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Made less satirical than Mark Twain's classic and simplified for younger readers, this retelling is still a lively romp. A beggar and a prince look so alike that they change places but then cannot immediately switch back. Mayer's (The Unicorn and the Lake) adaptation is serviceable if not sparkling; she retains all the key scenes of the story but flattens Twain's archaisms. While some of the original's sophisticated humor gets lost in the translation, much of it remains. For example, when Edward, the prince, tries telling pauper Tom's parents that he is really the Prince of Wales, Tom's mother responds, "Oh, poor Tom, it's all those books you read that's done this to you." And in court, when Tom is given a finger bowl, he drinks from it, announcing, "This is a very flavorless soup." Lippincott (Bruce Coville's Magic Shop series) vibrantly renders the ragged features of the paupers, and his tableaux are full of life. His palace scenes are ornate, light-filled watercolors of splendor in which the boys' homely, toothy faces seem like the only real and honest things. For readers not yet ready for Twain, this version, like its model, will make them think about their places in the world. Ages 7-up. 内容简介
Rich with surprise and hilarious adventure, The Prince and the Pauper is a delightful satire of England's romantic past and a joyful boyhood romp filled with the same tongue-in-cheek irony that sparks the best of Mark Twain's tall tales. Two boys, one an urchin from London's filthy lanes, the other a prince born in a lavish palace, unwittingly trade identities. Thus a bedraggled "Prince of Poverty" discovers that his private dreams have all come true—while a pampered Prince of Wales finds himself tossed into a rough-and-tumble world of squalid beggars and villainous thieves. Originally written as a story for children, The Prince and the Pauper is a classic novel for adults as well—through its stinging attack on the ageless human folly of attempting to measure true worth by outer appearances.
《王子与贫儿》是美国作家马克·吐温的代表作。它描写了王子爱德华和贫儿汤姆通过一个阴差阳错的偶然机会互相换了位置,王子变成了穷小子,穷小子却成为了王子。曾经的穷小子汤姆穿着王子的衣服在王宫里尽享荣华富贵,还当上了英国的新国王;而货真价实的王子爱德华却四处流浪,不得不忍受贫穷和乞丐们的欺凌和嘲讽。在好人的帮助下,王子经历了重重劫难,改正了自己的坏习惯,最终回到了王宫;而贫儿汤姆在良心的谴责下,将不属于自己的王位还给了真正的王子。此后,王子成了一位仁慈、勤劳的君主,和他的子民一起过着幸福的生活。 精彩书评
Grade 4-6. Carl Reiner narrates this abridged version of The Prince and the Pauper. It captures the main plot points of the book and retains the rollicking humor of Twain's writing. The story concerns Tom Canty, a poor boy, who bears a striking resemblance to Prince Edward, heir to the throne of England. Through a series of mishaps, the boys change places, and those around them do not believe them when they each claim to be the other boy. Eventually, all ends well, with Edward restored to the throne and Tom retaining a place in his court. Reiner's narration is, at first, a big jarring, since an American accent telling a very British story is unexpected. However, once the story develops, listeners will quickly become engrossed. Various sound effects, such as trumpet fanfares, give the story some color. Overall, this is an entertaining choice for most public libraries.
——Melissa Hudak, Roscoe Branch Library, Loves Park, IL
Grade 1-3-Condensing a 400-page novel into a picture book is a monumental task. The Prince and the Pauper is a long moralistic tale with difficult dialogue written in the archaic pattern of the 16th century. It is also a rollicking adventure of drama and narrow escapes. Though more understated than many of Mark Twain's novels, it is also filled with his sly wit and humor. Mayer does manage to convey the basics of the story in readable prose but the nuances of the novel are necessarily lost. For example, the name of Tom's home, Offal Court, which does as much as any description to place the boy's station in life, is not mentioned. Also, some vital connections are not made. The hiding of the Great Seal and Tom's accidental knowledge of its location, which is the key to Edward's eventual recognition as king, is not delineated. The build up of humor in such events as the first royal dinner, where after a series of mistakes and gaffs, Tom is afraid to scratch his violently itching nose, can not be contained in the shortened version. The illustrations, done in realistic watercolors, though often relying too heavily on gaping mouths to portray emotion, pick up the dramatic moments of the story. Ultimately, though, even a skillful picture-book retelling can be no more than a brief summary of the original, and not a substitute for it.
