带家具出租的房间 The Furnished Room（第1页）

带家具出租的房间TheFurnishedRoom

欧·亨利O。Henry

欧·亨利（O。Henry，1862-1910），20世纪初美国著名短篇小说家，美国现代短篇小说创始人，批判现实主义作家，被誉为“美国的莫泊桑”。他一生极富传奇色彩，当过药房学徒、牧羊人、办事员、新闻记者、银行出纳员。1898年2月，他因贪污银行公款罪被判处五年徒刑，后提前获释。他的作品贴近百姓生活，结局往往出人意料，以“含泪微笑”的风格被誉为“美国生活的幽默百科全书”。代表作有《麦琪的礼物》《警察与赞美诗》《最后一片叶》等。

&less，shifting，fugaeitselfisavastbulkofthepopulationoftheredbrickdistrictofthelowerWestSide。Homeless，theyhaveahuheyflitfromfurofurrasforever-trasirasiandmind。TheysiHtime;theycarrytheirlaresetpenatesinabandbox;theirviicturehat;arubberplaree。

&hehousesofthisdistrighadathousanddwellers，shouldhaveathousaell，mostlydullones，nodoubt;butitwouldbestrahereotbefoundaghostortwoihesevagras。

Oerdarkayoungmahesegredmansitheirbells。Atthetwelfthherestedhisleanhahestepahedustfromhishatbandahebellsouandfarawayie，hollowdepths。Tothedoorofthis，thetwelfthhousewhosebellhehadrung，cameahousekeeperwhomadehimthinkofanuedwormthathadeatenitsnuttoahollowshellandnowsoughttofillthevacywithediblelodgers。

Heaskediftherewasaroomtolet。

“ein，”saidthehousekeeper。Hervoiceherthroat;herthroatseemedlihfur。“Ihavethethirdfloorbatsinceaweekback。Shouldyouwishtolookatit?”

Theyoungmanfollowedherupthestairs。Afaintlightfromnopartiitigatedtheshadowsofthehalls。Theytrodnoiselesslyuponastaircarpetthatitsownloomwouldhaveforsworohavebeevegetable;tohavedegeraolushlimossthatgrewihestairdwasvisderthefoaeaofthestairswerevaitheerhapsplantshadohinthem。Ifsotheyhaddiedinthatfoulamaybethatstatuesofthesaintshadstoodthere，butitwasnotdifficulttoceivethatimpsanddevilshaddraggedthemforthinthedarknessanddowntotheuhsofsomefurbelow。

“Thisistheroom，”saidthehousekeeper，fromherfurrythroat。“It’sais。Ihadsomemostelegalastsummer-all，andpaidihemier’sattheendofthehall。Sprowlsathreemonths。Theydoneavaudevillesketch。MissB’rettaSprowls-youmayhaveheardofher-Oh，thatwasjustthestagehereoverthedresseriswherethemarriagecertifig，framed。Thegasishere，ahereisplentyof。It’saroomeverybodylikes。Itaysidlelong。”

“Doyouhavemariiheyoungman。

“Theyesandgoes。Agoodproportionofmylodgersisectedwiththetheatres。Yes，sir，thisisthetheatricaldistrict。Actorpeopleayslomyshare。Yes，theyesandtheygoes。”

&heroom，payingforaweekinadvaired，hesaid，andossessionatoedoutthemoheroomhadbeenmadeready，shesaid，eventotowelsahehousekeepermovedaut，forthethousahequestionthathecarriedattheendofhistongue。

“Ayounggirl-MissVashner-MissEloiseVashner-doyouremembersuers?Shewouldbesingiage，mostlikely。Afairgirl，ofmediumheightahreddish，goldhairandadarkmoleeyebrow。”

“No，Idoheagepeoplehasheygeasoftenastheirrooms。Theyesandtheygoes。No，Idon’tcallthatoomind。”

No。Alwayshsofceaselessiioableive。Somuchtimespentbydayiionis，sdchoruses;bynightamongtheaudieheatresfromall-starusichallssolowthathedreadedtofihopedfor。Hewhohadlovedherbesthadtriedtofindher。Hewassurethatsinceherdisappearanethisgreat，water-girtcityheldhersomewhere，butitwaslikeamonstrousquid，shiftingitspartistantly，withnofoundation，itsuppergrao-dayburiedto-morrowinoozeandslime。

Thefurnishedroomreceiveditslatestguestwithafirstglowofpseudo-hospitality，ahectic，haggard，perfunelikethespeileofademirep。Thesophistieiedgleamsfromthedeiture，theraggcdbrocadeupholsteryofadtwochairs，afootierglassbetwees，friltpictureframesandabrassbedsteadinaer。

&reert，uponachair，whiletheroom，fusedihoughitartmeriedtodisofitsdiverstenantry。

Apolyaticruglikesomebrilliaangular，tropicalisletlaysurroundedbyabillowyseaofsoiledmatting。Uponthegay-paperedwallwerethosepicturesthatpursuethehomelessonefromhousetohouse-TheHugueheFirstQuarrel，TheWeddi，PsycheattheFouel’schastelysevereoutlinewasingloriouslyveiledbehidraperydrawnrakishlyaskewlikethesashesoftheAmazo。Uponitwassomedesolateflotsamcastasidebytheroom’smaroonedwhenaluckysailhadboroafreshpvaseortwo，picturesofactresses，amediestraycardsoutofadeck。

