Falling Leaves

黃莉

This story happened in New York. There were many poor artists living in the old buildings in this city. Sue and Daisy were among them. Sue and Daisy got on well with each other. They liked the same kind of art， the same kind of food and the same kind of clothes. They loved each other like sisters.

Many people in the city caught pneumonia， and many of them died of it these days. Daisy caught it too. She lay in bed all day， she looked very weak. These days， she looked from time to time at the wall of the building out of the window. The doctor told Sue that Daisy would die soon if she didnt have a strong will to live. Sue decided to give her strong will to live. She told her funny stories. She tried to talk with her about new clothes in shops. She also planned to have picnics with her in the woods the next spring， etc.

One afternoon， when Sue came into Daisys room， she saw she was looking out of the window too. Her eyes were wide open and was counting. “Twelve，” said Daisy. Then she went on counting slowly， “Eleven... ten... nine... eight... seven.” Sue looked out of the window too. She found there was a wall covered with an old vine. “Six，” Daisy counted in a low voice， “Theyre falling faster and faster. During the past three days， several hundred leaves have fallen. Now only five are left. When the last leaf falls， I must go， too.” Sue tried to comfort Daisy. But Daisy still became weaker and weaker. She was waiting for the death.

It was raining again. There was only one yellow leaf at the end of the branch. Sue was very worried. She couldnt let her good friend die.

She thought of their old model. He was an artist， too. She told him about Daisys illness. He didnt believe that people would die because leaves fell down a tree. So he went to Daisys room to see her. Daisy still said that she would die with the last leaf.

The next morning， Daisy began to look for the last leaf as soon as she woke up. It was still there. Several days later， the lonely leaf was still on the branch. Daisy was finally moved by this lonely leaf. She said to Sue， “Ive learned from that leaf that its wrong to die. I want to get well and go on painting.”

Several days later， they know that the old model had died of pneumonia. The doctor said it was very surprising that the old artist was dead with his shoes on. And his shoes and clothes were all wet and as cold as ice. Nobody knew why.

But Sue knew why. She rushed out of the room and came to the vine. Yes， the last leaf was still there. It looked like a real leaf. It must be painted by the old model. When the last leaf fell， the old artist painted one there on that raining， cold night.

這個(gè)故事發(fā)生在紐約市。在這個(gè)城市的一座破舊樓房里住著許多貧窮的藝術(shù)家。蘇和戴茜就是其中的兩位。蘇和戴茜相處得非常好，她們喜愛同一種藝術(shù)、同一種食品和同樣的衣服。她們像親姐妹一樣地相處著。

這些天，這座城市的許多人感染了肺炎，并且很多死于這種疾病。戴茜也得上了。她整天躺在床上，看上去非常虛弱。這幾天，她不住地看窗外一座建筑的墻。醫(yī)生告訴蘇，如果戴茜沒有強(qiáng)烈的生存下去的愿望的話，她很快就會(huì)死去。蘇決定為戴茜樹立生存下去的愿望。她給她講好玩的故事，跟她談?wù)撋痰昀锏男驴钜路€計(jì)劃明年帶戴茜一起到森林里去野餐等等。

一天下午，當(dāng)蘇走進(jìn)戴茜的房間的時(shí)候，她看她又在看窗外。她的眼睛睜得大大的，她在數(shù)著什么。“十二，”戴茜說。然后她又繼續(xù)慢慢地?cái)?shù)著：“十一……十……九……八……七。”蘇向外看去，發(fā)現(xiàn)外面是一面爬滿老葡萄藤的墻。戴茜在數(shù)葡萄樹上的落葉。“六，”戴茜低聲地?cái)?shù)著，“它們落得越來越快了，在過去的三天時(shí)間里，已經(jīng)有好幾百片葉子落了。現(xiàn)在只剩下五片葉子了。當(dāng)最后一片葉子落下的時(shí)候，我也一定要死了。”蘇試著安慰戴茜。但是戴茜還是變得越來越虛弱了。她在等死。

天又下雨了，現(xiàn)在樹梢只剩下一片黃葉了。蘇很著急，她不想讓她的好朋友死去。

她想到了她們的老模特，他也是一個(gè)藝術(shù)家。她告訴他戴茜的病情。老模特不相信人會(huì)因?yàn)闃淙~的飄落而死去。于是他到戴茜的房間看望她。戴茜仍然說她會(huì)隨最后一片落葉的飄落而離開人世。

第二天早晨，戴茜一醒來就去看那最后一片葉子，它還在那兒。這樣一連好幾天，那片葉子還孤零零地掛在枝頭。戴茜終于被這片孤葉感動(dòng)了。她對蘇說：“我從那片葉子身上知道，死是錯(cuò)誤的。我想好起來繼續(xù)畫畫。”

幾天以后，她們從醫(yī)生那兒得知老模特已死于肺炎。醫(yī)生說老模特死得很奇怪，臨死的時(shí)候，他腳上穿著濕漉漉的鞋子，身上也穿著濕衣服，全身冰涼冰涼的。沒人知道為什么。

但是蘇突然明白了什么。她沖出房間，來到那棵葡萄樹旁。是的，那最后一片葉子還在，它看上去像真樹葉一樣，它一定是老模特畫上去的。當(dāng)最后一片樹葉落下的時(shí)候，老模特在那個(gè)寒冷的雨夜，又在那兒畫上了一片。