上海建桥学院大学英语教研室制作

Book Three

Unit Six

The Human Touch

Text A The Last Leaf

ContentBackground Information

Warm-up Activity

Text Organization

Sentence Study

Words and Phrases

Text Analysis

Background Information

O.Henry(1862-1910):pseudonym of William Sydney Porter

(1862-1910), American writer of short stories, best

known for his ironic plot twists and surprise endings.

Born and raised in Greensboro, North Carolina, 0.

Henry attended school only until age 15, when he

dropped out to work in his uncle's drugstore. During

his 20s, he moved to Texas,

Background Information

where he worked for more than ten years as a

clerk and a bank teller. O.Henry did not write

professionally until he reached his mid-30s,

when he sold several pieces to the Detroit Free

Press and the Houston Daily Post. In 1894 he

founded a short-lived weekly humor magazine.

The Rolling Stone.

In 1896 O.Henry was charged with embezzling funds

from the First National Bank of Austin, Texas, where

he had worked from 1891 to 1894. The amount of

money was small and might have been an accounting

error; however, he chose to flee to Honduras rather

than stand trial. Learning that his wife was dying, he

returned to Texas in 1897 and, after her death, turned

himself in to the authorities. He served three years of

a five-year sentence at the federal peniten tiary inColumbus, Ohio, where he first began to write shortstories and use the pseudonym 0. Henry. Released from prison, O.Henry moved to New YorkCity in 1901 and began writing full time. In his storieshe made substantial use of his knowledge of Texas,Central America, and life in prison. He also becamefascinated by New York street life, which provided asetting for many of

his later stories. During the last ten years of his life, 0.Henry became one of the most popular writers inAmerica, publishing over 500 short stories in dozens ofwidely read periodicals. O.Henry 's most famous stories, such as "The Gift ofthe Magi," "The Furnished Room," and "The Ransomof Red Chief," make simple yet effective use ofparadoxical coincidences to produce ironic endings.

For example, in " The Gift of the Magi" a husband

sells his watch to buy his wife a Christmas present of a

pair of hair combs; but, she cuts and sells her long hair

to buy him a Christmas present of a new chain for his

watch. His style of storytelling became a model not

only for short fiction, but also for American motion

pictures and television programs.

Writing at the rate of more than one story per week,

O.Henry published ten collections of stories during a career that

barely spanned a decade. They are Cabbages and Kings (1904),

The Four Million (1906), Heart of the West (1907), The Trimmed

Lamp (1907), The Gentle Grafter (1908), The Voice of the City

(1908), Options (1909), Roads of Destiny (1909), Whirligigs

(1910), and Strictly Business (1910). The collections Sixes and

Sevens (1911), Rolling Stones (1912), and Waifs and Strays (1917)

were published after his death. In 1919 the O.Henry

Memorial Awards for the best American short stories

published each year were founded by the Society of

Arts and Sciences. The Complete Works of 0. Henry

was published in 1953.

Warm-up Activity

Think about the following questions and trying answering Think about the following questions and trying answering them orally.them orally.

Warm-up Activity

1. Suppose one of your close friends gets serious illness, will you tell him the truth? How will you do to help him out of the difficulties?

2. What do you think can support you in your comments of depression, despair or setback?

Text Organization

Text organization

Parts: Part One Paragaphs: Paras: 1-2 Main ideas:

Sue’s roomate Johnsy caught pnemonia.

Text organization

Parts : Part Two Paragraphs : Paras. 3—8 Main Ideas :

The doctor told Sue that Johnsy needed a

strong will to live on.

Text organization

Parts : Part Three Paragraphs : Paras. 9—17 Main Ideas :

Johnsy decided that she would die when the

last ivy leaf fell.

Text organization

Parts : Part Four Paragraphs : Paras. 18—21 Main Ideas :

Sue told Behrman about Johnsy’s fansy.

Text organization

Parts : Part Five Paragraphs : Paras. 22—33 Main Ideas :

As Johnsy was encouraged by the last leaf that

wouldn’t give in the weather, her will to live

returned.

Text organization

Parts : Part Six Paragraphs : Paras. 34—37 Main Ideas : The doctor told Sue that Johnsy would recover,

but Behrman caught pneumonia himself and his

case was hopeless.

Text organization

Parts : Part Seven Paragraphs : Paras. 38—39 Main Ideas : Sue told Johnsy that Behrman had performed a

kind deed without any thought of himself.

