will know then that everything is as it was before. And you may come to me. If you see nothing hanging from the window, you will know that everything between us is finished forever.’

“That,” said the young man, “is why I have been watching that clock. The time was passed twenty-three minutes ago. Do you see why I am a little troubled, my torn Prince?”

“Let me tell you again,” said Prince Michael in his soft voice, “that women are the born enemies of clocks. Clocks are bad, women are good. The white cloth may yet appear.”

“Never!” said the young man, hopelessly. “You don’t know Marian. She is always on time, to the minute. That was the first thing I liked about her. At 8:31, I should have known that everything was finished. I’m going to go West. I’ll get on the train tonight. I’ll find some way to forget her. Good night—Prince.”

Prince Michael smiled his gentle, understanding smile. He caught the other’s arm. The bright light in the Prince’s eyes was softening10. It was dream-like, clouded.

“Wait,” he said, “till the clock tells the hour. I have riches and power and I am wiser than most men. But when I hear the clock tell the hour, I am afraid. Stay with me till then. This woman shall be yours. You have the promise of the Prince of Valleluna. On the day you are married I will give you $100,000 and a great house beside the Hudson River. But there must be no clocks in that house. Do you agree to that?”

“Sure,” said the young man. “I don’t like clocks.”

He looked again at the clock above the trees. It was three minutes before nine.

“I think,” said Prince Michael, “that I will sleep a little. It has been a long day.”

He lay down on the seat, as if he had often done it before.

“You’ll find me on this park on any evening when the weather is good,” said the Prince. “Come to me when you know the day you’ll be married. I’ll give you the money.”

“Thanks, Prince,” said the young man. “That day isn’t going to come. But thanks.”

Prince Michael fell into a deep sleep. His hat rolled on the ground. The young man lifted it, placed it over the Prince’s face, and moved one of the Prince’s legs into an easier position. “Poor fellow!” he said. He pulled the torn coat together over the Prince’s body.

It was nine. Loud and surprising came the voice of the clock, telling the hour. The young man took a deep breath11, and turned for one more look at the house. And he gave a shout of joy.

From the middle window on the third floor, a snow-white wonderful cloth was hanging.

Through the park a man came, hurrying home.

“Will you tell me the time, please?” asked the young man.

The other man took out his watch. “Twenty-nine and a half minutes after eight.”

And then he looked up at the clock.

“But that clock is wrong!” the man said. “The first time in ten years! My watch is always—”

But he was talking to no one. He turned and saw the young man running toward12 the house with three lighted windows on the third floor.

And in the morning two cops14 walked through the park. There was only one person to be seen—a man, asleep on a long park seat. They stopped to look at him.

“It’s Michael the Dreamer,” said one. “He has been sleeping like this in the park for twenty years. He won’t live much longer, I guess.”

The other cop13 looked at something in the sleeper’s hand. “Look at this,” he said. “Fifty dollars. I wish I could have a dream like that.”

And then they gave Prince Michael of Valleluna a hard shake, and brought him out of his dreams and into real life.

Words in This Story

prince – n. a male member of a royal family

cab(s) – n. a car that carries passengers to a place for an amount of money that is based on the distance traveled

beating – v. to make the regular movements needed to pump blood

comings and goings – idm. the activity of people arriving at and leaving a place

nervously – adv. done in a way showing feelings of being worried and afraid about what might happen

pleasantly - adv. done in a way that is friendly and likable

hopelessly – adv. done in a way that shows no feeling of hope

cop(s) - n. a person whose job is to enforce laws, investigate crimes, and make arrests


点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 originally dJCxl     
adv.本来,原来,最初,就起源而论,独创地
参考例句:
  • Originally I didn't want to go.我本意不想去。
  • After much discussion they settled on the plan originally proposed.他们讨论了很久,然后确定了原来提出的那个计划。
2 softly HiIzR4     
adv.柔和地,静静地,温柔地
参考例句:
  • He speaks too softly for her to hear.他讲话声音太轻,她听不见。
  • She breathed her advice softly.她低声劝告。
3 cabs a2c16ec6ff87a69e522e2288235dcdde     
出租车( cab的名词复数 ); (公共汽车、火车等的)司机室; 驾驶室; 出租马车
参考例句:
  • Cabs and carriages, their lamps gleaming like yellow eyes, pattered by. 公共马车和私人马车嗒嗒地驶过,车灯像一双双黄色的眼睛闪闪发亮。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
  • Outside were cabs and taxis and a line of hotel runners. 外边停着出租的马车、汽车,还站着一排旅馆接待人。
4 honor IQDzL     
n.光荣;敬意;荣幸;vt.给…以荣誉;尊敬
参考例句:
  • I take your visit as a great honor.您的来访是我莫大的光荣。
  • It is a great honor to receive that prize.能拿到那个奖是无上的光荣。
5 nervously tn6zFp     
adv.神情激动地,不安地
参考例句:
  • He bit his lip nervously,trying not to cry.他紧张地咬着唇,努力忍着不哭出来。
  • He paced nervously up and down on the platform.他在站台上情绪不安地走来走去。
6 helping 2rGzDc     
n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的,辅助的
参考例句:
  • The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
  • By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。
7 known hpKzdc     
adj.大家知道的;知名的,已知的
参考例句:
  • He is a known artist.他是一个知名的艺术家。
  • He is known both as a painter and as a statesman.他是知名的画家及政治家。
8 goodness xfgxm     
n.善良,善行,美德
参考例句:
  • Would you have the goodness to turn off the radio?劳驾,请你把收音机关上好不好?
  • Thank goodness,we've found a cure for the disease.好了,这病有救了!
9 powerful E1Zzi     
adj.有力的,有权力的,强大的
参考例句:
  • The UN began to get more and more powerful.联合国开始变得越来越强大了。
  • Such are the most powerful voices of our times!这些就是我们时代的最有力的声音!
10 softening f4d358268f6bd0b278eabb29f2ee5845     
变软,软化
参考例句:
  • Her eyes, softening, caressed his face. 她的眼光变得很温柔了。它们不住地爱抚他的脸。 来自汉英文学 - 家(1-26) - 家(1-26)
  • He might think my brain was softening or something of the kind. 他也许会觉得我婆婆妈妈的,已经成了个软心肠的人了。
11 breath 9SCyv     
n.呼吸,气息,微风,迹象,精神,一种说话的声音
参考例句:
  • I'm just going out for a breath of fresh air.我正要出去呼吸新鲜空气。
  • While climbing up the stairs the old man always loses his breath.那老人上楼时总是气喘吁吁的。
12 toward on6we     
prep.对于,关于,接近,将近,向,朝
参考例句:
  • Suddenly I saw a tall figure approaching toward the policeman.突然间我看到一个高大的身影朝警察靠近。
  • Upon seeing her,I smiled and ran toward her. 看到她我笑了,并跑了过去。
13 cop Jvlzkp     
n.警察;vt.抓住
参考例句:
  • The cop told him to button his lip.警察叫他闭嘴。
  • The robber was overpowered by the cop.抢劫犯被警察制伏。
14 cops 2a0b059e51cc7166bec7f81b0985a1d4     
n.堆,顶;警察( cop的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • As usual, the cops get the baddies in the end. 跟平常一样,警察最后把坏人都抓起来了。
  • Somebody call the cops! 去个人报警啊!
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