O. Henry - One Thousand Dollars | Текст песни

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FAITH LAPIDUS: Now, the VOA Special English program, AMERICAN STORIES.
(MUSIC)

Our story today is called “One Thousand Dollars.” It was written by O. Henry. Here is Steve Ember with the story.

STEVE EMBER: \"One thousand dollars,\" said the lawyer Tolman, in a severe and serious voice. \"And here is the money.”

Young Gillian touched the thin package of fifty-dollar bills and laughed.

\"It's such an unusual amount,\" he explained, kindly, to the lawyer. “If it had been ten thousand a man might celebrate with a lot of fireworks. Even fifty dollars would have been less trouble.\"

\"You heard the reading of your uncle's will after he died,\" continued the lawyer Tolman. \"I do not know if you paid much attention to its details. I must remind you of one. You are required to provide us with a report of how you used this one thousand dollars as soon as you have spent it. I trust that you will obey the wishes of your late uncle.\"

William Sydney Porter, or O. Henry sits for a portrait.

\"You may depend on it,\" said the young man respectfully.

(MUSIC)

Gillian went to his club. He searched for a man he called Old Bryson.

Old Bryson was a calm, anti-social man, about forty years old. He was in a corner reading a book. When he saw Gillian coming near he took a noisy, deep breath, laid down his book and took off his glasses.

\"I have a funny story to tell you,” said Gillian.

\"I wish you would tell it to someone in the billiard room,\" said Old Bryson. \"You know how I hate your stories.\"

\"This is a better one than usual,\" said Gillian, rolling a cigarette, and I'm glad to tell it to you. It's too sad and funny to go with the rattling of billiard balls.

I’ve just come from a meeting with my late uncle's lawyers. He leaves me an even thousand dollars. Now, what can a man possibly do with a thousand dollars?\"

Old Bryson showed very little interest. \"I thought the late Septimus Gillian was worth something like half a million.\"

\"He was,\" agreed Gillian, happily. \"And that's where the joke comes in. He has left a lot of his money to an organism. That is, part of it goes to the man who invents a new bacillus and the rest to establish a hospital for doing away with it again. There are one or two small, unimportant gifts on the side. The butler and the housekeeper get a seal ring and ten dollars each. His nephew gets one thousand dollars.\"

\"Were there any others mentioned in your uncle’s will?\" asked Old Bryson.

\"None.\" said Gillian. “There is a Miss Hayden. My uncle was responsible for her. She lived in his house. She's a quiet thing…musical… the daughter of somebody who was unlucky enough to be his friend. I forgot to say that she was in on the ring and ten dollar joke, too. I wish I had been. Then I could have had two bottles of wine, given the ring to the waiter and had the whole business off my hands. Now tell me what a man can do with a thousand dollars.\"

Old Bryson rubbed his glasses and smiled. And when Old Bryson smiled, Gillian knew that he intended to be more offensive than ever.

There are many good things a man could do with a thousand dollars,” said Bryson. \"You?\" he said with a gentle laugh. \"Why, Bobby Gillian, there's only one reasonable thing you could do. You can go and buy Miss Lotta Lauriere a diamond necklace with the money and then take yourself off to Idaho and inflict your presence upon a ranch. I advise a sheep ranch, as I have a particular dislike for sheep.”