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阅·读·小·提·示：本文在描写人的神态和语气上相当细致，处处体现不同人物的性格特点。仔细揣摩，从中可以学习人物描写的方法。
欧·亨利（1862-1910），美国短篇小说家，真名为威廉·西德尼·波特（William Sydney Porter）。其作品构思独特，情节曲折，语言诙谐，结局往往出人意料。
At Denver注1 there was an 1)influx of passengers into the 2)coaches on the 3)eastbound B. & M. express. In one coach there sat a very pretty young woman dressed in 4)elegant taste and surrounded by all the 5)luxurious comforts of an experienced traveler. Among the newcomers were two young men, one of handsome presence with a bold, frank 6)countenance and manner; the other a 7)ruffled, 8)glum-faced person, heavily built and roughly dressed. The two were 9)handcuffed together.
As they passed down the 10)aisle of the coach, the only 11)vacant seat offered was a 12)reversed one facing the attractive young woman. Here the linked couple seated themselves. The young woman’s glance fell upon them with a distant, 13)swift disinterest; then, with a lovely smile brightening her countenance and a tender pink 14)tingeing her rounded cheeks, she held out a little gray-gloved hand. When she spoke her voice, full, sweet, and 15)deliberate, proclaimed that its owner was 16)accustomed to speak and be heard.
“Well, Mr. Easton, if you will make me speak first, I suppose I must. Don’t you ever recognize old friends when you meet them in the West?”
The younger man 17)roused himself sharply at the sound of her voice, seemed to struggle with a slight embarrassment which he threw off 18)instantly, and then 19)clasped her fingers with his left hand.
“It’s Miss Fairchild,”he said, with a smile. “I’ll ask you to excuse the other hand; it’s 20)engaged just at present.”
He slightly raised his right hand, 21)bound at the wrist by the shining ?2)bracelet?to the left one of his companion. The glad look in the girl’s eyes slowly changed to a 23)bewildered horror. The glow faded from her cheeks. Easton, with a little laugh, as if amused, was about to speak again when the other 24)forestalled him. The glum-faced man had been watching the girl’s countenance with 25)veiled glances from his 26)keen eyes.
“You’ll excuse me for speaking, miss, but, I see you 27)are acquainted with the 28)marshal here. If you’ll ask him to speak a word for me when we get to the 29)pen he’ll do it, and it’ll make things easier for me there. He’s taking me to Leavenworth prison. It’s seven years for 30)counterfeiting.”
“Oh!”said the girl, with a deep breath and returning color. “So that is what you are doing out here? A marshal!”
“My dear Miss Fairchild,”said Easton, calmly, “I had to do something. Money has a way of taking wings unto itself, and you know it takes money to keep step with our crowd in Washington. I saw this 31)opening in the West, and ?well, a marshalship isn’t quite as high a position as that of 32)ambassador, but —”
“The ambassador,”said the girl, warmly, “doesn’t call any more. He needn’t ever have done so. You ought to know that. And so now you are one of these 33)dashing Western heroes, and you ride and shoot and go into all kinds of dangers. That’s different from the Washington life.”The girl’s eyes went back, widening a little, to rest upon the 34)glittering handcuffs.
“Don’t you worry about them, miss,”said the other man. “All marshals handcuff themselves to their prisoners to keep them from getting away. Mr. Easton knows his business.”
“W ill we see you again soon in Washington?”asked the girl.
“Not soon, I think,”said Easton. “My butterfly days注2 are over, I fear.”
“I love the West,?said the girl 35)irrelevantly. Her eyes were shining softly. She looked away out the car window. She began to speak truly and without the 36)gloss of style and manner: “Mamma and I spent the summer in Denver. She went home a week ago because father was slightly ill. I could live and be happy in the West. I think the air here 37)agrees with me. Money isn’t everything. But people always misunderstand things and remain stupid—”
“Say, Mr. Marshal,”38)growled the glum-faced man. “This isn’t quite fair. I’m needing a drink, and haven’t had a smoke all day. Haven’t you talked long enough? Take me in the smoker now, won’t you??The bound travelers rose to their feet, Easton with the same slow smile on his face.
“I can’t deny a 39)petition for tobacco,”he said, lightly. “It’s the one friend of the unfortunate. Good-bye, Miss Fairchild. Duty calls, you know.”He held out his hand for a farewell.
“It’s too bad you are not going East,”she said, 40)reclothing herself with manner and style. “But you must go on to Leavenworth, I suppose?”
“Yes,?”aid Easton, “I must go on to Leavenworth.”The two men sidled down the aisle into the smoker.
The two passengers in a seat near by had heard most of the conversation. Said one of them: “That marshal’s a good sort of 41)chap. Some of these Western fellows are all right.”
“Pretty young to hold an office like that, isn’t he?”asked the other.