——Karen James, Louisville Free Public Library, KY
《迷雾中的航程:关于19世纪英国航运业的兴衰与社会变迁》 本书深入剖析了19世纪英国作为全球航运霸主的崛起、鼎盛及其在维多利亚时代晚期所面临的挑战与转型。这不是一部关于王子与贫儿的童话,而是一部聚焦于煤炭、钢铁、蒸汽与汗水交织的工业史诗。 第一章:蒸汽时代的黎明与新时代的序幕 19世纪伊始,英国的航运业正经历着一场由技术革新驱动的深刻变革。传统的帆船时代在蒸汽机的驱动下迅速退居次要地位。本章细致考察了早期的蒸汽船如何从沿海贸易的补充力量,逐步发展成为远洋航行中的主力军。我们着重分析了焦煤供应的稳定化对蒸汽动力普及的决定性作用,以及铁质船体的应用如何彻底改变了船舶的承载能力和抗风浪能力。 我们通过分析当时伦敦、利物浦和格拉斯哥等主要港口的数据,描绘了港口基础设施如何为迎接更大、更快的蒸汽船而进行大规模的扩建与升级。泰晤士河的疏浚工程、利物浦的船坞建设,无一不体现了国家意志对“海权”的执着追求。此外,本章还探讨了早期蒸汽船在航行可靠性、燃煤效率以及船员组织结构方面所经历的初期摸索与痛苦教训。 第二章:全球贸易的网络化与“大扩张” 随着苏伊士运河的开凿(尽管其对英国航运的全面影响更集中在19世纪后半叶),以及大英帝国在全球范围内的军事与商业扩张,英国的商船队成为了连接世界各个角落的动脉。本章聚焦于“大扩张”时期,即1840年至1870年间,英国如何巩固其在跨大西洋、印度洋和太平洋航线上的主导地位。 我们将详细研究棉花、茶叶、羊毛和移民潮这四大驱动力如何塑造了特定的航线和船型设计。例如,为了满足对快速运输的茶叶需求,出现了专为速度设计的快速帆船(如著名的“茶叶快船”),它们在蒸汽船全面占领市场前夕,展现了传统工艺的最后辉煌。同时,本章也深入探讨了跨洋移民的社会经济影响,数百万爱尔兰人、苏格兰人和英国人乘坐着拥挤的货客两用船前往北美和澳大利亚,这为航运业带来了持续的客运收入,同时也引发了关于船上人道待遇的早期社会争论。 第三章:钢铁、速度与“铁甲时代”的挑战 19世纪中后期,航运业进入了纯粹的钢铁与机械时代。本章将重点分析复合钢材和后来的全钢船体技术如何彻底取代了木材。这种转变不仅关乎材料本身,更关乎速度的竞赛。谁能更快地将货物送达目的地,谁就能在竞争中占据上风。 我们对比了不同船东(如白星航运、冠达航运)在速度与载重之间的战略选择。速度的提升带来了对发动机技术的更高要求,活塞式发动机的效率提升、复合膨胀蒸汽机的应用,使得航程更远、燃煤消耗相对降低。本章还细致分析了航运保险业(如劳合社)在评估这些快速、高价值船只风险时所采用的新标准和新定价模型。 第四章:码头工人与海员的生活:工业阴影下的阶层固化 航运业的繁荣并非没有代价。本章将视角从宏大的国家战略转向具体的劳动者。码头工人是港口机器运转的基石,他们从事着高风险、低回报的体力劳动。我们查阅了19世纪末期关于码头工人罢工的记录,分析了工会组织(如码头工人工会)的早期发展及其在争取合理工作时间、安全保障和工资标准方面的努力。 对于海员而言,蒸汽船上的生活与帆船时代截然不同,但危险依然如影随形。我们通过船员日志和海军档案,重构了蒸汽船上的等级制度、恶劣的居住环境以及长期海上航行对健康的生理与心理影响。本章旨在揭示,在英国“海上霸权”的背后,是庞大的劳动阶层所承受的艰辛与牺牲。 第五章:变革的暗流:来自美德与德意志的竞争 进入19世纪最后二十年,英国航运业的霸主地位开始受到挑战。美国在五大湖地区以及大西洋贸易中,凭借政府补贴和更先进的造船技术(尤其是在钢材成本控制上),开始蚕食英国的市场份额。同时,德国的汉堡和不来梅等港口,通过快速发展集装箱化前的标准化货物装载系统,以及在化学品和高价值货物运输上的专业化,成为了强劲的竞争对手。 本章分析了英国航运业在应对这一挑战时的反应:是坚持传统优势(如船员的高素质和全球航线的广度),还是被迫进行技术革新和成本压缩。我们考察了第一次国际性货运价格协议的尝试,以及英国政府在面对外国补贴竞争时所采取的有限干预措施,为20世纪初航运业格局的重塑埋下了伏笔。 结论:不列颠的船锚与未来的潮汐 本书最后总结了19世纪英国航运业对全球政治经济产生的深远影响,并强调了技术迭代、资本流动与劳动力管理是如何共同塑造了这个工业奇迹。这是一个关于野心、工程学、全球扩张以及社会代价的故事,它展示了一个帝国如何利用海洋构建起自身的命运,同时也预示了这种基于重工业的霸权在新的技术浪潮面前所必然面对的结构性挑战。