Bedside Lamp English Learning Reader 2 (The Adventures of Tom Sawyer) (English-Chinese Contrast)

Author: Li Zhengshuan
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-05-01
Features: Plot Summary: The story takes place in a small, ordinary town on the Mississippi River in the mid-19th century. Tom Sawyer is a mischievous boy who lives with his stepsister, Polly, after his parents' separation. He always comes up with various pranks, leaving Polly helpless, but he always manages to evade punishment. One day, Tom meets the lovely girl Becky Thatcher, the daughter of Judge Thatcher. He immediately becomes infatuated with her, and his affection seems to be reciprocated. In the town, there is a boy named Huckleberry "Huck" Finn. His father is an alcoholic who constantly fights with his mother, so Huck lives alone. He seems out of place in civilized society, and adults dislike him, but he is Tom's best friend. One day, they make a plan to go to the graveyard at night and witness an unexpected scene. They see Dr. Robinson, the villain Injun Joe, and the drunkard Muff Potter. During their chaotic fight, Injun Joe kills the doctor and then frames the unconscious Potter. Tom and Huck are terrified and swear an oath never to reveal what they saw. After Potter is arrested, Tom feels extremely guilty and often visits him. At this time, Tom faces misfortune—Becky is angry with him and ignores him, and Polly always scolds him. He feels as if no one cares about him. So, Tom, Huck, and another boy from the village take a boat to an island. However, soon they discover that the villagers believe they have drowned and are searching for their bodies. Tom sneaks back to his aunt's house at night and finds Polly grieving over his "death." Tom feels deeply ashamed. In the end, the three of them return during the funeral the villagers hold for them. When summer comes, Tom becomes even more uneasy because the judge will soon sentence Potter for his crime. Tom finally overcomes his fear and selfishness, revealing that Injun Joe is the murderer. But the killer still escapes. Later, Tom comes up with another idea: to find treasure. Tom and Huck accidentally discover Injun Joe and his vast ill-gotten wealth, but they don't know where he hid it. When Becky and her classmates go on a picnic, Huck learns that Injun Joe plans to harm Widow Douglas because her husband once sent him to jail. Fortunately, Huck warns her in time, preventing a tragedy, but Injun Joe escapes again. Meanwhile, while on a picnic, Tom and Becky stumble into a cave and, unable to find their way back due to its depth, get trapped. They encounter Injun Joe again inside the cave. After the villagers struggle to rescue Tom and Becky, they seal the cave shut. Later, Tom tells the villagers that Injun Joe is still inside. When they find him, he has died in the cave. The villains receive their just rewards. Tom and Huck return to the cave and find the treasure.