ADarkNight'sWorkisan1863novellabyElizabethGaskell.Theword"dark"wasaddedtotheoriginaltitlebyDickensagainstGaskell'swishes.Dickensfeltthatthealteredtitlewouldbemorestriking.ThestorycentersonEllinorWilkinsandherfatherEdwardWilkins,acountrylawyerinEngland.Havinglosthermotherandsisterataveryyoungage,Ellinordevelopsanintensebondwithherfatherandenjoysallofhisattentionandfinancialcomfortsthroughoutherchildhood.HerbondwithMr.WilkinsissostrongthatEllinorisalsoblindtohisfaults.AsEllinorgrowsintoadulthood,sheisengagedtoayoungmanofanoblefamily.Justatthattime,tragedystrikes.Mr.Wilkins,inafitofdrunkenrage,commitsmurder.Desperatetoavoidthedisgrace,Ellinor,herfatherandafamilyservanthidethebody.Afterthat,thestoryischieflyconcernedwiththeeffectsofaguiltyconscious.Eachpersonconcerneddealswiththeguiltindevastatingwaysandtheeffectsarefar-reachingintothefuture.Theworkfocusesontherealisticanalysisofcharacterandemotion,ratherthanmelodrama.

TheSevenPoorTravellersisatalebyCharlesDickens,anEnglishwriterandsocialcriticwhocreatssomeoftheworld'sbest-knownfictionalcharactersandisregardedbymanyasthegreatestnovelistoftheVictorianera,publishedin1854.RichardWatts,Esq.byhiswill,dated22Aug.1579,foundedthischarityforsixpoortravelers,whonotbeingrogues,orproctors,Mayreceivegratisforonenight,lodging,entertainment,andfourpenceeach.Strictlyspeaking,therewereonlysixpoortravellers;Thenumberisbroughtuptosevenbecausethenarratorisanidletraveller,aspoorashehope.Althoughheisnowreveredastheauthorofsuchlong-formmasterworksasGreatExpectations,CharlesDickens'shortstoriesrankedamonghismostpopularcreativeendeavorsduringhislifetime.LikemanyofhisChristmas-themedstories,"TheSevenPoorTravellers"wasoriginallyserializedinamagazine.Thisheartwarmingtaleisamust-readduringtheholidayseason,oranytimeyourspiritcoulduseaboost.

DickenswroteAChristmasCarolatatimewhentheBritishwereexaminingandexploringChristmastraditionsfromthepast,suchascarols,aswellasnewcustomssuchasChristmastrees.Hewasinfluencedbyexperiencesfromhisownpast,andfromtheChristmasstoriesofotherauthors,includingWashingtonIrvingandDouglasJerrold.DickenshadwrittenthreeChristmasstoriespriortothenovella,andwasinspiredtowritethestoryfollowingavisittotheFieldLaneRaggedschool,oneofseveralestablishmentsforLondon'shalf-starved,illiteratestreetchildren.It'saveryspecialChristmasEvewhenEbenezerScroogeisvisitedbythreeghosts.ThisshortstoryisaChristmasclassicfeaturingtheGhostofChristmasPast,theGhostofChristmasPresentandtheGhostofChristmasYettoCome.Thetreatmentofthepoorandtheabilityofaself-interestedmanredeeminghimselfbytransformingintoamoresympatheticcharacterarethekeythemesofthestory.Thereisdiscussionamongacademicsastowhetherthiswasafullysecularstory,orifitisaChristianallegory.

thisisacollectionofshortstoriesbyD.H.Lawrence(11September1885–2March1930),anEnglishwriterandpoet.whichwereoriginallywrittenbetween1913and1921,manyofthemagainstthebackgroundofWorldWarI.Mostoftheseversionswereplacedinmagazinesorperiodicals.ThefirstUKeditionwaspublishedbyMartinSeckerin1924.Normally,volumesofshortstoriesfrequentlysharethetitleofoneofthetalesinthecollection.Oftenthefirststoryisdignifiedinthisway,andoftenthat'sbecauseitannouncesathemeortopicthatrunsthroughoutthevolume.Inthe"EnglandandOtherStories,"thetitlestoryis"England,MyEngland".Thestoriesincludedinthecollectionare:England,MyEngland;Tickets,Please;TheBlindMan;MonkeyNuts;WintryPeacock;YouTouchedMe;SamsonandDelilah;ThePrimrosePath;TheHorseDealer'sDaughter;FannyAndAnnie.

