One dollar and eighty-seven cents. That was all. Every day, when she went to the shops, she spent very little money. She bought the cheapest meat, the cheapest vegetables. And when she was tired, she still walked round and round the shops to find the cheapest food. She saved every cent possible.
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2
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德拉又把钱数了一遍。没错,就是1块8毛7分钱。就这些。可明天就是圣诞节了。
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Della counted the money again. There was no mistake. One dollar and eighty-seven cents. That was all. And the next day was Christmas.
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3
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她无计可施,只有坐下来哭了。于是她坐了下来,在这破破烂烂的小屋子里哭了起来。
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3
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She couldn’t do anything about it. She could only sit down and cry. So she sat there, in the poor little room, and she cried.
Della lived in this poor little room, in New York, with her husband, James Dillingham Young. They also had a bedroom, and a kitchen and a bathroom — all poor little rooms. James Dillingham Young was lucky, because he had a job, but it was not a good job. These rooms took most of his money. Della tried to find work, but times were bad, and there was no work for her. But when Mr James Dillingham Young came home to his rooms, Mrs James Dillingham Young called him ’Jim’ and put her arms round him. And that was good.
Della stopped crying and she washed her face. She stood by the window, and looked out at a grey cat on a grey wall in the grey road. Tomorrow was Christmas Day, and she had only one dollar and eighty-seven cents to buy Jim a Christmas present. Her Jim. She wanted very much to buy him something really fine, something to show how much she loved him.
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6
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突然,德拉转身跑到墙上的镜子前。她的眼前一亮。
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6
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Suddenly, Della turned round and ran over to look in the glass on the wall. Her eyes were bright.
Now, the James Dillingham Youngs had two very special things. One was Jim’s gold watch. It once belonged to his father, and, before that, to his grandfather. The other special thing was Della’s hair.
Quickly, Della let down her beautiful, long hair. It fell down her back, and it was almost like a coat around her. Then she put her hair up again, quickly. For a second or two she stood still, and cried a little.
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9
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然后她穿上了那件旧的棕色大衣,戴上了棕色的旧帽子,转身出了家门。她跑下楼去,来到街上,眼中闪着光。
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9
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Then she put on her old brown coat, and her old brown hat, turned, and left the room. She went downstairs and out into the road, and her eyes were bright.
She walked along by the shops, and stopped when she came to a door with ’Madame Eloise — Hair’ on it. Inside there was a fat woman. She did not look like an ’Eloise’.
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11
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“您买我的头发吗?”德拉问道。
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11
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’Will you buy my hair?’ Della asked.
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12
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“我买头发,”那位夫人回答道,“把帽子摘下来,让我看看你的头发。”
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12
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’I buy hair,’ Madame replied. ’Take your hat off, then, and show me your hair.’
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13
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美丽的褐色长发垂落下来。
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13
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The beautiful brown hair fell down.
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14
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“20块钱。”夫人说,她摸了摸德拉的头发。
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’Twenty dollars,’ Madame said, and she touched the hair with her hand.
’Quick! Cut it off! Give me the money!’ Della said. The next two hours went quickly. Della was happy because she was looking round the shops for Jim’s present.
At last she found it. It was a gold chain for The Watch. Jim loved his watch, but it had no chain. When Della saw this gold chain, she knew immediately that it was right for Jim. She must have it.
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17
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商店收了她21块钱,她带着剩下的8毛7分钱匆匆地回家了。
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The shop took twenty-one dollars from her for it, and she hurried home with the eighty-seven cents.
When she arrived there, she looked at her very short hair in the glass. ’What can I do with it?’ she thought. For the next half an hour she was very busy.
Then she looked again in the glass. Her hair was now in very small curls all over her head. ’Oh, dear. I look like a schoolgirl!’ she said to herself. ’What’s Jim going to say when he sees me?’
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20
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7点钟,晚餐就快做好了,德拉等着吉姆回来。“哦,我希望他觉得我还是美丽的。”她想。
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20
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At seven o’clock the dinner was nearly ready and Della was waiting. ’Oh, I hope he thinks that I’m still beautiful!’ she thought.
The door opened and Jim came in and closed it. He looked very thin and he needed a new coat. His eyes were on Della. She could not understand the look on his face, and she was afraid. He was not angry or surprised. He just watched her, with that strange look on his face.
’Jim,’ she cried. ’Don’t look at me like that. I sold my hair because I wanted to give you a present. It will soon be long again. I had to do it, Jim. Say "Happy Christmas", please. I have a wonderful present for you!’
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24
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“你把头发剪啦?”吉姆问道。
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’You’ve cut off your hair?’ asked Jim.
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“对,我把它剪了,卖了,”德拉说,“难道你不再爱我了吗,吉姆?我还是我呀。”
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’Yes. I cut it off and sold it,’ Della said. ’But don’t you love me any more, Jim? I’m still me.’
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吉姆环视了一下屋子。
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Jim looked round the room.
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27
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“你是说你的长头发没了?”他傻乎乎地说。
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27
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’You say your hair has gone?’ he said, almost stupidly.
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28
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“是,我是这么说的。因为我爱你!现在我把晚饭端上来好吗,吉姆?”
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’Yes. I told you. Because I love you! Shall I get the dinner now, Jim?’
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29
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突然间吉姆伸出手臂搂住了德拉。然后,他从口袋里掏出一样东西放在桌上。
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Suddenly Jim put his arms round his Della. Then he took something from his pocket and put it on the table.
Because there were The Combs — the combs for her beautiful hair. When she first saw these combs in the shop window, she wanted them. They were beautiful combs, expensive combs, and now they were her combs. But she no longer had her hair!
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33
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德拉把梳子拿起来,捧在手里。她眼睛里满是柔情。
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Della picked them up and held them. Her eyes were full of love.
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34
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“可是我的头发很快会再长起来的,吉姆。”
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’But my hair will soon be long again, Jim.’
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35
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然后德拉想起自己的礼物。她跳了起来,叫道:“哦,哦!”她跑去把给吉姆的漂亮礼物拿过来,递给他。
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And then Della remembered. She jumped up and cried, ’Oh! Oh!’ She ran to get Jim’s beautiful present, and she held it out to him.
’Isn’t it lovely, Jim? I looked everywhere for it. Now you’ll want to look at your watch a hundred times a day. Give it to me! Give me your watch, Jim! Let’s see it with its new chain.’
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37
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但是吉姆没有给她。他坐下来,把手放在脑后,笑了起来。
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But Jim did not do this. He sat down, put his hands behind his head, and he smiled.
’Della,’ he said. ’Let’s keep our presents for a time. They’re so nice. You see, I sold the watch to get the money to buy your combs. And now, let’s have dinner.’
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39
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这就是两个彼此相爱的年轻人的故事。
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And this was the story of two young people who were very much in love.