欧亨利名篇—《警察与赞美诗》
欧·亨利（O.Henry）是美国最著名的短篇⼩说家之⼀，曾被誉为曼哈顿桂冠散⽂作家和美国现代短篇⼩说之⽗。他出⽣于⼀个医师家庭，15岁起在药房当学徒，20岁到德克萨斯州⼀牧场放⽜。1884年后，他做过会计员、⼟地局办事员、新闻记者、银⾏出纳员。这位才华横溢的作家48岁时早逝，却给世界⽂坛留下了深远的影响。
《警察与赞美诗》讲述的是⼀个穷困潦倒、⽆家可归的流浪汉索丕，寒冬想去监狱熬过，因此费劲脑汁故意犯罪，⽐如去饭店吃霸王餐，扰乱治安，偷他⼈的伞，调戏妇⼥等，然⽽这些都没有让他如愿进监狱；最后，当他在教堂⾥被赞美诗所感动，想要从新开始、改邪归正的时候，警察却将他送进了监狱。
这篇⼩说发表之际正逢新⼯业⾰命如⽕如荼之时。美国资本主义在⼯业化进程中取得极⼤的物质⽂明时，美国的⽣活⽅式也随之发⽣巨⼤的变化，贫富两极分化⽇益明显。通过这则短篇⼩说，欧亨利试图向读者展⽰了美国社会的真实⼀⾯。主⼈公索丕是当时社会现象的⼀个缩影。⼩说以喜剧的形式体现了美国下层社会⼩⼈物的悲剧命运。
《警察与赞美诗》全篇共2292词，六级难度。下⾯我们先带着读全书的前1/4：
On his bench in Madison SquareSoapy moved uneasily. When wild gee honk high of nights, and when women without alskin coats grow kind to their husbands, and when Soapy moves uneasily on his bench in the park, you may know that winter is near at hand.
*Madison Square 麦迪逊⼴场（位于美国最⼤的⽕车站之⼀宾⼣法尼亚⽕车站上⾯，被称作为纽约的“门脸”）
*uneasily ⼼神不安地
*honk 发出雁鸣声
*be near at hand=be approaching 即将来临
索丕躺在麦迪逊⼴场的长凳上辗转不安。当⼤雁⾼声嘎叫的夜晚，当没有海豹⽪外⾐的⼥⼈去偎近⾃⼰的丈夫的时候，当索丕在公园⾥的长凳上不安地翻转的时候，你或许知道冬天是近在咫尺了。
A dead leaf fell in Soapy's lap. That was Jack Frost's card. Jack is kind to the regular denizens of Madison Square, and gives fair warning of his annual call. At the corners of four streets he hands his pasteboard to the North Wind, footman of the mansion of All Outdoors, so that the inhabitants thereof may make ready.
*denizen 居民（尤指享有⼀定公民权的外籍居民）
怎么说*pasteboard （俚）名⽚
*footman 男仆
*inhabitant 居住者
*thereof 在其中
*thereof 在其中
*make ready 准备好
ihg
⼀⽚枯叶⼦落在了索丕的⼤腿上。那就是杰克-弗洛斯特的名⽚。杰克对麦迪逊⼴场的普通居民都很友好，并给他们以⼀年⼀度的友好问候。在那个街道⼗字⼝，他把名⽚传给了凛冽的北风，北风就是这个豪宅的全部户外男仆，以便让它的住户们可以做好过冬的准备。
Soapy's mind became cognisant of the fact that the time had come for him to resolve himlf into a singularCommittee of Ways and Meanstoprovide againstthe coming rigor. And therefore he moved uneasily on his bench.
*cognisant=aware 意识到的
*singular 奇怪的
*Committee of Ways and Means 财政委员会
*provide against 预防
*rigor 艰苦
索丕的头脑⾥正在酝酿着怎样⾯对当时他所要⾯对的事实，必须设法让他⾃⼰进⼊⼀个奇特的财政委员会以预防正在到来的严酷⽓候。因此他在长凳上辗转反侧。
The hibernatorial ambitions of Soapy were not of the highest. In them there were no considerations of Mediterranean cruis, of soporific Southern skies drifting in the Vesuvian Bay. Three months on the Island was what his soul craved. Three months of assured board and bed and congenial company, safe fromBoreas and bluecoats, emed to Soapy the esnce of things desirable.
*hibernatorial 冬眠的
*Mediterranean 地中海
*crui 巡游
*soporific 想睡觉的
*crave 渴求
*congenial 意⽓相投的
*safe from 免于……的危险
*这句话的主语是three months (of assured board and bed and congenial company)，括号⾥⾯是定语
成分，谓语在后⾯emed to Soapy…safe from Boreas and bluecoats是形容词短语作伴随状语，分析句⼦主⼲部分可以先抽去不看。
索丕的对于过冬并⽆奢望。没有考虑乘船在地中海巡游，也没有考虑在维苏威湾南部天空昏昏欲睡地漂浮。能在那个岛上待上三个⽉就是他灵魂⾥梦寐以求的。三个⽉的膳⾷住宿⽆忧⽆虑，还有意⽓相投的伴侣, 再没有“北风”⽼⼉和警察⽼爷来纠缠不清，这些对于索丕似乎都是⾮常称⼼如意的了。
For years the hospitable Blackwell's had been his winter quarters. Just as his more fortunate fellow New Yorkers had bought their tickets to Palm Beach and the Rivieraeach winter, so Soapy had made his humble arrangements for his annual hegira to the Island. And now the time was come. On the previous night three Sabbath newspapers, distributed beneath his coat, about his ankles and over his lap, had failed to repul the cold as he slept on his bench near the spurting fountain in the ancient square. So the Island loomedbig and timely in Soapy's mind. He scorned the provisions madein the name ofcharity for the city's dependents. In Soapy's opinion the Law was morebenignthan Philanthropy. There was an endless round of institutions, municipal and eleemosynary, on which he might t out and
Philanthropy. There was an endless round of institutions, municipal and eleemosynary, on which he
might t out and receive lodging and food accordant withthe simple life. But to one of Soapy's proud spirit the gifts of charity are encumbered. If not in coin you must pay in humiliation of spirit for every benefit received at the hands of philanthropy. As Caesar had his Brutus,every bed of charity must have its toll of a bath, every loaf of bread its compensation of a private and personal inquisition.Wherefore it is better to be a guest of the law, which though conducted by rules, does notmeddle unduly with a gentleman's private affairs.
