Abstract：O. Henry was one of the most famous writers in the early twenty centuries. Through his two stories, “The Cop and the Anthem” and “The Gift of the Magi”, this paper aims at discussing his artistic techniques, such as humor and satire, the overt thread and the covert thread, skillful plot and tragic theme, accurate character portrayal and proper words as well as the unexpected and reasonable ending. 

Key words: O. Henry; short story; artistic techniques

中文摘要：欧.亨利是美国二十世纪初期最著名的短篇小说家之一。本文通过分析欧.亨利的代表作品《警察与赞美诗》和《麦琪的礼物》总结出他独特的创作艺术技巧：幽默与讽刺、明暗线并进、奇巧的情节和悲剧性主题、遣词得当、人物刻画准确以及出乎意料但合情合理的结尾。

关键词：欧.亨利；短篇小说；艺术技巧