LaughterinTears—ThePatheticFateofO.Henry’sCharacters摘要：批评家对作为一名短篇小说大师的欧·亨利作品的评论主要集中在其人性的主题，生动的情节，频繁的巧合，出人意料的结尾以及幽默的语言等方面。本文重点研究欧·亨利作品中的“笑中带泪”这一写作手法，通过分析其作品的主题与语言特征，结合欧·亨利的真实人生经历来分析其采用此种写作手法以及其笔下人物悲剧命运的原因。关键词：欧·亨利；写作手法；人性主题Abstract:Asamasteroftheshortstory,criticscommentonO•Henry’sworksmainlyfocusedonthethemeofhumanity,respectvividplot,frequentcoincidence,humorandunexpectedendinglanguage.ThispaperfocusesonO•HenryWorks’writingstyleof“laughterintears”,byanalyzingthethemeandlanguagefeaturesinhiswork,combinedwiththeO•Henry'sreallifeexperiencestoanalyzetheuseofsuchtechniquesandthecauseofthepatheticfateofcharacters.Keyword:O•Henry;Writingtechniques;ThemeofhumanityIntroductionO.Henry,asthefamousAmericanshortnovelistin20thandtheoriginatorofAmericanmodernshortnovel,hasbeenregardedasoneofthreemastersofshortnovelswithFrenchMaupassantandRussianChekhov.Whenstillyoung,hefocusedallhismindtobeapainter,whileundertheencouragementofhiswife,hebegantowork.Later,hegotintoprisonduetotheaccountsproblemswhenhewasworkinginthebank.Then,hepublishedagreatdealofshortnovelswhichraisedwideattention.Hewrotenearly300shortnovelsandanovel.HisworksarefeaturedwiththeexpressingAmericanmiddleandlowerclasslife,humorouslanguagesandsurprisedend.1.1O.Henry’sLifeO.Henry(1862—1910),whoseoriginalnamewasWilliamSydneyPorter,wasoneofthethreemostfamousshortstorywritersintheworldandthefoundersofAmericanmodernshortstory.InordertocarryforwardthefinetraditionofO.Henry’sworks,theO.HenryMemorialAwardhasbeenpresentedsince1918forthebestshortstoriespublishedeveryyear.O.Henryisalegendarypersonwhoselifeisfilledwithtwistsandturns.In1962,hewasborninasmalltownnamedGreensboso,NorthCarolina,theUnitedStates.Hisfatherwasadoctor,andhismotherwhowasgiftedwithliteraturediedwhenhewasonlythreeyearsold.ThenO.Henrymovedtohisgrandma’swithhisfatherandspenthischildhoodinAuntLina’sprivateschool.Therehelearntwriting,drawing.Atthesametime,hereadlotsoffamousGreek,RomanandEnglishworks.Thus,hisinterestinliteraturewascultivated