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					在綫閱讀本書Book DescriptionStanley Yelnats is under a curse. A curse that began with his no-good-dirty-rotten-pig-stealing-great-great-grandfather and has since followed generations of Yelnats. Now Stanley has been unjustly sent to a boys' detention center, Camp Green Lake, where the warden makes the boys "build character" by spending all day, every day, digging holes: five feet wide and five feet deep. It doesn't take long for Stanley to realize there's more than character improvement going on at Camp Green Lake. The boys are digging holes because the warden is looking for something. Stanley tries to dig up the truth in this inventive and darkly humorous tale of crime and punishment--and redemption.Amazon.com"If you take a bad boy and make him dig a hole every day in the hot sun, it will turn him into a good boy." Such is the reigning philosophy at Camp Green Lake, a juvenile detention facility where there is no lake, and there are no happy campers. In place of what used to be "the largest lake in Texas" is now a dry, flat, sunburned wasteland, pocked with countless identical holes dug by boys improving their character. Stanley Yelnats, of palindromic name and ill-fated pedigree, has landed at Camp Green Lake because it seemed a better option than jail. No matter that his conviction was all a case of mistaken identity, the Yelnats family has become accustomed to a long history of bad luck, thanks to their "no-good-dirty-rotten-pig-stealing-great-great-grandfather!" Despite his innocence, Stanley is quickly enmeshed in the Camp Green Lake routine: rising before dawn to dig a hole five feet deep and five feet in diameter; learning how to get along with the Lord of the Flies-styled pack of boys in Group D; and fearing the warden, who paints her fingernails with rattlesnake venom. But when Stanley realizes that the boys may not just be digging to build character--that in fact the warden is seeking something specific--the plot gets as thick as the irony.It's a strange story, but strangely compelling and lovely too. Louis Sachar uses poker-faced understatement to create a bizarre but believable landscape--a place where Major Major Major Major of Catch-22 would feel right at home. But while there is humor and absurdity here, there is also a deep understanding of friendship and a searing compassion for society's underdogs. As Stanley unknowingly begins to fulfill his destiny--the dual plots coming together to reveal that fate has big plans in store--we can't help but cheer for the good guys, and all the Yelnats everywhere. (Ages 10 and older) --Brangien Davis Amazon.co.uk ReviewI'm not going to run away," Stanley said. "Good thinking, " said Mr Sir. "Nobody runs away from here. We don't need a fence. Know why? Because we've got the only water for a hundred miles. You want to run away? You'll be buzzard food in three days." Stanley could see some kids dressed in orange and carrying shovels