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VOA慢速英语2021--'The Romance of a Busy Broker' by O. Henry

时间:2021-04-05 23:58来源:互联网 提供网友:nan   字体: [ ]
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We present the short story "The Romance1 of a Busy Broker2," by O. Henry. The story was originally3 adapted and recorded by the U.S. Department of State.

Pitcher4, who worked in the office of Harvey Maxwell, broker, usually allowed his face to show no feeling. This morning he allowed his face to show interest and surprise when Mr. Maxwell entered. It was half past nine, and Mr. Maxwell was with his young lady secretary.

"Good morning, Pitcher," said Maxwell. He rushed to his table as if he were going to jump over it, then began to look at the many, many letters and other papers5 waiting there for him.

The young lady had been Maxwell's secretary for a year. She was very beautiful, and very different from most other secretaries. Her hair always looked plain and simple. She did not wear chains or jewels. Her dress was gray and plain, but it fitted her very well. On her small black- hat was the gold-green wing of a bird.

On this morning she seemed to shine softly6. Her eyes were dreaming but bright. Her face was warmly colored, and her expression was happy.

Pitcher watched her. There was a question about her in his mind. She was different this morning. Instead of going straight to the room where she worked, she waited. She seemed not to know what to do. Once she went over to Maxwell's table, near enough for him to see that she was there.

The machine sitting at that table was no longer a man. It was a busy New York broker.

"What is it? Anything?" asked Maxwell shortly7. Papers lay like snow covering his table. His gray eyes looked at her as if she were another machine.

"Nothing," answered the secretary, moving away with a little smile.

"Mr. Pitcher," she said, "did Mr. Maxwell talk to you yesterday about getting another secretary?"

"He did," Pitcher answered. "He told me to get another one. Several are coming to talk to us this morning. But it's now after nine and not one has appeared."

"I will do the work as usual," said the young lady, "until someone comes to fill the place." And she went to her table. She took off the black hat with the gold-green bird wing and put it away as usual.

If you have never seen a busy New York broker on a busy day, you know little about men at work. Every minute of a broker's hour is crowded.

And this day was Harvey Maxwell's busy day.

Beside his table stood a machine. From this came a long, narrow, endless piece of paper, bringing him business news as soon as it happened.

Men began to come into the office and speak to him. Some were happy, some were not, some were in a hurry, some were full of anger.

Boys ran in and out with letters for him to read and answer at once.

Pitcher's face now showed that he was alive. The other men who worked in the office jumped around like sailors during a storm.

And there were storms in the business world, fearful8 storms. Every storm was felt in the broker's office.

Maxwell moved his chair against the wall. Now he was like a dancer. He jumped from the machine to his table to the door and back again.

In the middle of all this, he slowly realized that something had come near him. There was golden9 hair; there was a very large amount of it, high on a head. On top of the hair was a big hat covered with birds' wings. There was a long silver chain, hanging from a neck until it nearly touched the floor. And among all these things there was a young lady.

Pitcher was beside her to explain.

"Lady for that job as secretary," said Pitcher.

Maxwell turned half around, with his hands full of letters and paper from the machine.

"What job?" he asked.

"Job of secretary," Pitcher said again. "You told me yesterday to have someone sent here this morning."

"You are losing your mind, Pitcher," said Maxwell. "Why should I tell you anything like that? Miss Leslie is a perfect secretary. She can keep the job as long as she wants it." To the young lady he said, "There is no job here." And to Pitcher he added10 this order: "Tell them not to send any more. And don't bring any more in here to see me."

The silver chain left the office, hitting against chairs and tables with anger, as it went. Pitcher said to another man in the office that Maxwell was more forgetful11 every day.

The rush of business grew wilder and faster. Maxwell was working like some fine, strong machine. He was working as fast as he could. He never had to stop to think. He was never wrong. He was always ready to decide and to act. He worked as a clock works12. This was the world of business. It was not a human world, or the world of nature.

When the dinner hour was near, things grew quieter.

Maxwell stood by his table with his hands full of papers and his hair hanging over his face. His window was open, for it was the time of year when the weather was beginning to turn warm.

And through the window came a soft sweet smell of flowers. For a moment the broker was held there, without moving. For this smell of flowers belonged to Miss Leslie. It was hers and hers only.

The smell seemed almost to make her stand there before him. The world of business grew smaller and smaller. And she was in the next room—twenty steps away.

"I'll do it now," said Maxwell, half aloud. "I'll ask her now. I wonder why I didn't do it long ago."

He rushed into the other room. He stopped beside the secretary.

She looked up at him with a smile. Warm color came into her face, and her eyes were soft and kind.

Maxwell's hands were still full of papers. "Miss Leslie," he began quickly, "I have only a moment. I want to say something in that moment. Will you be my wife? I haven't had time to make love to you in the usual way. But I really do love you. Talk quick, please. I have to get back to my work."

"Oh, what are you talking about?" cried the young lady. She rose to her feet and looked at him, round-eyed.

