Introduction：Bob and Jimmy were very close friends。When Bob was going to the West to make fortune，they made an appointment to meet each other at“Big Joe”Brady’s restaurant twenty years later。Can both of them keep the appointment？
1.The policeman on the beat moved up the avenue impressively。The impressiveness was habitual and not for show，for spectators were few。The time was barely 10 o’clock at night，but chilly gusts of wind with a taste of rain in them had well nigh depeopled the streets。
2.Trying doors as he went，twirling his club with many intricate and artful movements，turning now and then to cast his watchful eye down the pacificthoroughfare，the officer，with his stalwart form and slight swagger，made a fine picture of a guardian of the peace。The vicinity was one that kept early hours。Now and then you might see the lights of a cigar store or of an all-night lunch counter but the majority of the doors belonged to business places that had long sincebeen closed。
on the beat：执勤
habitual：adj。习惯性的，惯常的
spectator：n。参观者，观众
barely：adv。仅仅
depeople：v。使人减少
twirl：v。迅速转动
club：n。警棍
intricate：adj。复杂的
artful：adj。巧妙的
pacific：adj。平静的
thoroughfare：n。大道，大街
stalwart：adj。健壮的，坚定的
swagger：n。昂首阔步的行为
guardian：n。保护人
vicinity：n。邻近、附近地区
3.When about midway of a certain block the policeman suddenly slowed his walk。In the doorway of a darkened hardware store a man leaned，with an unlighted cigar in his mouth。As the policeman walked up to him the man spoke up quickly。
4.“It’s all right，officer，”he said，reassuringly。“I’m just waiting for a friend。It’s an appointment made twenty years ago。Sounds a little funny to you，doesn’t it？Well，I’ll explain if you’d like to make certain it’s all straight。About that long ago there used to be a restaurant where this store stands-‘Big Joe’Brady’s restaurant。”
5.“Until five years ago，”said the policeman。“It was torn downthen。”
6.The man in the doorway struck a match and lit his cigar。Thelight showed a pale，square-jawed face with keen eyes，and a little white scarnear his right eyebrow。His scarf-pin was a large diamond，oddly set。
评注：第6段对Bob脸上疤痕和领带夹上钻石的描写为他后来的身份埋下了伏笔。
7.“Twenty years ago tonight，”said the man，“I dined here at‘Big Joe’Brady’swith Jimmy Wells，my best chum，and the finest chap in the world。He and I wereraised here in New York，just like two brothers，together。I was eighteen and Jimmy was twenty。The next morning I was to start for the West to make my fortune。You couldn’t have dragged Jimmy out of New York he thought it was the only place on earth。Well，we agreed that night that we would meet here again exactly twenty years from that date and time，no matter what our conditions might be or from what distance we might have to come。We figured that in twenty years each ofus ought to have our destiny worked out and our fortunes made，whatever they were going to be。”
评注：第7段中Bob讲述了他与Jimmy之约的来龙去脉。在讲述的过程中Bob暗示了他与Jimmy性格上的差别和不同的世界观。
hardware：n。五金器具
reassuringly：adv。安慰地，令人安心地
keen：adj。敏锐的
oddly：adv。奇怪地
chum：n。密友，挚友
chap：n。人，伙计
destiny：n。命运
8.“It sounds pretty interesting，”said the policeman。“Rather a long time between meets，though，it seems to me。Haven’t you heard from your friend since youleft？”
9.“Well，yes，for a time we corresponded，”said the other。“But after a year or two we lost track of each other。You see，the West is a prettybig proposition，and I kept hustling around overit pretty lively。But I know Jimmy will meet me here if he’s alive，for he always was the truest，staunchest old chap in the world。He’ll never forget。I came a thousand miles to stand in this door tonight，and it’s worth it if my old partner turns up。”
10.The waiting man pulled out a handsome watch，the lids of itset with small diamonds。
11.“Three minutes to ten，”he announced。“It was exactly ten o’clock when we parted here at the restaurant door。”
12.“Did pretty well out West，didn’t you？”asked the policeman。
13.“You bet！I hope Jimmy has done half as well。He was a kindof plodder，though，good fellow as he was。I’ve had to compete with some of the sharpest wits going to get my pile。A man gets in a groove in New York。It takes the West to put a razor-edge on him。”
lose track of：失去了联系
proposition：n。好地方