本套书的特点就是以历史发展为主线，选编的课文取材于不同时代、具有广泛社会影响及文学代表意义的作品，这既实现了语言学习的工具性，同时也完整体现了语文教育的人文性、综合性及开放性，对于青少年文学综合素质的培养有很深远的影响。邀请北京大学外国语学院的相关专家，历时多年精心编译而成的作品。同时，我们也参考了国内相关的出版成果，在此谨表谢意。相信通过这本经典教材，青少年朋友一定可以养成良好的学习习惯，积累优秀的学习方法，增强自主学习的能力。

Mrs.Lirriper'sLodgingsisastorybyCharlesDickens,anEnglishnovelistwhosecharactersareamongthemostmemorableinEnglishliterature.MrsLirriper'sLodgingswasfollowedbyMrs.Lirriper'sLegacywhichwasfirstpublishedinhisAlltheYearRoundmagazine'sExtraChristmasNumber(1864).Mrs.Lirriperisawarm-heartedlandladywhokeepsarespectableboardinghouse.InMrsLirriper'sLodgings,Mrs.Lirriperstartstotakeinlodgerstomakeendsmeetandalsotopayoffherdrinklovinghusband'sdebtsafterheperishesinanaccident.MrsLirriper'sLodgingsdescribessomeofherexperiencesasalodgekeeper.Whenoneofherlodgersdiesinchildbirth,sheandhergoodfriendissokindthattheydecidetoraisethebabyastheirown.Everythinggoeswell…untiltheyhearnewsofthechild'sfather.ThetaleIncludestwochapters:Chapter1-Mrs.lirriperrelateshowshewenton,andwentover;Chapter2-Mrs.lirriperrelateshowjimmytoppedup.

TheMasqueoftheRedDeath,originallypublishedas"TheMaskoftheRedDeath",isashortstorywrittenbyEdgarAllanPoeandfirstpublishedin1842.Thestoryfollowsthe"happyanddauntlessandsagacious"PrinceProspero'sattemptstoavoidadangerousplagueknownastheRedDeathbyhidinginhiscastellatedabbey.He,alongwithmanyotherwealthynobles,hasamasqueradeballwithinsevenroomsofhisabbey,eachdecoratedwithadifferentcolor.Inthemidstoftheirrevelry,amysteriousfigureentersandmakeshiswaythrougheachoftherooms.WhenProsperoconfrontsthisstranger,hefallsdead.ThestoryfollowsmanytraditionsofGothicfictionandisoftenanalyzedasanallegoryabouttheinevitabilityofdeath,thoughsomecriticsadviseagainstanallegoricalreading.Manydifferentinterpretationshavebeenpresented,aswellasattemptstoidentifythetruenatureofthediseaseofthe"RedDeath."

TheBattleofLife:ALoveStoryisanovellabyCharlesDickens,firstpublishedin1846.Itisthefourthofhisfive"ChristmasBooks"/It'sthe4thofhisfive"ChristmasBooks",comingafterTheCricketontheHearthandfollowedbyTheHauntedManandtheGhost'sBargain.BattleistheonlyoneofthefiveChristmasBooksthathasnosupernaturalorexplicitlyreligiouselements.(OnescenetakesplaceatChristmastime,butitisnotthefinalscene.)ThestorybearssomeresemblancetoTheCricketontheHearthintworespects:ithasanon-urbansetting,anditisresolvedwitharomantictwist.ItisevenlessofasocialnovelthanisCricket.AsistypicalwithDickens,theendingisahappyone.ThesettingisanEnglishvillagethatstandsonthesiteofanhistoricbattle.Somecharactersrefertothebattleasametaphorforthestrugglesoflife,hencethetitle.

