著名短篇故事集

出版时间：2001-11-1  出版社：上海译文出版社  作者：G.C.索恩利  页数：204  译者：陈彦佳  

内容概要

　　本书是“朗文英汉对照世界文学丛书”中的《著名短篇故事集》分册。书中收录了大量的侦探推理故事，并由英美国家从事英语教学研究的专家用2000个英语基本词汇进行简写，并以中英文对照的形式编排。　　本书形式新颖，具有较强的针对性及可读性，它可使您在阅读这些世界文学作品的同时，提高外语水平和文学的鉴赏能力。

作者简介

　　H.G.威尔斯（1866--1946），英国小说家，曾受过科学教育，早年生活艰苦，主要靠教书维持学业。著述极其丰富，代表作有科幻小说《隐身人》，《莫洛医生的岛屿》，短篇小说《盲人乡》，严肃作品《波里先生的历史》等。　　奥斯卡·王尔德（1854--1900）为剧作家、诗人、散文家，19世纪与萧伯纳齐名的英国才子。他的戏剧、诗作、小说则留给后人许多惯用语。1854年出生于都柏林，在都柏林的三圣大学研读古典文学作品，后来又前往牛津的马达兰大学，作品有：《格雷的画像》，《温夫人的扇子》、《微不足道的女人》、《理想丈夫》、《快乐王子童话集》与杰作《不可儿戏》，最后一部剧本《莎乐美》是以法文写作。在1894年因同性恋行为而入狱，后去法国定居，还改名为西巴斯金．梅莫斯（Sebastian Melmoth）；居住法国期间，他写出最为闻名的诗作：《里丁监禁之歌》。1890年，王尔德死于异乡法国。他在狱中写给阿弗列特的信件于1905年出版，书名为《狱中信》。

书籍目录

前言奇迹创造者（H·G·威尔斯）百万富翁模特（奥斯卡·王尔德）埃姆斯伍斯老爷和女朋友（P·G·沃德豪斯）洋娃娃的房子（凯瑟琳·曼斯菲尔德）通篇都是X（埃德加·爱伦·坡）苏珊·贝尔的爱情（安东尼·特罗洛普）蒙特拉格大臣（W·萨默特塞特·毛姆）词汇表