hustle：v。奔忙
staunch：adj。可信赖的，可靠的
plodder：n。缓慢而不停的步行者、工作者
get my pile：挣钱
groove：n。墨守成规的人
razor-edge：n。锋利，精明
14.The policeman twirled his club and took a step or two。
15.“I’ll be on my way。Hope your friend comes around all right。Going to calltime on him sharp？”
16.“I should say not！”said the other。“I’ll give him half anhour at least。If Jimmy is alive on earth he’ll be here by that time。So long，officer。”
17.“Good night，sir，”said the policeman，passing on along hisbeat，trying doors as he went。
18.There was now a fine，cold drizzle falling，and the wind had risen from itsuncertain puffs into a steady blow。The few foot passengers astir in that quarter hurried dismally and silently along with coat collars turned high and pocketed hands。And in the door of the hardware store the man who had come a thousand miles to fill an appointment，uncertain almost to absurdity，withthe friend of his youth，smoked his cigar and waited。
19.About twenty minutes he waited，and then a tall man in a long overcoat，with collar turned up to his ears，hurried across from the opposite side of the street。He went directly to the waiting man。
20.“Is that you，Bob？”he asked，doubtfully。
21.“Is that you，Jimmy Wells？”cried the man in the door。
22.“Bless my heart！”exclaimed the new arrival，grasping both the other’s hands with his own。“It’s Bob，sure as fate。I was certain I’d find you here if you were still in existence。Well，well，well！—twenty years is a long time。The old restaurant’s gone，Bob I wish it had lasted，so we could have had another dinner there。How has the West treated you，old man？”
23.“Bully it has given me everything I asked it for。You’ve changed lots，Jimmy。I never thought you were so tall by two or three inches。”
24.“Oh，I grew a bit after I was twenty。”
25.“Doing well in New York，Jimmy？”
26.“Moderately。I have a position in one of the city departments。Come on，Bob we’ll go around to a place I know of，and have a good long talk about old times。”
27.The two men started up the street，arm in arm。The man fromthe West，his egotism enlarged by success，was beginning to outline the history of his career。The other，submerged in his overcoat，listened with interest。
28.At the corner stood a drug store，brilliant with electric lights。When theycame into this glare each of them turned simultaneously to gaze upon the other’s face。
29.The man from the West stopped suddenly and released his arm。
30.“You’re not Jimmy Wells，”he snapped。“Twenty years isa long time，but not long enough to change a man’s nose from a Roman to a pug。”
31.“It sometimes changes a good man into a bad one，”said the tall man。“You’vebeen under arrest for ten minutes，‘Silky’Bob。Chicago thinks you may have dropped over our way and wires us she wants to have a chat with you。Going quietly，are you？That’s sensible。Now，before we go on to the station here’s a note Iwas asked to hand you。You may read it here at the window。It’s from Patrolman Wells。”
drizzle：n。细雨
astir：adv。在活动中地
absurdity：n。荒唐
bully：int。好，妙
egotism：n。自负，自大
submerge：v。浸没
snap：v。严厉地说话或说出某事
from a Roman to a pug：意为from long to short
patrolman：n。巡警
32.The man from the West unfolded the little piece of paper handed to him。Hishand was steady when he began to read，but it trembled a little by the time he had finished。The note was rather short。
33.“Bob：I was at the appointed place on time。When you struckthe match to light your cigar I saw it was the face of the man wanted in Chicago。Somehow I couldn’t do it myself，so I went around and got a plain-clothes man to do the job。JIMMY。”
评注：欧·亨利擅长使用“surprising ending”，后人称之为欧·亨利式结尾。
Comprehension Exercises：
1.What kind of a person is Bob？Do you think he is a bad guy？
2.What kind of a person is Jimmy？Do you think he is faithful to his friend？
3.What does friendship mean？Can you find some evidence from this passage？
欧·亨利（1862—1910）：原名是威廉·西德尼·波特（William Sydney Porter），美国最著名的短篇小说家之一，曾被评论界誉为曼哈顿桂冠散文作家和现代短篇小说之父。他的一生富有传奇色彩，当过药房学徒、会计员、土地局办事员、新闻记者以及银行出纳员等。他善于描写美国社会尤其是纽约百姓的生活。他的作品构思新颖，语言朴素诙谐，结局常常出人意料；又因描写了众多的人物，富于生活情趣，被誉为“美国生活的幽默百科全书”。代表作有小说集《白菜与国王》、《四百万》、《命运之路》等。其中的一些名篇像《麦琪的礼物》、《警察与赞美诗》、《最后一片叶子》等使他获得了世界声誉。本书之所以选择《二十年之后》，是因为与他的同类作品相比，本文更突出了一种少见的深沉的严肃性，具有不同寻常的吸引力。