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适读人群 :6-9岁
小说以雾都伦敦为背景,讲述了一个孤儿悲惨的身世及遭遇,主人公奥利弗在孤儿院长大,经历学徒生涯,艰苦逃难,误入贼窝,又被迫与狠毒的凶徒为伍,历尽无数辛酸,最后在善良人的帮助下,查明身世并获得了幸福。 内容简介
Oliver Twist is a desperate orphan. A gang of thieves takes him in and teaches him to steal, but then he is caught. What will become of poor Oliver Twist? Kids can find out in this easy-to-read chapter book adaptation of the Dickens classic.
一个不知来历的年轻孕妇昏倒在街上,人们把她送进了贫民收容院。第二天,她生下一个男孩后死去。这个孤儿被取名奥立弗·退斯特。十年后奥立弗成了棺材店的学徒。他不堪虐待,逃到了雾都伦敦,不幸落入贼帮手中。小小的孤儿在逆境中挣扎,幸而他由于本性善良而得到了善良人的帮助。他一次次化险为夷,终于能和爱他的亲人团聚,他神秘的出身也真相大白。 作者简介
Charles Dickens was born in 1812 near Portsmouth where his father was a clerk in the navy pay office. The family moved to London in 1823, but their fortunes were severely impaired. Dickens was sent to work in a blacking-warehouse when his father was imprisoned for debt. Both experiences deeply affected the future novelist. In 1833 he began contributing stories to newspapers and magazines, and in 1836 started the serial publication of Pickwick Papers. Thereafter, Dickens published his major novels over the course of the next twenty years, from Nicholas Nickleby to Little Dorrit. He also edited the journals Household Words and All the Year Round. Dickens died in June 1870.
查尔斯·狄更斯(Charles Dickens,1812~1870),1812年生于英国的朴次茅斯。父亲过着没有节制的生活,负债累累。年幼的狄更斯被迫被送进一家皮鞋油店当学徒,饱尝了艰辛。狄更斯16岁时,父亲因债务被关进监狱。从此,他们的生活更为悲惨。工业革命一方面带来了19世纪前期英国大都市的繁荣,另一方面又带来了庶民社会的极端贫困和对童工的残酷剥削。尖锐的社会矛盾和不公正的社会制度使狄更斯决心改变自己的生活。15岁时,狄更斯在一家律师事务所当抄写员并学习速记,此后,又在报社任新闻记者。在《记事晨报》任记者时,狄更斯开始发表一些具有讽刺和幽默内容的短剧,主要反映伦敦的生活,逐渐有了名气。他了解城市底层人民的生活和风土人情,这些都体现在他热情洋溢的笔端。此后,他在不同的杂志社任编辑、主编和发行人,其间发表了几十部长篇和短篇小说,主要作品有《雾都孤儿》、《圣诞颂歌》、《大卫·科波菲尔》和《远大前程》等。
狄更斯的作品大多取材于与自己的亲身经历或所见所闻相关联的事件。他在书中揭露了济贫院骇人听闻的生活制度,揭开了英国社会底层的可怕秘密,淋漓尽致地描写了社会的黑暗和罪恶。本书起笔便描写了主人公奥利弗生下来便成为孤儿,以及在济贫院度过的悲惨生活。后来,他被迫到殡仪馆做学徒,又因不堪忍受虐待而离家出走。孤身一人来到伦敦后,又落入了窃贼的手中。狄更斯在其作品中大量描写了黑暗的社会现实,对平民阶层寄予了深切的向情,并无情地批判了当时的社会制度。他在小说描写的现实性和人物的个性化方面成绩是突出的。他成为继莎士比亚之后,塑造作品人物数量最多的一个作家。 精彩书评
"The power of [Dickens] is so amazing, that the reader at once becomes his captive, and must follow him whithersoever he leads."
--William Makepeace Thackeray 精彩书摘
Chapter I
Treats of the place where Oliver Twist was Born; and of the Circumstances attending his Birth.
