《晨读夜诵.每天读一英语经典短篇小说精华》精选13位英语国家知名作家的34篇经典短篇小说，配有生词详解和外教朗读音频。每一篇小说都是英语大家经久不衰的经典之作，出自世界三大短篇小说巨匠——欧?亨利、莫泊桑和契诃夫，美国文学中的林肯——马克?吐温，美国文学史上首位写作短篇小说的作家——纳撒尼尔?霍桑，1954年诺贝尔文学奖获得者、文坛硬汉——海明威，美国女权主义文学创作的先驱——凯特?肖邦等。读过这些作品，才敢说自己读过短篇小说！

本书作者试图建立一个有效的第二语言习得模式——语感训练模式，意在告诉英语学习者需要不停接触和使用英语，多读、多写、多听、多说，做到随手拈来。全书通过大量对话探讨了对婚姻、金钱、幸福、工作、战争、外语学习、教育等话题的看法，适合想要快速开口说英语者，想轻松通过口语考试者，想在生活中使用英语者，想在求职面试中脱颖而出者，想出国旅游、与人交流者使用。 本书采用ISLI国家标准MPR技术，只要一书在手，用手机扫描链码就可以随时试听学习，方便学习者练习口语。

vivid characterization /unfailingly realistic description/ impulse and fear and hesitation/ the most capacious and elastic and versatile kind of novel

本套书包括《白衣女人5册》和《月亮宝石5册》共10册。《白衣女人》本书为作者开创了写侦探小说的先河，也为英国文学另辟了一条蹊径。作品主要讲述了：青年画家哈特莱特与她的学生劳拉?弗尔利坠入情网，可是罗拉的父亲在生前已经为她寻了一门亲事。在罗拉的姐姐玛琳?哈克贝的建议下，哈特来离开了蒙里基庄园，到国外工作。罗拉只能遵从父亲的遗愿，嫁给风流倜傥的皮斯威尔?格莱德先生。然而，皮斯维尔因其父母没有结婚登记而没有继承权，他负债累累，一心想要得到罗拉小姐两万英镑的遗产。他和罗拉的姑父密谋，把与罗拉相像的白衣女子安妮?凯撒里克害死，对外谎称罗拉得病而死，并把罗拉当做白衣女子送回疯人院……《月亮宝石》被誉为部长和秀的现代侦探小说。是英国维多利亚时期小说家威尔基·柯林斯创作的长篇小说。该作写一颗钻石(月亮宝石)神秘失踪，后为探长克夫所侦破。作品情节惊险曲折，结局出人意外。故事是由一颗宝石引起的。相传，印度有一颗月亮宝石，它镶嵌在一座四只手的印度神的额头之上，由三个婆罗门守护。宝石的光泽随着月亮的变化而变化，神曾经预言，谁要是拿走了这颗宝石谁就会受到诅咒。十八世纪初，月亮宝石被抢，这颗价值连城的宝石辗转被传到了英国。正如预言所说，它的拥有者都离奇死去。后来，这颗宝石落到了英国军官司亨卡斯尔上校的手中。在他将此作为生日礼物赠送给外甥女雷茜尔后，宝石突然失踪，经过一番周折，案件终于真相大白，月亮宝石后又回到了月亮神的前额之上。作者在小说中大胆地披露了英国在印度犯下的滔天罪行，要求英国人以人道主义精神面对世界，其中还不失时机地表达了自己的愿望，表明自己希望英国不要成为被世界人民痛恨的国度，不要两手沾满无辜的老百姓们的鲜血。这部小说并没有对英国国内的政治给予直接的披露，而是通过数件沾满血腥的案件有力地抨击了英国上层社会的领导者。

本套书包括《英格兰，我的英格兰和其它故事集3册》、《普鲁士军官和其它故事集4册》和《骑马走出的女人和其它故事集4册》共11册。《英格兰，我的英格兰和其它故事集》an important and controversial English writer/ the greatest writers in the English language /the background of World War I/10 stories《普鲁士军官和其它故事集》an important and controversial English writer/ the greatest writers in the English language/ frank and honest portrayal of human sexuality/12 stories

