2级-《欧·亨利短篇小说集》-第7课

前情提要 

索比来到一条有许多家剧院的街上，他看到一个警察在身边就开始大唱大叫，但是警察以为他喝醉了，没有管他。这时，索比拿了一个男人的一把伞，争执下警察还是无动于衷，索比非常生气，觉得自己什么坏事都干不成...

故事原文 

O. Henry's Short Stories L7

欧·亨利短篇小说集 L7

He began to walk back to (1) Madison Square and home-his seat.

他开始走回麦迪逊广场——他的家——那把长椅

But on a quiet corner, Soapy suddenly stopped. Here, in the middle of (2) the city, was a beautiful old church. Through one purple window he could see a soft light, and sweet music was coming from inside the church. The moon was high in the sky and everything was quiet. For a few seconds it was like a country church and Soapy remembered other happier days. He thought of the days when he had a mother, and friends, and beautiful things in his life.

但是在一个僻静的角落，索比突然停住了脚步，那儿，在城市的中心，有一座美丽的老教堂。透过一扇紫色的窗子，他看到一点柔和的光亮，教堂里传出悦耳的音乐。月亮高高地挂在天空，周遭一片宁静。有那么片刻的时间，这儿感觉很像一个乡村教堂，索比记起了从前的快乐时光。他想到过去那些日子，那时他有母亲，有朋友，还拥有生命里许多美好的东西。

Then he thought about his life now -- the empty days, the dead plans. And then a wonderful thing happened.

然后他想到现在的生活—空虚的日子、失败的计划。于是，一件奇妙的事情发生了。

Soapy decided to change his life (3) and be a new man. 'Tomorrow,' he said to himself, I'll go into town and find work. My life will be good again. I'll be somebody (4) important. Everything will be different. I'll.…'

索比决定改变生活，重新做人。“明天，”他对自己说，“我要进城找工作。我的生活会重新好起来的。我会成为大人物。一切都会不同。我要……”

Soapy felt a hand on his arm.He jumped and looked round quickly-into the face of a policeman！

索比感觉到一只手搭在他臂上。他跳了起来，迅速回头看去——看到了一张警察的脸！

'What are you doing here? 'asked the policeman.

“你在这儿干什么？”警察问道。

'Nothing，' Soapy answered.

“什么也没干。”索比回答。

'Then come with me, ' the policeman said.

“那么跟我走吧。”警察说。

'Three months in prison，' they told Soapy the next day.

“监禁三个月。”第二天，他们对索比说。

（原文中出现高光标示内容请见核心语言点）

核心语言点 

1. walk back to some place 走回某地

2. in the middle of 在……中间（既可指空间，也可指时间）

拓展：

in the middle of the day 在一天的中间，即中午

in the middle of the year 年中

in the middle of the week 一周的中间

3. change one's life and be a new man 改变人生， 重新做人

4. somebody 某人； 大人物

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