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Responsive to the shaping forces of his age as only men of passionate imagination are, even Melville can hardly have been fully aware of how symbolical an American hero he had fashioned in Ahab. 内容简介
One hundred-fifty years have passed since Herman Melville wrote his masterpiece. Yet Moby-Dick endures as an indisputable literary classic that continues to speak to readers today. Join Captain Ahab, an eerily compelling madman, as he pursues an unholy war against a creature as vast and dangerous and unknowable as the sea itself. In his monomaniacal quest, Ahab focuses his distilled hatred and suffering — and that of generations before him — against one single creature, and pursues it relentlessly.
More than just a novel of adventure, more than an encyclopedia of whaling lore and legend, this is a haunting, mesmerizing, and important social commentary populated with several of the most unforgettable and enduring characters in literature. Written with wonderfully redemptive humor, Moby-Dick is a profound and timeless inquiry into character, faith, and the nature of perception. 作者简介
Herman Melville (1819-1891) was born in New York City and became a seaman at a young age. His works include Typee, The Confidence Man, and Pierre.
Andrew Delbanco is the Julian Clarence Levi Professor in the Humanities at Columbia University.
Tom Quirk is the Catherine Paine Middlebush Professor of English at the University of Missouri-Columbia. 精彩书评
Arguably Herman Melville's greatest work, and hailed as a classic American novel, Moby Dick tells the tale of one man's fatal obsession and his willingness to sacrifice his life and that of his crew to achieve his goal. The story follows the fortunes of Captain Ahab and the culturally and spiritually diverse crew of the Pequod, a 19th century whaling ship. The Pequod is on its last voyage out of New Bedford, Mass, in pursuit of Moby Dick, the great white whale which has been Ahab's obsessional quarry and bitter adversary for many years. Narrated by sole survivor Ishmael, the tale forms a complex fictional fusion, combining a wealth of literary symbolism, hidden meaning and philosophical debate with adventure narrative and a detailed historical account of the 19th century whaling trade.
——Emily Lowson
In a sense, this work is the piece de resistance of the textual revolution in American scholarship of the past generation. The first half is the final MLA "Approved Text" of the classic novel, prepared under the auspices of the Center for Editions of American Authors. The second half consists of an Historical Note detailing background, genetic composition, publication, and ensuing critical reception; a discussion of its textual history; and some relevant marginalia. The work is not only thorough and rigorous, but, considering the scholarly grittiness of the endeavor, surprisingly lucid and graceful in its exposition. Highly recommended for special collections. ——Earl Rovit, City Coll., CUNY
Grade 5 Up-Opening with the classic line, "Call me Ishmael," the narrator's New England accent adds a touch of authenticity to this sometimes melodramatic presentation. The St. Charles Players do a credible job on the major roles, but some of the group responses, such as "Aye, aye Captain," sound more comic than serious. This adaptation retains a good measure of Melville's dialogue and key passages which afford listeners a vivid connection with the lengthy novel. Background music and appropriate sound effects enhance the telling of the story about Captain Ahab's obsessive pursuit of the malevolent white whale. The cassettes are clearly marked, and running times are noted on each side of the tapes. Announcements at the beginning of each side and a subtle chime signal at the end make it easy to follow the story, but a stereo player must be used to hear some dialogue. The lightweight cardboard package is inadequate for circulation. Done in a radio theatre format, the recording does a nice job of introducing the deeper themes of the book and covering the major events. For school libraries that support an American literature curriculum, this recording offers a different interpretation of an enduring classic.
