the gift of the magi-麦琪的礼物

ThegiftoftheMagi《麦琪的礼物》O.HenryThegiftoftheMagiO.Henry(1862.9-1910.6)Realname:WilliamSydneyPorterAmericanwriterOneofthethreemostfamousmastersofshortnovelHisbestknownshortstoriesconsistedof：“TheCopandtheAnthem”,“TheGiftoftheMagi”,“TheLastLeave”etal.O.Henry'sshortstoriesareknownfortheirwit,wordplay,warmcharacterization,andclevertwistendings.Summaryof“TheGiftoftheMagi”IthappenedonaverypoorbutblissfulyoungcouplenamedJimandDellaintheendof19thcenturyinAmerica.Theyworkedhardbutearnedlittle.Lifeisveryhardforthem.Theyhaveonlytwopossessionsbetweentheminwhichtheytakepride:Della'sbeautifullong,flowinghairandJim'sshinygoldwatch.Despiteofthis,theirlovetoeachotherandtheenthusiasmforlifedidn'tchangedatall.WhenChristmasdaywasapproaching,withonly$1.87inhand,anddesperatetofindagiftforJim,Dellasoldherbeautifulhairwhichshetreasuredverymuchfor$20andeventuallyfindsaplatiumpocketwatchfobchainforJim'swatch.ButJimhadalreadysoldthatwatchtobuyacombstoDellaforwearinginherlonghair,notknowingshehadcutitoff.AlthoughJimandDellaarenowleftwithgiftsthatneitheronecanuse,theyrealizedhowfartheyarewillingtogotoshowtheirloveforeachother,andhowpricelesstheirlovereallyis.backgroundIthappenedinthe1899，atthattime,O.HenrywasworryingaboutasaprisonerthathewasnomoneytothebeloveddaughtertobuyChristmasgiftswhenChristmasapproaching.Heissopainfulandfinallyherememberedhehaddonebeforeinamagazine,hehadreceivedagenerousremunerationforwritingsomeessaysandstories.Whynottryitagain-hethought.Sohehaveahurrytowriteanovel:“ThegiftoftheMagi.Thenovelwaspublished,itcausedagreatsensationinAmericansocietyandalsohereceivedagenerousrewardtogetafavoriteChristmasgiftforherdaughter.Asweknow,Duringthisperiod,theUnitedStateswasexperiencingasevereeconomiccrisis.Sothenovelalsodepictedthetragiclifeoftheworkingpeople,exposedthebrutalnatureofthebourgeoismonopolyindirectly,accusedthepersecutionofthepeoplebyrulers,reflectedthepeople'sdissatisfactionwiththeruleofthebourgeoisie;GreatWorksarenormallybasedonthesocialreallife.economiccrisisO.HenryInprisonforEconomicdisputesJimandDellaWorkhardbutpooryetSelltheirpreciouspossessionNomoneytobuychristmasgiftfordaughterWritenoveltoearnthemoneyNomoneytobuychristmasgiftforeachotherThegiftoftheMagiWhydopeoplegivegiftseachotheronChristmasday?Christmasisareligiousfestival.ItisthedaywecelebrateasthebirthdayofJesus.AndnowChristmasisbothaholidayandaholyday.InAmericaitisoneofthebiggesteventoftheyear(especiallyforkids),andformembersoftheChristianreligionsitisanimportantdayonthereligiouscalendar.ExchanginggiftsandsendingChristmascardsarethemodernwaysofcelebratingtheChristmasintheworld.TheMagi---arethethreewisemencomingtosendgiftsatthetimeJesuswasborn.Theycreatedthecustomofsendinggiftswhichrepresentedbeingrespectful,holyandnobletoeachotheratChristmas.Thusintheeyesofwesternpeople,Christmasgiftsaremostprecious,hopingtheythemselvescanreceivethemostvaluablegifts.Itappearsthatthegiftstheygaveeachotherhavebeenuseless.ButIthinktheygaveeachotherthebestofwhattheyhadtomaketheotherhappy.Isn'tthattruelove?Wecanimage,insuchroughconditions,asitsaidinthestory,Lifeismadeupofsobs,sniffles,andsmiles,withsnifflespredominating.Itisabsolutelyreasonableforthemtobebeatenbythemisery.Butthefactisthatnomatterhowroughlifehadbeen,theywouldn'tloseheart.Withstrongfaithandtheirlove,theydidtheirbesttomaketheotherpleased.Aboutloveatthattime,nearly23billionnumberoftimespeoplewatchedthisfilminChina.manypeoplehavewatchedseveraltimesandthefilmshowedaboutfull5months,itwasnearlythelongesttimeinfilmhistory.Thisfilmwaspresentedin1998,thenIwasinthethirdgradeofseniormiddleschool,andmaybesomeofyouwereinnurseryschoolatthattime.Unprecedented,Thefirsttime,theschoolorganizedallofustowatchthisfilm.thatwastheonlyonefilminmyseniormiddleschoolcareer.Trueloveisthatsomeonecansacrificehislifeforyou.Trueloveisnotgoingtodietogetherwhensomeonediedforyoubutreallylivingbetterofyoubyloveandneverletgo.JACK:Winningthatticketwasthebestthingthateverhappenedtome.Itbroughtmetoyou.AndI'mthankfulforthat,Rose,I'mthankful.Youmustdomethishonor.Youmustpromisemethatyouwillsurvivethatyouwon'tgiveupnomatterwhathappensnomatterhowhopeless.Promisemenow,Rose,andneverletgoofthatpromise.ROSE:Ipromise.JACK:Neverletgo.ROSE:Iwillneverletgo,Jack,I'llneverletgo.Doyoustillrememberthisdialogue:OnceIletatureloveslipawaybeforemyeyes,onlytofindmyselfregrettingwhenitwastoolate,nothingcanbeaspainfulasthisintheworld,ifGodwouldgivemeachancetocomeagain,Iwouldtellthegirlthreewords:“Iloveyou!,ifyouhavetoaddaterminthislove,Iwish--tenthousandyears!“IprefertocryinaBMWthanlaughonthebackofthebicycle”It’scorrectorwrong?maybeeveryonehasdifferentanswer!ButdoyouthinkthatmaybeonedayBMWmaybecomebicycle?BicyclemaybecomeBMW?SoLovehasnothingtodowithmoney,possessionorstatus.It'sconsideration,toleranceandrespect.It'sgivingone'sbesttotheotherevenitmeanssacrifice.It'saffectionwhichconnectstwopersons'hearts,andit'sreinforcedbyadversities.Nothingdidtheyhave,atleasttheypossessloveThankyou！