Four Million - World Literature Classics Collection (Complete Translation)

Author: O. Henry (USA) / Country: Mainland China
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2006-06-01
Features: "Cut it off, sold it." said Della, "Anyway, you still love me, don't you? Without my hair, I'm still me, right?" Jim looked around the room curiously. "You say your hair is gone?" he asked with a near-imbecilic expression. Della replied, "Don't look for it. I'll tell you—sold, gone. It's Christmas Eve, dear, be good to me, I sold them for you. Maybe my hair can be counted," she suddenly said in a sweet yet earnest tone, "but no one can count how much I love you. Shall I go fry the steak, Jim?" Jim seemed to snap back from a daze, holding Della tightly in his arms. In these ten seconds, we examine something trivial from another angle. What's the difference between eight dollars a week in rent and a million dollars a year in rent? Mathematicians and sages alike struggle to give a correct answer. This item, absent from the precious gifts of the Magi of old, I will elaborate on later. Jim took a package from his coat pocket and threw it on the table. "Don't misunderstand, Della," he said, "In my opinion, things like haircutting, shaving, and washing hair won't diminish my love for you by even a tiny bit. But if you open this box, you'll know why I froze for a moment just now." With nimble fingers, the white hands untied the ribbon and removed the wrapping. Then came a joyful cry, followed by, oh! a burst of tearful, hysterical crying from the woman, forcing the head of the household to immediately find ways to comfort her. On the table lay a set of combs—a full set, with combs at the temples and one in the back, exactly the one Della had long admired in a window on Broadway. Exquisite and beautiful combs, made of pure tortoiseshell, adorned with gems—colors that matched her lost hair perfectly. She knew the combs were expensive, but she had only longed for them, never imagining she could have them. Now she had the combs, but the hair to wear them was gone. She hugged the combs tightly, and after a while, lifting her tear-filled eyes with a smile, she said, "Jim, my hair grows so fast!" Then Della leaped up like a cat scalded, exclaiming, "Ah! Ah!" Jim hadn't seen his beautiful gift yet. Della spread her palm and presented the gift to Jim with great enthusiasm. The silent, precious metal seemed to reflect her bright and sincere heart. "Jim, how beautiful? I searched the whole city for it. Now you can look at it hundreds of times a day. Give me your watch, I want to see what it looks like with the chain." Jim didn't do as she said, but instead lay back on the sofa, resting his hands behind his head, with a smile on his face. "Della," he said, "let's put the Christmas gifts aside for now and keep them safe. They're too good to use right away. I sold the watch to buy you the combs. Now, go fry the steak." It is well known that the three Magi were wise—exceptionally clever—they brought gifts to the infant born in the manger. The tradition of giving Christmas gifts was pioneered by them. As the Magi were wise, their gifts were naturally unparalleled, possibly even accompanied by the right to exchange duplicates. Here I am, awkwardly telling the story of two foolish children in an apartment, who foolishly sacrificed their most precious belongings for each other. But I must say to the clever people of today: Among all those giving gifts, they were the cleverest; among all the gifts received, their gifts were the cleverest; wherever they went, they were the cleverest. They were the Magi! Translated by Xue Fang