George Eliot's novel The Mill on the Floss, orginally published in 1860 as three volumes. Maggie Tulliver is the protagonist and the story begins when she is 9 years old. Maggie Tulliver’s entire life has been spent in the shadow of Dorlcote Mill on the River Floss with her beloved older brother, Tom.The Mill on the Floss is the story of Maggie Tulliver’s search for love, and acceptance by her family and community, and of her need for intellectual and spiritual growth. Her relationship with her older brother Tom, and her romantic relationships with Philip Wakem and with Stephen Guest constitute the most significant narrative threads. Misunderstood Maggie Tulliver is torn. Her rebellious and passionate nature demands expression, while her provincial kin and community expect self-denial. Based closely on the author's own life, Maggie's story explores the conflicts of love and loyalty and the friction between desire and moral responsibility. A classic work of 19th century literature, "The Mill on the Floss" remains a popular and enduring example of George Eliot's impact on English literature.

本套书包括《犹太人的财富思维》、《犹太人的处事思维》、《犹太人的创新思维》、《犹太人的教育思维》、《犹太人的进取思维》和《犹太人的生活思维》共6册。《犹太人的财富思维》通过对犹太民族生存、智慧、经商等领域的展示，浅显易懂地阐释了犹太人的经商秘诀，为读者介绍犹太人在投资创业、目标选择、广告营销、市场定位、商场谈判等方面表现出的出神入化的商业智慧。《犹太人的处事思维》论述了犹太人在社会交往中的逻辑关系，从修身、处事、礼仪、言语等方面介绍了犹太人的智慧和行为，通过剖析犹太人成功背后的处事思维，为读者提供为人处世的方法和技巧。《犹太人的创新思维》犹太人崇尚创新，能想出新奇点子并能付诸现实。本书从犹太人一系列的创新事件出发，介绍犹太人独辟蹊径、勇于创新、不拘一格的商业思维，为读者呈现犹太人智慧和创造力。《犹太人的教育思维》通过介绍犹太人对教育的高度重视，以及教育是犹太民族突出的优良传统，来引导人们学习以思考为基础，要敢于怀疑，随时发问。犹太人的智慧并非高深莫测，而是和世代相传的独特家庭教育息息相关。

The Whale is an 1851 novel by American writer Herman Melville. The story tells the adventures of the wandering sailor Ishmael and his voyage on the whaling ship Pequod, commanded by Captain Ahab. Ishmael soon learns that Ahab seeks one specific whale, Moby-Dick, a white whale of tremendous size and ferocity. Comparatively few whaling ships know of Moby-Dick, and fewer yet have encountered him. In a previous encounter, the whale destroyed Ahab's boat and bit off his leg. Ahab intends to exact revenge. Its reputation as a "Great American Novel" was established only in the 20th century, after the centennial of its author's birthIts opening sentence, "Call me Ishmael", is among world literature's most famous..D. H. Lawrence called it "one of the strangest and most wonderful books in the world" and "the greatest book of the sea ever written".

The History of Pendennis: His Fortunes and Misfortunes, His Friends and His Greatest Enemy (1848–1850) is a novel by the English author William Makepeace Thackeray. The novel took two years for him to write. Set in 19th century London, England, this novel features a young English gentleman Arthur Pendennis born in the country who sets out to seek his place in life and society. The novel portrays his love affairs with the callous Blanche Amory and poor Fanny. Both of them marry other people, and Pendennis finally weds Laura Bell, his adopted sister, who had always loved him. The characters include the snobbish social hanger-on Major Pendennis and the tipsy Captain Costigan. Miss Amory and Sir Francis Clavering are somewhat reminiscent of Becky Sharp and Sir Pitt from Vanity Fair. In line with other Thackeray's works, Pendennis offers an insightful and satiric picture of human character and aristocratic society. The masterful characterizations include the snobbish Major Pendennis and the tipsy Captain Costigan.

