The Last Leaf (adapted excerpt)

江苏南菁高级中学 顾梅燕

Step 1 感知·阅读导航

话 题 导 入

《最后一片叶子》是美国著名作家欧·亨利的代表作，主要讲述了一位不幸得了肺炎、生命垂危的年轻画家Johnsy。 她绝望地把自己的生命和常春藤叶子联系起来，认为最后一片叶子的飘落便意味着自己的死亡。 为了燃起Johnsy活下去的信心，老画家Behrman在最后一片叶子飘落的夜晚，用画笔在墙上画上了一片永不凋落的常春藤叶， 让Johnsy重新树立了生存的勇气和信念。 但是Behrman却被病魔无情地夺去了生命。 故事情节生动，语言细腻，寓意深刻，引发了读者强烈的共鸣和无限的思考。

本文为小说节选，全文798字，建议用时10分钟。

阅读立意

阅读时应达到以下四个目标：

1.了解故事发生的背景、人物和主要情节；

2.以故事发展为线索和依据，分析人物的性格特点；

3.通过剖析人物的品质，深入理解小说标题的真正内涵；

4.通过思考小说节选体现的道德寓意，引导读者体会人性的真善美。

“Try to sleep，” said Sue a little later， “I must go downstairs for a minute to get Mr Behrman who is going to sit as my model. But I will be right back. And don't move and also please promise me not to look out of the window.”

Old Mr Behrman was a painter who lived on the first floor beneath them. He was more than sixty years old. Behrman was a failure in art. He had always wanted to paint a masterpiece， but he had never yet begun to paint it.For many years he had painted nothing， except now and then something in the line of commer-cial or advertising work. He earned a little money by serving as a model for those young artists who could not pay the price for a regular model.He drank much whiskey and when he was drunk he always talked about the great masterpiece he was going to paint. He was a fierce， intense little man who considered himself as a watch-dog and protector for the two young artists living above him，of whom he was very fond.

Sue found Behrman in his poorly-lighted studio. In one corner of the room stood a blank canvas which had been waiting for twenty-five years to receive the first line of the promised masterpiece. Sue told him of the strange idea which Johnsy had concerning the last leaf， and Sue said that she feared that Johnsy would really die when the last leaf fell.

Old Behrman shouted， “Are there people in the world who are foolish enough to die simply because leaves fall from an old vine （藤蔓）? I have never heard of such a thing. Why do you permit such silly ideas to come into her mind?Oh， that poor little Miss Johnsy.”

“She is very ill and very weak，” explained Sue， “and the fever has left her mind full of strange ideas.”

Johnsy was sleeping when they both went upstairs. Sue pulled down the curtain and motioned to Behrman to go into the other room.There they looked out of the window fearfully at the vine. Then they looked at each other for a moment without speaking. A cold rain was falling， mixed with snow. Behrman took a seat and prepared himself to pose for Sue as a model.

When Sue woke up the next morning， she found Johnsy with dull， wide open eyes， looking at the window.

“But， oh， after the heavy rain and the strong wind， one leaf was still hanging on the vine. The last leaf. Still dark green， it hung from a branch some twenty feet above the ground.”

“It is the last one，” said Johnsy. “I thought it would surely fall during the night. I heard the wind and the rain. It will fall today and I shall die at the same time.”

“Dear Johnsy，” said Sue， placing her face close to Johnsy's on the pillow， “think of me if you won't think of yourself. What shall I do?”

The day passed slowly， and even through the growing darkness of the evening they could see the lone leaf still hanging from the branch against the wall. And then， with the coming of the night， the wind began to blow again， and the rain began to fall heavily.

But the next morning when Johnsy commanded that the curtain be raised again， the leaf was still there.

Johnsy lay for a long time looking at it.And then she called to Sue.

“I've been a bad girl， Sue，” said Johnsy.“Something has made the last leaf stay there just to show me how bad I was. It was a sin（罪） to want to die. You may bring me a little soup now—and then put some pillows behind me and I will sit up and watch you cook.”

An hour later Johnsy said， “Sue， some day I want to paint a picture of the Bay of Naples(那不勒斯海湾).”

The doctor came in the afternoon. “You are doing fine，” he said， taking Johnsy's thin hand in his. “In another week or so you will be perfectly well. And now I must go to see another patient downstairs. His name is Behrman. He is some kind of an artist， I believe. Pneumonia（肺炎 ）， too. He is an old， weak man， and the at

tack is very severe. There is no hope for him，but I am sending him to the hospital in order to make him more comfortable.”

The next day， Sue came to the bed where Johnsy lay. “The doctor tells me that soon you will be perfectly well again，” Sue said， putting her arm around Johnsy. Johnsy smiled at her happily.

“Isn't it wonderful?” Sue continued. “ But now I have something important to tell you...”

Step 2 实践·文本解读

立意呈现

Ⅰ.Analyze the soul character

Complete the table and fill in the blank with one word according to the text.

Ⅱ.Summarize the qualities of Behrman

According to the excerpt， what words can be used to describe Behrman's qualities?

He was ___________because_______________________________________________.

He was ___________because_______________________________________________.

He was ___________because________________________________________________.

Ⅲ. Analyze the meaning of Behrman's masterpiece

To Johnsy， it means _______________________________at first.

To Johnsy， it means ________________________________at last.

To Behrman， it means ________________________________seemingly.

To Behrman， it means _______________________________actually.

Step 3 运用·读写整合

Ⅰ.Understand the title

What is the symbolic meaning of the titleThe Last Leaf ?

Ⅱ.Explore the theme

What is the theme of the excerpt in your opinion?

【点石成金】小说主题思想的挖掘、标题蕴意的探索，都需要在解读文本的基础上跳出节选内容，结合故事发生的背景和相应时代的发展特征，包括作者的生平经历等信息，才能真正领悟出小说故事的内涵和所表达的精神品质。 欧·亨利的《最后一片叶子》以普通人的经历为视角并切入，用细腻的文字抒写了舍己为人、大爱无疆的宝贵品质，让读者深受感动。同时读者又惊讶于这片叶子所蕴含的深刻意义，由此引发了无限的思考：人性的真善美，究竟体现在何处，又如何在生活中去实践？

Step 4 提升·素养建构

Ⅰ.Writing style

1.Features of the language and description of the story:

2.Features of the ending of O. Henry's works， includingThe Gift of the Magi and The Cop and the Anthem:

Ⅱ.What is your ending for this story? Write an essay within 100 words to express your own idea.

“Isn't it wonderful?” Sue continued. “Butnow I have something important to tell you. ”

【点石成金】续写活动是阅读课的有效拓展方式之一。从思维训练的角度看：读，是感受别人的局部形象思维成果，又是自己形象思维的触发点以及进一步展开的起点；而写则是自己形象思维成果的外化。读孕育写，带动写；而写是读的继续和深化，写促进了读，二者紧密联系。同时，在续写的过程中，学生会再次深刻理解文本，抓住线索，构思续文，各种充满创造性的情节不断涌现，形象思维能力和逻辑思维能力都得到了有效激活。