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-1-Unit2TheOlympicGames【导读】世界文坛大师欧·亨利的小说素有意想不到的故事结尾，认真阅读下面选取的欧·亨利的名作《二十年以后》，看看小说中的这对情同手足的好朋友20年后的同一日期、同一时间相会时发生了什么故事吧！AfterTwentyYearsO．HenryThepolicemanmoveduptheavenueimpressively.Theimpressivenesswashabitualandnotforshow，forspectators①werefew.Thetimewasbarely10o'clockatnight，butchillygustsofwindwithatasteofraininthemhadwellnighdepeopled②thestreets.Tryingdoorsashewent，twirlinghisclubwithmanyintricateandartfulmovements，turningnowandthentocasthiswatchfuleyeadownthepacificthoroughfare③，theofficer，withhisstalwartformandslightswagger，madeafinepictureofaguardianofthepeace.Thevicinitywasonethatkeptearlyhours.Nowandthenyoumightseethelightsofacigarstoreorofanallnightlunchcounter；butthemajorityofthedoorsbelongedtobusinessplacesthathadlongsincebeenclosed.Whenaboutmidwayofacertainblockthepolicemansuddenlyslowedhiswalk.Inthedoorwayofadarkenedhardwarestoreamanleaned，withanunlightedcigarinhismouth.Asthepolicemanwalkeduptohimthemanspokeupquickly.“It'sallright，officer，”hesaid，reassuringly④.“I'mjustwaitingforafriend.It'sanappointmentmadetwentyyearsago.Soundsalittlefunnytoyou，doesn'tit?Well，I'llexplainifyou'dliketomakecertainit'sallstraight.Aboutthatlongagothereusedtobearestaurantwherethisstorestands—‘BigJoe’Brady'srestaurant.”“Untilfiveyearsago，”saidthepoliceman.“Itwastorndownthen.”Themaninthedoorwaystruckamatchandlithiscigar.Thelightshowedapale，squarejawedfacewithkeeneyes，andalittlewhitescarnearhisrighteyebrow.Hisscarfpinwasalargediamond，oddlyset.“Twentyyearsagotonight，”saidtheman，“Idinedhereat‘BigJoe’Brady'swithJimmyWells，mybestchum，andthefinestchapintheworld.HeandIwereraisedhereinNewYork，justliketwobrothers，together.IwaseighteenandJimmywas-2-twenty.ThenextmorningIwastostartfortheWesttomakemyfortune.Youcouldn'thavedraggedJimmyoutofNewYork；hethoughtitwastheonlyplaceonearth.Well，weagreedthatnightthatwewouldmeethereagainexactlytwentyyearsfromthatdateandtime，nomatterwhatourconditionsmightbeorfromwhatdistancewemighthavetocome.Wefiguredthatintwentyyearseachofusoughttohaveourdestinyworkedoutandourfortunesmade，whatevertheyweregoingtobe.”“Itsoundsprettyinteresting，”saidthepoliceman.“Ratheralongtimebetweenmeets，though，itseemstome.Haven'tyouheardfromyourfriendsinceyouleft？”“Well，yes，foratimewecorresponded⑤，”saidtheother.“Butafterayearortwowelosttrackofeachother.Yousee，theWestisaprettybigproposition，andIkepthustlingaroundoveritprettylively.ButIknowJimmywillmeetmehereifhe'salive，forhealwayswasthetruestoldchapintheworld.He'llneverforget.Icameathousandmilestostandinthisdoortonight，andit'sworthitifmyoldpartnerturnsup.”Thewaitingmanpulledoutahandsomewatch，thelidsofitsetwithsmalldiamonds.