《钟摆》讲述了一个都市小人物因陷于枯燥乏味的生活而无精打采,忽因妻子离家而感到孤独,痛自忏悔。谁知这时妻子突然回来,生活恢复了正常,他的温情瞬间消失,重新陷入钟摆式单调循环的生活中。故事揭示了普通人平淡琐屑的生活日常,也深刻反映了人意志的摇摆不定。欲望不得满足就痛苦,欲望满足就无聊,人生实如钟摆,在痛苦和倦怠之间徘徊。欧·亨利笔下“钟摆人”的精神困苦与叔本华的“钟摆理论”存在共同的思想内核,从而引发对生命艺术性的探讨。 “Pendulum” tells the story of a metropolitan lifeless due to sluggish life, suddenly because of his wife away from home and feel lonely, painful since repentance. Surprisingly, when the wife suddenly came back and her life returned to normal, his warmth disappeared instantaneously and plunged back into the pendulum cycle of monotonous life. The story reveals ordinary everyday trivial life, but also a profound reflection of the will of people wavering. Desire can not satisfy the pain, desire to meet boring, life is like a pendulum, wandering between pain and burnout. The pain and suffering of “Pendulum” and the “pendulum theory” of Schopenhauer by European and American Henry Henry have common core of thoughts, which leads to the exploration of the artistry of life.