Most Classic Short Stories (Chinese-English Collection Edition)

Author: Xu Hanlin
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-11-01
Features: A feast of classic masters, a treasure of world literature! The selected works in this book are truly masterpieces of human language and literature, featuring renowned translations that guide readers to experience the love and care for ordinary people depicted by O. Henry through the touch of the masters; to appreciate the satirical techniques and natural, flowing prose of Guy de Maupassant; and to savor the grandeur and plain yet profound language of Hemingway's works.
Diverse Themes: The themes of the selected works are wide-ranging, covering the mundane lives of ordinary people to the campaigns of government officials for governor, fully reflecting the diverse cultural backgrounds, writing styles, artistic tendencies, and narrative methods in contemporary short fiction.
Profound Content: The works are deeply profound, all being renowned classics in the history of world literature that continue to shine brightly. They offer both critiques and calls to action regarding the injustices of the real world, as well as reflections and insights into human history; they care about ethical and moral values in the human world while exploring the spiritual realms of individuals.
Diverse Styles: Some works excel in plot or storytelling techniques, leaving readers in awe after reading them. Others are profound in meaning, making readers contemplate deeply and remember them for a long time. These completely different styles and writing techniques refresh readers.
Reading short stories with beautiful language and strong thoughtfulness throughout one's life can not only broaden one's horizons but also inspire the mind, cultivate one's character, and help one understand life. This book selects more than 30 outstanding works from the vast treasure trove of world short fiction, accompanied by authentic English translations and concise, vivid author bios, guiding readers to interpret the language features and artistic styles of the works from multiple perspectives and depths. To facilitate reading, the book includes over a hundred illustrations that align with the storylines, vividly recreating the dramatic and heart-stirring scenes of the works, forming a rich gallery of characters and a broad, ever-changing social landscape, bringing readers greater aesthetic enjoyment and humanistic enlightenment. This book is not only a read for English learners and literature enthusiasts but also a haven for the weary modern soul.
At home, Della's elation turned a bit cautious and sensible. She found the hair clippers, lit the gas stove, and began to undo the damage caused by love and generosity. This was usually a remarkable task, dear friend—it was truly an extraordinary undertaking. In less than forty minutes, her head was covered with fine, close-to-the-scalp curls, making her look like a truant boy. She studied her reflection in the mirror for a long time, careful and picky.
"Look, Jim, don't kill me if you see me like this!" she whispered to herself. "You'd say I looked like a singer from the minstrel troupe on Coney Island. But what can I do—oh, for goodness sake, what can eighty-seven cents do!"
At seven o'clock, the coffee was ready, and the frying pan was on the stove, ready to cook steak. Jim was always on time to come home. Della held the folded chain of her watch in her hand and sat at the corner of the table where Jim was sure to pass when he entered. Then she heard the sound of his footsteps on the stairs, and she turned pale with nervousness. She was accustomed to silently praying for daily trivialities, and now she murmured softly: "God, please let him think I'm still beautiful!"
The door opened, and Jim stepped in, closing it behind him. He looked thin and very serious. Poor man, only twenty-two years old, yet he had to bear the weight of a family! He needed a new overcoat, and he didn't even have a pair of gloves.
Jim stood at the door, like a hound that had caught the scent of a quail, motionless. He stared at Della, his expression enigmatic, making her shiver. It wasn't anger, nor surprise, nor dissatisfaction, nor disgust—it was none of the emotions she had expected. He just stared at her with that strange, odd expression.
Della twisted her waist, jumped off the table, and walked toward him.
"Jim, dear," she called, "don't look at me like that. I cut my hair off and sold it because I can't spend Christmas without giving you a gift. It will grow back, you won't mind, will you? I had to do it. My hair grows very, very fast. Say Merry Christmas, Jim! Let's be happy. You surely won't guess what beautiful and fine gift I bought for you!"
"You cut your hair off?" Jim asked, struggling to grasp the reality before him.
"I did, and I sold it," Della said. "But anyway, you'll still love me. Without hair, I'm still me, aren't I?"
Jim's expression was strange as he looked around.
"You mean your hair is gone?" he asked almost foolishly.
"Don't look for it," Della said. "It's already sold. I told you, it's sold, there's none left. Tonight is Christmas Eve, dear, be good to me. It's for you. Maybe my hair can be counted," she continued in a serious yet gentle tone, "but the love I have for you no one can count. May I put the steak in the pan, Jim?"
Jim seemed to snap out of a daze and suddenly threw his arms around Della.
Don't hurry, let us spend ten seconds to think carefully from another angle about certain things.