part seven
She found it at last. It surely had been made for Jim and no one else. There was no other like it in any of the stores, and she had turned all of them inside out. It was a platinum fob chain simple and chaste in design, properly proclaiming its value by substance alone and not by meretricious ornamentation--as all good things should do. It was even worthy of The Watch. As soon as she saw it she knew that it must be Jim's. It was like him. Quietness and value--the description applied to both. Twenty-one dollars they took from her for it, and she hurried home with the 78 cents. With that chain on his watch Jim might be properly anxious about the time in any company. Grand as the watch was, he sometimes looked at it on the sly on account of the old leather strap that he used in place of a chain.
She found it at last. It surely had been made for Jim and no one else. There was no other like it in any of the stores, and she had turned all of them inside out. It was a platinum fob chain simple and chaste in design, properly proclaiming its value by substance alone and not by meretricious ornamentation--as all good things should do. It was even worthy of The Watch. As soon as she saw it she knew that it must be Jim's. It was like him. Quietness and value--the description applied to both. Twenty-one dollars they took from her for it, and she hurried home with the 78 cents. With that chain on his watch Jim might be properly anxious about the time in any company. Grand as the watch was, he sometimes looked at it on the sly on account of the old leather strap that he used in place of a chain.
بالاخره آن را پیدا کرد. شکی نداشت که آن هدیه برای "جیم" ساخته شده بود و نه برای کسی دیگر.مثل آن در هیچکدام از فروشگاههای دیگر یافت نمی شد.و او به همه ی آنها سر زده بود و آنها را زیر و رو کرده بود.یک زنجیر طلای سفید؛با طرحی ساده و بی پیرایه ، فقط همان ماده سازنده ی آن ، یعنی طلای سفید ، کافی بود و بس تا ارزشش را نشان دهد و به هیچ زرق و برق و فریبندگی دیگری نیاز نبود- همه ی چیزهای خوب و با ارزش همینطور هستند.واقعا هم ،همین زنجیر برازنده ی ساعت "جیم" بود.ارزشمند و باوقار-وصفی درخور و شایسته ی هر دوتای آنها. بیست و یک دلار بابت زنجیر پرداخت کرد و با هشتادوهفت سنت باقیمانده با عجله راه منزل را درپیش گرفت. "جیم" با داشتن آن زنجیر روی ساعت طلایش ،از این به بعد ، توی هر شرکتی که کار می کرد ، دیگر درباره ی زمان حساس می شد و به آن علاقه نشان می داد.چون ساعت طلا خیلی ارزشمند و باشکوه بود ، بنابر این "جیم" گاهی اوقات به بند چرمی کهنه که به جای زنجیر بسته شده بود نگاه تحقیرآمیزی می کرد.
When Della reached home her intoxication gave way a little to prudence and reason. She got out her curling irons and lighted the gas and went to work repairing the ravages made by generosity added to love. Which is always a tremendous task dear friends--a mammoth task.
وقتی "دلّا" به منزل رسید ، شادی و سرخوشی اش اندکی جایش را به تفکر و منطق داد.اتوی فر دهنده ی موهایش را برداشت، اجاق گاز را روشن کرد و دست به کار مرتب کردن و اصلاح آثار مخربی شد که سخاوت عاشقانه اش به بار آورده بود.همیشه این کار ، کار وحشتناکی است ، دوستان عزیز-یک کار بزرگ.