William Shakespeare: English-Chinese Contrast

Author: Baster Xie Pingping
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-10-01
Features: "The Bookworm" is a premium offering jointly brought to by the Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press and Oxford University Press. The Bookworm is a rather endearing figure in English. Imagine such a Bookworm, utterly immersed in books, tirelessly devouring letters. Now, this Bookworm has crossed the seas and landed gracefully in the hands of Chinese English learners. The Bookworm first gives you a letter, even if you currently have only a few hundred words, you can easily read world-class works. The Bookworm will also remind you with its gentle chirping: to persevere in reading, to read widely and richly. By the time you finish the last book in the series, you may suddenly discover that you have transformed like a caterpillar into a butterfly, ready to take flight!
1578, Stratford-upon-Avon. A boy sits at his desk, studying intently, listening attentively and reading hard. But what is he thinking?
1587, London. A young man arrives in London for the first time to seek his fortune. He listens to the hustle and bustle of the city, gazes at the magnificent walls of the Tower of London, and watches the flowing waters of the Thames.
"Silent Thames, flowing gently, until I sing the song in my heart."
1601, London. The boatman on the Thames shouts to the crowd: "Come quickly, come quickly, come! The 'Globe Theatre' is almost full! Over 2,000 spectators cross the river to watch Shakespeare's latest play——《Hamlet》.
This book tells the story of Shakespeare's life, narrated by Toby. Toby is not a real person—in all likelihood, Shakespeare may have had a friend like him, but we cannot be certain. However, the other characters in the book are indeed historical figures. They knew the actor, poet, and playwright Shakespeare very well. They called him "The Gentleman of Shakespeare," believing him to be the most outstanding poet in England. His friend Ben Jonson once wrote: "He does not belong to one age, but to all ages."
The author of this book, Jennifer Baster, is an experienced teacher and writer. She lives in Devon, in the southwest of England.