Among other public buildings in a certain town, which for many reasons it will be prudent to refrain from mentioning, and to which I will assign no fictitious name, there is one anciently common to most towns, great or small: to wit, a workhouse; and in this workhouse was born: on a day and date which I need not trouble myself to repeat, inasmuch as it can be of no possible consequence to the reader, in this stage of the business at all events: the item of mortality whose name is prefixed to the head of this chapter.
For a long time after it was ushered into this world of sorrow and trouble, by the parish surgeon, it remained a matter of considerable doubt whether the child would survive to bear any name at all; in which case it is somewhat more than probable that these memoirs would never have appeared; or, if they had, that being comprised within a couple of pages, they would have possessed the inestimable merit of being the most concise and faithful specimen of biography, extant in the literature of any age or country.
Although I am not disposed to maintain that the being born in a workhouse, is in itself the most fortunate and enviable circumstance that can possibly befal a human being, I do mean to say that in this particular instance, it was the best thing for Oliver Twist that could by possibility have occurred. The fact is, that there was considerable difficulty in inducing Oliver to take upon himself the office of respiration,-a troublesome practice, but one which custom has rendered necessary to our easy existence; and for some time he lay gasping on a little flock mattress, rather unequally poised between this world and the next: the balance being decidedly in favour of the latter. Now, if, during this brief period, Oliver had been surrounded by careful grandmothers, anxious aunts, experienced nurses, and doctors of profound wisdom, he would most inevitably and indubitably have been killed in no time. There being nobody by, however, but a pauper old woman, who was rendered rather misty by an unwonted allowance of beer; and a parish surgeon who did such matters by contract; Oliver and Nature fought out the point between them. The result was, that, after a few struggles, Oliver breathed, sneezed, and proceeded to advertise to the inmates of the workhouse the fact of a new burden having been imposed upon the parish, by setting up as loud a cry as could reasonably have been expected from a male infant who had not been possessed of that very useful appendage, a voice, for a much longer space of time than three minutes and a quarter.
As Oliver gave this first proof of the free and proper action of his lungs, the patchwork coverlet which was carelessly flung over the iron bedstead, rustled; the pale face of a young woman was raised feebly from the pillow; and a faint voice imperfectly articulated the words, "Let me see the child, and die."
The surgeon had been sitting with his face turned towards the fire: giving the palms of his hands, a warm and a rub alternately. As the young woman spoke, he rose, and advancing to the bed's head, said, with more kindness than might have been expected of him:
"Oh, you must not talk about dying yet."
"Lor bless her dear heart, no!" interposed the nurse, hastily depositing in her pocket a green glass bottle, the contents of which she had been tasting in a corner with evident satisfaction. "Lor bless her dear heart, when she has lived as long as I have, sir, and had thirteen children of her own, and all on 'em dead except two, and them in the wurkus with me, she'll know better than to take on in that way, bless her dear heart! Think what it is to be a mother, there's a dear young lamb, do."
Apparently this consolatory perspective of a mother's prospects, failed in producing its due effect. The patient shook her head, and stretched out her hand towards the child.
The surgeon deposited it in her arms. She imprinted her cold white lips passionately on its forehead; passed her hands over her face; gazed wildly round; shuddered; fell back-and died. They chafed her breast, hands, and temples; but the blood had stopped for ever. They talked of hope and comfort. They had been strangers too long.
"It's all over, Mrs. Thingummy!" said the surgeon at last.
"Ah, poor dear, so it is!" said the nurse, picking up the cork of the green bottle which had fallen out on the pillow as she stooped to take up the child. "Poor dear!"
"You needn't mind sending up to me, if the child cries, nurse," said the surgeon, putting on his gloves with great deliberation. "It's very likely it will be troublesome. Give it a little gruel7 if it is." He put on his hat, and, pausing by the bed-side on his way to the door, added "She was a good-looking girl, too; where did she come from?"
"She was brought here last night," replied the old woman, "by the overseer's order. She was found lying in the street. She had walked some distance, for her shoes were worn to pieces; but where she came from, or where she was going to, nobody knows."
