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Charles Dickens’ Spirit of Christmas 与狄更斯共颂圣诞

 

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课文讲解

 

繁體中文譯本

 

“It is better to give than receive, “as the old saying goes. And at no time is this more true than at Christmas when people show generosity to friends and loved ones. In his classic story, “A Christmas Carol,” writer Charles Dickens tells the tale of a selfish man who comes to realize the importance of giving.

古谚云:「施比受更有福。」在人们对朋友与挚爱展现慷慨的圣诞时节,这句话显得再实在不过了。查尔斯.狄更斯在他的经典作品《圣诞颂歌》里,述说一个自私的男人如何逐渐明白付出的重要。

 

Ebenezer Scrooge is a greedy businessman in Victorian London who only loves money, and who treats his clerk, Bob Cratchit, badly. On Christmas Eve, Scrooge and Cratchit are working at his office. Scrooge’s nephew, Fred, visits with greetings and an invitation to Christmas dinner. However, Scrooge turns him down with “Bah! Humbug!” saying that Christmas is a fraud. Then, when two charity workers come to the office to ask for money for the poor, Scrooge refuses them, too. As Scrooge and Cratchit prepare to leave the office, Scrooge reluctantly allows his employee to have Christmas day off.

艾本纳泽.史古基是维多利亚时代住在伦敦的市侩商人,他嗜财如命,对伙计鲍伯.科拉奇非常苛刻。圣诞夜当天,史古基和科拉奇在办公室工作。史古基的外甥弗瑞德前来祝贺佳节,并邀他共进圣诞晚餐。史古基却以「呸!骗子!」一口回绝他,还说圣诞节不过是个骗局。后来有两位慈善团体的工作人员来办公室,希望募捐款项给贫民时,史古基同样拒绝了他们。当史古基和科拉奇准备要离开办公室时,史古基才很不情愿地准许他的伙计在圣诞节休假一天。

 

Once Scrooge gets home, he is confronted with the ghost of Marley, his old business partner, who dies seven years earlier. The ghost warns him that if he does not change his behavior, after death he will walk the Earth eternally invisible. He will forever have to witness the misery he could have helped prevent in life. Marley offers Scrooge an opportunity to avoid this fate: three spirits will visit Scrooge to help him see the error of his ways.

史古基一回到家,就遇到马里的鬼魂,他是七年前过世的前合伙人。鬼魂警告他,如果不改变他的作为,死后,他的魂魄将永世在人间游荡,同时必须不断目睹那些在生前原本可以帮忙避免的悲剧。马里给了史古基一次机会来躲过这个命运,告诉他有三个幽灵会去找他,帮助他看见行为上的错误。

 

Vocabulary

单词发音

 

generosity [͵dʒɛnəˋrɑsətɪ] n. 慷慨; 大方

fraud [frɔd] n. 骗局; 骗子

reluctantly [rɪˋlʌktəntlɪ] adv. 不情愿地;勉强地

behavior [bɪˋhevjɚ] n. 行为,举止

witness [ˋwɪtnɪs] v. 目击; 亲眼看见

 

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单词发音

 

at no time 从来没有; 在任何时候都不 never

carol [ˋkærəl] n.(耶诞)颂歌

greeting [ˋgritɪŋ] n. 问候话,欢迎辞

turn someone down 拒绝 to issue a refusal to someone

bah [bɑ] int. 感叹词(表示轻蔑、厌恶等)呸!

humbug [ˋhʌm͵bʌg] n.【过时】骗子

off [ɔf] adj. 休假的,不上班的

the Earth 尘世; 人间  the realm of mortal existence

eternally [ɪˋtɝnəlɪ] adv. 永恒地

misery [ˋmɪzərɪ] n. 痛苦;悲惨

 

 

 

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课文讲解

 

Later that night, the first of the ghosts appears. He is the ghost of Christmas Past, who leads Scrooge to revisit key events that shaped his life. Scrooge looks in on an old Christmas party thrown by his kind boss Fezziwig, which makes him feel guilty about his behavior toward Cratchit.

当夜稍晚,第一个「过去圣诞」幽灵现身。他引导史古基回顾那些对其人生具决定性影响的事件。史古基看到他从前的好心老板费立维所举办的圣诞派对,那让他对自己对待科拉奇的行为产生罪恶感。

 

The second ghost, the ghost of Christmas Present, takes Scrooge on a tour of London. Scrooge gets to see how the poor but happy Cratchit couple celebrates the holiday with their disabled son, Tiny Tim. Meanwhile, Fred and his friends mock his stingy uncle at their Christmas party.

第二个幽灵,也就是「现在圣诞」幽灵,他带着史古基绕了趟伦敦。史古基看到了人虽穷却很开心的科拉奇夫妇,正与他们行动不便的儿子小提姆一起欢庆佳节。与此同时,弗瑞德和友人却在圣诞派对上嘲笑他小气的舅舅。

 

Finally, the ghost of Christmas Future shows Scrooge a nightmare vision of what will happen if Scrooge does not change. Tiny Tim has died of an illness, and Cratchit family is saddened by this loss. Then, Scrooge also learns of a rich businessman who has died but does not seem to be missed by anyone. Thieves even rob the man’s home and corpse. When the dead man is revealed to be none other than Scrooge himself, a shocked Scrooge promises the spirit that he will mend his ways.

