【BBC：有史以来最伟大的100部小说】AChristma

ACHRISTMASCAROLByCHARLESDICKENSILLUSTRATEDBYGEORGEALFREDWILLIAMSNewYorkTHEPLATT&PECKCO.Copyright,1905,byTHEBAKER&TAYLORCOMPANYPreparedandpublishedby:EbdE-BooksDirectory.comINTRODUCTIONThecombinedqualitiesoftherealistandtheidealistwhichDickenspossessedtoaremarkabledegree,togetherwithhisnaturallyjovialattitudetowardlifeingeneral,seemtohavegivenhimaremarkablyhappyfeelingtowardChristmas,thoughtheprivationsandhardshipsofhisboyhoodcouldhaveallowedhimbutlittlerealexperiencewiththisdayofdays.DickensgavehisfirstformalexpressiontohisChristmasthoughtsinhisseriesofsmallbooks,thefirstofwhichwasthefamousChristmasCarol,theoneperfectchrysolite.Thesuccessofthebookwasimmediate.Thackeraywroteofit:Whocanlistentoobjectionsregardingsuchabookasthis?Itseemstomeanationalbenefit,andtoeverymanorwomanwhoreadsit,apersonalkindness.Thisvolumewasputforthinaveryattractivemanner,withillustrationsbyJohnLeech,whowasthefirstartisttomakethesecharacterslive,andhisdrawingswerevariedandspirited.Therefolloweduponthisfourothers:TheChimes,TheCricketontheHearth,TheBattleofLife,andTheHauntedMan,withillustrationsontheirfirstappearancebyDoyle,Maclise,andothers.Thefiveareknownto-dayastheChristmasBooks.OfthemalltheCarolisthebestknownandloved,andTheCricketontheHearth,althoughthirdintheseries,isperhapsnextinpointofpopularity,andisespeciallyfamiliartoAmericansthroughJosephJefferson'scharacterisationofCalebPlummer.Dickensseemstohaveputhiswholeselfintotheseglowinglittlestories.WhoeverseesbutacleverghoststoryintheChristmasCarolmissesitschiefcharmandlesson,forthereisadifferentmeaninginthemovementsofScroogeandhisattendantspirits.AnewlifeisbroughttoScroogewhenhe,runningtohiswindow,openeditandputouthishead.Nofog,nomist;clear,bright,jovial,stirringcold;cold,pipingforthebloodtodanceto;Goldensun-light;Heavenlysky;sweetfreshair;merrybells.Oh,glorious!Glorious!Allthisbrightnesshasitsattendantshadow,anddeepfromthechildishheartcomesthattruenoteofpathos,theevermemorabletoastofTinyTim,GodblessUs,EveryOne!TheCricketontheHearthstrikesadifferentnote.Charmingly,poetically,thesweetchirpingofthelittlecricketisassociatedwithhumanfeelingsandactions,andatthecrisisofthestorydecidesthefateandfortuneofthecarrierandhiswife.Dickens'sgreatestgiftwascharacterization,andnoEnglishwriter,saveShakespeare,hasdrawnsomanyandsovariedcharacters.ItwouldbeasabsurdtointerpretalloftheseascaricaturesastodenyDickenshisgreatandvariedpowersofcreation.Dickensexaggeratedmanyofhiscomicandsatiricalcharacters,aswashisright,forcaricatureandsatireareverycloselyrelated,whileexaggerationistheveryessenceofcomedy.Butthereremainsahostofcharactersmarkedbyhumourandpathos.YetthepictorialpresentationofDickens'scharactershasevertendedtowardthegrotesque.Theinterpretationsinthisvolumeaimtoeliminatethegrosserphasesofthecaricatureinfavourofthemorehuman.Iftheinterpretationsseemnovel,ifScroogebenotashehasbeenpictured,itisbecauseamorehumanScroogewasdesired—aScroogenotwhollybad,aScroogeofabetterheart,aScroogetowhomtheresurrectiondescribedinthisstorywaspossible.Ithasbeentheillustrator'swholeaimtomakethesepeopleliveinsomeformmorefullyconsistentwiththeirtypes.GEORGEALFREDWILLIAMS.Chatham,N.J.EbdE-BooksDirectory.comACHRISTMASCAROLInProseBEINGAGHOSTSTORYOFCHRISTMASSTAVEONEMARLEY'SGHOSTMarleywasdead,tobeginwith.Thereisnodoubtwhateveraboutthat.Theregisterofhisburialwassignedbytheclergyman,theclerk,theundertaker,andthechiefmourner.Scroogesignedit.AndScrooge'snamewasgoodupon'Changeforanythinghechosetoputhishandto.OldMarleywasasdeadasadoor-nail.Mind!Idon'tmeantosaythatIknow,ofmyownknowledge,whatthereisparticularlydeadaboutadoor-nail.Imighthavebeeninclined,myself,toregardacoffin-nailasthedeadestpieceofironmongeryinthetrade.Butthewisdomofourancestorsisinthesimile;andmyunhallowedhandsshallnotdisturbit,ortheCountry'sdonefor.Youwill,therefore,permitmetorepeat,emphatically,thatMarleywasasdeadasadoor-nail.Scroogeknewhewasdead?Ofcoursehedid.Howcoulditbeotherwise?ScroogeandhewerepartnersforIdon'tknowhowmanyyears.Scroogewashissoleexecutor,hissoleadministrator,hissoleassign,hissoleresiduarylegatee,hissolefriend,andsolemourner.AndevenScroogewasnotsodreadfullycutupbythesadevent,butthathewasanexcellentmanofbusinessontheverydayofthefuneral,andsolemniseditwithanundoubtedbargain.ThementionofMarley'sfuneralbringsmebacktothepointIstartedfrom.ThereisnodoubtthatMarleywasdead.Thismustbedistinctlyunderstood,ornothingwonderfulcancomeofthestoryIamgoingtorelate.IfwewerenotperfectlyconvincedthatHamlet'sFatherdiedbeforetheplaybegan,therewouldbenothingmoreremarkableinhistakingastrollatnight,inaneasterlywind,uponhisownramparts,thantherewouldbeinanyothermiddle-agedgentlemanrashlyturningoutafterdarkinabreezyspot—saySt.Paul'sChurch-yard,forinstance—literallytoastonishhisson'sweakmind.ScroogeneverpaintedoutOldMarley'sname.Thereitstood,yearsafterwards,abovethewarehousedoor:ScroogeandMarley.ThefirmwasknownasScroogeandMarley.SometimespeoplenewtothebusinesscalledScroogeScrooge,andsometimesMarley,butheansweredtobothnames.Itwasallthesametohim.Oh!buthewasatight-fistedhandatthegrind