奇幻冒险:《星辰之钥与失落的图书馆》 适合年龄: 7-10岁 关键词: 魔法、友谊、解谜、勇气、想象力 --- 引言:尘封的秘密与不凡的召唤 在世界的边缘,坐落着一座被时间遗忘的古老小镇——静水镇。镇上的一切都宁静得近乎沉睡,除了那个被藤蔓和迷雾紧紧环绕的废弃建筑:高耸入云的奥瑞恩图书馆。传说中,这座图书馆收藏了世间所有的知识,甚至包括如何驾驭风暴和与星辰对话的秘密。然而,它在百年前的一夜之间突然关闭,所有的书页都失去了声音。 我们的主角,艾拉(Ella),一个充满好奇心、拥有一头火红色卷发的十岁女孩,正是静水镇上唯一一个对古老传说抱有真正热情的人。她不像其他孩子那样满足于日复一日的平淡生活,她的眼睛里总是闪烁着对未知世界的渴望。她的“不寻常”之处,在于她能听见微弱的、只有她能察觉的低语——那是来自石头、旧木头和被遗忘的物品的“心声”。 第一章:图书馆的低语与意外的盟友 一个电闪雷鸣的夜晚,艾拉被一阵异常强烈的“呼唤”惊醒。那声音不是来自她的卧室,而是来自镇子尽头,图书馆的方向。带着她那把从爷爷那里继承来的、造型奇特的黄铜钥匙,艾拉穿过泥泞的小路,来到了图书馆那扇巨大、布满铜锈的大门前。 令她震惊的是,大门并没有完全锁死。当她将黄铜钥匙插入锁孔时,周围的空气瞬间凝固,钥匙发出柔和的蓝光,大门缓缓开启,露出了一个比想象中更宏伟、更神秘的入口。 图书馆内部,不再是死寂的尘封之地,而是一个由光影编织而成的迷宫。高耸的书架直插云霄,书页在无形的风中轻轻翻动,空气中弥漫着墨水、羊皮纸和某种难以言喻的、微弱的魔法香气。 就在她迷失方向时,一个不速之客出现了。那不是人,而是一团由漂浮的微小光点组成的生物,它自称为“墨迹精灵”——芬(Finn)。芬是个有些神经质、但知识渊博的小家伙。它告诉艾拉,图书馆的“核心”——《星辰之钥》——被人盗走了。这本书并非记载文字,而是储存着控制图书馆魔法阵的关键,没有它,图书馆的知识将永远沉睡,并最终崩塌,其溢出的魔法能量会危及静水镇。 芬警告艾拉,盗贼是一个名叫“影语者”的神秘人物,他觊觎图书馆的能量,试图用“星辰之钥”来重写现实规则。 第二章:迷失的章节与线索的碎片 艾拉和芬结成了临时的同盟。他们的任务是深入图书馆的各个“失落的章节”,收集关于“影语者”和“星辰之钥”的线索。 图书馆的结构并非线性排列,而是充满着魔法谜题。他们必须穿过: 1. “时间停滞区”: 在这里,时间流动变得极其缓慢,艾拉必须利用芬制造的短暂“加速泡”来穿过静止的摆钟和慢动作的尘埃落体。她发现的第一条线索藏在一本记载着古代星象图的古籍中——那是一枚掉落的、刻有奇异花纹的乌木书签。 2. “颠倒的地图室”: 这是一个充满了三维立体地图和悬空球体的房间。地图上的河流向上流淌,山脉倒置。要找到下一个线索,艾拉必须学会用“心”去感受方向,而不是眼睛。她成功地解开了一个复杂的方位谜题,找到了第二件物品——一个会变色的水晶球,它会根据环境中的“谎言”改变颜色。 3. “回声走廊”: 一条长长的走廊,任何声音都会被放大并扭曲成令人困惑的噪音。艾拉意识到,影语者留下的线索并非视觉信息,而是听觉的暗示。