In the early 1800s, John Astor made the fateful decision to make good on his long-held dream of establishing a fur-trading company in the Northwest United States. Astor later convinced Washington Irving, one of the most important figures in nineteenth-century American literature, to create a non-fiction account of the operation's origins. The result, Astoria, is a fascinating work of history. Astoria is a history book published in 1836 by Washington Irving. The full title being "Astoria: Or, Enterprise Beyond the Rocky Mountains". The book was commissioned by John Jacob Astor as an official history of his company's expedition to Oregon in 1810–1812. The book became a bestseller in 1836 and at the time was required reading in some schools. Astoria has been read as a vivid and fascinating history, comparable indeed to the finest of romances, but rooted in the rough and hardy life of trapping, hunting, and exploration.

Thomas Hardy’s final novel “Jude the Obscure” began as a serial publication on December 1894 before being published in book form the following year. It is the story of its titular character Jude Fawley, a young lower-class man with dreams of being a scholar, and his relationships with his wife, Arabella, and his free-spirited cousin, Sue Bridehead. The novel follows the life of Jude from his youth living in a village in southern England where he works in a bakery and studies Classical Greek and Latin in his spare time with hopes of one day becoming a scholar at Christminster, a fictional city modeled after Oxford. His dreams are dashed however when he becomes ensnared by deceit into marriage with Arabella Donn, a coarse and superficial girl. What follows is a classic and tragic tale that plays upon many themes, principally of which is the idea that one’s ruinous downfall is the product of having lived a sinful life. Having been harshly criticized in its day for its scandalous portrayals, “Jude the Obscure” has since been recognized as one of Hardy’s finest and most intricate works.

本套书包括《基督山伯爵9册》和《三个火枪手6册》共15册。《基督山伯爵》The Count of Monte Cristo is an adventure novel by French author Alexandre Dumas (père). It is one of the author's most popular works completed in 1844. The story takes place in France, Italy, and islands in the Mediterranean during the historical events of 1815–1839: the era of the Bourbon Restoration through the reign of Louis-Philippe of France. It begins just before the Hundred Days period (when Napoleon returned to power after his exile). The historical setting is a fundamental element of the book, an adventure story primarily concerned with themes of hope, justice, vengeance, mercy, and forgiveness. It centres on a man who is wrongfully imprisoned, escapes from jail, acquires a fortune, and sets about getting revenge on those responsible for his imprisonment. However, his plans have devastating consequences for the innocent as well as the guilty. In addition, it is a story that involves romance, loyalty, betrayal, and selfishness, shown throughout the story as characters slowly reveal their true inner nature.《三个火枪手》A timeless tale of adventure, romance, intrigue, and revenge, "The Three Musketeers"is the captivating story .A historical romance, this novel tells of the adventures of the hot-headed young Gascon, d'Artagnan and his three companions Athos, Porthos and Aramis as they gallantly defend the Queen of France, using their wit and their swords. They must foil the nefarious plotting of Cardinal Richelieu against the King and Queen, despite his appearance as an ally. D'Artagnan and the three Musketeers must also overcome the villainous machinations of Milady de Winter, whose lethal criminality threatens those in political power and the love of d'Artgnan for Constance Bonacieux. Dumas' classic story, first serialized in 1844, has enthralled readers with its fast-paced plot, endearing characters, and romantic ideals, immortalized by the motto" one for all, all for one.

