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远古的国家住了一位野蛮残酷的国王，虽然他的思想观念都受到拉丁远邻的渐进影响，然而其思想却仍然非常广泛、天马行空且自由自在，也因此造就他个性中野蛮残酷的一面。
他是一位充满想象力的人，且国王这个职称赋予他诱人的权力，以致于他可以随心所欲将他的想象世界变成现实世界。
他也是个与自我融成一体的人，以致于当他与他自己同意任何事，事情就这样决定了。
当国家的每个人民及政治系统里的每个政客都遵守他的规则行事，他呈现的会是他温和宽大的一面；每当事情有点不顺他的心且有些人民或属下犯错时，他也依旧温和宽大，没有什么比让人改邪归正及平息反对声浪更能讨他欢喜了。
公共竞技场源自于国王的野蛮想法，他认为在展现他有男子气概和野兽般的勇气同时，他的主观意识也会变得文雅有教养。
但是国王不只发挥这些丰富且粗野的想象力，他还将梦想转变成现实，他建立起自己的竞技场。
竞技场并非提供人民有机会听垂死战士口出妄语，也不是让人们看到宗教信仰与无聊空话之间产生冲突后的必然结局，竞技场只是为了能扩大培养人民的心理能量。
这个巨大的竞技场拥有环绕的看台、神秘诡谲的地窖以及看不见的通道，它是依照公正清廉的机会法令以惩恶扬善之因果报应代表。
当有人被控犯罪且此人的重要性足以引起国王注意，则将会在国内贴出公告，公布被告在结构如其名的竞技场上接受命运安排的指定日期；虽然此竞技场的外形及设计都是采用远邻的构想，然而它的用途还是以国王的想法为主。
他是一个视忠诚度比满足他想象空间要重要的人，且他也灌输影响人民思想与行为的野蛮观。
当所有人民聚集在看台，且国王高高在上地坐在竞技场一端的王室宝座上，四周并围绕着他的廷臣法官时，国王便以动作示意，在他底下的门就会缓缓打开，接着被告即步入竞技场中。
在被告正对面，也就是密闭空间的另一端还有两扇门，这两扇门完全一样且并列在一起。
被告必须走到这两扇门前选择打开其中一扇。
他可能打开的是一扇令他满心欢喜的门：除了前面提到的公正清廉的机会以外，他也不用遭受任何支配或影响。
美女,还是老虎?Frank R. Stockton(1834―1902),美国作家,擅长撰写幽默故事,从事写作前是一名木头雕刻师。
他曾出版多部小说,如Rudder Grange(《鲁德・格兰奇》)、The Casting A way of Mrs. Lecks and Mrs. Aleshine(《雷克斯太太与阿雷申太太的流亡记》)、The Adventures of Captain(《船长历险记》)等,然而其最为人津津乐道的作品还是这篇于1882年出版的短篇小说――The Lady, or the Tiger?(《美女,还是老虎?》)。
古往今来,公主与平民的爱情注定充满险阻,让深陷其中的人饱受煎熬,正如文中的这对苦命鸳鸯。
公主深爱着他,却无法得到他;她不希望他死,却又不想别人得到他。
处在这样两难的境地里,换了你,又会做出什么样的选择?故事看似简单,却饱含着对人性的拷问。
“The Lady, or the Tiger?”这个句子如今已成为一个习语,表示“两难境地”的意思。
本期刊登的该故事的英文版本是VOA电台的简化版。
――LavenderLong ago, in a very olden time, there lived a powerful king. Some of his ideas were progressive. But others caused people to suffer.One of the king’s ideas was a public 1)arena as an agent of 2)poetic justice. Crime was punished, or innocence was decided, by the result of chance. When a person was accused of a crime, his future would be judged in the public arena.All the people would gather in this building. The king sat high up on his ceremonial chair. He gave a sign. A door under him opened. The accused person stepped out into the arena. Directly opposite the king were two doors. They were side by side, exactly alike. The person on trial had to walk directly to these doors and open one of them. He could open whichever door he pleased.If the accused man opened one door, out came a hungry tiger, the fiercest in the land. The tiger immediately jumped on him and tore him to pieces as punishment for his guilt. The case of the suspect was thus decided. Iron bells rang sadly. Great cries went up from the paid mourners. And the people, with heads hanging low and sad hearts, slowly made their way home. They mourned greatly that one so young and fair, or so old and respected, should have died this way.But, if the accused opened the other door, there came forth from it a woman, chosen especially for the person. To this lady he was immediately married, in honor of his innocence. It was not a problem that he might already have a wife and family, or that he might have chosen to marry another woman. The king permitted nothing to interfere with his great method of punishment and reward. Another door opened under the king, and a 3)clergyman, singers, dancers and musicians joined the man and the lady. The marriage ceremony was quickly completed. Then the bells made cheerful noises. The people shouted happily. And the innocent man led the new wife to his home, following children who threw flowers on their path.This was the king’s method of carrying out justice. Its fairness appeared perfect. The accused person could not know which door was hiding the lady. He opened either as he pleased, without knowing whether, in the next minute, he was to be killed or married. Sometimes the fierce animal came out of one door. Sometimes it came out of the other.This method was a popular one. When the people gathered together on one of the great trial days, they never knew whether they would see a bloody killing or a happy ending. So everyone was always interested. And 4)the thinking part of the community would bring no charge of unfairness against this plan. Did not the accused person have the whole matter in his own hands?