她必须用黄铜钥匙轻轻敲击不同的书脊,找到能够产生和谐共鸣的特定“音符组合”,才能打开通往深层区域的密门。她收集到了一段被冰封的古老歌谣的片段。 第三章:友谊的力量与内心的试炼 在探险过程中,艾拉和芬的友谊日益加深。芬虽然胆小,但它对古老文字的了解和艾拉的勇气形成了完美的互补。然而,图书馆似乎在考验他们,设置的障碍不仅仅是物理或智力上的挑战。 他们进入了“记忆书库”,这里存放着被遗忘的梦想和破碎的希望。艾拉开始看到一些她自己过去的片段——关于她因为“与众不同”而感到孤单的时刻。影语者试图利用这些“负面情绪”来削弱艾拉的意志,诱惑她放弃寻找“星辰之钥”,转而沉浸在被理解的幻觉中。 关键时刻,艾拉想起了爷爷教导她的话:“真正的力量,不是你拥有什么,而是你选择相信什么。”她用自己的“心声感应”力量,将周围所有美好的记忆碎片——镇上孩子的笑声、芬第一次帮助她的温暖——编织成一道光盾,驱散了幻觉。 这时,水晶球开始剧烈闪烁,它显示出影语者留下的一个更明确的标记:一个隐藏在静水镇钟楼上的符号。 第四章:决战:钟楼上的真相 艾拉和芬马不停蹄地赶往钟楼。在顶层,他们发现了影语者——他并不是一个面目可憎的恶魔,而是一位曾经是图书馆学徒的老者,阿奇博尔德。他看起来疲惫不堪,手中紧握着散发着微光的《星辰之钥》。 阿奇博尔德解释说,他并非想毁灭图书馆,而是想用这本书“修正”历史上的一个错误——他希望抹去导致他挚爱亲人离去的灾难。他相信,只有绝对的控制权才能带来真正的秩序。 冲突爆发了。阿奇博尔德试图用“星辰之钥”的力量重塑周围的空间,让艾拉和芬被困在不断崩塌的楼梯上。 艾拉明白,蛮力无法取胜。她结合了之前收集到的所有线索: 1. 乌木书签代表了坚定的决心。 2. 会变色的水晶球提醒她分辨真实与虚假。 3. 被冰封的歌谣让她明白了,真正的力量在于连接,而非隔离。 她没有攻击阿奇博尔德,而是大声喊出了歌谣的最后一句(这是芬通过解读冰封旋律后翻译出来的真正含义):“知识如水,流动方能滋养万物,固守则自封枯竭。” 这句话触动了阿奇博尔德内心深处对知识的敬畏。他手中的《星辰之钥》瞬间失去了控制,光芒柔和下来。 尾声:知识的回归与新的开始 《星辰之钥》回到了它应有的位置——图书馆中央的基座。随着钥匙的归位,图书馆的魔法光芒重新稳定下来。那些翻动的书页停止了躁动,取而代之的是一种平静而充满活力的嗡鸣声。 阿奇博尔德选择了接受,并承诺将用余生去守护图书馆的平衡。 艾拉没有成为拯救世界的女英雄,但她成为了静水镇第一个“被图书馆认可的守护者”。芬留在了图书馆,成为了艾拉的私人向导。 第二天清晨,静水镇依旧宁静,但艾拉知道,她与那个宏伟、充满魔法的知识宝库之间,建立了一种永恒的联系。她带着对新世界的期盼,期待着下一次图书馆对她的召唤。因为她知道,奥瑞恩图书馆里,还有无数未被翻阅的篇章,等待着她和芬一起去探索。 --- 本书的亮点: 互动式解谜: 故事中融入了多种需要读者动脑筋的谜题设计,鼓励孩子们从多个角度思考问题。 情感深度: 探讨了“好奇心”、“友谊的价值”以及“接受不完美”的主题。 想象力的盛宴: 描绘了一个充满动态光影、会呼吸的图书馆世界,激发对阅读和探险的热爱。