O. Henry. The Last Leaf. Part 3

Слова и выражения:

o pull up the shade — поднятьштору

o thebeatingrainandfiercewind — проливной дождь и сильный ветер

o oneivyleaf — только один лист плюща

o It hung bravely from the branch — онхрабровиселнаветке

o It is wrong to want to die. —Нельзя желать себе смерти.

o evenchances — шансы равные

o anothercase — другого больного

The next morning, Sue awoke after an hour’s sleep. She found Johnsy with wide-open eyes staring at the covered window.

«Pull up the shade; I want to see,» she ordered, quietly.

Sue obeyed.

After the beating rain and fierce wind that blew through the night, there yet stood against the wall one ivy leaf. It was the last one on the vine. It was still dark green at the center. But its edges were colored with the yellow. It hung bravely from the branch about seven meters 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 toward the bed. «Think of me, if you won’t think of yourself. What would I do?»

But Johnsy did not answer.

The next morning, when it was light, Johnsy demanded that the window 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 preparing chicken soup.

«I’ve been a bad girl,» said Johnsy. «Something has made that last leaf stay there to show me how bad I was. It is wrong to want to die. You may bring me a little soup now.»

An hour later she said: «Someday I hope to paint the Bay of Naples.»

Later in the day, the doctor came, and Sue talked to him in the hallway.

«Even chances,» said the doctor. «With good care, you’ll win. And now I must see another case I have in your building. Behrman, his name is — some kind of an artist, I believe. Pneumonia, too. He is an old, weak man and his case is severe. There is no hope for him; but he goes to the hospital today to ease his pain.»

The next day, the doctor said to Sue: «She’s out of danger. You won. Nutrition and care now — that’s all.»

Later that day, Sue came to the bed where Johnsy lay, and put one arm around her.

«I have something to tell you, white mouse,» she said. «Mister Behrman died of pneumonia today in the hospital. He was sick only two days. They found him the morning of the first day in his room downstairs helpless with pain. His shoes and clothing were completely wet and icy cold. They could not imagine where he had been on such a terrible night.

And then they found a lantern, still lighted. And they found a ladder that had been moved from its place. And art supplies and a painting board 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 moved when the wind blew? Ah, darling, it is Behrman’s masterpiece – he painted it there the night that the last leaf fell.»

 

O. Henry. No Story. Part 1

Слова и выражения:

o something — нечто

o lookforty — выглядел на сорок лет

o miserable —несчастный

o borrow —занимать в долг

o manage — удаваться

o cost — стоить

o thestuff —материал (для рассказа)

I worked in a newspaper. One day Tripp came in and leaned on my table. Tripp was something. He was about twenty-five and looked forty. His face was covered with short, curly red hair. He was pale and unhealthy and miserable and always was borrowing money from twenty-five cents to a dollar. One dollar was his limit. When he leaned on my table he held one hand with the other to keep from shaking. Whisky.

“Well, Tripp,” said I, looking at him rather impatiently, “how is life?” He was looking more miserable than I had ever seen him.

“Have you got a dollar?” asked Tripp looking at me with his dog-like eyes.

That day I had managed to get five dollars for my Sunday story. “I have,” I said; and again I said, “I have,” more loudly, “and four besides. And I had hard work getting them. And I need them all.”

“I don’t want to borrow any,” said Tripp, “I thought you would like to get a good story. I’ve got a really fine one for you. It will probably cost you a dollar or two to get the stuff. I don’t want anything for myself.”

“What is the story?” I asked.

O. Henry. No Story. Part 2

Слова и выражения:

o set off for New York — отправитьсявНьюЙорк

o tomakehisfortune — разбогатеть

o musthavethought — должно быть думала

o hasto —придется

o LongIsland — Лонг Айлэнд (район Нью Йорка, который находится на острове)

o lookdisappointed —выглядел разочарованным

o whatisknownasthesenseofduty — то, что называется чувством долга

o sworetomyself (swear-swore) — поклясться себе (поклялся себе)

“It’s girl. A beauty. She has lived all her life on Long Island and never saw New York City before. I ran against her on Thirty-fourth Street. She stopped me in the street and asked me where she could find George Brown. She asked me where she could find George Brown in New York City! What do you think of that? I talked to her.It’s like this.

