Selected Short Stories of O. Henry (English-Chinese Contrastive Translation): Famous Works Appreciation at the Tea House

Author: Tian Yan
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-04-01
Features: He, with cartoon-like brushstrokes, sketches the characteristics of his characters; he, with a sharp eye, discovers the essence of life; he is the "tearful smile" — one of the world's three great short story writers, O. Henry. Chinese English learners have long been trapped in the so-called "exam culture" cycle. Despite spending a significant amount of time and effort, the English proficiency of many learners only reaches the level of passing various exams. Some learners are even afraid of taking exams and cannot even use English as a tool for communication. Even if many learners pass a certain exam, their communicative competence remains limited, and they often feel lost in many situations. The main reason for the above situation lies in the fact that many English learners rarely read literary works, have not been exposed to Western culture, and have little knowledge of Western social customs and humanities. Language is a carrier of culture. Literary works have long been regarded as the classics of language. To truly learn English well, one must read excellent literary works. However, due to the limitations of English proficiency and time constraints, Chinese English learners find it difficult to appreciate original English literary works, which, to some extent, limits the enthusiasm and improvement of English learners in learning English. To enhance the interest of English learners in learning English and their cultural literacy, several professors and associate professors at the School of Foreign Languages of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, who are passionate about foreign literature, have carefully selected and compiled this series of "Red Tea House Classics Appreciation." Using simple yet authentic English that preserves the original style, paired with fluent Chinese translations, we present the charm of the distinctive and stylistic short stories of these world-class writers to the readers. We hope that readers, while learning the English language, will also become familiar with its historical background, political evolution, and economic development; understand its social customs, human psychology, and values; savor life, enhance their understanding of the meaning of life, and improve their literary and humanistic qualities. We believe that after reading this series of books, readers will wholeheartedly agree with our viewpoints!