本套书包括《艾格妮丝·格雷3册》和《威尔德菲尔庄园的房客6册》共9册。《艾格妮丝·格雷》Agnes Grey is the debut novel of English author Anne Bront? (writing under the pen name of Acton Bell), first published in December 1847, and republished in a second edition in 1850. The novel follows Agnes Grey, a governess, as she works within families of the English gentry. Scholarship and comments by Anne's sister Charlotte Bront? suggest the novel is largely based on Anne Bront?'s own experiences as a governess for five years. Agnes, her sister Mary, and their mother all try to keep expenses low and bring in extra money, but Agnes is frustrated that everyone treats her like a child. To prove herself and to earn money, she is determined to get a position as a governess. Eventually, she obtains a recommendation from a well-placed acquaintance, is offered a position, and secures her parents' permission. With some misgivings, she travels to Wellwood house to work for the Bloomfield family. The choice of central character allows Anne to deal with issues of oppression and abuse of women and governesses, isolation and ideas of empathy. An additional theme is the fair treatment of animals. Agnes Grey also mimics some of the stylistic approaches of bildungsromans, employing ideas of personal growth and coming to age, but representing a character who in fact does not gain in virtue.《威尔德菲尔庄园的房客》This work is the second and final novel by the English author Anne Bront?. It was first published in 1848 under the pseudonym Acton Bell. Probably the most shocking of the Bront?s' novels, it had an instant and phenomenal success, but after Anne's death her sister Charlotte prevented its re-publication. Most critics now consider The Tenant of Wildfell Hall to be one of the first feminist novels. The novel is framed as a series of letters from Gilbert Markham to his friend and brother-in-law about the events connected with the meeting of his wife. A mysterious young widow arrives at Wildfell Hall, an Elizabethan mansion which has been empty for many years, with her young son and a servant. She lives there in strict seclusion under the assumed name Helen Graham and soon finds herself the victim of local slander. Refusing to believe anything scandalous about her, Gilbert befriends Helen and discovers her past. In her diary, Helen depicts her husband's physical and moral decline through alcohol and her desperate attempts to save their son from his influence in the dissipated aristocratic society from which she ultimately flees. The depiction of marital strife and women's professional identification has also a strong moral message mitigated by the authors's belief in universal salvation.

本书为《惊奇队长》电影同名英文小说，故事背景设定在20世纪90年代，讲述了在一场涉及两个外星种族的星系战争降临地球后，丹弗斯发现自己和一小群外星盟友成了这场风暴的中心的故事。本书为纯英文版本，英文地道，引自美国知名出版社，无删减、非改编。附赠配套核心词讲解与全文音频，可以帮助读者破阅读障碍，在阅读的同时用英文磨耳朵，提高听力水平。同一种题材，不同的媒介，给你带着不同的体验！

真人版电影《花木兰》改编自1998年同名动画影片，讲述了一位巾帼英雄的传奇历险故事。花木兰是中国古代传说的四大巾帼英雄之一，她的故事家喻户晓，被世代诵颂，也为中外读者所喜爱。故事发生在北魏时期，一位名叫花木兰的年轻女子为了救她年迈的父亲，假扮成男装，代父从军。穿越广袤土地的壮丽征程，花木兰从紧张的训练和战争中不断磨练，逐渐发现自己内心的战士，纳自己无限的潜能，赢得众人的尊敬。

你有没有想过：你的激情、梦想和兴趣从何而来？是什么让你成为……独特的你？皮克斯全新动画片《心灵奇旅》将带你踏上一段新的征程，从纽约的大街小巷到宇宙中去，探索生命中那些重要问题的答案。《迪士尼大电影双语阅读.心灵奇旅 Soul》为迪士尼电影同名双语小说，由迪士尼正版授权，中英双语对照，配有大量电影彩色剧照及英文难词注解。随书还附赠精美书签，通过书签可领取全书英文音频、电子书以及核心词讲解。同一种题材，不同的媒介，给你带着不同的体验！