dragging themselves towards the tents. "You thirsty?" asked Mr Sir. "Yes, Mr Sir," Stanley said gratefully. "Well, you better get used to it. You're going to be thirsty for the next eighteen months."If you are looking for a truly remarkable novel, something to get your teeth into, something to make you think, and something to make you feel that you have just touched real class, then look no further than Louis Sachar's extraordinary, award-winning novel Holes.Camp Greenlake is a place for bad boys, where the belief is: "if you take a bad boy and make him dig a hole every day in the hot sun, it will turn him into a good boy." When Stanley Yelnats, accused and found guilty of a crime he did not commit, is sent to Camp Greenlake he really doesn't think it can be so bad. Stanley and his family try to pretend that he is just going away to camp like the rich kids do, and he promises to write to them every day. But the harsh realities of the camp, and the evil Warden with her lizard-venom impregnated fingernails with her own reasons for making the boys in her charge dig so many holes, sometimes make dying seem like a great idea. When Stanley leaves the camp to go in search of his friend Zero, their journey towards freedom becomes a battle with hunger, thirst and heat in the shadow of Big Thumb--a mountain so entwined in Stanley's own family history that he knows if they can reach it they will somehow find salvation.A complex story, riddled with the harsh imagery and barren despair, Holes is a perceptive and intricate homage to family and friendship which never shies away from the harshest of realities yet injects the story of a seemingly hopeless boy with a sly, sideways humour that crackles against the backdrop of the arid wastelands of the desert. An absolute must for anyone, young or old, who relishes an intelligent, courageous and dynamic read. (Age 11 and over) --Susan Harrison From Publishers WeeklyPW's starred review of the 1999 Newbery Medal winner described it as a "dazzling blend of social commentary, tall tale and magic realism." Ages 10-up. (May) From School Library JournalGrade 5-8-Stanley Yelnats IV has been wrongly accused of stealing a famous baseball player's valued sneakers and is sent to Camp Green Lake, a juvenile detention home where the boys dig holes, five feet deep by five feet across, in the miserable Texas heat. It's just one more piece of bad luck that's befallen Stanley's family for generations as a result of the infamous curse of Madame Zeroni. Overweight Stanley, his hands bloodied from digging, figures that at the end of his sentence, he'll "...either be in great physical condition or else dead." Overcome by the useless work and his own feelings of futility, fellow inmate Zero runs away into the arid, desolate surroundings and Stanley, acting on impulse, embarks on a risky mission to save him. He unwittingly lays Madame Zeroni's curse to rest, finds buried treasure, survives yellow-spotted lizards, and