——Barbara Wysocki, Cora J. Belden Library. Rocky Hill, CT
《傲慢与偏见》:在时代与阶层中寻觅真爱 作者:简·奥斯汀 (Jane Austen) 版本:精装/平装 (请根据实际版本选择) 故事背景与时代风貌 《傲慢与偏见》的故事背景设定在18世纪末至19世纪初的英国摄政时代(Regency Era)。这是一个社会结构相对固化,贵族阶层和乡绅阶层占据主导地位的时期。社会礼仪、财产继承权(尤其对女性而言)、名誉和婚姻的地位被看得极重。对于像贝内特家这样的乡绅家庭来说,一套合适的婚姻是确保家族未来经济稳定和地位延续的唯一途径,因为根据当时的“滞留产”(Entailment)制度,贝内特家的财产只能由男性继承,这意味着一旦老贝内特先生去世,他的妻子和五个女儿将陷入贫困。 奥斯汀以其敏锐的观察力,细致入微地描绘了当时英国乡村的生活图景。小说中的舞会、茶会、拜访和信件往来,无不体现了那个时代精致而又充满算计的社交规则。文学评论家常赞扬奥斯汀的“两英寸象牙”技艺,意指她以极其精炼的笔触,展现了宏大的社会图景和复杂的人性纠葛。 主要人物群像 小说成功塑造了一系列令人难忘的人物形象,他们围绕着“傲慢”与“偏见”这两个核心主题展开命运的交织。 伊丽莎白·贝内特 (Elizabeth Bennet): 女主角,贝内特家二女儿。她聪明、机智、独立思考,拥有卓越的洞察力,但同时也容易过早地下判断,心性中带着一股不屈的“偏见”。她拒绝了柯林斯先生的求婚,并对达西先生抱有强烈的负面印象,她的个性魅力是驱动整个故事前进的关键力量。 菲茨威廉·达西先生 (Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy): 另一位主角,一位年轻、英俊、极其富有的地主。他性格内向、孤僻且骄傲,这种“傲慢”主要体现在他对社会阶层差异的敏感以及对他人品行的严苛评判上。他初次登场时对伊丽莎白的不屑态度,为后续误会埋下了伏笔。 简·贝内特 (Jane Bennet): 贝内特家长女,美丽、善良、温柔和顺,几乎从不怀疑他人的善意,她的“不偏见”有时显得有些天真。 查尔斯·宾利先生 (Mr. Charles Bingley): 达西的挚友,性格开朗、随和,容易被周围环境影响,他的出现打破了乡间社交的沉闷。 乔治·威克姆 (George Wickham): 一位英俊的军官,表面上风度翩翩,实则品行不端,是引发伊丽莎白对达西先生偏见的直接诱因。 威廉·柯林斯先生 (Mr. William Collins): 贝内特家财产的合法继承人,一位滑稽可笑的牧师,性格谄媚且迂腐,是社会阶层固化的牺牲品。 凯瑟琳·德·包尔夫人 (Lady Catherine de Bourgh): 达西先生的姑妈,一位典型的贵族女性,傲慢自负,对社会等级有着不可动摇的信仰,她代表了小说中僵化的上层阶级价值观。 核心主题的探讨:傲慢与偏见 小说并非简单地讲述一场浪漫的爱情故事,它更是一部关于自我认知和克服社会偏见的教育小说。 “傲慢”的体现: 达西先生的傲慢源于他优越的社会地位和财富,他轻视了贝内特家的地位,并试图干预简和宾利的关系,认为贝内特家的社会关系“有失体面”。然而,随着故事的发展,他的傲慢逐渐被伊丽莎白的坦率所磨砺,最终学会了尊重个体价值而非仅仅是社会地位。 “偏见”的根源: 伊丽莎白的偏见则建立在感性的判断和对流言蜚语的轻信之上。她被威克姆的魅力所迷惑,并对达西先生的冷漠反应过度,形成了一种先入为主的负面认知。正是达西先生那封详尽的解释信,迫使她必须审视自己的判断力,承认自己被表象所蒙蔽。 这种双向的成长过程——傲慢者学会谦逊,偏见者学会洞察——构成了小说的戏剧张力和文学深度。 叙事手法与文学价值 奥斯汀的叙事风格以其独特的讽刺(Irony)而著称。她擅长通过人物的对话和内心独白,巧妙地揭示社会现象的荒谬性。小说开篇那句著名的陈词——“拥有财富的单身汉,总会需要一位妻子”——便奠定了整部作品的基调:一切都围绕着金钱、地位和婚姻的经济基础展开。 《傲慢与偏见》的魅力在于它将个体情感的探寻置于严格的社会框架内进行考察。它探讨了: 1. 婚姻的本质: 究竟是基于情感(如伊丽莎白和达西),还是基于经济考量(如夏洛特·卢卡斯嫁给柯林斯先生的“理智婚姻”)。 2. 社会阶层的流动性: 尽管时代保守,但小说暗示了超越出身障碍的可能性,只要个体品格足够优秀。 3. 女性的困境: 在缺乏继承权和独立职业的背景下,婚姻成为女性生存与否的决定性因素。 这部作品不仅是英国文学的经典,更因其对人性的精准把握和对社会习俗的幽默批判,成为了世界文学宝库中经久不衰的佳作。它以优雅的笔触,讲述了一个关于误解、和解、成长与最终爱情得偿所愿的永恒故事。 --- (字数统计:约1550字)