双城记 A Tale of Two Cities Charles Dickens

1、 Title: A Tale of Two Cities 双城记 Auther: Charles Dickens(British) 1812-1870 First Published in 1859 Degree of Interest: Degree of Difficulty: Degree of Recommendation: He was the British critical novelist in the nineteenth century. Dickens paid special attention to little people who were at the bott

2、om of the society in Britain, which reflected complex social reality of Britain at that time. His works made an outstanding contribution to the development of English critical realism literature. Dickenss work has been highly praised for its realism, comedy, unique personalities and concern for soci

3、al reform.1812-1870C Charles Dickens was bore in navy small staff family.His family were forced to move to prison when Dicken was 10 years old because in debt. He did heavy housework at age of 11. He once worked in the leather shoes workshop and he became a newspaper reporter a few years later. He h

4、ad taken a few education and he became a famous writer all by hard work and self-study.1.The Pickwick Papers2.Oliver Twist3.Great ExpectationsBrief Introduction A Tale of Two Cities is a full-length historical novel which describes the French revolution. Two cities Paris LondonCharles Saint Evrmonde

5、 a.k.a. Charles DarnayA French emigrant to England who renounces(宣布放弃) his French title and inheritance(遗产). he marries Lucie Manette. Lucie ManetteDoctor Manettes daughter, who was born in France but brought to London at a young age. She thought she was an orphan until Mr. Jarvis Lorry took her to

6、Paris to meet her father. She marries Charles Darnay. Dr. Alexander ManetteA doctor who was imprisoned(囚禁) in the Bastille(巴士底狱) for eighteen years, he is a loving father to Lucie Manette. Monseigneur a.k.a. Marquis EvrmondeA proud and cruel French nobleman who shows no regard for the lower classes.

7、 His twin brother (now dead) was Charles Darnays father. Sydney CartonA London lawyer who had great potential but has fallen into a life of alcoholism and vice(恶习). He serves as an informal legal advisor to Stryver, and he looks remarkably like Charles Darnay. He loves Lucie Manette.Doctor ManetteLu

8、cie ManetteCharles Darnay(Charles Saint Evrmonde)In the meantime, the storm of revolution came into being in France. People took up the Bastille and took each noble to the guillotine(断头台) including Darney.The revolution broke up. Sydney CartonBeautiful Sentences It was the best of times, it was the

9、worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before

10、 us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way-in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only. 那是最美好的时代，那是最糟糕的时代；那是智慧的年头

11、，那是愚昧的年头；那是信仰的时期，那是怀疑的时期；那是光明的季节，那是黑暗的季节；那是希望的春天，那是失望的冬天；我们拥有一切，我们一无所有;我们全都在直奔天堂，我们全都在直奔相反的方向-简而言之，那时跟现在非常相象，某些最喧嚣的权威坚持要用形容词的最高级来形容它。说它好，是最高级的；说它不好，也是最高级的。 I see that child who lay upon her bosom and who bore my name, a man winning his way up in that path of life which once was mine. I see him winni

12、ng it so well, that my name is made illustrious there by the light of his. I see the blots I threw upon it, faded away. I see him, foremost of just judges and honoured men, bringing a boy of my name, with a forehead that I know and golden hair, to this place-then fair to look upon, with not a trace

13、of this days disfigurement-and I hear him tell the child my story, with a tender and a faltering voice. It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to than I have ever known.“我看见躺在她怀里的以我命名的孩子长大成人，在我曾走过的道路上奋勇前行。我看见他业绩优异，以他的光耀使我的名字辉煌。我看见我染在那名字

14、上的污迹消失。我看见他站在公平正直的法官和光明磊落的人们的最前列。我看见他带了一个又以我命名的孩子来到这里。那时这里已是一片美景，全没了今天的扭曲和丑恶。那孩子长了个我所熟悉的前额和一头金发。我听见他告诉孩子我的故事，声音颤抖，带着深情。 “我现在已做的远比我所做过的一切都美好；我将获得的休息远比我所知道的一切都甜蜜。”A Tale of Two Cities is different from general historical novel. Its characters and the main plot are fictional.In the background of French revolution, Dickens used his fictional characters doctor Manette as a clue to make the story.Besides, the author use the skill of flashbacks,foreshadowing(伏笔)matting(铺垫) and so on in order to make the story in a complete structure and have a