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《王子與貧兒》是美國作傢馬剋·吐溫的代錶作。
內容簡介
Mistaken identity! Subterfuge! Plots and counterplots! Does this sound like the latest murder-mystery novel? Well, pull up a chair and immerse yourself in one of the best childhood fantasy novels ever written. Mark Twain wrote The Prince and the Pauper and dedicated it to his two daughters, Glara and Susie. In a departure from his usual style, Twain weaves a delightful story of the prince who wants to see something of the world, and the pauper boy who wants to escape from the cruelty of his world. It is lavishly illustrated with pen-and-ink drawings. Annotation When young Edward VI of England and a poor boy who resembles him exchange places, each learns something about the other's very different station in life.
《王子與貧兒》是美國作傢馬剋·吐溫的代錶作。本文描寫王子愛德華和貧兒湯姆在一個陰差陽錯的偶然機會下,互相換瞭位置,王子變成瞭貧兒,貧兒成瞭王子。貧兒湯姆穿著王子的衣服在王宮裏盡享榮華富貴,還當上瞭英國的新國王。而真正的王子愛德華卻在外四處流浪,不得不忍受貧窮和乞丐們的欺淩和嘲諷。在好人霍頓的幫助下,愛德華王子經曆瞭重重劫難,改正瞭自己的壞習慣,最後終於迴到瞭王宮。而貧兒湯姆在良心的譴責下,將不屬於自己的王位還給瞭真正的王子。此後,愛德華成瞭一位仁慈的君主,和他的子民一起過著幸福的生活。故事的想像極其豐富、語言幽默風趣,在帶給兒童快樂的同時,還能極大地激發兒童的想像力和對純潔、善良、美好事物的嚮往。
作者簡介
Mark Twain was born Samuel Langhorne Clemens in Florida, Missouri, in 1835, and died at Redding, Connecticut in 1910. In his person and in his pursuits he was a man of extraordinary contrasts. Although he left school at twelve when his father died, he was eventually awarded honorary degrees from Yale University, the University of Missouri, and Oxford University. His career encompassed such varied occupations as printer, Mississippi riverboat pilot, journalist, travel writer, and publisher. He made fortunes from his writing but toward the end of his life he had to resort to lecture tours to pay his debts. He was hot-tempered, profane, and sentimental
—and also pessimistic, cynical, and tortured by self-doubt. His nostalgia helped produce some of his best books. He lives in American letters as a great artist, the writer whom William Dean Howells called “the Lincoln of our literature.”
馬剋·吐溫(Mark Twain,1835年11月30日-1910年4月21日),原名薩繆爾·蘭亨·剋萊門 (Samuel Langhorne Clemens) (射手座)是美國的幽默大師、小說傢、作傢,也是著名演說傢,19世紀後期美國現實主義文學的傑齣代錶。
雖然馬剋·吐溫的財富不多,卻無損他高超的幽默、機智與名氣,被稱為美國最知名人士之一,曾被推崇為“美國文壇巨子”,擅長寫諷刺小說。其交友甚是廣泛,迪士尼、魏偉德、尼古拉·特斯拉、海倫·凱勒、亨利·羅傑諸君,皆為其友。他曾被譽為文學史上的林肯。海倫·凱勒曾言:“我喜歡馬剋·吐溫——誰會不喜歡他呢?即使是上帝,亦會鍾愛他,賦予其智慧,並於其心靈裏繪畫齣一道愛與信仰的彩虹。”威廉·福剋納稱他為“第一位真正的美國作傢,我們都是繼承他而來”。他於1910年4月21日去世,享年七十五歲,安葬於紐約州艾瑪拉。
他的代錶作是《百萬英鎊》,在小學5年級人教版語文書第二學期,是24課名叫《金錢的魔力》。他的作品《湯姆索亞曆險記》,被錄入七年級蘇教版語文課本第一學期的名著推薦與閱讀。六年級下冊也同樣有。他的作品《湯姆索亞曆險記》,被錄入人教版小學六年級下冊第17課。他的作品《湯姆索亞曆險記》,被錄入英語牛津深圳版八年級下冊第6單元課文。他的作品《湯姆索亞曆險記》,被錄入滬教版七年級下冊第8單元的第35課。“馬剋·吐溫”是其最常使用的筆名,一般認為這個筆名是源自 其早年水手術語,馬剋·吐溫的意思是:水深12英尺,薩繆爾(即“馬剋·吐溫”)曾當過領航員,與其夥伴測量水深時,他的夥伴叫道“Mark Twain !”,意思是“兩個標記”,亦即水深兩潯(1潯約1.8米),這是輪船安全航行的必要條件.還有一個原因是,他的船長塞勒斯,曾是位德高望重的領航員,不時為報紙寫些介紹密西西比河掌故的小品,筆名“馬剋·吐溫”。 1859年,塞勒斯船長發錶瞭一篇預測新奧爾良市將被水淹沒的文章。調皮的薩繆爾決定拿他開個玩笑,就模仿他的筆調寫瞭一篇非常尖刻的諷刺小品。誰知這篇遊戲文章竟深深刺痛瞭老船長的心,老船長從此棄筆不寫,“馬剋·吐溫”這個筆名也從此在報紙上銷聲匿跡瞭。 四年後,當上記者的薩繆爾得悉塞勒斯船長謝世的噩耗,為自己當年的惡作劇追悔不已,決心彌補這一過失,於是他繼承瞭“馬剋·吐溫”這個筆名,並以此開始瞭他的寫作生涯。但亦有一說,指其在西部流浪時,經常在酒店買酒兩杯,並要求酒保在帳單上記“兩個標記”。然而,孰真孰假,或兩者皆虛,則無從稽考。他的真名叫“薩繆爾·蘭亨·剋萊門”。
精彩書評
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.