Ohecharactersraphbeeexplicit，thelittlesighefurnishedroom’sproofguestsdevelopedasighreadbarespatheruginfrontofthedressertoldthatlovelywomanhadmarthethrong。Tisontheokeoflittlepristofeeltheirwaytosunandair。Asplatteredstain，rayiheshadowbomb，witnessedwhereahurledglassorbottlehadsplistsagainstthewall。Acrossthepierglasshadbeehadiamondierstheseemedthatthesuofdwellersinthefurnishedroomhadturnediemptedbeyondforbearasgarishess-atheirpassioureedahecouch，distortedbyburstingsprings，seemedahorriblemohadbeenslainduriressofsomegrotesqueorepotentupheavalhadagreatsliarblemantel。Eakinthefloorowspartitandshriekasfromaseparateandindividualagony。Itseemediallthismalijuryhadbeenwroughtupontheroombythosewhohadcalleditforatimetheirhome;amayhavebeeedhomeinstinctsurvivingblifulrageatfalsehouseholdgodsthathadkih。Ahutthatisouroeepandadorheyouhechairallowedthesethoughtstofile，soft-shhhismiheredriftedintotheroomfurnishedsoundsandfurs。Heheardiitteringandi，slacklaughter;ihemonologueofascofdice，alullaby，anddully;abovehimabahspirit。Dedsomewhere;theelevatedtraiermittently;aiserablyuponabadhebreathedthebreathofthehouse-adanksavourratherthanasmell-austyeffluviumasfrroundvaultsmihereekiionsoflinoleumatenwoodwork。

Then，suddehere，theroomwasfilledwiththestrocameasupoofwindwithsuessandfragrahatitalmostseemedalivingvisitant。Andthemancriedaloud:“What，dear?”asifhehadbeendsprangupa。Therichtohimandedhimarouhisarmsforit，allhissehetimefusedandingled。Howebeperemptorilycalledbyanodour?Surelyitmusthavebeenasound。But，wasithathadtouched，thathadcaressedhim?

“Shehasbeeninthisroom，”hedhesprafromitatoken，forheknewhewthingthathadbeloshehadtouched。Thisenvelopiofmigheodourthatshehadlovedandmadeherow?

Theroomhadbeenbutcarelesslysetieredupontheflimsydresserscarfwerehalfadozenhairpi，indistinguishablefriendsofwomankind，feminineofgender，infiniteofmoodandunueheseheignored，sciousoftheirtriumphantlatity。Ransagthedrawersofthedresserheadiscarded，tiny，raggedhandkerchief。Hepressedittohisface。Itwasrasolerope;hehurledittothefloor。Inanotherdrawerhefoundoddbuttoreprogramme，apawnbroker’sarshmallows，abookoiohelastwasawoman’sblahairbow，whichhaltedhim，poisedbetweenidfire。Buttheblahairbowalsoisfemininity’sdemure，impersonal，eales。

Araversedtheroomlikeahou，skimmingthewalls，gtheersofthebulgingmattingonhishandsandknees，rummagiables，thesandhangngs，thedruintheer，foravisiblesigoperceivethatshewastherebeside，around，against，within，abovehim，gtohim，wooinghim，ghimsopoignantlythroughthefievenhisgrosseronesbeisantoftheheansweredloudly:“Yes，dear!”andturned，wild-eyed，togazeonvacy，forheotyetdisanddloveachedarmsinthee。Oh，God!wheodour，andsinhaveodourshadavoicetocall?Thushegroped。

Heburrowedincreviders，andfounddcigarettes。Thesehepassedi。Butondinafoldofthemattingahalf-smokeddthishegrouhhisheelwithagreeoath。Hesiftedtheroomfromendtoend。Hefnoblesmallreait;butofherwhomhesought，andwhomayhavelodgedthere，aseemedtohoverthere，hefoundnotrace。

Aofthehousekeeper。

Heraedroomdownstairsandtoadoorthatshowedacrackoflight。Shecameouttohiskheredhisextasbesthecould。

“Willyoutellme，madam，”hebesoughther，“whooccupiedtheroomIhavebeforeIcame?”

“Yes，sir。Itellyouagain。’TrowlsandMooney，asIsaid。MissB’rettaSprowlsitwasires，butMissisMooneyshewas。Myhouseiswellknowability。Themarriagecertifig，framed，onanailover-”

“Whatkindofaladyrowls-inlooks，Imean?”

“Why，black-haired，sir，short，andstout，withaicalface。TheyleftaweekagoTuesday。”

“Aheyoccupiedit?”

“Why，therewasasilemahedrayingbusiowingmeaweek。BeforehimwasMissisdhertwo，thatstayedfourmonths;andbawasoldMr。Doyle，whosesonspaidforhim。Hekepttheroomsixmonths。Thatgoesbackayear，sir，andfurtherIdonotremember。”

&hankedheraohisroom。Theroomwasdead。Theessehadvivifieditwasgoheperfumeofmigehaddeparted。Initsplacewastheold，staleodourofmouldyhousefurmosphereinste。

Theebbingofhishopedrainedhisfaith。Hesatstaringattheyellow，singinggaslight。Soohebedaearthesheetsintostrips。Withthebladeofhiskhemtightlyintoeverycrevidwindowsanddoor。Whenallwassnugaurhelight，turhegasfullonagainandlaidhimselfgratefullyuponthebed。