Selected Short Stories of O. Henry (English-Chinese Contrastive Translation)

Author: Tian Yan
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-04-01
Features: He, with a comic-like brushstroke, 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 lot of time and effort, the English proficiency of many learners only reaches the level of passing various exams. Some learners even fear taking exams and are far from using English as a tool for communication. Even if many learners pass certain exams, their communicative competence remains limited, and they often feel lost in many situations. The main reason for this situation lies in the fact that many English learners rarely read literary works, have little exposure to Western culture, and know very 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 English proficiency. 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 of "Red Tea House Classic Appreciation." We present the charm of the distinctive and stylized short stories of these world-class writers in simple yet authentic English, accompanied by fluent Chinese translations, to readers. We hope that readers will, while learning the English language, become familiar with its historical background, political evolution, and economic development; understand its social customs, human psychology, and values; savor life, enhance their appreciation 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 views!