“Young!”exclaimed the first speaker,“why-Oh! Didn’t you 42)catch on? Say -did you ever know an officer to handcuff a prisoner to his right hand?”
丹佛车站，乘客们如潮水般涌进往东去的B. & M.长途直达快车。其中一个车厢中坐着一位十分美丽的年轻女子，其衣着优雅，随身带着一个经验丰富的旅行者应具备的所有奢华品。刚上车的乘客里有两位年轻人，一个仪容英俊，举止果敢坦率；另一个衣衫粗陋的大块头则显得烦躁不安，脸色阴沉。两人被手铐铐在一起。
他们穿过车厢的过道，唯一空着的座位正对着那位迷人的女子。这对被手铐相连的旅伴就在这里坐下了。女子向他们投去一瞥，眼神里闪过一丝漠然。但这很快就被一个光彩照人的笑容所取代，丰满的脸颊上浮现出一抹柔和的粉红。她伸出了戴着灰色手套的小手。她说话的嗓音是那么圆润甜美而又从容不迫，表明它的主人惯于说话，也惯于被人倾听。
“伊斯顿先生，如果你想让我先开口，那么我只好从命吧。你在西部碰见老朋友的时候，难道总是认不出他们吗？”
听到她的声音，那个年轻人大吃一惊，似乎感到一阵尴尬。不过他很快就调整了过来，伸出左手握住她的手指。
“原来是费尔柴尔德小姐，”他笑着说道，“请你原谅我现在不能用另一只手和你握手，它现在正忙着呢。”
他微微举起右手，手腕上一只闪闪发光的“手镯”把他和他同伴的左手紧紧系在一起。看到这，女孩眼中的兴奋慢慢变成一种惶惑，脸颊上的红光也消退了。伊斯顿笑了笑，好像被逗乐了似的。他刚想开口再说点什么，他的同伴抢先说话了。这个脸色阴沉的人一直用他那双锐利精明的眼睛偷偷打量着这女孩的脸。
“小姐，请原谅我插嘴。你和这位警长是熟人哪，要是你能叫他到监狱时替我说几句好话，他一定会做的。这样我在里面的日子就会好过些了。他现在要押我去莱文沃思监狱。我因伪造罪得在那儿蹲上7年。”
“噢！”女孩说道，深吸了一口气，神色恢复过来。“那么这就是你现在的差事呀，当警长！”
“我亲爱的费尔柴尔德小姐，”伊斯顿平静地说，“我总得干点什么。钱总是插翼而飞，你也知道要跟上华盛顿人的步子是要花钱的。我在西部看到这个空缺，就—其实警长也算不上一个多高级的职位，比不上大使，不过—”
“大使，”女孩温情脉脉地说道，“他没再来电话了。他其实从来都不需要这么做。你应该明白。那你现在就是那英勇的西部英雄之一了，骑马、射击、经历各种危险，那和华盛顿的生活太不一样了。”
姑娘的眼光再次被吸引到那副亮闪闪的手铐上，她睁大了眼睛。
“请别在意这副手铐，小姐，”另一个人说，“所有的警长都是这样把自己和犯人锁在一起的，这样就不怕他们逃跑了。伊斯顿先生懂得这一点。”
“到了华盛顿我们会很快再见面吗？”女孩问道。
“不会很快吧，我想，”伊斯顿答道，“恐怕我是不会有轻松自在的日子过了。”
“我喜欢西部，”女孩不着边际地说，眼睛里闪着柔和的光。她转头望向车窗外，开始坦诚地说起话来，不再顾虑礼节：“妈妈和我在丹佛过了夏天。一星期前她回家了，因为父亲身体微恙。在西部我会生活得很开心。这里的空气适合我。钱不代表一切。可惜人们老是会错意，执迷不悟—”
“我说，警长先生，”脸色阴沉的那个男人咕哝起来。“这不太公平吧。我想喝杯酒，我一整天连根烟都没抽过哪。你们聊得够久了吧？现在带我去吸烟室，可以吗？”
被铐在一起的两人于是站起身，伊斯顿的脸上依旧带着和缓的笑容。
“我可不能拒绝吸烟的请求，”他轻声说道，“这是一位不走运的朋友。再会，费尔柴尔德小姐。你明白，职责所需。”他伸出手道别。
“你不去东部真是太糟了，”她又重新给自己披上了礼节的外衣。“但我想你会去莱文沃思的，对吗？”
“是的。”伊斯顿回答说。“我必须去莱文沃思。”
于是两人沿着过道走到吸烟室去。
坐在旁边的两位乘客听到了他们的大部分对话。其中一个说道：“那警长看起来是个不错的家伙，这些西部人里有些还是不错的。”
“他的年纪对如此重要的职务来说，太年轻了一点，对吧？”另一个人问道。
“年轻！”第一个人喊起来，“哎—噢！你还没明白吗？瞧—你见过哪个警官把囚犯铐在自己右手上的？”
欧·亨利（1862-1910），美国短篇小说家，真名为威廉·西德尼·波特（William Sydney Porter）。其作品构思独特，情节曲折，语言诙谐，结局往往出人意料。
At Denver注1 there was an 1)influx of passengers into the 2)coaches on the 3)eastbound B. & M. express. In one coach there sat a very pretty young woman dressed in 4)elegant taste and surrounded by all the 5)luxurious comforts of an experienced traveler. Among the newcomers were two young men, one of handsome presence with a bold, frank 6)countenance and manner; the other a 7)ruffled, 8)glum-faced person, heavily built and roughly dressed. The two were 9)handcuffed together.