本文为全文原貌未安装PDF浏览器用户请先下载安装原版全文The king had a beautiful daughter who was like him in many ways. He loved her above all humanity. The princess secretly loved a young man who was the best looking and bravest in the land. But he was a 5)commoner, not part of an important family.One day, the king discovered the relationship between his daughter and the young man. The man was immediately put in prison. A day was set for his trial in the king’s public arena. This, of course, was an especially important event. Never before had a common 6)subject been brave enough to love the daughter of the king.The king knew that the young man would be punished, even if he opened the right door. And the king would take pleasure in watching the series of events, which would judge whether or not the man had done wrong in loving the princess.The day of the trial arrived. From far and near the people gathered in the arena and outside its walls. The king and his advisers were in their places, opposite the two doors. All was ready. The sign was given. The door under the king opened and the lover of the princess entered the arena. Tall, beautiful and fair, his appearance was met with a sound of approval and tension. Half the people had not known so perfect a young man lived among them. No wonder the princess loved him! What a terrible thing for him to be there!As the young man entered the public arena, he turned to bend to the king. But he did not at all think of the great ruler. The young man’s eyes instead were fixed on the princess, who sat to the right of her father. From the day it was decided that the sentence of her lover should be decided in the arena, she had thought of nothing but this event.The princess had more power, influence and force of character than anyone who had ever before been interested in such a case. She had done what no other person had done. She had possessed herself of the secret of the doors. She knew behind which door stood the tiger, and behind which waited the lady. Gold, and the power of a woman’s will, had brought the secret to the princess.She also knew who the lady was. The lady was one of the loveliest in the kingdom. Now and then the princess had seen her looking at and talking to the young man. The princess hated the woman behind that silent door. She hated her with all the intensity of the blood passed to her through long lines of cruel ancestors.Her lover turned to look at the princess. His eyes met hers as she sat there, paler and whiter than anyone in the large ocean of tense faces around her. He saw that she knew behind which door waited the tiger, and behind which stood the lady. He had expected her to know it.The only hope for the young man was based on the success of the princess in discovering this mystery. When he looked at her, he saw that she had been successful, as he knew she would succeed. Then his quick and tense look asked the question: “Which?” It was as clear to her as if he shouted it from where he stood. There was not time to be lost.