經(jīng)典英文短篇小說原文及注釋引言《TheGiftoftheMagi》（《麥琪的禮物》）是美國作家歐·亨利（O.Henry）的經(jīng)典短篇小說，以“歐·亨利式結尾”（情節(jié)反轉(zhuǎn)）和對“愛與犧牲”的深刻刻畫聞名。故事圍繞貧寒卻相愛的年輕夫婦德拉（Della）與吉姆（Jim）展開：圣誕節(jié)前夕，二人各自犧牲最珍貴的物品為對方購置禮物，卻因命運巧合讓禮物暫時失去“實用性”，最終以溫情哲思收尾。作品語言凝練幽默，蘊含豐富文化意象與修辭技巧，是英語學習者賞析經(jīng)典、提升語言能力的絕佳范本。原文呈現(xiàn)*TheGiftoftheMagi*Onedollarandeighty-sevencents.Thatwasall.Andsixtycentsofitwasinpennies.Penniessavedoneandtwoatatimebybulldozingthegrocerandthevegetablemanandthebutcheruntilone'scheeksburnedwiththesilentimputationofparsimonythatsuchclosedealingimplied.ThreetimesDellacountedit.Onedollarandeighty-sevencents.AndthenextdaywouldbeChristmas.Therewasclearlynothingtodobutflopdownontheshabbylittlecouchandhowl.SoDelladidit.Whichinstigatesthemoralreflectionthatlifeismadeupofsobs,sniffles,andsmiles,withsnifflespredominating.Whilethemistressofthehomeisgraduallysubsidingfromthefirststagetothesecond,takealookatthehome.Afurnishedflatat$8perweek.Itdidnotexactlybeggardescription,butitcertainlyhadthatwordonthelookoutforthemendicancysquad.Dellafinishedhercryandattendedtohercheekswiththepowderrag.Shestoodbythewindowandlookedoutdullyatagraycatwalkingagrayfenceinagraybackyard.TomorrowwouldbeChristmasDay,andshehadonly$1.87withwhichtobuyJimapresent.Shehadbeensavingeverypennyshecouldformonths,withthisresult.Twentydollarsaweekdoesn'tgofar.Expenseshadbeengreaterthanshehadcalculated.Theyalwaysare.Only$1.87tobuyapresentforJim.HerJim.Manyahappyhourshehadspentplanningforsomethingniceforhim.Somethingfineandrareandsterling—somethingjustalittlebitneartobeingworthyofthehonorofbeingownedbyJim.Therewasapier-glassbetweenthewindowsoftheroom.Perhapsyouhaveseenapier-glassinan$8flat.Averythinandveryagilepersonmay,byobservinghisreflectioninarapidsequenceoflongitudinalstrips,obtainafairlyaccurateconceptionofhislooks.Della,beingslender,hadmasteredtheart.Suddenlyshewhirledfromthewindowandstoodbeforetheglass.Hereyeswereshiningbrilliantly,butherfacehadlostitscolorwithintwentyseconds.Rapidlyshepulleddownherhairandletitfalltoitsfulllength.Now,thereweretwopossessionsoftheJamesDillinghamYoungsinwhichtheybothtookamightypride.OnewasJim'sgoldwatchthathadbeenhisfather'sandhisgrandfather's.TheotherwasDella'shair.HadthequeenofShebalivedintheflatacrosstheairshaft,DellawouldhaveletherhairhangoutthewindowsomedaytodryjusttodepreciateHerMajesty'sjewelsandgifts.HadKingSolomonbeenthejanitor,withallhistreasurespiledupinthebasement,Jimwouldhavepulledouthiswatcheverytimehepassed,justtoseehimpluckathisbeardfromenvy.SonowDella'sbeautifulhairfellabouther,ripplingandshininglikeacascadeofbrownwaters.Itreachedbelowherkneeandmadeitselfalmostagarmentforher.Andthenshediditupagainnervouslyandquickly.Onceshefalteredforaminuteandstoodstillwhileatearortwosplashedonthewornredcarpet.Onwentheroldbrownjacket;onwentheroldbrownhat.Withawhirlofskirtsandwiththebrilliantsparklestillinhereyes,sheflutteredoutthedooranddownthestairstothestreet.Whereshestoppedthesignread:"Mme.Sofronie.HairGoodsofAllKinds."OneflightupDellaran,andcollectedherself,panting.Madame,large,toowhite,chilly,hardlylookedthe"Sofronie.""Willyoubuymyhair?"askedDella."Ibuyhair,"saidMadame."Takeyerhatoffandlet'shaveasightatthelooksofit."Downrippledthebrowncascade."Twentydollars,"saidMadame,liftingthemasswithapractisedhand."Giveittomequick,"saidDella.Oh,andthenexttwohourstrippedbyonrosywings.Forgetthehashedmetaphor.ShewasransackingthestoresforJim'spresent.WhenDellareachedhomeherintoxicationgavewayalittletoprudenceandreason.Shegotouthercurlingironsandlightedthegasandwenttoworkrepairingtheravagesmadebygenerosityaddedtolove.Whichisalwaysatremendoustask,dearfriends—amammothtask.Withinfortyminutesherheadwascoveredwithtiny,close-lyingcurlsthatmadeherlookwonderfullylikeatruantschoolboy.Shelookedatherreflectioninthemirrorlong,carefully,andcritically."IfJimdoesn'tkillme,"shesaidtoherself,"beforehetakesasecondlookatme,he'llsayIlooklikeaConeyIslandchorusgirl.ButwhatcouldIdo—oh!whatcouldIdowithadollarandeighty-sevencents?"At7o'clockthecoffeewasmadeandthefrying-panwasonthebackofthestovehotandreadytocookthechops.Jimwasneverlate.Delladoubledthefobchaininherhandandsatonthecornerofthetablenearthedoorthathealwaysentered.Thensheheardhissteponthestairawaydownonthefirstflight,andsheturnedwhiteforjustamoment.Shehadahabitforsayinglittlesilentprayersaboutthesimplesteverydaythings,andnowshewhispered:"PleaseGod,makehimthinkIamstillpretty."ThedooropenedandJimsteppedinandclosedit.Helookedthinandveryserious.Poorfellow,hewasonlytwenty-two—andtobeburdenedwithafamily!Heneededanewovercoatandhewaswithoutgloves.Jimstoppedinsidethedoor,asimmatasasetteratthescentofquail.HiseyeswerefixeduponDella,andtherewasanexpressioninthemthatshecouldnotread,anditterrifiedher.Itwasnotanger,norsurprise,nordisapproval,norhorror,noranyofthesentimentsthatshehadbeenpreparedfor.Hesimplystaredatherfixedlywiththatpeculiarexpressiononhisface.Dellawriggledoffthetableandwentforhim."Jim,darling,"shecried,"don'tlookatmethatway.IhadmyhaircutoffandsoldbecauseIcouldn'thavelivedthroughChristmaswithoutgivingyouapresent.It'llgrowoutagain—youwon'tmind,willyou?Ijusthadtodoit.Myhairgrowsawfullyfast.Say'MerryChristmas!'Jim,andlet'sbehappy.Youdon'tknowwhatanice—whatabeautiful,nicepresentI'vegotforyou.""You'vecutoffyourhair?"askedJim,laboriously,asifhehadnotarrivedatthatpatentfactyetevenafterthehardestmentallabor."Cutitoffandsoldit,"saidDella."Don'tyoulikemejustaswell,anyhow?I'mmewithoutmyhair,ain'tI?"Jimlookedabouttheroomcuriously."Yousayyourhairisgone?"hesaid,withanairofidiocy."Youneedn'tlookforit,"saidDella."It'ssold,Itellyou—soldandgone,too.It'sChristmasEve,boy.Begoodtome