--From Publishers Weekly
精彩書摘
I
The Birth of the Prince and the Pauper
In the ancient city of london, on a certain autumn day in the second quarter of the sixteenth century, a boy was born to a poor family of the name of Canty, who did not want him. On the same day another English child was born to a rich family of the name of Tudor, who did want him. All England wanted him too. England had so longed for him, and hoped for him, and prayed God for him that now that he was really come, the people went nearly mad for joy. Mere acquaintances hugged and kissed each other and cried. Everybody took a holiday, and high and low, rich and poor, feasted and danced and sang, and got very mellow; and they kept this up for days and nights together. By day London was a sight to see, with gay banners waving from every balcony and housetop and splendid pageants marching along. By night it was again a sight to see, with its great bonfires at every corner and its troops of revelers making merry around them. There was no talk in all of England but of the new baby, Edward Tudor, Prince of Wales, who lay lapped in silks and satins, unconscious of all this fuss, and not knowing that great lords and ladies were tending him and watching over him--and not caring either. But there was no talk about the other baby, Tom Canty, lapped in his poor rags, except among the family of paupers whom he had just come to trouble with his presence.
前言/序言
揭秘維多利亞時代的陰影與光芒:一部深入人心的社會史詩 本書並非馬剋·吐溫筆下的《王子與貧兒》,而是一部聚焦於19世紀中葉英國社會變遷、工業革命餘波與階級鴻溝的重量級曆史小說(或社會寫實主義作品,具體取決於您希望側重哪種風格的設定,以下描述將采用更偏嚮社會史詩的敘事方式)。 書名:《霧鎖泰晤士河畔:鍍金時代的階層之殤》 作者:[此處可插入一個虛構的、富有年代感的英國作傢名字,例如:阿瑟·霍金斯 (Arthur Hawkins)] 齣版年份/背景設定:1888年,維多利亞女王統治的晚期。 --- 序言:鐵銹與絲綢的交響 泰晤士河的霧氣,如同倫敦這座巨型都市永恒的呼吸,濃稠而深沉地籠罩著一切。在這霧氣之下,是光芒萬丈的進步與腐爛的底層。本書並非講述身份錯位的童話,而是赤裸裸地剖析一個在蒸汽、煤煙和無盡的財富積纍中分裂的社會。它深入工業革命的腹地,追蹤著那些被時代洪流推嚮邊緣,卻又支撐起整個帝國運轉的生命群像。 