高级英语第六课马克吐温背景知识

•(1)HewasanAmerican•humorist,satirist,lecturerandwriter.•(2)TwainismostnotedforhisnovelsAdventuresofHuckleberryFinn,whichhassincebeencalledtheGreatAmericanNovel,andtheAdventuresofTomSawyer.Heisalsoknownforhisquotations.Duringhislifetime,Twainbecameafriendtopresidents,artists,industrialistsandEuropeanroyalty.马克吐温(MarkTwain)(原名：SamuelLanghorneClemens)•AlthoughMarkTwain‘swealthisnotmuch,hisgreathumor,witandreputation,knownasoneofthemostfamouspeopleintheUnitedStates,hasbeenhonouredasthe“Americanliterarygiant”,goodatwritingsatiricalnovels.HehasbeenhailedassecondLincolninthehistoryofAmericanliterature.•IlikeMarkTwain-whodoesnotlikehim?EvenGod,willlovehim,givenhiswisdom,andhissoulinapainting.-------HelenKeller马克吐温的四大名著《哈克贝利·费恩历险记》AdventuresofHuckleberryFinn《汤姆·索亚历险记》AdventuresofTomSawyer《败坏了哈德莱堡的人》TheManThatCorruptedHadleyburg《苦行记》RoughingIt•ItisthestoryabouttheboyTomSawyer,wholivesinAmericainthefirsthalfofthe19thcentury,andhiseverydaylifeandthemischiefhemakes.•Itwaspublishedin1876.•TheAdventuresofTomSawyerisregardedastheclassicstorydicpictingchildren’slivesinAmericaandhasbeenpopolarinthetime.AdventuresofTomSawyer•Itwaswrittenbeforethecivilwar,thedescriptionofthetownST.PetersburgistheminiatureAmericansocietyatthattimeinfact.•Theadventuresofprotagonistssatirizedandcriticizedvulgarcustoms,hypocriticalAmericanreligiousritualsandinflexiblestaleschooleducation.Thenovelascheerfulasdescribesthechildrenfreeandlivelymind.TheadventuresofTomSawyerbecameoneofthegreatestliteraryworksandtheUnitedStatesgildedageofruralpastoral.•Itdescribedthedecadentbourgeoislife-styleandthesinsofslaverybyachild’sview.Avividsociallifescenesandwittyhumorwordsinthenovelmakethereadersloveit.Outstandingideologicalcontentanduniqueartisticcreativitymakeitamasterpiece.•ItisviewedastheoriginofAmericanliterature.AmericanCivilWar1861.4.12–1865.4.9EconomicSystemLabourLeaderPropositionforwesternregionResultNorth（UnitedStatesofAmerica）capitalisteconomyWorkersAbrahamLincolndevelopcapitalisteconomylimitorevenbantheexpansionofslaveryWonabolishtheslaverysystemSouth（theConfederateStatesofAmerica）plantationblackslavesgeneralLeeTrytoextendtheslaverysysteminthewesteventhecountryFailedTheCaliforniaGoldRush(1848–1855)BeganonJanuary24,1848,whengoldwasdiscoveredbyJamesMarshallatSutter'sMillinColoma,California.Newsofthediscoverysoonspread,resultinginsome300,000men,women,andchildrencomingtoCaliforniafromtherestoftheUnitedStatesandabroad.ThentheGoldRushattractedtensofthousandsfromLatinAmerica,Europe,AustraliaandAsia.Gold,worthbillionsoftoday'sdollarswasre-covered,whichleadtogreatwealthforafew.However,manyreturnedhomewithlittlemorethantheystartedwith.TheeffectsoftheGoldRushPositiveaboomtownlawssteamshipsrailroadsagovernmentagricultureNegativeNativeAmericanswereattacked;Theypushedofftraditionallands;Goldminingcausedenvironmentalharm.MarshallMarshallwasthefirstpersonwhofoundgold,howeverhedidn'trichintheAmerica-shakinggoldrushandwasstrapped.Laterhediedinthisshabbylittlehouse.Itisironic.TheGildedAge:•TheGildedAge:ATaleofTodayisanovelbyMarkTwainandCharlesDudleyWarnerin1873.•MarkTwainandCharlesDudleyWarnergotthenameTheGildedAgefromShakespeare'sKingJohn(1595):Togildrefinedgold,topaintthelily...iswastefulandridiculousexcess.•Throughthedescriptionofanentrepreneurandpolitician,itexposesthewesternspeculators,entrepreneursandgovernmentofficialsintheeasternpartwhichplunderedwealthofthestateandpeople.•Afterwards,peopleusethegildedagetodescribetheAmericanhistoryfromtheendoftheCivilWartotheendofthe19thcentury.