Some years ago George set off for New York to make his fortune. He didn’t come back. Now there is a young farmer named Dodd she is going to marry next week. But Ada — her name is Ada Lowery – couldn’t forget George, so this morning she saddled a horse and rode eight miles to the railway station to catch the 6.45 a.m. train. She came to the city to look for George.

She must have thought the first person she asked would tell her where her George was! You must see her! What could I do? She had paid her last cent for her railroad ticket. I couldn’t leave her in the street, could I? I took her to a cheap hotel. And she has to pay for the room, too. That is the price per day.”

”That’s no story,” said I. “Every ferry-boat brings or takes away girls from Long Island. ”

Tripp looked disappointed. “Can’t you see what an amazing story it would make? You will get fifteen dollars for it. And it will cost you only four, so you will make a profit of eleven dollars.”

“How will it cost me four dollars?” I asked suspiciously.

“One dollar for her room and two dollars to pay the girl’s fare back home.”

‘And the fourth?’ I asked.

“ One dollar to me,” said Tripp. “Don’t you see,” he insisted, “That the girl has to get back home today?”

And then I began to feel what is known as the sense of duty. In a kind of cold anger I put on my coat and hat. But I swore to myself that Tripp wouldn’t get the dollar.

O. Henry. No Story. Part 3

Слова и выражения:

 

o feltashamedofbeingintroduced — было стыдно, что меня представили

o awkward — неловкий

o can’thelpit — не могу справиться c этим

o musthavehappened —должно быть случилось

o a hammer and a chisel — молотокизубило

Tripp took me to the hotel. I paid the money.

In a dark hall a girl sat crying quietly and eating sweets out of paper bag. She was a real beauty. Crying only made her eyes brighter.

“My friend, Mr. Chalmers. He is a reporter,” said Tripp “and he will tell you, Miss Lowery, what’s best to do.”

I felt ashamed of being introduced as Tripp’s friend to such a beauty. “Why- er — Miss Lowery,” I began feeling terribly awkward, “will you tell me what has happened?”

“Oh,” said Miss Lowery, ” You see, everything isready for me to marry Hiram Dodd next Thursday. He’s got one of the best farms on the island. But last night I got to thinking about G – George — ”

“You see, I can’t help it. George and I loved each other since we were children. Four years ago he went to the city. He said he was going to be a policeman, a railroad president or something. And then he would come back for me. But I never heard from him anymore. And I – I – like him.”

“Now, Miss Lowery,” saidTripp, “you like this young man, Dodd, don’t you? He’s all right, and good to you, isn’t he?”

“Of course, I like him. And of course, he is good to me. He’s promised me a automobile and a motor-boat. But somehow I couldn’t stopthinking about George. Something must have happened to him or he would have written. On the day he left, he got a hammer and a chisel and cut a cent into two pieces. I took one piece and he took the other, and we promised to be true to each other and always keep the pieces till we saw each other again. I’ve got mine at home. I guess it was silly of me to come here. I never realized what a big place it is.”

O. Henry. NoStory. Part 4

Слова и выражения:

 

o persuaded — убедили

o ferry — паром

o aboard — на борту

o handkerchief —носовой платок

o disappointment — разочарование

o unbuttoned — расстегнул

o watch-chain — цепочка для часов

o inhalves — на половинки

o What’stheuse? — А что толку?

o unhesitatingly — без колебаний

Then Tripp spoke with an awkward little laugh. “Oh, the boys from the country forget a lot when they come to the city. May be, he met another girl or something. You come back home, and you’ll be all right.”

In the end we persuaded Miss Lowery to go back home. The three of us hurried to the ferry, and there I found the price for the ticket to be but a dollar and eighty cents. I bought one, and a red, red rose with twenty cents for Miss Lowery. We saw her aboard her ferry-boat and stood watching her wave her handkerchief at us. And then Tripp and I faced each other.

“Can’t you get a story out of it?” he asked. “Some sort of a story?”

“Not a line,” I said.

“I’m sorry,” he said quietly. Then Tripp unbuttoned his shabby coat to get something that had once been a handkerchief. As he did so I saw something shining on his cheap watch-chain. It has the half of a silver cent that had been cut in halves with a chisel.

“What?!” I exclaimed. «Is that you?!!»

“Oh yes,” he answered. George Brown, or Tripp. What’s the use?

I took a dollar from my pocket and unhesitatingly put it in his hand.