As they passed down the 10)aisle of the coach, the only 11)vacant seat offered was a 12)reversed one facing the attractive young woman. Here the linked couple seated themselves. The young woman’s glance fell upon them with a distant, 13)swift disinterest; then, with a lovely smile brightening her countenance and a tender pink 14)tingeing her rounded cheeks, she held out a little gray-gloved hand. When she spoke her voice, full, sweet, and 15)deliberate, proclaimed that its owner was 16)accustomed to speak and be heard.
“Well, Mr. Easton, if you will make me speak first, I suppose I must. Don’t you ever recognize old friends when you meet them in the West?”
The younger man 17)roused himself sharply at the sound of her voice, seemed to struggle with a slight embarrassment which he threw off 18)instantly, and then 19)clasped her fingers with his left hand.
“It’s Miss Fairchild,”he said, with a smile. “I’ll ask you to excuse the other hand; it’s 20)engaged just at present.”
He slightly raised his right hand, 21)bound at the wrist by the shining ?2)bracelet?to the left one of his companion. The glad look in the girl’s eyes slowly changed to a 23)bewildered horror. The glow faded from her cheeks. Easton, with a little laugh, as if amused, was about to speak again when the other 24)forestalled him. The glum-faced man had been watching the girl’s countenance with 25)veiled glances from his 26)keen eyes.
“You’ll excuse me for speaking, miss, but, I see you 27)are acquainted with the 28)marshal here. If you’ll ask him to speak a word for me when we get to the 29)pen he’ll do it, and it’ll make things easier for me there. He’s taking me to Leavenworth prison. It’s seven years for 30)counterfeiting.”
“Oh!”said the girl, with a deep breath and returning color. “So that is what you are doing out here? A marshal!”
“My dear Miss Fairchild,”said Easton, calmly, “I had to do something. Money has a way of taking wings unto itself, and you know it takes money to keep step with our crowd in Washington. I saw this 31)opening in the West, and ?well, a marshalship isn’t quite as high a position as that of 32)ambassador, but —”
“The ambassador,”said the girl, warmly, “doesn’t call any more. He needn’t ever have done so. You ought to know that. And so now you are one of these 33)dashing Western heroes, and you ride and shoot and go into all kinds of dangers. That’s different from the Washington life.”The girl’s eyes went back, widening a little, to rest upon the 34)glittering handcuffs.
“Don’t you worry about them, miss,”said the other man. “All marshals handcuff themselves to their prisoners to keep them from getting away. Mr. Easton knows his business.”
“W ill we see you again soon in Washington?”asked the girl.
“Not soon, I think,”said Easton. “My butterfly days注2 are over, I fear.”
“I love the West,?said the girl 35)irrelevantly. Her eyes were shining softly. She looked away out the car window. She began to speak truly and without the 36)gloss of style and manner: “Mamma and I spent the summer in Denver. She went home a week ago because father was slightly ill. I could live and be happy in the West. I think the air here 37)agrees with me. Money isn’t everything. But people always misunderstand things and remain stupid—”
“Say, Mr. Marshal,”38)growled the glum-faced man. “This isn’t quite fair. I’m needing a drink, and haven’t had a smoke all day. Haven’t you talked long enough? Take me in the smoker now, won’t you??The bound travelers rose to their feet, Easton with the same slow smile on his face.
“I can’t deny a 39)petition for tobacco,”he said, lightly. “It’s the one friend of the unfortunate. Good-bye, Miss Fairchild. Duty calls, you know.”He held out his hand for a farewell.
“It’s too bad you are not going East,”she said, 40)reclothing herself with manner and style. “But you must go on to Leavenworth, I suppose?”
“Yes,?”aid Easton, “I must go on to Leavenworth.”The two men sidled down the aisle into the smoker.
The two passengers in a seat near by had heard most of the conversation. Said one of them: “That marshal’s a good sort of 41)chap. Some of these Western fellows are all right.”
“Pretty young to hold an office like that, isn’t he?”asked the other.
“Young!”exclaimed the first speaker,“why-Oh! Didn’t you 42)catch on? Say -did you ever know an officer to handcuff a prisoner to his right hand?”