Originallypublishedin1865,thestory"Dr.Marigold"wasextremelysuccessful,whichDickens'spublicperformancesofaplaybasedit-fascinatingandeasytoread.Doctor(itishisgivenname)Marigoldisa"CheapJack"orwhatwewouldcallastreetpeddler.DoctorMarigold'sfortunesreversewhenheadoptsadeafandmutegirlwhosemotherisdeadandwhosestepfather,ownerofatravelingcircus,beatsher.Thisbriefshortstoryisafirstpersonaccountofthelifeofa"Cheap-Jack",akindofsalesmanorbarkeratfairs,whosellscheap,everydayitemstothepoor.Dickensclearlyisinlovewiththetypicalnon-stoppatterorauctioneer'ssongthatthesemenengagedin,andsamplesoftheseday-longchantsmakeupmuchofthebook.Thestorythatmovesallthisforwardistheman'sloveforhiswife,daughter,andgranddaughter.Dickensdoeshisusualmasterfuljobofpullingatyourheartstringsandbringingeverythingtoagoodtear-jerking,happyending.

JohnPeerybingle,acarrier,liveswithhisyoungwifeDot,theirbabyboyandtheirnannyTillySlowboy.Acricketchirpsonthehearthandactsasaguardianangeltothefamily.ThetitlecreatureisasortofbarometeroflifeatthehomeofJohnPeerybingleandhismuchyoungerwifeDot.Whenthingsgowell,thecricketonthehearthchirps;itissilentwhenthereissorrow.OnedayamysteriouselderlystrangercomestovisitandtakesuplodgingatPeerybingle'shouseforafewdays.Thejealousoldman,Tackleton,poisonsJohn'smindaboutDot,butthecricketthroughitssupernaturalpowersrestoresJohn'sconfidenceandallendshappily.Dickensdescribedthenovelas"quietanddomesticinnocentandpretty.".ItisthethirdofDickens'sfiveChristmasbooks,precededbyAChristmasCarol(1843)andTheChimes(1844),andfollowedbyTheBattleofLife(1846)andTheHauntedManandtheGhost'sBargain(1848).

在美国，很多人都读过《麦加菲读本》，美国媒体更称其为“影响美国五代人的心灵读本”。其主编者威廉·H.麦加菲，是美国知名的教育家。他先后担任过弗吉尼亚大学道德哲学教授、迈阿密大学语言学教授，以及俄亥俄大学校长。他用了20多年时间，从浩瀚的西方经典文学中选编了一套读本，希望通过这些散文、诗歌、戏剧、哲理故事中浅显而美妙的文字，让美国的小朋友们在提高文学修养的同时，也可以感受道德教育的力量。该读本一经面世，就有近万所美国学校将它选为教材。1961年以后，在西方每年销量仍达到3万册以上。可以说，没有哪一套个人主编的教材能超过这套书的发行量！

Stumblinguponsomeluggagethathasbeenleftbehindinthehotelwhereheworks,awaitersearchesthroughittoidentifyitsowner.Hefailstodiscoverthis,buthedoesfind,secretedawayindifferentpartsoftheluggage,quiteanumberofstories.Impressedbytheirquality,hesucceedsingettingthempublished,althoughtheidentityoftheirauthorremainsamysteryuntilavisitorcomescalling.ThisworkisarediscoveredgemfromDickens'slaterlife,amasterpiece,amagnificentmergerofuniqueanddifferentpieces.Ithaswealthofsignificantdetails,myriadexpressions,dialogueandphysiognomy.Itisanenigmaticworkinwhichidentityoftheowneroftheluggagecreatesaninterestingaccount.Anexhilaratinganecdote!Somebody'sLuggageisaShortStorypublishedin1862byCharlesDickensCharles,anEnglishwriterandsocialcritic,whohascreatedsomeoftheworld'sbest-knownfictionalcharactersandisregardedbymanyasthegreatestnovelistoftheVictorianera.