本文为全文原貌未安装PDF浏览器用户请先下载安装原版全文The princess raised her hand, and made a short, quick movement toward the right. No one but her lover saw it. Every eye but his was fixed on the man in the arena. He turned, and with a firm and quick step he walked across the empty space. Every heart stopped beating. Every breath was held. Every eye was fixed upon that man. He went to the door on the right and opened it.Now, the point of the story is this: Did the tiger come out of that door, or did the lady?The more we think about this question, the harder it is to answer. It involves a study of the human heart. Think of it not as if the decision of the question depended upon yourself. But as if it depended upon that hot-blooded princess, her soul 7)at a white heat under the fires of sadness and jealousy. She had lost him, but who should have him?How often, in her waking hours and in her dreams, had she started in wild terror, and covered her face with her hands? She thought of her lover opening the door on the other side of which waited the sharp teeth of the tiger!But how much oftener had she seen him open the other door? How she had ground her teeth, and torn her hair, when she had seen his happy face as he opened the door of the lady!How her soul had burned in pain when she had seen him run to meet that woman, with her look of victory. When she had seen the two of them get married. And when she had seen them walk away together upon their path of flowers, followed by the happy shouts of the crowd, in which her one sad cry was lost!Would it not be better for him to die quickly, and go to wait for her in that blessed place of the future? And yet, that tiger, those cries, that blood!Her decision had been shown quickly. But it had been made after days and nights of thought.She had known she would be asked. And she had decided what she would answer. And she had moved her hand to the right.The question of her decision is one not to be lightly considered. And it is not for me to 8)set myself up as the one person able to answer it. And so I leave it with all of you:Which came out of the open door―the lady, or the tiger?古时候,有一个非常有权势的国王。
「小说精读赏析」弗兰克斯托克顿小说《美女还是老虎》附阅读理解试题及答案解析编者寄语《美女还是老虎》是美国小说家斯托克顿的名篇，是小说史上一个备受关注的“开放式结局”的故事。
情节扣人心弦却在高潮即将到来时戛然而止。
但故事似乎又刚刚开始——这个“残缺”的故事一直被读者津津乐道，争论不休。
它的大片留白给予读者莫大的参与感，或许这就是艺术残缺之美的魅力所在。
读读这个故事，你一定会参与进来。
文本研读（蓝色字体处为文章精析）美女还是老虎作者：［美］弗兰克·斯托克顿很久以前有一位暴君，他的国家虽已受到拉丁远邻的文明开化，但他的思想仍然野蛮专制、不受拘束。
这位国王的脑中充满狂野的念头，同时手握至高的权威，将这些妄想随心所欲地化为现实。
交代故事发生背景，暗示野蛮暴君统治的国家没有什么事不可能发生。
国王残暴的那一面，借由某种外来建筑得到了发挥——公共竞技场，它能彻底展现人的英勇与兽的本性，从而让观看的人民获得思想的提升与教化。
这座宏大的圆形剧场，以及它环状的观台、神秘的地牢、隐秘的地道，宛如一位浪漫的大法官，以绝对公正的判决惩治罪恶的灵魂，褒赏高尚的情操。
情节的开端，引人思考：这个公共竞技场真能带来绝对公正的判决吗？抑或只是国王施暴的工具？当有公民被控犯罪，并且罪行惊动国王时，他就会被带到国王的竞技场。
在他面前出现两扇一模一样的门，他必须上前打开其中一扇门，选择权完全在他手中。
如果门后是一头饥饿的猛虎，可以想见他的下场将是多么悲惨，饿虎会将他撕成碎片，罪行就此得到惩戒。
而如果被告打开了另一扇门，会从中翩跹走出一位美丽的女子，是国王依照被告的年龄与身家精心挑选的结婚对象，以此作为无罪的奖赏。
即便被告已成家立业，或早已心有所属，都不影响这场天降的婚姻。
国王才不会容许一些凡俗杂事来动摇他至高的奖惩大计。
颇具刺激性的规则使罪犯要么惨死，要么获得意外的奖赏。
但这奖赏也只是国王认为的奖赏。
这位暴君惩恶扬善的方式堪称粗暴，不过其公平性也显而易见。
少女,还是老虎本文档格式为WORD,若不是word文档,则说明不是原文档。
很多世纪以前，有一个奇怪的国王。
他的思想固执、自负，不可一世；而想象力极其丰富，简直令人吃惊。
发挥这天才想象力的最好的地方，便是闻名全国的公共竞技场。
国王的竞技场并不是让臣民们来看斗士们的横死，以便使他们从中得到消遣；也不是为了让人们来观看饿虎解决两种敌对观点之间的斗争。
然而，就其目的来说，却更能适于开阔和发展人们的精神力量。
在这里，对罪恶的惩罚，对美德的报偿，都是由一种不持偏见、不可收买的天意所判决的。
当一个臣民被控犯了足以引起国王注意的罪行时，就有通告发出：某天将在国王的竞技场上决定被告的命运。
这一天，当所有的人聚集在看台上，被大臣前呼后拥的国王坐上竞技场一侧高高的宝座时，他便发出一个信号。
于是他座下的一个门就打开了，被告从侧门里走出来。
竞技场的对面，是并列的两个完全一样的门。
被告必须走过去打开其中的一个。
谁也不准指点他或者对他做出任何暗示，开哪个门完全由他自己来决定。
他打开其中的一扇门，就会有一只饿虎立刻向他猛扑过来，把他撕成碎片，这就是作为对他罪行的一种惩罚。
此时，报丧的钟声就敲响，竞技场外将传来雇用送葬者的恸嚎。
如果被告打开的是另一扇门，从里面就会走出一个姑娘，这个姑娘的年龄和他相当，是国王从他的国家里挑选出来的最漂亮的姑娘，作为对他无罪的一种奖赏，这个姑娘今后就成为他的妻子。
这时，国王下面的另一个门中就走出牧师和一个唱诗班，器乐奏出欢乐的曲调，舞女翩翩起舞，婚礼立即在竞技场举行。
这就是国王想出的绝妙的好主意！要知道，罪犯根本不知道少女会从哪一扇门里走出来。
一切全凭天意，不是娶美女，就是喂老虎。
国王有一个非常漂亮的女儿，她是国王的掌上明珠。
公主像她的爸爸一样，喜欢神秘和冒险，国王的竞技场是她最喜爱的娱乐场所。
在这个王国里，有一个青年和公主深深相爱。
国王的女儿对自己的情人十分满意，因为他英俊而勇敢。
他们疯狂地相爱着，直到终于有一天国王发现了这个秘密。
