The Gift of the Magi
The Gift of the Magi is a short story by O. Henry which has moved people for a long time throughout the world. And it is beyond controversy that it will be impressed by more people in the coming centuries.
It happened to a very poor but blissful充满喜悦的 young couple named Jim and Della in the end of 18th century in England. Because of the maladies(腐败；疾病) of that society and the effect of economic crisis, the poor couple worked hard while earned little. Life is exceedingly hard for them. In spite of the difficulties in their everyday life, their love to each other and the enthusiasm for life didn't change at all. When Christmas day was around the corner, Della used the money she got from selling her beautiful hair which she treasured very much to give Jim a fob for his grandfather's pocket watch. While at the same time Jim had already sold exactly that watch to buy Della tortoiseshell combs to wear in her long beautiful hair, not knowing that she had just cut it off.
It appears that the gifts they gave to each other became useless. However the fact is that n
o matter how tough life had been, they wouldn't lose heart.
With strong faith in life and their love to each other, they did their best to make the other pleased." Whenever Mr. James Dillingham Young came home and reached his flat above he was called ‘Jim’ and greatly hugged by Mrs. James Dillingham Young." Maybe this account is the best description of their love and their struggling against hard life. It was said that the poverties life is what the firmer and truer love is. Actually, they'd given the very best they had out of love.
"They are too foolish children in a flat, who most unwisely sacrificed for each other the greatest treasures of their house. But in a last word, to the wise of these days, let it be said that of all who give gifts these two were the wisest." Said the writer O. Henry in the last paragraph of this short story. Yes, they are wisest. They are the magi.
Love has nothing to do with money, possession or status. It's consideration, tolerance and respect. It's giving one's best to the other even it means sacrifice. It's affection which connects two individuals' hearts, and it's reinforced by adversities.
Jim and Della, though they are only the small potatoes who live in the lower classes, they never lose their fervency to their lives and love each other deeply, penury(贫困) is so insignificant when it is in this warm sentiment. At the Christmas' Eve, they were still thinking about the presents they should give to each other, how romantic it is! Even though it seemed that these presents isn't useful anymore, they have been the most costful one in the world, like a sincere love to each other. Jim and Della immolated（牺牲） their most precious things for the other unadvisably. Among all the people who gave presents this young couple was the most brilliant one. Among all the people who not only give but also receive, this young couple was also the most brilliant one. This invaluable无价的 thing, however, any of the person who always thinks he is the most brilliant or richest could not has it, and could never give it to others either. 
It is not surprising that The Gift of the Magi still enjoys such widespread fame, for in this trite（平庸的） little tale of mutual self-sacrifice between husband and wife, O. Henry crystallized（使具体化；使结晶） dramatically what the world in all its stored-up wisdom knows to be of fundamental value in ordinary family life. Unselfish love shared, regardless
of the attendant difficulties or distractions--this is the idea repeatedly implied as a criterion in his fictional treatment of domestic affairs. If such love is present, life can be a great adventure transcending all drabness; if it is absent, nothing else can take its place.
小说以礼物作为叙事发展线索，分为三个部分：
第一部分：主要叙述女主人公德拉为丈夫买礼物的事。在这个极其贫困的小家庭中，夫妻相亲相爱，临近圣诞妻子德拉想送给丈夫一件称心如意的礼物，无耐经济窘迫、力不从心，她伤心的抽泣。猛然间他发现了自己那头令人欣赏不已的金发正是财源的来源，于是，德拉毫不犹豫地用他换钱为丈夫的金表配了一条金表链。忘我的精神换来了具大的精神上的慰藉，她兴冲冲的回到家，等待丈夫归来送给他这件珍贵的礼物。
买礼物
第二部分：从丈夫杰姆进家门开始，主要是写夫妻交换礼物，作者先写杰姆一进门就看到了剪了长发的妻子的惊愕，再写德拉看到丈夫的礼物发梳时的惊喜与心酸；然后写德拉拿出表链要给杰姆的表配上时，确发现杰姆是卖掉金表才买回全套发梳。崇高的牺牲换来的竟是莫大的遗憾！但他们即可从彼此的牺牲中感受到了巨大精神上的慰藉，因为他们拥有美好纯真的爱情。
第三部分：是最后一个自然段，作者指出德拉和杰姆的看似是“无谓的牺牲”却是最高贵、最聪明不过的，从而点明主题：他们就是当今世界的贤人麦琪。