故事简介
流浪汉Soapy在冬天到来之前（ a dead leaf fell in Soapy's lap. That was Jack Frost's card)谋划如何去监狱里过冬。因此，他故意6次犯事，希望警察能将他逮捕入狱。可笑的事，6次犯事一次没有成功。沮丧之际，Soapy来到了一所教堂前，听到了教堂里传出的优美的诗歌。站在教堂前，听着诗歌，Soapy准备重新做人时，却被莫名其妙地逮捕了，警察明天就要送他去之前他渴望去的监狱。（when all Soapy' efforts to get himself arrested fail, he comes to an old church, overhearing a hymn. This hymn causes Soapy to repent and determine to start his new life, but Soapy is arrested by a cop without any explanation.)
字*词*
1. Jack Frost: is the personification of frost, ice, snow, sleet, and freezing cold (拟人化）霜，严寒
A dead leaf fell in Soapy's lap. That was Jack Frost's card.
冰霜杰克（英语：Jack Frost）是西方民间传说里冬天的精灵，人们认为冬季天寒地冻的天气就以及鼻头和手指冻伤是由它带来的。它也是英语中“Jack Frost nipping”一词的由来。冬季窗户玻璃上冰冻结霜造成的蕨叶状花纹，也被认为是冰霜杰克留下的痕迹。它可以说是冬天拟人化的具体形象。
2. four-in-hand: 四手结，打活结的领带。（表示还不会打领带）
His neat black, ready-tied four-in-hand had been presented to him...
3. pretension：the act of trying to appear or sound more important or clever than you are 做作，夸耀
On the opposite side of the street was a restaurant of no great pretensions .
Eg: The humbleness and lack of pretension of the cafe.
4. club: a thick heavy stick used to hit people. 棒，棍棒； 高尔夫球杆
The police twirled his club, turned his back to Soapy and remarked to a citizen.
*描写*
关于动作的描写
1. Soapy strolled out of the squared across the level sea of asphalt, ...up Broadway he turned, and halted at a glittering cafe...
几个连续的动作，也是读后续写里经常用到的句式之一。
2. Soapy, with disgust in his heart, loafed, twice unsuccessfully.
loaf: hang around; 虚度光阴闲荡。
3. On the sidewalk Soapy began to yell drunken gibberish at the top of his voice. He danced, howled, raved, and otherwise disturbed the welkin(天空，苍穹）.
又是一连串的动作描写，简洁有力。学生们在写的时候，总是会写很多的短句子，文章都是一节一节的，跟竹笋似的，冗长。
4. Soapy stepped inside, secured the umbrella and sauntered off with it slowly. The man at the cigar light followed hastily.... The umbrella owner slowed his steps. Soapy did likewise.
saunter: to walk in a slow, relaxed way, especially so that you look confident or proud. 漫步（淡定从容）+ along / around /in
Eg: He came sauntering down the road with his hands in his pocket.
5. The young woman faced him and, stretching out a hand, caught Soapy's coat sleeve.
补充：这篇小说里，大量的连续动作的描写，the story took on a vivid picture. 这给咱们讲读后续写时提供了很多的参考。
关于环境和情绪的描写
1. But on an unusually quiet corner Soapy came to a standstill....Through one violet-staitned window a soft light glowed.... For there drifted out to Soapy's ears sweet music that caught and held him transfixed against the convolutions of the iron fence.
句型提炼：through the window, a soft light glowed; for there drifted out to One's ears sweet music
2. the moon was above, lustrous and serene; vehicles and pedestrians were few; sparrows twittered sleepily in the eaves...
这段描写真是美…… “浩月当空,明亮而宁静,路上车辆和行人很少,在屋檐下,麻雀在入睡前还疲倦地啁啾着--”（翻译来源网络）
3. A sudden fear seized Soapy that some dreadful enchantment had rendered him immune to arrest. The thought brought a little of panic upon it.
句型提炼：a sudden 情绪名词（fear, delight...) seize sb that....
4. He buttoned his thin coat against the chilling wind.
无论老师还是学生，作文的模板不在是万能钥匙了，平时的积累和模仿，多看多读多写，才有可能写出一篇好的读后续写。
个人感受
欧亨利的作品一直以“幽默”著称，被誉为“美国生活的幽默的百科全书”，这篇《警察与赞美诗》可以说是其中最负盛名的一篇。 林语堂在《论幽默》一文中提到
幽默本是人生之一部分，所以一国的文化，到了相当程度，必有幽默的文学出现。人之智慧已启，对付各种问题之外，尚有余力，从容出之，遂有幽默——或者一旦聪明起来，对人之智慧本身发生疑惑，处处发见人类的愚笨、矛盾、偏执、自大，幽默也就跟着出现。……
我想文学作品中，最能提现作者“幽默”功力的就是作者的遣词造句了。
1. He scorned the provisions made in the name of charity for the city's dependents. In Soapy's opinion the law was more benign than philanthropy（慈善）. But to one of Soapy's proud spirit（傲骨） the gifts of charity are encumbered. If not in coin you must pay in humiliation of spirit for every benefit received at the hands of philanthropy
译文：在索丕看来,法律应该比慈善活动更温和....但接受施舍，对于Soapy这样灵魂高傲的人来说简直是一种折磨。
2. He viewed with swift horror the pit into which he had tumbled, the degraded days, unworthy desires, dead hopes, wrecked faculties and base motives that made up his existence.
3. An instantaneous and strong impulse moved him to battle with his desperate fate. He would pull himself out of the mire; he would make a man of himself again; he would conquer the evil that had taken possession of him. There was time; he was comparatively young yet; he would resurrect his old eager ambitions and pursue them without faltering. ... He would be somebody in the world. He would--
小说的结尾再次出乎意外，Soapy莫名其妙被逮捕，要被送去他之前朝思墓想的监狱里。如林语堂所说：
幽默只是一位冷静超远的旁观者，常于笑中带泪，泪中带笑