*hospitable 热情友好的
*quarter 住
*Palm Beach 棕榈滩（位于美国佛罗⾥达州东南部）
*Riviera ⾥维埃拉（南欧沿地中海⼀地区）
*hegira 逃亡（原指穆罕默德从麦加到麦地那的逃亡）
*Sabbath 安息⽇
*repul 击退（这⾥与cold连⽤是抵御寒冷的意思）
*spurt 喷射
*loom 隐约可见
*scorn 蔑视
*in the name of 以……的名义
*dependent 受赡养者
*benign 和蔼的，亲切的
*Philanthropy 慈善事业
*municipal 市政的
majority*eleemosynary 施舍的；慈善的
*lodging 寄宿处
*accordant with 与……⼀致
relativedate*encumbered 妨碍性的ingredient
dataea*pay in humiliation of spirit for every benefit received at the hands of philanthropy 理解这句话时先把in humiliation of spirit抽去，这是状语成分。Pay后⾯紧跟着for…(宾语)。
*toll 代价
*Caesar & Brutus：布鲁图斯杀害了凯撒
anjan*every bed of charity must have its toll of a bath, every loaf of bread its compensation of a private and personal inquisition 前后两个分句结构和内容都呈并列关系。every loaf of bread its compensation…补充完整应该是every loaf of bread (must have )its compensation.
英语飙升的好方法
bread (must have )its compensation.
*wherefore 因此
*meddle with ⼲扰
*unduly 过度地，不适当地
多年来，好客的布莱克威尔的家⼀直是他过冬的住处。正如他那运⽓更好的伙伴纽约⼈每年冬天都到棕榈滩和⾥维埃拉买了门票，所以索丕就谦卑地把他⼀年⼀度的逃奔计划安排到岛上了。⽽现在这个时间到了。前⼀天晚上，他就睡在古⽼的⼴场喷⽔池旁的长椅上，三张安息⽇报纸平铺在他的外套下，他的踝关节附近和膝盖上，并不能抵挡住严寒,。所以该岛就⽴即隐约地出现在索丕的梦境⾥，是那么的辽阔。他蔑视那些以慈善的名义为该市的家属所做的规定。在索丕看来，法律应该⽐慈善活动更温和。有⼀个⽆尽循环的市政的施舍的机构，在其中他可以得到安置，有住宿以及维持简单的⽣活的⾷物。但索丕想要得到⼀个引以为荣的精神上的慈善礼物却处处受阻。如果你没有为每⼀次收到慈善事业给予的好处时必须⽀付的硬币，你就得在精神上受到屈辱。正如凯撒有他的布鲁图斯，每张施舍床位就必须有洗澡费，每⼀块⾯包都得有它的私⼈补偿和个⼈调查。因此，倒不如当个法律的座上宾更好些。虽然法律须按规则办事，但⾄少不会过分地⼲涉谦谦君⼦的私事。
Soapy, having decided to go to the Island, at oncet about accomplishinghis desire. There were many easy ways of doing this. The pleasantest was to dine luxuriously at some expensive restaurant; and then, after declaringinsolvency, be handed over quietly and without uproar to a policeman. An accommodating magistrate would do the rest.
*having decided to go to the island 是现在分词作表⽰主动意义的伴随状语，因为“决定去岛上”这个动作发⽣在“着⼿完成愿望”之前，所以前⾯⽤完成时。
*t about doing 开始着⼿做……
*luxuriously 奢侈地
squeezein*insolvency 破产
*hand over 移交
*uproar 骚动；喧嚣
*magistrate 地⽅官
索丕决定了去该岛后，就⽴刻着⼿完成他的愿望。做这事有许多简单的⽅法。最令⼈愉快的事情就是在某个昂贵的餐馆奢侈地吃上⼀顿；然后，就宣布破产，之后，就会被安静⽽⽆喧嚣地移交给⼀个警察。接下来的事情就该由负责收留的地⽅官去做了。
naiduSoapy left his bench and strolled out of the square and across the level a of asphalt, where Broadway and Fifth Avenue flow together. Up Broadway he turned, and halted at a glittering cafe, where are gathered together nightlythe choicest products of the grape, the silkworm and the protoplasm.
*stroll 散步；闲逛
*asphalt 沥青
*halt 停⽌
*glittering 闪闪发光的
*nightly 每夜的
*choicest 精选的 (choice的最⾼级）
*protoplasm 原⽣质
*两个划线句⼦均为地点状语位于句⾸采⽤完全倒装。第⼆句中从句以表⽰地点的关系副词where开头，因为主语部分⽐较长，为了避免主语谓语头重脚轻，也采⽤了倒装句式（⼀般情况下第⼆句不需要倒装）
索丕离开了长凳，踱出了⼴场，穿过沥青地⾯，这⾥是百⽼汇和第五⼤道交汇到⼀起的地⽅。他转上百⽼汇⼤街，在⼀家灯⽕辉煌的咖啡店门前停了下来，在这⾥每天晚上会堆集着葡萄，蚕和原⽣质的精品。