最后,「未来圣诞」幽灵让史古基看到,如果他还是死性不改,未来将发生如恶梦般恐怖的事情。小提姆因病夭折,科拉奇一家人哀痛不已。接着,史古基得知有位富商也同样过世,却没有半个人怀念他。小偷抢了这人的家,甚至还盗他的墓。当史古基发现这个死者不是别人而正是他自己时,饱受惊吓的他向幽灵保证一定会改过自新。

 

When he awakes on Christmas morning, Scrooge is a different person. He sends a big turkey to the Cratchits, donates a lot of money to charity, and spends Christmas with Fred’s family. As he returns to the kind-hearted man of his youth, others also generously welcome him into their lives.

圣诞节一早醒来时,史古基与以往判若两人。他送了只大火鸡给科拉奇一家,捐献一大笔钱给慈善机构,并和弗瑞德一家人共度圣诞。变回年少时那个心地善良的人后,其他人也宽大为怀地欢迎他重回他们的生活。

 

Vocabulary

单词发音

 

guilty [ˋgɪltɪ] adj. 羞愧的; 内疚的

stingy [ˋstɪndʒɪ] adj. 吝啬的,小气的

nightmare [ˋnaɪt͵mɛr] n. 梦魇;恶梦

reveal [rɪˋvil] v. 展现,显露出

donate [ˋdonet] v. 捐献,捐赠

 

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look in on 做短暂的拜访 to visit

throw [θro] v.【口】举行(宴会等)

disabled [dɪsˋeb!d] adj. 残废的;有缺陷的

none other than  不是别人(/物) 正是

 

 

 

课文朗读

 

课文讲解 

 

“A Christmas Carol” is a classic story read by old and young alike, especially around Christmas time. The central theme of giving to others captures the spirit of the season, while the ghosts Scrooge encounters also show that punishment awaits people who are greedy.

《圣诞颂歌》是部老少咸宜的经典作品,尤其是在圣诞时节。为别人付出的主题掌握了圣诞佳节的精神,而史古基遇到的幽灵也彰显出贪婪者未来必有报应。

 

Social injustice and poverty are recurring themes in Dickens’ novels, and “A Christmas Carol” is no exception. Dickens wrote the story in 1843, during the English Industrial Revolution. At that time, factory owners were replacing human workers with machines. This left many people without jobs.

社会不公及贫穷是狄更斯小说中一再出现的主题,而《圣诞颂歌》亦不例外。狄更斯于1843年撰写这篇故事时,正值英国工业革命。当时,工厂老板正逐渐用机器来取代人力,导致许多人失业。

 

Businesspeople grew rich from the increase in productivity, but working people lost their jobs and their only income. Dickens felt that society had an obligation to take care of everyone, especially the poor.

商人因为生产力提高而致富,但工人却失去工作及唯一的收入。狄更斯觉得社会有义务要照顾每个人,尤其是穷人。

 

This message comes through in the many adaptations of “A Christmas Carol,” on film, television, and the stage. A 1971 animated short film by Richard Williams won an Oscar for its faithful retelling of the story. In “Mickey’s Christmas Carol,” a 1983 short film, famous Walt Disney characters such as Mickey Mouse and Scrooge McDuck play the key roles. In every adaptation, Scrooge starts off selfish and mean but ends up generously giving to the poor. Dickens’ lesson of generosity always rings clear. For him, happiness is not about taking, but giving.

不管是在电影、电视或舞台剧中,狄更斯想传达的讯息呈现在《圣诞颂歌》的许多改编版本里。理察.威廉斯在1971年制作的动画短片因忠实重现这个故事而获颁奥斯卡奖。1983年的短片《米奇的圣诞颂歌》,由著名的华德.迪斯尼人物──米奇和史老鸭──担纲主演。在每个改编的版本中,史古基一开始都是自私小气,最后却变得对穷人慷慨好施。狄更斯宽大慷慨的训示向来清楚明白,对他来说,幸福的重点不在接受,而在于付出。

 

by Marcus Lindy Sortijas

 

Vocabulary

单词发音

 

theme [θim] n. 主题

injustice [ɪnˋdʒʌstɪs] n. 非正义;不公正,不公平

exception [ɪkˋsɛpʃən] n. 例外

obligation [͵ɑbləˋgeʃən] n.(道义上或法律上的)义务;责任

faithful [ˋfeθfəl] adj. 如实的;准确可靠的

 

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单词发音

 

recur [rɪˋkɝ] v. 再发生,复发

productivity [͵prodʌkˋtɪvətɪ] n. 生产力;生产率

come through〔消息﹑结果等〕公开; 被知晓 to emerge successfully

adaptation [͵ædæpˋteʃən] n. 改编

animated [ˋænə͵metɪd] adj. 卡通(片)的; 动画(片)的

retell [riˋtɛl] v. 再讲;重述

start off 开始; 出发 to be or make the first step in an activity; initiate

mean [min] adj. 吝啬的,小气的

ring [rɪŋ] v. 听上去,听起来

 

 

A Christmas Carol (1/3)

 

A Christmas Carol (2/3)

 

 

A Christmas Carol (3/3)

 

 

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