ThePurloinedLetterisashortstorybyAmericanauthorEdgarAllanPoe.ItisthethirdofhisthreedetectivestoriesfeaturingthefictionalC.AugusteDupin,theothertwobeing"TheMurdersintheRueMorgue"and"TheMysteryofMarieRogêt".Thesestoriesareconsideredtobeimportantearlyforerunnersofthemoderndetectivestory.ItfirstappearedinTheGiftfor1845(1844)andwassoonreprintedinnumerousjournalsandnewspapers.TheunnamednarratorisdiscussingsomeofhismostcelebratedcaseswiththefamousParisianamateurdetectiveC.AugusteDupinwhentheyarejoinedbythePrefectofthePolice,amanknownasG—.ThePrefecthasacasehewouldliketodiscusswithDupin.AletterhasbeenstolenfromtheboudoirofanunnamedfemalebytheunscrupulousMinisterD—.Itissaidtocontaincompromisinginformation.Dantonwasintheroom,sawtheletter,andswitcheditforaletterofnoimportance.Hehasbeenblackmailinghisvictim.

ThisbookisanovellabyCharlesDickensfirstpublishedin1848.Redlawisateacherofchemistrywhooftenbroodsoverwrongsdonehimandgrieffromhispast.Heishauntedbyaspirit,whoisnotsomuchaghostasRedlaw'sphantomtwinandisanawfullikenessofhimself...withhisfeatures,andhisbrighteyes,andhisgrizzledhair,anddressedinthegloomyshadowofhisdress…"ThisspectreappearsandproposestoRedlawthathecanallowhimto"forgetthesorrow,wrong,andtroubleyouhaveknown...tocanceltheirremembrance…"Redlawishesitantatfirst,butfinallyagrees.Asaconsequenceoftheghost'sintervention,Redlawiswithoutmemoriesofthepainfulincidentsfromhispast.Heexperiencesauniversalangerthathecannotexplain.HisbitternessspreadstotheSwidgers,theTetterbysandhisstudent.AllbecomeaswrathfulasRedlawhimself.TheonlyonewhoisabletoavoidthebitternessisMilly.FinallythenovelconcludeswitheveryonebacktonormalandRedlaw,likeEbenezerScrooge,achanged,morelovingman.Nowawholeperson,RedlawlearnstobehumbleatChristmas.

TheTrialForMurder,writtenin1865,isashortstorybyCharlesDickens.ItisoneofDickens'ghoststories,andisperhapsthebestknownoutsideof"AChristmasCarol."Inthetale,acertainmurderwascommittedinEngland,whichattractedgreatattention.Asdescribedinthearticle,whentheMurdererwasaskedbytheJudgewhetherhehadanythingtosaybeforesentenceofDeathshouldbepasseduponhim,hecomplainthathehadnothadafairtrial,becausetheForemanoftheJurywasprepossessedagainsthim.Theremarkabledeclarationthathereallymadewasthis:"MyLord,IknewIwasadoomedman,whentheForemanofmyjurycameintothebox.MyLord,Iknewhewouldneverletmeoff,because,beforeIwastaken,hesomehowgottomybedsideinthenight,wokeme,andputaroperoundmyneck."

MugbyJunctionisasetofshortstorieswrittenin1866byCharlesDickensandcollaboratorsCharlesCollins,AmeliaB.Edwards,AndrewHalliday,andHesbaStretton.ItwasfirstpublishedinaChristmaseditionofthemagazineAlltheYearRound.Dickenspennedamajorityoftheissue,includingthefollowingshortstories:BarboxBrothers;BarboxBrothers&Co;TheBoyatMugby(MainLine);TheSignalman(No.1BranchLine).Dickens'scollaboratorseachcontributedanindividualstorytothecollection.Theyareasfollows:TheEngineDriver(No.2BranchLine)isastorybyAndrewHalliday;TheCompensationHouse(No.3BranchLine)isonebyCharlesCollins;TheTravellingPost-OfficeisonebyHesbaStretton;thelastoneisfromAmeliaB.Edwards,namedTheEngineer.It'salistofstories,theframenarrativeisbasedon"theGentlemanforNowhere,"whohasspenthislifecloisteredinthefirmBarboxBrothers&Co.,makesuseofhisnew-foundfreedominretirementtoexploretheraillinesthatconnectwithMugbyJunction.

