Thenovelfollowsthejourneyofthetitularcharacter(主人公),OliverTwist.Oliver,anorphansincebirth,spendsmuchofhischildhoodata“childfarm”(orphanage孤兒院)withtoomanychildrenandtoolittlefood.Thefarmislocatedroughly70milesoutsideLondon.Onenight,afterbeingservedhisportionofgruel(稀粥),Oliverasksforasecondhelping.Thisisunacceptable,andOliverissenttoworkasanapprentice(學(xué)徒)toanundertaker.Eventually,aftersufferingrepeatedmistreatment,OliverrunsawayandheadsforLondon.HesoonfindshimselfinthepresenceoftheArtfulDodger,whotellshimtostayatthehouseofan“oldgentleman”(namedFagin)withanumberofotherboys.Oliverlearnsthattheseboysaretrainedpickpockets(扒手).Onanouting,OliverwitnessestheboystakeahandkerchieffromMr.Brownlow,anelderlyman,whichprompts(促使)Olivertorunawayinfearandconfusion.TheelderlymanmistakesOliver’sbehaviourforguiltandhashimarrested.However,afterlearningmoreaboutOliver,Mr.Brownlowrealizeshismistakeandofferstotakecareofhimathishome.
OliverassumesthatheisnowridofFaginandthepickpockets,buthisknowledgeoftheircrimescausesthemtoseekOliverout.Nancy,aprostituteandmistress(情婦)ofoneofFagin’smen,BillSikes,issenttotakeOliverfromMr.BrownlowbacktoFagin.Shedoessosuccessfully,andOliverissentonaburglary(入室盜竊)missionwithanothermemberofthegrouptothecountrysidearoundLondon.Onthiserrand(差事),Oliverisshotinthearmandthenistakeninbythefamily(theMaylies)thatheattemptedtorob.Whileheisthere,FaginandamannamedMonksplot(密謀)togethimback.RoseMaylie,whileonatriptoLondonwithherfamily,meetswithMr.BrownlowtotalkwithNancy,whohasslippedaway(逃走;悄悄溜走)fromSikestoexplaintheplansmadebyMonksandFagintogetOliverback.ShedescribesMonksandtellsthemwhenhemightmosteasilybeapprehended(逮捕).UnfortunatelyforNancy,newsofherbetrayalreachesSikes,andhebeatshertodeath.Sikesaccidentallyhangshimselfsoonafter.TheMayliesreuniteOliverwithMr.Brownlow,whoforcesMonkstoexplainhimself.ThereaderandOliveraretheninformedthatMonksisOliver’shalf-brotherandthatOliverisentitledto(有…資格)alargefortune.Hereceiveshisshareofthemoney,Faginishung,andtheMaylies,Oliver,andMr.Brownlowmovetothecountrysidewheretheyspendtherestoftheirdaystogether.
寫(xiě)作背景:
CharlesDickenswaswellversedinthepovertyofLondon,ashehimselfwasachildworkerafterhisfatherwassenttodebtors’prison.Hisappreciationofthehardshipsenduredbyimpoverishedcitizensstayedwithhimfortherestofhislifeandwasevidentinhisjournalisticwritingsandnovels.DickensbeganwritingOliverTwistaftertheadoptionofthePoorLawof1834,whichhaltedgovernmentpaymentstotheable-bodiedpoorunlesstheyenteredworkhouses.Thus,OliverTwistbecameavehicleforsocialcriticismaimeddirectlyattheproblemofpovertyin19th-centuryLondon.
查爾斯·狄更斯非常了解倫敦的貧窮,因為他的父親被送進(jìn)債務(wù)人監獄后,他自己就是一名童工。他對貧困公民所遭受苦難的欣賞陪伴了他的余生,并在他的新聞作品和小說(shuō)中表現得很明顯。狄更斯是在1834年《濟貧法》通過(guò)后開(kāi)始創(chuàng )作《霧都孤兒》的。《濟貧法》禁止政府向身體健全的窮人提供補助,除非他們進(jìn)入濟貧院。因此,《霧都孤兒》成為了直指19世紀倫敦貧困問(wèn)題的社會(huì )批判工具。
聲明:本網(wǎng)站尊重并保護知識產(chǎn)權,根據《信息網(wǎng)絡(luò )傳播權保護條例》,如果我們轉載的作品侵犯了您的權利,請在一個(gè)月內通知我們,我們會(huì )及時(shí)刪除。
蜀ICP備2020033479號-4 Copyright ? 2016 學(xué)習?shū)B(niǎo). 頁(yè)面生成時(shí)間:3.219秒