在一个昏黄的秋日黄昏，纽约市的格林威治村笼罩在一片萧瑟之中。这里的小巷蜿蜒曲折，充满了艺术的气息和生活的故事。街道两旁的梧桐树早已褪去了夏日的绿装，只剩下光秃秃的枝桠，在风中瑟瑟作响。
故事发生在一个简陋却温暖的小阁楼里，住着两位年轻的画家：苏珊和琼西。她们都是追逐梦想的年轻人，但生活的重压让她们不得不靠微薄的收入勉强度日。然而，命运似乎并不眷顾琼西。一场突如其来的肺炎夺走了她的健康，也让她对生命失去了希望。医生忧心忡忡地告诉苏珊：“她能活下来吗？这要看她自己了。”
琼西躺在病床上，望着窗外那棵老梧桐树上的最后一片叶子。她固执地认为，当这片叶子掉落时，自己的生命也将走到尽头。“等最后一片叶子掉下来，我也该离开这个世界了。”琼西喃喃自语，眼中没有一丝光芒。
苏珊看着日渐消瘦的朋友，内心焦急万分。她知道，琼西需要的不仅仅是药物，更是一份活下去的理由。于是，她决定找来一位年迈而古怪的邻居贝尔曼——一个以画舞台布景闻名的老画家。贝尔曼虽然才华横溢，却始终未能实现自己的理想，他终日酗酒度日，脾气暴躁，却有一颗善良的心。
苏珊向贝尔曼讲述了琼西的想法。贝尔曼听后冷笑一声：“什么胡言乱语！一片叶子就能决定生死？真是愚蠢至极！”然而，当他得知琼西已经放弃治疗时，却沉默了。他没有多说什么，只是默默地回到自己的工作室，开始挥动画笔。
夜晚降临，风雨交加。狂风呼啸着吹打着窗户，雨点敲击着屋顶。苏珊担心地注视着窗外，却发现那片孤零零的叶子依旧顽强地挂在枝头。第二天清晨，阳光洒满大地，琼西惊讶地发现，那片叶子依然完好无损。
“为什么它还留在那里？”琼西问自己，“难道是我错了？”
渐渐地，琼西恢复了一些力气，也开始重新思考人生的意义。医生后来告诉她：“你的身体正在康复，但更重要的是，你内心的信念支撑起了你的生命。”
最终，琼西奇迹般地战胜了病魔。而贝尔曼，这位默默守护她的人，却因淋雨染上肺炎不幸离世。在他最后的画稿中，人们发现了那片“最后一片叶子”的素描，以及一行字：“即使是最脆弱的生命，也需要有人相信它的价值。”
The Last Leaf (英汉对照)
In the twilight of an autumn day in Greenwich Village, New York City, was shrouded in a somber atmosphere. The narrow streets twisted and turned, filled with artistic charm and life stories. On both sides of the road stood sycamore trees that had shed their summer greenery, leaving only bare branches swaying in the wind.
The story takes place in a small, simple attic where two young painters live: Susan and Jo. They are both dream chasers who struggle to make ends meet on meager incomes. However, fate seems indifferent to Jo. A sudden bout of pneumonia steals her health and robs her of hope for life. The doctor told Susan anxiously: "Can she survive? It depends on herself."
Jo lies in bed, gazing out the window at the last leaf on an old sycamore tree. She stubbornly believes that when this leaf falls, her own life will come to an end. "When the last leaf falls, I should leave this world too," Jo mutters, without a glimmer of light in her eyes.
Susan watches her increasingly frail friend with growing anxiety. She knows that what Jo needs is not just medicine but a reason to live. So she decides to seek help from an elderly and eccentric neighbor named Belman—a veteran painter known for his stage set designs. Although Belman has extraordinary talent, he has never realized his dream; he spends his days drinking and living recklessly, yet he has a kind heart.
Susan tells Belman about Jo's thoughts. After hearing this, Belman laughs coldly: "What nonsense! Can one leaf determine life or death? How stupid!" However, when he learns that Jo has given up treatment, he falls silent. He doesn't say much more; instead, he quietly returns to his studio and begins painting with his brush.
As night falls, a storm rages outside. The howling wind beats against the windows, and raindrops pound the roof. Susan worries as she looks out the window, but she discovers that the solitary leaf remains firmly attached to the branch. The next morning, sunlight floods the earth, and Jo is astonished to find that the leaf is still intact.
"Why does it still remain there?" Jo asks herself. "Am I wrong?"
Gradually, Jo regains some strength and begins to reconsider the meaning of life. Later, the doctor tells her: "Your body is recovering, but more importantly, your inner belief supports your life."
Finally, Jo miraculously overcomes her illness. And Belman, this silent guardian of hers, dies tragically from pneumonia after catching a cold. In his final sketchbook, people discover a drawing of "the last leaf" and a line of words: "Even the most fragile life needs someone to believe in its value."