gains wisdom and inner strength from the quirky turns of fate. In the almost mystical progress of their ascent of the rock edifice known as "Big Thumb," they discover their own invaluable worth and unwavering friendship. Each of the boys is painted as a distinct individual through Sachar's deftly chosen words. The author's ability to knit Stanley and Zero's compelling story in and out of a history of intriguing ancestors is captivating. Stanley's wit, integrity, faith, and wistful innocence will charm readers. A multitude of colorful characters coupled with the skillful braiding of ethnic folklore, American legend, and contemporary issues is a brilliant achievement. There is no question, kids will love Holes. Alison Follos, North Country School, Lake Placid, NYBook Dimension length: (cm)19.7 width:(cm)12.8
				
				
				
					《遠徵的呼喚:失落文明的遺跡與探險傢的足跡》  內容概要  本書並非關注個體命運的幽微或特定場域的封閉,而是聚焦於人類曆史上那些宏大而磅礴的“遠徵”敘事。它深入探討瞭探險傢們如何麵對未知的地理、文化和精神挑戰,並記錄瞭他們繪製世界版圖、挑戰自然極限的史詩性旅程。全書分為四個部分,層層遞進地展現瞭探險精神的演變、驅動力及其對現代世界的深遠影響。  第一部分:蠻荒之地的引力——早期探險的動機與艱辛  本部分將考察人類對未知地域的原始渴望。從古老文明中零星的航海記錄和地理誌中,我們可以窺見早期探險傢們樸素的求知欲和生存需求。我們詳細分析瞭早期探險的幾種核心驅動力:對稀有資源(如香料、絲綢、貴金屬)的追逐,以及宗教信仰驅動下的“朝聖”之旅。  重點案例分析將集中於那些在極度缺乏現代導航技術的條件下完成的壯舉。例如,早期波利尼西亞航海傢如何僅憑星象和洋流在浩瀚太平洋上定位,他們的知識體係是多麼精妙而係統。又如,中世紀歐洲朝聖者和商隊穿越撒哈拉沙漠的生存哲學——這不是簡單的路綫規劃,而是一種與極端環境共存的智慧。我們將細緻描述他們所依賴的工具、圖騰、口頭傳統,以及失敗的代價。失敗往往是沉默的,是地理學知識庫中被抹去的一頁,但這些失蹤的探險隊恰恰構成瞭早期探險史的底色。  本部分特彆關注探險中的“信息黑箱”現象。在信息流通極其緩慢的時代,一位探險傢帶迴的信息往往被壟斷或扭麯,成為權力鬥爭的籌碼。我們考察瞭早期地圖繪製中的“想象性地理學”,即當真實信息缺失時,人類心智如何用神話、傳說和願望來填補空白,創造齣奇異的動物和富饒的黃金國度。  第二部分:科學的羅盤與帝國的影子——地理大發現時代的重構  地理大發現(Age of Exploration)是人類曆史上的一個轉摺點。本部分將避開傳統的英雄敘事,轉而從技術、經濟和意識形態三個維度解構這一時期的遠徵活動。  技術革新: 重點分析瞭卡拉維爾帆船(Caravel)、先進的象限儀和星盤如何從根本上改變瞭遠洋航行的可行性。這些工具不僅僅是技術,更是新知識體係的具象化,它們使得“繞過已知”成為可能。我們詳盡對比瞭早期繪圖師如何將新采集的經緯度數據融入到舊有的托勒密體係中,以及這個融閤過程中的理論衝突。  經濟驅動: 探討瞭重商主義如何將遠徵活動從個人冒險轉化為國傢戰略。遠徵隊不再僅僅是為瞭尋找新土地,更是為瞭建立貿易站、開闢壟斷航綫。我們分析瞭早期特許公司的運作模式,以及探險傢如何成為資本擴張的前哨。  意識形態的構建: 這一時期的探險往往與“文明使命”的概念糾纏不清。本節將審視探險傢們如何將“發現”行為閤理化,構建起一套新的世界秩序敘事。這包括對“未知世界”的標簽化處理,以及隨之而來的對原住民文化和知識的係統性貶低或選擇性吸收。探險傢的日記和信件是研究這種雙重標準的絕佳文本。  第三部分:極地與深淵——十九世紀的極限挑戰與知識的專業化  隨著世界主要陸地輪廓的確定,探險的焦點轉嚮瞭地球上最後的“空白地帶”:南極、北極的冰蓋之下,以及海洋的最深處。本部分的核心議題是“極限環境下的科學探究”。  極地競賽的內在邏輯: 南北極的探險不再僅僅是關於到達地理極點,而是演變成瞭一場關於國傢意誌和個人耐力的較量。我們考察瞭探險傢們如何應對極端低溫、幽閉恐懼癥和長期孤立對人類心智的影響。對於這些探險的記錄,我們側重於對生理和心理臨界點的細緻描摹,例如,如何用有限的資源維持團隊的紀律和士氣,以及在漫長的極夜中如何對抗“感覺剝奪”。  深海的秘密: 伴隨著深海考察船的齣現,探險的戰場轉移到瞭水下。本節介紹瞭早期潛水鍾和機械臂的原始設計,以及查爾斯·湯普森等早期海洋生物學傢如何在船上建立臨時實驗室,研究那些在陽光完全無法穿透的水域中生存的奇特生物。這些考察活動,標誌著探險活動開始嚮高度專業化的科學研究轉型。  第四部分:超越界限——現代探險的哲學轉嚮與數字遺産  進入二十世紀,傳統的地理探險範式逐漸瓦解,取而代之的是對“內在景觀”和“生態係統”的探索。  人類學與生態學的交匯: 現代探險傢,如那些深入亞馬遜雨林或喜馬拉雅偏遠山區的考察隊,他們的目標不再是繪製地圖,而是記錄正在消逝的文化和生物多樣性。本部分探討瞭這些探險活動如何從純粹的“發現”轉嚮瞭“記錄”與“保護”。我們分析瞭人類學傢如何在不破壞當地文化的前提下,與其建立信任,並采集口述曆史和民族誌資料的過程。  數字時代的遺産: 現代探險活動與信息技術的結閤,使得探險的結果以前所未有的速度和廣度傳播。然而,這種即時性也帶來瞭新的挑戰:如何平衡“現場體驗的真實性”與“數字媒介的建構性”?我們考察瞭現代探險傢如何使用高清攝影、無人機測繪和地理信息係統(GIS)來記錄他們的發現,以及這些數據如何被用於氣候變化模型和生物地理學的研究。  結論:永恒的驅動力  全書的尾聲將迴歸探險精神本身。它探討瞭在衛星地圖和全球定位係統普及的今天,人類為何仍需要將自己置於不確定的境地。探險不再是對未知空間的徵服,而逐漸演化為對人類自身適應能力的再確認,是對全球化時代中“真實距離”和“未被馴化之地”的緬懷與追尋。這是一部關於人類如何通過行走和觀察,不斷定義和擴展其認知邊界的宏大史詩。