英语美文《项链》
THE NECKLACE
作者 莫泊桑
Mathilde Loisel was one of those poor girls， pretty，charming and romantic，who，in spite of their romantic dreams，are married to a mediocrity．Her husband was a clerk in the Ministry of Education．
One evening her husband came home with an air of triumph．
“I have something nice for you，”he said，giving her a large envelope．
She tore open the envelope，which contained the following printed card：
“The Minister of Education and Madame Georges Ramponneau have the honour to request the company of Monsieur and Madame Loisel at the office of the Ministry on Monday evening，January 18th．”
She did not seem delighted．On the contrary，she flung the invitation card on the table，and said spitefully：
“What's that to me？”
“Why，my dear，I thought you'd be pleased．You like a dance，don't you？You hardly ever go out，and this is really a good chance for you．I had no end of trouble to get it．Every one wants it，you know．All the officials will be there，but only a few clerks are invited．”
She looked at him ruefully and exclaimed：
“What do you expect me to wear at a party like that？”
It never occurred to him that she had no pretty dresses nor jewels．He replied hesitatingly：
“Why，the dress you wear when you go to the theatre looks very nice to me．”
She burst into tears．Why did she marry such a dull，stupid fellow？Only because she was born into a poor family．Oh，cruel trick of destiny！
“What's the matter？”he asked anxiously．
“Nothing，”she answered with an effort．“It's only that I haven't a suitable dress，and so I can't go to the ball．Give this card to a friend of yours whose wife has a better wardrobe than I．”
It was a heart-breaking confession．
“Come，Mathilde，my dearest，”the distressed husband said，“how much do you think it would cost to have a proper dress，something rather simple which would be useful for other occasions after- wards？”
She thought for a moment，busy with her calculations．How much could she ask without shocking the thrifty husband and provoking a flat refusal？
“I'm not sure， but I think I could manage with four hundred francs．”
The husband turned a little pale．She had named the exact sum he had saved to buy a gun to enjoy shooting on the plain of Nanterre next summer with a few friends．
But he replied：
“All right．You shall have four hundred francs．Mind you get a really nice dress．”
世上有些贫穷人家的姑娘，身段漂亮，相貌迷人，而且布满罗曼蒂克的想法。然而，尽管她们做着美丽浪漫的梦，却嫁给了平民百姓为妻。玛蒂尔德·卢瓦泽尔便是其中之一，她的丈夫只是教育部里的一名小职员。
一天晚上，她丈夫神采飞扬地回到家里。
“我有样好东西送给你，”他说道，递给她一个大信封。
她拆开信封，里面装着一张请柬，上面印着：
“教育部长乔治·朗蓬诺夫人敬请卢瓦泽尔先生及夫人光临1月18日星期一晚上在本部大楼举行的晚会。”
她似乎一点也不兴奋，反而把请柬扔在桌上，没好气地说：
“那跟我有啥关系？”
“嗨，亲爱的，我原以为你会兴奋的。你喜欢舞蹈，不是吗？你几乎从不出门，这次对你来说可真是一次极好的机会呀。我费了九牛二虎之力才弄到这张请柬。所有的官员都要到场。你知道，每个人都想要，但只邀请了极少数的职员。”
她悲戚地看着他，叫喊道：
“在那种聚会上你叫我穿什么嘛？”
他从未想过，她既没有漂亮衣服，也没有珠宝首饰。他吞吞吐吐地说道：
“嗯，呃，我看，你上剧院穿的那套就挺不错。”
她的眼泪不禁夺眶而出。她为什么要嫁给这样一个木讷、愚笨的家伙？只由于她生在贫冷人家。唉，命运是多么残酷啊！
“干嘛哭啊？”他焦虑地问道。
“没什么，”她费力地说道，“只是我没有合适的衣服，因此我不能往参加舞会。你哪位朋友的夫人有比我更漂亮的衣服，就把请柬送给他好了。”
这是令人心碎的自白。“得啦，玛蒂尔德，亲爱的，”窘迫之极的丈夫说，“你以为买一件合适的，就是说简单些并且以后在其他场合还能穿的衣服要花多少钱？”
她想了一会，脑子里飞快地盘算开来。要不吓着她那节俭的丈夫，使他不会断然拒尽，说多少才好呢？
“我也说不上来，不过我想400法郎就够开销了。”
丈夫脸色略微发白。她所报的数目正好是他存着买枪，预备和他的几个朋友到明年夏天往南特尔平原打猎用的。
但他回答道：
“好吧，我给你400法郎。不过，一定得买一件漂漂亮亮的衣服。”
未完待续
居伊·德·莫泊桑（Henri René Albert Guy de Maupassant，1850年8月5日—1893年7月6日），19世纪后半期法国优秀的批判现实主义作家，被誉为现代文学中的“世界短篇小说之王”，与俄国契诃夫和美国欧·亨利并称为“世界三大短篇小说巨匠”。他一生创作了六部长篇小说、三百五十九篇中短篇小说及三部游记，是法国文学史上短篇小说创作数量最大、成就最高的作家。代表作品有《项链》、《漂亮朋友》、《羊脂球》、《我的叔叔于勒》等。
英文朗诵：洁白 ：中学英语高级教师。中国朗诵联盟会员。喜欢朗读，希望通过自己的声音向世界传播中国文化，讲好中国故事。
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