MugbyJunctionisasetofshortstoriesbyCharlesDickensandcollaboratorsCharlesCollins,AmeliaB.Edwards,AndrewHalliday,andHesbaStretton.ItwasfirstpublishedinaChristmaseditionofthemagazineAlltheYearRoundin1866.Dickenspennedamajorityoftheissue,includingthefollowingshortstories:BarboxBrothers;BarboxBrothers&Co;TheBoyatMugby(MainLine);TheSignalman(No.1BranchLine).Dickens'scollaboratorseachcontributedanindividualstorytothecollection.Theyareasfollows:TheEngineDriver(No.2BranchLine)isastorybyAndrewHalliday;TheCompensationHouse(No.3BranchLine)isonebyCharlesCollins;TheTravellingPost-OfficeisonebyHesbaStretton;thelastoneisfromAmeliaB.Edwards,namedTheEngineer.It'salistofstories,theframenarrativeisbasedon"theGentlemanforNowhere,"whohasspenthislifecloisteredinthefirmBarboxBrothers&Co.,makesuseofhisnew-foundfreedominretirementtoexploretheraillinesthatconnectwithMugbyJunction.

"Averylittlekeywillopenaveryheavydoor."HuntedDown,CharlesDickens.Catchydetectivetales.AfascinatingselectionofDickens'detectivestoriesaboutthelawofficersandthecircumstancesinwhichtheywork.In"HuntedDown,"masterstorytellerCharlesDickensmakesanuncharacteristicforayintoquasi-detectivefiction,andcreatinganidiosyncraticprotagonistwhosestrangeinterestsandpreoccupationsmakehimanaturalwhenitcomestotrackingdowncriminals.Thiscollectioncontainstwelvestories,somefeaturingwell-knowncharacterssuchasInspectorBucketandhiswife,fromBleakHouseandMr.Nadgett,fromMartinChuzzlewit.Dickens'sworkasalawclerkandreporterandhisattendanceattrials,executions,andnightlyroundswiththepoliceprovidedmaterialforthesemysteries.CharlesDickenswasoneofthegreatpioneersofdetectivefiction.Whilethelarger-than-lifecharactersinhisnovelshavesettledthemselvesinthepublicimagination,hisdetectiveshavehadaprofoundeffectonthedevelopmentofcrimefiction,andDickensisnowseenasthefirstmajorpublicistforthepolicedetective.

CharlesDickensbeganworkonabooktohelpsupplementhisfamily'smeagerincomebecauseofheavilyindebtandobligatedtohispublisher.ThatvolumeInOctober1843,AChristmasCarol,haslongsincebecomeoneofthemostbelovedstoriesintheEnglishlanguage.Asmuchapartoftheholidayseasonasholly,mistletoe,andevergreenwreaths,thisperennialfavoritecontinuestodelightnewreadersandrekindlethoughtsofcharityandgoodwill.Withitscharactersexhibitingmanyqualities-aswellasfailures-oftenascribedtoDickenshimself,theimaginativeandentertainingtalerelatesEbenezerScrooge'seerieencounterswithaseriesofspectralvisitors.JourneyingwiththemthroughChristmasespast,present,andfuture,heisultimatelytransformedfromanarrogant,obstinate,andinsensitivemisertoagenerous,warmhearted,andcaringhumanbeing.WrittenbyoneofEngland'sgreatestandmostpopularnovelists,AChristmasCarolhascometoepitomizethetruemeaningofChristmas.

TheHauntedManandtheGhost'sBargain,AFancyforChristmas-Time(betterknownasTheHauntedManandtheGhost'sBargainorsimplyasTheHauntedMan)isanovellabyCharlesDickensfirstpublishedin1848.ItisthefifthandlastofDickens'sChristmasnovellas.Thestoryismoreaboutthespiritoftheholidaysthanabouttheholidaysthemselves,harkingbacktothefirstintheseries,AChristmasCarol.ThetalecentresonaProfessorRedlawandthoseclosetohim.Redlawisateacherofchemistrywhooftenbroodsoverwrongsdonehimandgrieffromhispast.Heishauntedbyaspirit,andfinallyagreesittocancelhisremembrance.Heexperiencesauniversalangerthathecannotexplain.AllbecomeaswrathfulasRedlawhimself.TheonlyonewhoisabletoavoidthebitternessisMilly.FinallythenovelconcludeswitheveryonebacktonormalandRedlaw,likeEbenezerScrooge,achanged,morelovingman.Nowawholeperson,RedlawlearnstobehumbleatChristmas.