Wuthering Heights

Author: Mao Ronggui et al. (Editor-in-Chief)
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-05-01
Features: Views on Reading by Famous Figures in the English World. It's not enough to just learn a few dry English sentences; don't always put the purpose of reading solely on improving English. Reading is primarily about absorbing knowledge, and in the process of absorbing knowledge, the language is naturally absorbed as well. — Xu Guozhang
Thinking in English is a goal many English learners aspire to, as it is the foundation for expressing thoughts fluently in English. For Chinese students living in a non-English environment, achieving partial or full thinking in English is indeed challenging, but it is not out of reach. From my own experience in learning English, I've found that persistent extensive reading is one of the most effective ways to achieve this goal. — He Qixin (Vice President and Doctoral Supervisor, Beijing Foreign Studies University)
For elementary and intermediate English learners, I highly recommend easy English readers. The materials should be simple and engaging, and the reading speed should be as fast as possible. The more you read, the better. This is a tried-and-true method for learning English. — Hu Wenzhong (Professor, Beijing Foreign Studies University)
In northern England, there is a place called Wuthering Heights. Its owner, Earnshaw, adopts an orphan and names him Heathcliff. Earnshaw brings him up alongside his son, Hindley, and daughter, Catherine (Cathy). Heathcliff and Cathy grow up together and develop a deep love, but Hindley despises him. After Earnshaw's death, Hindley becomes the master of Wuthering Heights and does everything in his power to torment Heathcliff, deepening their hatred. However, Heathcliff's love for Cathy remains unchanged. The son of the neighboring estate, Thrushcross Grange, Edgar, proposes to Cathy. The naive and immature Cathy agrees to marry Edgar, hoping to use his family's wealth to help Heathcliff escape his brother's persecution. Upon learning that Cathy plans to marry Edgar, Heathcliff furiously leaves.
Several years later, a handsome and dignified guest arrives at Thrushcross Grange. It is the long-lost Heathcliff, who has grown wealthy, returning to his homeland. His sole purpose this time is revenge. After losing his wife, Hindley falls into a life of alcoholism and gambling. When he sees Heathcliff return and become rich, he surprisingly invites him to stay at the estate. Heathcliff exploits Hindley's vices and easily takes away his entire fortune. Edgar's sister, Isabella, sees Heathcliff as a legendary hero. Heathcliff marries her through deceit and treats her cruelly after the marriage. Isabella leaves him after realizing his true nature and later gives birth to a son, Linton. Cathy dies in childbirth, leaving behind a daughter, also named Cathy. After Isabella's death, Heathcliff takes Linton back and manipulates him into falling in love with Cathy. When Linton falls ill, Heathcliff abducts Cathy and forces her to marry his son, Linton, thereby seizing the entire Lin estate and completing his revenge.
Linton soon dies, and Cathy falls in love with Harry, Hindley's son, which goes against Heathcliff's wishes. Meanwhile, Heathcliff is tormented by Cathy's ghost, unable to rest day or night. He sees his younger self reflected in the eyes of Harry and Cathy. Love triumphs over hatred, and he cannot bear to continue his endless revenge. He sets out to find Cathy. On a stormy night, filled with emptiness and the bitterness of life, he calls out her name and leaves this world.