章节摘录

　　一天上午，在去劳拉家所在的荷兰公园的路上，他顺道看望了一下好朋友艾伦·特雷沃尔。特雷沃尔是个画家。是啊，现在人人都自称画家。不过，他还真算得上是艺术家，艺术家还是比较少见的吧。他这个人满脸雀斑，留着粗硬的红胡子，性格怪异粗鲁。可是，一旦拿起画笔，就成了一位大师。他的画往往很快就会被人看中，买走。应该承认，当初，休吉正是因为他的这种个人魅力而深受吸引。“画家么，就应该结识那些长得漂亮，看上去有艺术性愉悦的人，”特雷沃尔一直说，“还有那些交谈起来让人感觉悠闲的人。世界的主宰是那些穿着体面的男人和长相可爱的女人—至少，应该是这样的人。”随着他对休吉的了解不断加深，他喜欢上了他明朗、快活的脾性，和那种慷慨大度、粗枝大叶的性格，以致于随时欢迎休吉的来访。　　休吉一进门，就发现特雷沃尔的新作已接近尾声。那是一幅真人大小的作品，画的是一个乞丐。乞丐本人正站在房间角落一个凸起的类似舞台一样的地方。那是一个干瘪的满脸皱纹的老头儿，神情悲哀。肩上搭着一件粗劣的棕色上衣，千疮百孔，他的那双大靴子也是旧得补了又补。老头儿一手拄着一根粗糙蹩脚的手杖，一手捏着一顶旧得不成样子的帽子，向前伸着讨钱。　　“好一个叫人惊叹的模特儿啊！”休吉一边跟他的朋友握手，一边小声感叹。　　“一个叫人惊叹的模特儿！”特雷沃尔大声地说，“我真应该这么想。这样的乞丐可不是每天都碰得上的。天哪！伦勃朗会为他作幅什么样的画呢！”　　“可怜的老头儿！”休吉说，“他的脸多么愁苦！不过，我估计，对你们这些画家来说，这张脸很有价值！”　　One morning, as he was on his way to Holland Park, where the Mertons lived, he went in to see a great friend of his, Alan Trevor. Trevor was a painter. Indeed, few people are not nowadays. But he was also an artist, and artists are rather　rare. Personally he was a strange, rough fellow, with a spotted face and red, rough beard. However, when he took up the brush he was a real master, and his pictures were eagerly sought after. He had been very much attracted by Hughie at　　first, it must be admitted, entirely because of his personal charm. "The only people a painter should know," he used to say, "are people who are beautiful, people who are an artistic pleasure to look at, and restful to talk to. Men who are welldressed and women who are lovely rule the world - at least they should do so." However, after he got to know Hughie better, he liked him quite as much for his bright, cheerful spirits, and his generous, careless nature, and had asked him to come to see him whenever he liked.　　When Hughie came in he found Trevor putting the finishing touches to a wonderful life-size picture of a beggar-man. The beggar himself was standing on a raised part of the floor like a stage in a corner of the room. He was a dried-up old man　　with a lined face and a sad expression. Over his shoulder was thrown a rough brown coat, all torn and full of holes; his thick boots were old and mended, and with one hand he leant on a rough stick, while with the other he held out his ancient hat for money.　　"What an astonishing model!" whispered Hughie, as he shook hands with his friend.　　"An astonishing model!" shouted Trevor at the top of his voice; "I should think so! Such beggars are not met with every day. Good heavens! What a picture Rembrandt would have made of him!"　　"Poor old fellow!" said Hughie, "how miserable he looks! But I suppose, to you painters, his face is valuable."　　　　越过破篱笆，他看见这倒是一个很不错的小园子，需要更进一步的观察。他打开院门踱了进去。正躺在水桶后面的一条狗睁开一只眼睛看着他。那是一条卷毛狗，神情冷漠而多疑，就像一个生意人正看着一个想要算计他的人一样。　　埃姆斯伍斯老爷不去看那条狗。他走到几株花面前，弯下腰，闻闻花。　　那条狗似乎认为这个动作是犯罪行为。它闪电般地窜起来。刹那间，满世界都是它的狂吠声，而埃姆斯伍斯老爷的脑子一片空白，只想着要保住自己的两条腿免遭伤害。　　他不知道怎么跟陌生的狗打交道，除了对它说“走开，先生”，并以和他这么老的年纪所不相称的动作四处蹦跳之外，他没有采取任何自我保护措施，而这时小屋的门开了，一个姑娘走了出来。　　“嗬哎！”小姑娘叫了一声。　　立刻，随着她的这声轻唤，那条狗停止了攻击行为，扑向小姑娘，四脚朝天仰卧在她脚边。这情形，让埃姆斯伍斯老爷联想起自己在安格思·麦卡利斯特面前的表现。　　This, he saw, looking over its broken fence, was not at all a bad little garden. It demanded closer examination. He opened the gate and wandered in. And a dog, sleeping behind a water barrel, opened one eye and looked at him. It was one of those hairy dogs, and its look was cold and distrustful, like that of a businessman who thinks someone is going to play a trick on him.　　Lord Emsworth did not see the animal. He had wandered to some flowers and now, bending down, he smelt them.　　The dog for some reason appeared to think that this action was criminal. He was up in a flash. The next moment the world had become full of noise, and Lord Emsworths thoughts were swept away in a deep desire to save his legs from harm.　　He was not good with strange dogs. Except for saying "Go away, sir," and jumping about with an activity surprising in a man so old, he had done little to defend himself when the cottage door opened and a girl came out.　　"Hoy!" cried the girl.　　And at once, at just the sound of her voice, the dog, stopping the attack, jumped on the newcomer and lay on his back at her feet with all four legs in the air. The sight reminded Lord Emsworth of his own behaviour when in the presence of Angus McAllister.　　　　勃兰丁斯帕瓦的小孩子们总体说来都还是比较顺从而不是很调皮的。当然，每一个村里总会有一些捣蛋分子—在勃兰丁斯帕瓦，人们首先想到的捣蛋分子就是威利·德雷克和托马斯·布伦克伦—不过，绝大多数本地孩子都还能管得住。让本次游乐会如此混乱的实在是因为那些伦敦孩子的加人。　　那些伦敦孩子有着他们的乡下表亲所没有的粗枝大叶的禀性。多年以来与他们易怒的父母的紧张关系以及因此训练出来的敏捷反应使得他们早已克服了先天的犹疑不决。造成的后果就是：一旦当他看中什么东西，马上就伸手去拿；当他觉得领导阶层的成员外表上有什么好笑的时候，他也会毫无顾忌地直接了当说出来。他们在长条餐桌上上窜下跳，大声议论着某一个老师的门牙。埃姆斯伍斯老爷通常并不是一个思路敏捷的人，不过此刻，他似乎也已经意识到：在这些小客人注意到他那顶大礼帽之前，还是先把它摘下来比较明智。　　不过，这个动作已经是多余的了。就在他抬手要把帽子摘下的时候，一块蛋糕临空飞来，替他把帽子弄下来了。　　埃姆斯伍斯老爷实在受够了。甚至连不通情理的康斯坦丝也不指望他在这样的情形之下继续微笑着留在原地了。一切的文明规矩都统统忘光了。埃姆斯伍斯老爷慢慢地踱出去，走了。　　The young people of Blandings Parva were usually more cow-like than active. In all villages, of course, there must be violent characters—in Blandings Parva the names of Willie Drake and Thomas Blenkiron come immediately into the mind —but most of the local youth could be controlled. It was the additional mixture of the young London visitors、which gave the present meeting its violent nature.　　The London child has a sort of carelessness which his country cousin lacks. Years of sharp replies to angry parents and relations have cured him of any natural hesitations. The results are that when he wants anything he takes it, and when he is amused by any small oddity in the personal appearance of members of the governing classes, he finds no difficulty in saying so openly. Already, up and down the long tables, the front teeth of one of the schoolteachers were being loudlv discussed. Lora Emswortti was not usually a man of quick thought, but it　　seemed to him at this moment that it would be wise to take off his top hat before his little guests noticed it.　　The action was not, however, necessary. As he raised his hand to take it off, a cake, flying through the air, took it off for him.　　Lord Emsworth had had enough. Even Constance, though she was unreasonable, could not expect him to stay and smile in conditions like these. All civilised laws were clearly forgotten. Lord Emsworth went slowly towards the wav out, and left　　……

