雾都孤儿(世界经典文学名著文库)

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《雾都孤儿(英文原版评注本)》：世界经典文学名著文库

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插图：Occasionally, when there was some more than usually interestinginquest upon a parish child who had been overlooked in turning up abedstead, or inadvertently scalded to death when there happened to be awashing —— though the latter accident was very scarce, anything approachingto a washing being of rare occurrence in the farm —— the jury would takeit into their heads to ask troublesome questions, or the parishioners wouldrebelliously affix their signatures to a remonstrance. But these imper-tinences were speedily checked by the evidence of the surgeon, and thetestimony of the beadle; the former of whom had always opened the bodyand found nothing inside （which was very probable indeed）, and the latterof whom invariably swore whatever the parish wanted （which was veryself-devotional）. Besides, the board made periodical pilgrimages to thefarm, and always sent the beadle the day before, to say they were going.The children were neat and clean to behold when they went; and whatmore would the people have.It cannot be expected that this system of farming would produce anyvery extraordinary or luxuriant crop. Oliver Twist's ninth birthday foundhim a pale thin child, somewhat diminutive in stature, and decidedlysmall in circumference. But nature or inheritance had implanted a goodsturdy spirit in Oliver's breast. It had had plenty of room to expand, thanksto the spare diet of the establishment; and perhaps to this circumstancemay be attributed his having any ninth birthrlay at all.

作者简介

作者：（英国）狄更斯（Charles Dickens） 合著者：赵春霞 查尔斯?狄更斯（Charles Dickens），十九世纪英国*杰出的批判现实主义作家。有人把他和巴尔扎克、托尔斯泰并称为十九世纪三大小说家。 1812年2月7日出生在波特西郊区。他的父亲是一个海军小职员，酗酒好客，挥霍无度，*终在狄更斯十岁那年被关进债务监狱。而小狄更斯被送进一家黑皮鞋油作坊千活。他十六岁时在一家律师事务所作缮写员，十九岁进入报界，广泛接触社会并开始尝试创作。他只上过几年学，全靠刻苦自学和艰辛劳动成为知名作家。狄更斯一生共创作了14部长篇小说以及许多中、短篇小说和杂文、游记、戏剧、小品。狄更斯是一位以反映现实生活见长的小说家，他的作品，不仅是长篇，而且包括中短篇，绝大多数都是以他所生活的当时当地为背景的。在他前期创作的《奥列弗?忒斯特》（即《雾都孤儿》1838年）、《老古玩店》（1841年）、《尼古拉斯?尼科尔贝》、《大卫?科波菲尔》（1850年）、《董贝父子》（1848年）等作品的时候，他触及社会尚显肤浅，主要涉及他所处的社会地位*易觉察到的那些不良现象，诸如贫富悬殊、道德堕落、妇女儿童受到的蹂躏等。他的**部长篇小说《匹克威克外传》，甚至更早发表的特写集《博兹特写集》，就明显表现出揭露和批判的锋芒。随着他在思想上和社会实践中不断探索，他的作品逐步深入地触及法律、劳资关系等比较重大的社会问题。他的后期作品包括《荒凉山庄》、《艰难时世》（1854年）等都包含这类内容。《双城记》发表于1859年，时年作家47岁，那时已算是狄更斯的创作后期。