,foritwentforyou.Maybethehairsofmyheadwerenumbered,"shewentonwithsuddenserioussweetness,"butnobodycouldevercountmyloveforyou.ShallIputthechopson,Jim?"OutofhistranceJimseemedtowake.HeenfoldedhisDella.Fortensecondsletusregardwithdiscreetscrutinysomeinconsequentialobjectintheotherdirection.Eightdollarsaweekoramillionayear—whatisthedifference?Amathematicianorawitwouldgiveyouthewronganswer.Themagibroughtvaluablegifts,butthatwasnotamongthem.Thisdarkassertionwillbeilluminatedlateron.Jimdrewapackagefromhisovercoatpocketandthrewituponthetable."Don'tmakeanymistake,Dell,"hesaid,"aboutme.Idon'tthinkthere'sanythinginthewayofahaircutorashaveorashampoothatcouldmakemelikemygirlanyless.Butifyou'llunwrapthatpackageyoumayseewhyyouhadmegoingawhileatfirst."Butshehuggedthemtoherbosom,andatlengthshewasabletolookupwithdimeyesandasmileandsay:"Myhairgrowssofast,Jim!"AndthenDellaleapeduplikealittlesingedcatandcried,"Oh,oh!"Jimhadnotyetseenhisbeautifulpresent.Shehelditouttohimeagerlyuponheropenpalm.Thedullpreciousmetalseemedtoflashwithareflectionofherbrightandardentspirit."Isn'titadandy,Jim?Ihuntedallovertowntofindit.You'llhavetolookatthetimeahundredtimesadaynow.Imademyhairgrowfastandfastto-to-tomatchit,youknow."Insteadofobeying,Jimtumbleddownonthecouchandputhishandsunderthebackofhisheadandsmiled.Themagi,asyouknow,werewisemen—wonderfullywisemen—whobroughtgiftstotheBabeinthemanger.TheyinventedtheartofgivingChristmaspresents.Beingwise,theirgiftswerenodoubtwiseones,possiblybearingtheprivilegeofexchangeincaseofduplication.AndhereIhavelamelyrelatedtoyoutheuneventfulchronicleoftwofoolishchildreninaflatwhomostunwiselysacrificedforeachotherthegreatesttreasuresoftheirhouse.Butinalastwordtothewiseofthesedaysletitbesaidthatofallwhogivegiftsthesetwowerethewisest.Ofallwhogiveandreceivegifts,suchastheyarewisest.Everywheretheyarewisest.Theyarethemagi.注釋（按原文核心部分解析）1.詞匯與短語解析bulldoze（Para.1）：原義“用推土機推平”，此處為比喻義，指“強行索要、糾纏（以獲取低價）”，體現(xiàn)德拉攢錢的窘迫與努力。imputationofparsimony（Para.1）：“imputation”（指責）；“parsimony”（吝嗇，含貶義）。句指德拉因過分計較價格，被商販暗指“吝嗇”，令她羞愧得臉頰發(fā)燙。beggardescription（Para.3）：固定短語，意為“難以用語言描述（通常指糟糕到無法形容）”，此處形容公寓的簡陋。mendicancysquad（Para.3）：“mendicancy”（乞討）；“squad”（小隊）。幽默說法，暗諷公寓像乞丐窩，連“乞討巡查隊”都會留意。coaxaring（Para.4）：“coax”（哄勸、設法得到），指門鈴壞了，“無法讓門鈴發(fā)出響聲”。flungtothebreeze（Para.4）：字面“拋向風中”，比喻“炫耀、張揚”，指吉姆收入高時，特意突出姓氏“Dillingham”的優(yōu)越感。depreciate（Para.9）：“貶低、使貶值”，此處夸張對比：德拉的頭發(fā)太美，即使示巴女王（《圣經(jīng)》中富有的女王）住在對面，德拉的頭發(fā)也能讓女王的珠寶黯然失色。meretriciousornamentation（Para.16）：“meretricious”（華而不實的）；“ornamentation”（裝飾）。指表鏈設計簡潔，靠材質(zhì)而非浮夸裝飾體現(xiàn)價值。onthesly（Para.16）：“偷偷地”，指吉姆因表帶老舊，不好意思在人前看表，只能“暗中看表”。intoxication（Para.19）：原義“醉酒”，此處比喻“極度興奮、陶醉”，指德拉買完禮物后的喜悅狀態(tài)。truantschoolboy（Para.21）：“truant”（逃學的），指德拉的短發(fā)造型像“逃學的小男孩”，帶有俏皮感。2.語法與句式分析“Thatwasall.Andsixtycentsofitwasinpennies.”（Para.1）：短句開篇，營