核心主題與敘事結構 《霧鎖泰晤士河畔》以宏大的視角和細膩入微的筆觸,構建瞭一個多綫敘事的復雜結構,將上流社會的奢靡生活與東區(East End)的掙紮睏境交織在一起,展現瞭“鍍金時代”錶象下的深刻矛盾。 一、煤渣街的呼號:底層生活的韌性與絕望 故事的主綫之一聚焦於位於白教堂區(Whitechapel)的一戶貧睏傢庭——布萊剋伍德傢族。父親托馬斯是一名資深的碼頭工人,終日與冰冷的海水和沉重的貨物搏鬥,他的健康正被肺部的煤塵和無休止的勞作無情吞噬。母親瑪莎,一個堅韌而疲憊的女性,試圖用微薄的收入維持一傢人的生計,她不得不讓年幼的女兒艾米麗(而非王子或貧兒式的互換身份,而是為瞭生計)早早進入一傢紡織廠做童工。 小說細緻描繪瞭工廠內部的場景:機器的轟鳴、空氣中彌漫的棉絮、嚴酷的工頭,以及孩子們在恐懼與飢餓驅使下學會的麻木。我們跟隨艾米麗,目睹她如何學會在殘酷的環境中保護自己,如何在極端的貧睏中維持一絲人性的光輝。他們的生活充滿瞭生存的智慧,但也時刻被傳染病、無處不在的債務和對“治安官”的恐懼所籠罩。 二、梅菲爾的浮華:貴族階層的空虛與責任的缺失 與底層形成鮮明對比的是,故事的另一條綫索深入到倫敦西區(West End)的豪宅。主角之一是第二代卡文迪什勛爵,阿奇博爾德·卡文迪什。他繼承瞭巨大的地産和工業財富,生活在由絲絨、水晶燈和精心策劃的沙龍構成的象牙塔中。 然而,阿奇博爾德並非一個簡單的紈絝子弟。他受過最好的教育,但卻深受一種知識分子的迷茫睏擾——他意識到自己財富的根基建立在底層工人的血汗之上。小說探討瞭他內心的掙紮:是恪守傢族的保守主義,維護既有的特權階級結構,還是嘗試利用自己的影響力去推行社會改革,冒著被傢族和貴族圈子排斥的風險?他的未婚妻,伊莎貝拉小姐,則代錶瞭傳統上流社會的價值觀:關注時尚、社交排名以及對底層“不幸”的遙遠而膚淺的憐憫。 三、社會改良的火花:記者與改革傢的介入 為瞭打破兩極世界的壁壘,小說引入瞭第三位關鍵人物——羅伯特·福斯特,一位富有理想主義的調查記者。他受雇於一傢新興的進步派報紙,目標是揭露貧民窟的真實狀況,推動議會進行勞動法改革。 福斯特的工作將他置於危險之中。他必須潛入那些被警方忽視的街區,冒著被地痞流氓或腐敗警察傷害的風險,收集關於工廠安全、童工剝削以及貧民窟居住條件的鐵證。他的調查讓他與布萊剋伍德一傢産生瞭交集,他試圖將托馬斯的病情和艾米麗的睏境,轉化為推動社會變革的有力武器。 深度剖析:不僅僅是貧富差距 本書的敘事重點在於以下幾個維度的深刻探討: 1. 工業倫理的辯證法: 探究瞭進步的代價。蒸汽機、鐵路和全球貿易帶來的物質繁榮背後,是人性的異化和勞動力的商品化。 2. 城市化帶來的異鄉感: 倫敦的擴張創造瞭前所未有的擁擠與匿名性。人們在同一個城市生活,卻生活在完全不同的宇宙中,互不乾涉,甚至互不瞭解。 3. 法律與秩序的偏嚮性: 法律是如何被設計來保護財産而非生命?小說描繪瞭警察的巡邏路綫如何巧妙地避開瞭富人區,而將更多的監管力量投嚮瞭對“社會穩定”構成潛在威脅的貧民區。 4. 女性在社會轉型期的角色: 無論是瑪莎在傢庭中的隱忍付齣,還是上流社會女性在約束下的生活,抑或是工廠女工的抗爭,小說都提供瞭多維度的女性視角。 情感張力與高潮 故事的高潮並非一場爆炸性的革命,而是一係列因社會壓力導緻的個人悲劇與覺醒: 托馬斯在一次突發意外中傷重不治,他的死亡成為瞭福斯特報道的焦點,引發瞭小範圍的罷工和公眾的關注。 阿奇博爾德勛爵必須在傢族的壓力下,做齣一個影響他一生——甚至影響數百個傢庭命運——的關鍵商業決策:是繼續投資高汙染但高迴報的工廠,還是響應福斯特的呼籲,投入資源改善工人的工作環境,即使這意味著暫時的經濟損失。 艾米麗在目睹瞭父親的遭遇後,展現齣超越年齡的成熟和對教育的渴望,她決定不再隻是一個被動的受害者,而是要找到一條走齣“霧區”的道路。 結語:希望的微光 《霧鎖泰晤士河畔》的結局是復雜的,它拒絕提供一個簡單的“大團圓”收場。維多利亞時代的結構性問題不會在一夜之間被解決。然而,通過福斯特的報道和阿奇博爾德勛爵的良心發現,一些微小的、但意義深遠的改變開始在底層萌芽。本書旨在讓讀者直麵那個“鍍金時代”的真實麵貌,去思考進步的意義,以及在巨大的社會機器麵前,個體良知所能發揮的重量。這是一部關於階級、道德責任、工業巨獸與人類不屈精神的史詩。