Sentence Study

1. In November a cold, unseen stranger, whom the doctors called Pneumonia, stalked about the district, touching one here and there with his icy fingers.

   【【解析及翻译解析及翻译】】 本句的主干是 :stranger stalked about the district. whom the

doctors called Pneumonia 是非限制性定语从句，修饰stranger. touching one here and there…做伴随状语。作者还把Pneumonia 比作陌生人，使用了拟人的手法。

     到了 11月， 一个医生称之为肺炎的阴森的隐形客闯入了这一地区， 用它冰冷的手指东碰西触。

2. For the rest he was a fierce little old man, who mocked terribly at softness…

【【解析及翻译解析及翻译】】 在本句中， fierce ,little ,old ,是三个形容词，修饰 man.当多个形容词修饰同一个名词时，他们的顺序是：限定词，数量形容词，描绘性形容词，大小、长短、高低、形状，新旧、老幼、温度，颜色，国籍，材料，用途、类别。

e.g.1) some beautiful little red roses;

2) two fat middle-aged American doctors.

     他是个好逗得小老头，要是谁表现出一点软弱，他便大肆嘲笑…。

3. Old Behrman served as a model to earn a little money.

【【解析及翻译解析及翻译】】

The sentence means “ Old Behrman earned a little

money by serving as a model.

e.g.

You can unlock the door by turning the key to the right.

    老贝尔曼靠给青年画家当模特挣点小钱。

Words and Phrases

harmonious(ly) (often followed by with; the harmonious(ly) (often followed by with; the

opposite: out of tune)opposite: out of tune)

1. in tune1. in tune

e.g. e.g.

1) The price of gold coins fluctuates in tune with that of commodities.

2) 2) Her character is quite out of tune with her beauty.

Words and Phrases

v. (of an evil force) move through ( a place) in a threatening way; move quietly and cautiously in order to get near 可怕地蔓延或游荡（于）； 潜行，偷偷接近

2. 2. stalk

e.g. e.g.

1) 1) When night falls, danger stalks the streets of the city.

2) 2) Polar bears prefer to hunt seals on land or ice but may stalk them from under water.

Words and Phrases

a. dull; gloomy; causing low spirits沉闷的；阴沉的；使人忧郁的

3. 3. dreary

e.g. e.g.

1) 1) By the time they had waited five hours for their delayed flight, everyone looked dreary.

2) 2) She had spent a dreary day in the dormitory writing the term paper.

Words and Phrases

in a low voice 低声地 4. 4. in a whisper

e.g. e.g. 1) 1) I was awakened by hearing my own name spoken in a whisper.

2) 2) He bent down and addressed her in a whisper.

Words and Phrases

allow (sth.) to be free of control 放手，放纵 5. 5. turn loose

e.g. e.g.

1)1)The sick whale will be taken card of by the scientists before being turned loose.

2) 2) The soldiers turned the prisoners loose one by one shortly after the city was conquered.

Words and Phrases

have an appearance for a particular job, role, or position 看上去很像；在什么场合就有什么扮相

6. 6. look the part

e.g. e.g.

1) I think he must be a captain--he certainly looks the part.

2) At the wedding the new princess certainly looked the part.

Words and Phrases

To an extreme degree 过度 7. 7. to excess

e.g. e.g.

1) His father never smoked or drank to excess.

2) Red meat, very high in fat and calories, is harmful to health if eaten to excess.

Words and Phrases

Text Analysis

1. The doctor visited 3 times. It is from him that we learn how sick Johny was, how she had a 50-50 chance, and how later she was sure to recover. His 3 visits sum up 3 stages of Johysy’s illness. Moreover, his visit leads conveniently and naturally to the discourse of Old Behrman’s sickness.

Coherence of the story

“the last leaf” is the main thread of the story. In fact, if we look closely, we can find other “threads” too that make the story cohere.

Text Analysis

2. When Johnsy decided to die with the fall of the last leaf, she refused to take any soup. Yet when she was shaken alive again by that undying last leaf, one of her first desires was to drink some soup.

3. before she fell ill, she had wished to paint the Bay of Naples. Inspired by the last leaf, she again looked forward to painting it.

4. In Paras 18-19, we learn that Old Behrman was a failure career wise. He had always talked about a masterpiece, yet he was unable to deliver it. In Para 20, there went he again, “some day I will paint a masterpiece, and we shall all go away.” Finally, he painted his masterpiece at the cost of his life.

Text Analysis