“Threeminutestoten，”heannounced.“Itwasexactlyteno'clockwhenwepartedhereattherestaurantdoor.”“DidprettywelloutWest，didn'tyou？”askedthepoliceman.“Youbet！IhopeJimmyhasdonehalfaswell.Hewasakindofplodder，though，goodfellowashewas.I'vehadtocompetewithsomeofthesharpestwitsgoingtogetmypile.AmangetsinagrooveinNewYork.IttakestheWesttoputarazoredgeonhim.”Thepolicemantwirledhisclubandtookasteportwo.“I'llbeonmyway.Hopeyourfriendcomesaroundallright.Goingtocalltimeonhimsharp？”“Ishouldsaynot！”saidtheother.“I'llgivehimhalfanhouratleast.IfJimmyisaliveonearthhe'llbeherebythattime.Solong，officer.”“Goodnight，sir，”saidthepoliceman，passingonalonghisbeat，tryingdoorsashewent.Therewasnowafine，colddrizzlefalling，andthewindhadrisenfromitsuncertainpuffsintoasteadyblow.Thefewfootpassengersastirinthatquarterhurrieddismally⑥andsilentlyalongwithcoatcollarsturnedhighandpocketedhands.Andinthedoorofthehardwarestorethemanwhohadcomeathousandmilestofillanappointment，uncertainalmosttoabsurdity，withthefriendofhisyouth，smokedhiscigarand-3-waited.Abouttwentyminuteshewaited，andthenatallmaninalongovercoat，withcollarturneduptohisears，hurriedacrossfromtheoppositesideofthestreet.Hewentdirectlytothewaitingman.“Isthatyou，Bob？”heasked，doubtfully.“Isthatyou，JimmyWells？”criedthemaninthedoor.“Blessmyheart！”exclaimedthenewarrival，graspingboththeother'shandswithhisown.“It'sBob，sureasfate.IwascertainI'dfindyouhereifyouwerestillinexistence.Well，well，well！—twentyyearsisalongtime.Theoldgone，Bob；Iwishithadlasted，sowecouldhavehadanotherdinnerthere.HowhastheWesttreatedyou，oldman？”二十年以后欧·亨利一名警察上了大街仔细搜索着，这种“仔细”已经习以为常了，不单纯是在表演，也不是有意做给为数不多的行人看的。时间已经快到夜里十点钟了，带着雨意的寒风一阵阵吹过几乎无人的大街。他走到哪里，就检查一下那里的门户，手里的指挥棒旋出复杂的艺术的动作，然后转身将机警的视线投向平静的大道。警官以他坚定的姿态和轻快的步伐构成了一幅极美的和平守护者的风景画。附近地区有早睡早起的习惯。不时地你会看到雪茄店或者彻夜营业的饭馆柜台的灯光，但大多数门面是商店，早就关门了。大约半夜的时候，某街区的一名警察突然放慢了脚步，在一家五金店黑暗的门前，斜靠着一名男子，嘴里叼着一只已经熄灭了的雪茄。当警察走到他跟前时，他立刻说道：“是这样的，警官，”男子放心的说，“我正在这儿等个朋友，这是我们在二十年前许下的一个约会。你不认为这似乎有点儿可笑吗？也好，我可以把真相全都告诉你，如果你感兴趣的话。很久以前，这家五金店所在的地方曾经是一家餐馆，叫‘大乔·布拉德’餐馆。”“五年以前就拆掉了。”警察说。男子擦了根火柴点着了雪茄，火光照亮了他苍白的方形脸庞，右眼眉毛附近有一块白色的伤疤。他的领带别针上镶着一枚大钻石，款式很别致。“二十年前的今天夜里，”男子说道，“我和我最好的朋友、世界上最好的人吉米·威尔士在大乔·布拉德餐馆吃晚饭。我们俩都是在纽约长大的，像亲兄弟一样。我18岁，吉米20岁。第二天早晨我就要到西部去碰运气去了，但你不能把吉米也拽出纽约的，他认为纽约是世界上唯一的好地方。于是那天晚上我们就商定，二十年后的此时此刻再次在此相会，不管那时我们各自会有什么情况，也不管谁在什么地方，都得前来赴约。那时我们想，二十年内我们每人应当会有自己命中注定的工作和创造出来的财富，不管最终的结果会是怎样。”-4-“这的确很有趣，”警察说，“在我看来，这毕竟是一次太遥远的约会了；自从你们分别后，你听到过你朋友的一点儿消息吗？”“噢，是的。我们曾一度通过信，但一两年以后彼此就失去了联系。你知道，西部是个很广阔的概念，