小说梗概是这样的，格雷先生是一幅油画里的男模特。画家姓郝沃特，他对格雷的帅气英俊的长相所迷倒。他自认为，如此的帅气英俊，完全可以引领一种新的画风。格雷通过画家郝沃特又结识了亨利·沃顿爵士。而沃顿爵士对享乐主义的人生态度，感到好奇与着魔。沃顿爵士认为，人活一生，*重要的也*值得追求的，就是拥有美貌与满足肉欲。这一观，格雷听了去，并走了心。他认识到自己的美貌终将会消失。于是，格雷想出一折：他想出售自己的灵魂，以换取画中的他而不是现实生活中的他，替代他始变老直至死去。这一愿望居然达成了。格雷于是在实际生活中追求各种各样的不洁的道德上有巨大瑕疵的生活，同时，还能保持自己的容颜不老，帅气英俊。只不过画中人，也就是他自己，则按常人一样变老，而且，纪录下了他的每一次恶行。 在享乐主义观念作用下，他始追求一个姓斯比尔的姑娘。她是莎士比亚《罗密欧与朱丽叶》剧中的朱丽叶的扮演者。只不过，她所在的剧团并不是什么有名的剧团，而是一个名不见经传的小演出团体，只是在当时伦敦的贫民窟附近的破烂台子上演出。格雷追求了没多久，便始求婚了。欣喜若狂的斯比尔姑娘天真地以为自己找到了真命天子，给格雷起了个甜甜的绰号：迷人的王子，自己则完全陷了盲目的爱情漩涡里不能自拔。但她哥哥则看出门道，一直不断地向她发出警告，并威胁格雷说，假如他在游戏人生，玩弄他妹妹的感情的话，他会宰了格雷。 格雷邀请郝沃特和亨利·沃顿爵士去看斯比尔的演出，斯比尔由于过度紧张，结果演砸了。二人一致认为格雷是昏了头，主要是看上斯比尔的娇美的面容，而不是表演才能而爱上斯比尔的。格雷感到十分尴尬，于是，对斯比尔冷言相对，斥责她说表演才能才是她应该具备的美，而不是其他。没有表演才能，她对于他而言一钱不值。 回到家后，格雷发现那幅油画里的人物表情的确有了变化。他的愿望的确达成，画中人的面目表情里始含有某种嘲讽的冷酷感。感受到良心发现，格雷决定向斯比尔道歉，并修复关系以达到和好如初。但太晚了，她已经自杀。这时他才发现原来自己的一生所前行的方向到底是什么。原来，自己已经在无耻的人生道路上一路狂奔了下去，他始吸食鸦片，斯比尔的哥哥也在到处找寻他的踪影，要他偿还斯比尔的血债。*后，他的秘密终于被揭穿，毁灭的命运在等待着他。小说结尾时，他将一把刀插自己的胸膛而死。

该作讲述1348年，意大利佛罗伦萨瘟疫流行，10名男女在乡村一所别墅里避难。他们终日游玩欢宴，每人每天讲一个故事，共住了10天讲了百个故事，这些故事批判天主教会，嘲笑教会传授黑暗和罪恶，赞美爱情是才华和高尚情操的源泉，谴责禁欲主义，无情暴露和鞭挞封建贵族的堕落和腐败，体现了人文主义思想。《十日谈》是欧洲文学史上部现实主义巨著；意大利近代评论家桑克提斯曾把《十日谈》与但丁的《神曲》并列，称之为“人曲”。