"Don't you understand?" said Maxwell. "I want you to marry me. I love you, Miss Leslie. I wanted to tell you. So I took this moment when I wasn't too busy. But they're calling me now. Tell them to wait a minute, Pitcher. Won't you, Miss Leslie?"

The secretary acted very strangely. At first she seemed lost in surprise. Then tears began to run from her wondering eyes. And then she smiled through her tears, and one of her arms went around the broker's neck.

"I know now," she said, softly. "It's this business. It has put everything else out of your head. I was afraid at first. Don't you remember, Harvey? We were married last evening at eight, in the Little Church around the Corner."

Download activities to help you understand this story here.

Words in This Story

broker – n. a person who helps other people to reach agreements, to make deals, or to buy and sell property13 such as stocks14 or houses

secretary - n. a person whose job is to handle records or letters for another person in an office

rush(ed) – v. to move or do something very quickly or in a way that shows you are in a hurry

chain(s) – n. a series15 of usually metal links or rings that are connected to each other in a line and used for supporting heavy things, for holding things together or for decoration

rush – n. a situation in which a large number of people move to or toward one place at the same time usually to do a specific thing or to search for something


点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 romance KXGx1     
n.恋爱关系,浪漫气氛,爱情小说,传奇
参考例句:
  • She wrote a romance about an artist's life in Tokyo.她写了一个关于一位艺术家在东京生活的浪漫故事。
  • They tried to rekindle the flames of romance.他们试图重燃爱火。
2 broker ESjyi     
n.中间人,经纪人;v.作为中间人来安排
参考例句:
  • He baited the broker by promises of higher commissions.他答应给更高的佣金来引诱那位经纪人。
  • I'm a real estate broker.我是不动产经纪人。
3 originally dJCxl     
adv.本来,原来,最初,就起源而论,独创地
参考例句:
  • Originally I didn't want to go.我本意不想去。
  • After much discussion they settled on the plan originally proposed.他们讨论了很久,然后确定了原来提出的那个计划。
4 pitcher S2Gz7     
n.(有嘴和柄的)大水罐;(棒球)投手
参考例句:
  • He poured the milk out of the pitcher.他从大罐中倒出牛奶。
  • Any pitcher is liable to crack during a tight game.任何投手在紧张的比赛中都可能会失常。
5 papers qmQzJz     
n.文件,纸币,论文
参考例句:
  • I want to check with my secretary before I sign the papers.在签署这些文件前,我要与我的秘书商议。
  • The lawyer read all the papers relating to the case.律师阅读了与该案有关的全部文件。
6 softly HiIzR4     
adv.柔和地,静静地,温柔地
参考例句:
  • He speaks too softly for her to hear.他讲话声音太轻,她听不见。
  • She breathed her advice softly.她低声劝告。
7 shortly ZyZwd     
adv.立即,不久;简略地,简言之
参考例句:
  • You go along with him. I'll come shortly.你陪陪他,我马上就来。
  • He answered my questions rather shortly.他相当简慢地回答我的问题。
8 fearful tksxs     
adj.惧怕的,担心的;可怕的,吓人的
参考例句:
  • What a fearful waste of time!简直太浪费时间了!
  • They are fearful of another business depression.他们担心会再次发生商业萧条。
9 golden 9fcxo     
adj.金的,含金的,可贵的,金色的,贵重的,繁盛的
参考例句:
  • My teacher is an Englishman with golden hair.我的老师是一个金黄色头发的英国人。
  • It's a balmy evening,the golden time for lovers.这是一个暖和的夜晚,是恋人们的黄金时光。
10 added mzJzm0     
adj.更多的,附加的,额外的
参考例句:
  • They have added a new scene at the beginning.在开头他们又增加了一场戏。
  • The pop music added to our enjoyment of the film.片中的流行音乐使我们对这部电影更加喜爱。
11 forgetful SgyzV     
adj.健忘的;不留心的
参考例句:
  • I am so forgetful I often leave my keys at home.我这么健忘,老把钥匙忘在家里。
  • I'm getting so forgetful these days.近来我变得如此健忘。
12 works ieuzIh     
n.作品,著作;工厂,活动部件,机件
参考例句:
  • We expect writers to produce more and better works.我们期望作家们写出更多更好的作品。
  • The novel is regarded as one of the classic works.这篇小说被公认为是最优秀的作品之一。
13 property dRQxd     
n.财产,所有物,所有权,性质,特性,(小)道具
参考例句:
  • He has made over his property to a hospital.他已将财产转交给了一家医院。
  • Oil has the property of floating on water.油有浮在水上的特性。
14 stocks 4cd2f69083364d323a3a238fe68e0332     
n.(树木等的)干( stock的名词复数 );公债;家系;家族
参考例句:
  • The manager wants to clear off the old stocks in the warehouse. 经理想把仓库里积压的存货处理掉。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • They want to unload the stocks on the market. 他们想把股票在市场上抛售掉。 来自《简明英汉词典》
15 series 1zzw1     
n.连续;系列
参考例句:
  • The students have put forward a series of questions.学生们提出了一系列问题。
  • He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。
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