When Johnsy fell seriously ill, she seemed to lose the will to hang on to life. The doctor held out little hope for her. Her friends seemed helpless. Was there nothing to be done?
約翰西病情嚴重,她似乎失去了活下去的意志。醫生對她不抱什么希望。朋友們看來也愛莫能助。難道真的就無可奈何了嗎?
The Last Leaf
O. Henry
1 At the top of a three-story brick building, Sue and Johnsy had their studio. "Johnsy" was familiar for Joanna. One was from Maine; the other from California. They had met at a cafe on Eighth Street and found their tastes in art, chicory salad and bishop sleeves so much in tune that the joint studio resulted.
最后一片葉子
歐·亨利
在一幢三層磚樓的頂層,蘇和約翰西辟了個畫室?!凹s翰西”是喬安娜的昵稱。她們一位來自緬因州,一位來自加利福尼亞。兩人相遇在第八大街的一個咖啡館,發現各自在藝術品味、菊苣色拉,以及燈籠袖等方面趣味相投,于是就有了這個兩人畫室。
2 That was in May. In November a cold, unseen stranger, whom the doctors called Pneumonia, stalked about the district, touching one here and there with his icy fingers. Johnsy was among his victims. She lay, scarcely moving on her bed, looking through the small window at the blank side of the next brick house.
那是5月里的事。到了11月,一個醫生稱之為肺炎的陰森的隱形客闖入了這一地區,用它冰冷的手指東碰西觸。約翰西也為其所害。她病倒了,躺在床上幾乎一動不動,只能隔著小窗望著隔壁磚房那單調沉悶的側墻。
3 One morning the busy doctor invited Sue into the hallway with a bushy, gray eyebrow.
一天上午,忙碌的醫生揚了揚灰白的濃眉,示意蘇來到過道。
4 "She has one chance in ten," he said. "And that chance is for her to want to live. Your little lady has made up her mind that she's not going to get well. Has she anything on her mind?
“她只有一成希望,”他說。“那還得看她自己是不是想活下去。你這位女朋友已經下決心不想好了。她有什么心事嗎?”
5 "She -- she wanted to paint the Bay of Naples some day," said Sue. “她――她想有一天能去畫那不勒斯灣,”蘇說。
6 "Paint? -- bosh! Has she anything on her mind worth thinking about twice -- a man, for instance?"
“畫畫?――得了。她有沒有別的事值得她留戀的――比如說,一個男人?”
7 "A man?" said Sue. "Is a man worth -- but, no, doctor; there is nothing of the kind."
“男人?”蘇說?!半y道一個男人就值得――可是,她沒有啊,大夫,沒有這碼子事?!?
8 "Well," said the doctor. "I will do all that science can accomplish. But whenever my patient begins to count the carriages in her funeral procession I subtract 50 per cent from the curative power of medicines." After the doctor had gone Sue went into the workroom and cried. Then she marched into Johnsy's room with her drawing board, whistling a merry tune.
“好吧,”大夫說。“我會盡一切努力,只要是科學能做到的??墒牵膊∪碎_始計算她出殯的行列里有幾輛馬車的時候,我就要把醫藥的療效減去一半?!贝蠓蜃吆螅K去工作室哭了一場。隨后她攜著畫板大步走進約翰西的房間,口里吹著輕快的口哨。
9 Johnsy lay, scarcely making a movement under the bedclothes, with her face toward the window. She was looking out and counting -- counting backward.
約翰西躺在被子下幾乎一動不動,臉朝著窗。她望著窗外,數著數――倒數著數!
10 "Twelve," she said, and a little later "eleven"; and then "ten," and "nine"; and then "eight" and "seven," almost together.
“12,”她數道,過了一會兒“11”,接著數“10”和“9”;再數“8”和“7”,幾乎一口同時數下來。
11 Sue looked out of the window. What was there to count? There was only a bare, dreary yard to be seen, and the blank side of the brick house twenty feet away. An old, old ivy vine climbed half way up the brick wall. The cold breath of autumn had blown away its leaves, leaving it almost bare.
蘇朝窗外望去。外面有什么好數的呢?外面只看到一個空蕩蕩的沉悶的院子,還有20英尺開外那磚房的側墻,上面什么也沒有。一棵古老的常青藤爬到半墻高。蕭瑟秋風吹落了枝葉,藤上幾乎光禿禿的。
12 "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."
“6”,約翰西數著,聲音幾乎聽不出來?!艾F在葉子掉落得快多了。三天前差不多還有100片。數得我頭都疼。可現在容易了。又掉了一片。這下子只剩5片了?!?
13 "Five what, dear? "
“5片什么,親愛的?”