媒体关注与评论

　　前言　　这部由出生在19世纪的作家所写的短篇小说集展现了现代短篇小说在主题内容及风格形式方面的多样性。虽然短篇小说无法像长篇小说那样描写人物和社会的复杂性，但它们向我们表明了：通过对特定的经历或者事件的探究，短篇小说可以唤起人们的同情和理解，让人感到意外，同时激发人们的想象力。其中，颇具幽默感的幻想作品《奇迹创造者》就完全不同于那篇　　探索人类行为的《蒙特拉格大臣》；《洋娃娃的房子》中对孩提世界的细致描述也同《埃姆斯伍斯老爷和女朋友》中对埃姆斯伍斯老爷跟一个孩子的遭遇的逗人的叙述形成对比；《百万富翁模特》中对爱情故事的诙谐的奇闻轶事似的描写跟《苏珊·贝尔的爱情》中的娓娓叙述也迥然不同。　　H．C．威尔斯(1866--1946)学的是理工科，在他从事写作之前曾当过几年理工科教师。在他写作生涯的初始阶段，他写了诸如《隐身人》(1897)这样的科幻小说。随后，他写了几部像《波里先生的历史》(1910)这样的严肃作品。到他写作生涯的最后阶段，他已经成为一个著名的引起争议的人物了。那时，他致力于撰写有关现代社会弊病的作品，例如《人类的劳动、财富和幸福》(1932)。　　《奇迹创造者》(1927)结合了作者对于时空的兴趣以及对城市工人的关切。福瑟林格先生“并不是一个不同凡响的人”，起初，对他自己制造奇迹的能力的这一发现，他谨慎处之，渐渐地他越来越有自信心，直到最后，“对于自己的过人之处再无恐惧。”然而故事最终还是让福瑟林格先生重新回到无足轻重的平凡生活。福瑟林格先生这一性格是H．C．威尔斯对普通人身上的喜剧性与英雄性相结合这一信念的一种肯定。　　与此相反，《蒙特拉格大臣》的中心人物是一个有着贵族派头的人，并且在他的政党内部又是最为优秀的。在他的梦里，他总和威尔士议员欧文·格里菲斯——“一个完全算不上是贵族的很平常的人”纠缠在一起。蒙特拉格大臣的可怕梦境迫使他不得不找著名的心理医生奥德林大夫寻求帮助，而后者的超然态度受到了蒙特拉格大臣本身的骄傲所引发的结果的影响，故事的结局是忧郁的。　　这个故事足以显示萨默塞特·毛姆作为短篇小说家的功力。毛姆(1874—1965)生于巴黎，十岁就成了孤儿，被送往英国跟伯父生活。他在小说《人生的枷锁》(1915)中叙述了不幸的童年。他学医出身，而他的第一部小说《兰贝斯的丽莎》(1897)就是基于他在伦敦贫民区的从医经历。他最为著名的是那些短篇小说，所有这些小说构思精巧，以满足读者想知道“最终结局究竟如何”的愿望。“我喜欢这种形式，”关于短篇小说他这样写道，“跟我想象中的人物共处两、三个星期直到写完分手，实在是件很高兴的事。”　　和萨默塞特·毛姆不同，安东尼·特罗洛普主要是个长篇小说家，写了五十多部长篇小说。他认为作家应该“使得读者们对小说人物非常地熟悉、了解，而他头脑中的那些人物对于读者来说应该是活生生的人。”而在《苏珊·贝尔的爱情》中，人物才是作品的中心。情节很简单、很平淡（“我从不在情节的安排方面跟自己过不去，”特罗洛普在1883年发表的《自传》中写道），一个胆怯的寡妇、他聪明的女儿赫胥、单纯的苏珊及她坚定的恋人阿伦给人们留下了深刻的印象。　　……

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　　"一沙一世界，一花一天堂。"这本薄薄的集子，收录了十九世纪诸位著名作家的短篇小说，可谓浓缩的精华。这些精心挑出的短篇小说虽然无法像长篇小说那样描写人物和社会的复杂性，但幽默与奇想并存，以谐谑逗人、激励时尚见长。本书唤起了人们的同情和理解，让人意外的同时，激发了人的想象力。