丹佛车站，乘客们如潮水般涌进往东去的B. & M.长途直达快车。其中一个车厢中坐着一位十分美丽的年轻女子，其衣着优雅，随身带着一个经验丰富的旅行者应具备的所有奢华品。刚上车的乘客里有两位年轻人，一个仪容英俊，举止果敢坦率；另一个衣衫粗陋的大块头则显得烦躁不安，脸色阴沉。两人被手铐铐在一起。
他们穿过车厢的过道，唯一空着的座位正对着那位迷人的女子。这对被手铐相连的旅伴就在这里坐下了。女子向他们投去一瞥，眼神里闪过一丝漠然。但这很快就被一个光彩照人的笑容所取代，丰满的脸颊上浮现出一抹柔和的粉红。她伸出了戴着灰色手套的小手。她说话的嗓音是那么圆润甜美而又从容不迫，表明它的主人惯于说话，也惯于被人倾听。
“伊斯顿先生，如果你想让我先开口，那么我只好从命吧。你在西部碰见老朋友的时候，难道总是认不出他们吗？”
听到她的声音，那个年轻人大吃一惊，似乎感到一阵尴尬。不过他很快就调整了过来，伸出左手握住她的手指。
“原来是费尔柴尔德小姐，”他笑着说道，“请你原谅我现在不能用另一只手和你握手，它现在正忙着呢。”
他微微举起右手，手腕上一只闪闪发光的“手镯”把他和他同伴的左手紧紧系在一起。看到这，女孩眼中的兴奋慢慢变成一种惶惑，脸颊上的红光也消退了。伊斯顿笑了笑，好像被逗乐了似的。他刚想开口再说点什么，他的同伴抢先说话了。这个脸色阴沉的人一直用他那双锐利精明的眼睛偷偷打量着这女孩的脸。
“小姐，请原谅我插嘴。你和这位警长是熟人哪，要是你能叫他到监狱时替我说几句好话，他一定会做的。这样我在里面的日子就会好过些了。他现在要押我去莱文沃思监狱。我因伪造罪得在那儿蹲上7年。”
“噢！”女孩说道，深吸了一口气，神色恢复过来。“那么这就是你现在的差事呀，当警长！”
“我亲爱的费尔柴尔德小姐，”伊斯顿平静地说，“我总得干点什么。钱总是插翼而飞，你也知道要跟上华盛顿人的步子是要花钱的。我在西部看到这个空缺，就—其实警长也算不上一个多高级的职位，比不上大使，不过—”
“大使，”女孩温情脉脉地说道，“他没再来电话了。他其实从来都不需要这么做。你应该明白。那你现在就是那英勇的西部英雄之一了，骑马、射击、经历各种危险，那和华盛顿的生活太不一样了。”
姑娘的眼光再次被吸引到那副亮闪闪的手铐上，她睁大了眼睛。
“请别在意这副手铐，小姐，”另一个人说，“所有的警长都是这样把自己和犯人锁在一起的，这样就不怕他们逃跑了。伊斯顿先生懂得这一点。”
“到了华盛顿我们会很快再见面吗？”女孩问道。
“不会很快吧，我想，”伊斯顿答道，“恐怕我是不会有轻松自在的日子过了。”
“我喜欢西部，”女孩不着边际地说，眼睛里闪着柔和的光。她转头望向车窗外，开始坦诚地说起话来，不再顾虑礼节：“妈妈和我在丹佛过了夏天。一星期前她回家了，因为父亲身体微恙。在西部我会生活得很开心。这里的空气适合我。钱不代表一切。可惜人们老是会错意，执迷不悟—”
“我说，警长先生，”脸色阴沉的那个男人咕哝起来。“这不太公平吧。我想喝杯酒，我一整天连根烟都没抽过哪。你们聊得够久了吧？现在带我去吸烟室，可以吗？”
被铐在一起的两人于是站起身，伊斯顿的脸上依旧带着和缓的笑容。
“我可不能拒绝吸烟的请求，”他轻声说道，“这是一位不走运的朋友。再会，费尔柴尔德小姐。你明白，职责所需。”他伸出手道别。
“你不去东部真是太糟了，”她又重新给自己披上了礼节的外衣。“但我想你会去莱文沃思的，对吗？”
“是的。”伊斯顿回答说。“我必须去莱文沃思。”
于是两人沿着过道走到吸烟室去。
坐在旁边的两位乘客听到了他们的大部分对话。其中一个说道：“那警长看起来是个不错的家伙，这些西部人里有些还是不错的。”
“他的年纪对如此重要的职务来说，太年轻了一点，对吧？”另一个人问道。
“年轻！”第一个人喊起来，“哎—噢！你还没明白吗？瞧—你见过哪个警官把囚犯铐在自己右手上的？”