Selected Short Stories of Mark Twain (English-Chinese Contrastive Version)

Author: Wang Xuhong
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2005-04-01
Features: Mark Twain, originally Samuel Langhorne Clemens, was the founder of American critical realism literature and a world-renowned master of short stories. Mark Twain's life was full of legends. In 1835, Halley's Comet brought this literary giant into the world. Throughout his life, he created dozens of novels, and his mastery of language, skill in character development, and means of political satire were seamlessly integrated into these stories. They are like a string of brilliant pearls, reflecting the rich spiritual world and material life of his time. In 1910, when Halley's Comet passed across the sky again, this literary master left this world. He left behind a precious spiritual legacy for the people of the world and had a significant influence on many renowned American writers who followed. Only by carefully reading can one discover the subtleties of his work. Chinese English learners have long been trapped in what is known as the "exam culture" trap. Despite spending a lot of time and effort, the English proficiency of many learners only reaches the level of passing various exams. Others, even, are afraid of taking exams and cannot even use English as a tool for communication. Even if many learners pass certain exams, their communicative abilities remain limited, and they often feel lost in many situations. The main reason for this is that many English learners rarely read literary works, have not been exposed to Western culture, and know little about 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 their enthusiasm for learning English and their improvement in the language. To enhance the interest of English learners in learning English and their cultural and social 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, "Tea House Classics Appreciation." We present the charm of the short stories of these world-class writers in simple yet original English, accompanied by fluent Chinese translations, to show readers the unique styles and characteristics of these stories. We hope that readers will not only learn English but 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, readers will be fully convinced of our views!