为什么要给自己的作品起名为看上去希腊语味道十足的“十日谈”—— Decameron呢？从书名上就可以看得出来，薄伽丘对希腊语超级热爱。这个词由两个希腊语单词元素组成：δ?κα= déka ("十"的意思)；?μ?ρα= hēméra ("天"之意思)。合二为一，就是“十天（里发生的故事）”的意思。至于“谈”，是中文翻译时另加上去，将“发生的故事”用“谈”来诠释。1348年，意大利的佛罗伦萨爆发了大瘟疫——黑死病。第天都有无数人死在家里、街头。大批尸体被运到城外。但运送者也会因此染病而死。短短数月，死亡人数达10万以上，昔日繁华的佛罗伦萨变成了一片又一片的大坟场。后来这场瘟疫席卷了整个欧洲，欧洲人口锐减一半以上。薄伽丘深刻地感受到了这场瘟疫带来的巨大影响。他也是以这场瘟疫为背景写下相关作品的*人。小说故事发生在一远离瘟疫的乡间别墅里，一共来了十个青年男女躲避瘟疫。大家约定好以讲故事发日子。每人每天讲一则故事，一天就产生出十个故事。《十日谈》里的故事大都是发生过的真人真事。有歌颂现世生活的，有赞美爱情的，有歌颂自由可贵的。同时，也有故事旨在揭露做官的凶残与暴虐，教会教士修女们的虚伪等。当然，其中还有故事讲诉了命运之力量对人的精神世界的操控，人的意志之力量对人的精神世界的操控。有故事还揭示人与人之间的欺诈与哄骗。其实，不难看出，薄伽丘的《十日谈》里除真人真事故事以外，还有一些故事是来自于历史事件、传说，甚至还参考了东方的某些民间故事，有些故事则感觉明显受《天方夜谭》的影响。作者将故事情节移植过来，然后冠以人文主义思想，再讲述给欧洲读者听。值得指出的是，该作品从头到尾被商业推销行为所能容忍的规范笼罩着。商业常见的小机灵，小把戏等小聪明被抬高到一个新的高度。恶意使坏、勾心斗角等行为被作者行了某种鞭笞。在中世纪的人们来看，将忠诚、孝心这些美德与商场上的恶意使坏和勾心斗角相比，后者是不可被受的。

《斯泰尔斯庄园奇案》从*次世界大战期间始落笔创作，据作者说，灵感主要来自于作者在医院做志愿者时的经历。故事内容主要如下：斯泰尔斯庄园的女主人埃米莉·英格尔索普夫人掌管着庄园的财政大权。在某个周二的凌晨，在自己的房间里因中毒而身亡，而通往外界的房间的三个门全部都从里面锁上的。一个名叫波罗的大侦探受了调查此案的任务。他在调查此案的过程中发现，壁炉里有烧掉的遗嘱还存留的一些碎纸片，咖啡杯好像也是被摔碎的等疑。*的疑犯其实就是比死者小20几岁的丈夫阿尔弗雷德·英格尔索普先生。不过，小伙子却有不在场的有力证据。此外，还有死者与前夫生的两个儿子以及相关的几个其他人，几乎所有人都有犯罪机会，也就是说，每个人都有许多疑。那么，到底凶手到底是谁呢？抑或是几个人合谋把人害死？ 关于阿加莎·克里斯蒂笔下的波罗大侦探，有必要多介绍些相关情况。其英语拼写为Hercule Poirot，Hercule里的H不发音，正如Poirot里的t不发音 一样。阿加莎·克里斯蒂将其祖籍设定为比利时。因此，书中常常可以读到波罗大侦探在自我介绍时，总是很风趣地说，“一个比利时人”。波罗大侦探的名字的来历则是这样的：它来自于两部侦探小说里的两个侦探的名字，一个叫Hercule Popeau，另外 一个则叫Monsieur Poiret, 而后面的这位则是一个退休的比利时警官，长期居住在伦敦。阿加莎·克里斯蒂从中各取一个名字，形成了Hercule Poirot。

一百年前，美国作家薇拉·凯瑟（Willa Cather 1873-1947）发表了美国西部文学的经典之作《我的安东尼亚》，以饱含深情的笔墨描绘了19世纪末美国垦荒时代的自然景观与历史沧桑，以别具一格的艺术手法塑造了英勇顽强的拓荒者形象，她也因此成为垦荒时代的代言人。小说以叙述者吉姆·伯登的视角，讲述移民女孩安东尼亚的成长故事。小说结构匀称，情节简洁明快，文笔从容典雅，表达细腻，想象力丰富，具有抒情诗一般的品格。她打破传统线性叙事模式，摒弃第三人称全知视角，多角度塑造了一个立体化的女主人公形象。作者隐身于叙述者吉姆背后，将其崇尚的价值理念融入人物的生活经历中，例如安东尼亚，就寄寓了作家追求善良、勤劳、乐观、热爱自然的美好情愫。