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影响美国学生近一个世纪的教科书,一套塑造美国精神与文明的语文读本!这套由美国知名教育家、俄亥俄大学校长威廉?H?麦加菲花费20多年时间倾心主编,至1920年累计销量便高达1.22亿册,是美国热销的语文课本,被《时代周刊》评为“人类出版史上第三大热销书”。
内容简介
《美国语文读本》从19世纪中期至20世纪中叶,一直被广泛用作美国学校的语文教材,据称有10000多所美国学校拿它当作教材。到了21世纪,西方一些私立学校(PrivateSchool)和家庭学校(Homeschool)仍用它作为教材,足见这套书的价值与影响力。据估计,这套书从问世至1960年,至少发行了1.22亿册;1961年后,在西方每年销量仍达30000册以上。应该说,没有哪一套个人主编的教材能超过此发行量了!
此套读本的英文原版共分七级,包括启蒙读本和第1-6级。考虑到启蒙读本与第一级篇幅都较少,难易程度也很接近,于是我们将之合并为第1册,其余2-6级与英文原版相同。这样国内出版的这套读本共包括6册。第1册从字母表开始,主要侧重于字母的发音与书写、简单的单词与句型,同时强调英文书写,课文后面附有不少书法练习,让孩子们不仅将英语说得像外国人,而且写得也跟外文书法一样,这是国内英语教学所缺少的一个环节。从第2册开始,均是比较正式的课文,每一课包括词汇和课文,对一些生词有英文解释,让学生学会通过简单英文理解生词,养成用英语理解和思维的习惯。第5册和第6册的课文前增加了作者简介与相关背景知识,内容丰富而有一定深度。
此套书为在原版本基础上重新修订精装版,后两册字号较之前有所放大,并且修正了原有的错误之处,以方便学生阅读。
本书为第5册。
作者简介
威廉·H·麦加菲,美国著名教育家。1800年出生于宾夕法尼亚州,1826年毕业于华盛顿大学杰斐逊学院。在数十年教育生涯中,他曾担任过迈阿密大学语言学教授,俄亥俄大学校长。自1845年开始任弗吉尼亚大学道德哲学教授。他还帮助组建了俄亥俄州公立学校体系。
早在19世纪初期,麦加菲就意识到,应该给那些孤独的垦荒者和欧洲移民的后代提供普遍的教育,于是他利用自己作为演讲家与教育工作者的天赋,开始为孩子们编写系列教材。这套教材共7册,从学龄前至第6年级。他前后花费了20多年的时间才完成全套教材的编写。这套教材面世后就被美国很多学校选为课本。在75年间销量高达1.22亿,直到今天仍以各种版本流行于西方,被美国《出版周刊》评为"人类出版史上第三大畅销书",对美国青年的心灵塑造与道德培养产生了影响。
精彩书评
★这套书不仅影响了美国的教育事业,也影响了美国的伦理道德。诚如历史学家孔玛格所言:“它们为美国儿童提供了当今明显缺乏的东西,即普遍的引喻知识、普遍的经验和自制意识。”
―― 选自《大美百科全书》
目录
Lesson 1 The Good Reader / 第1课 优秀的读者 1
Lesson 2 The Bluebell / 第2课 蓝铃草 5
Lesson 3 The Gentle Hand / 第3课 温柔的手 7
Lesson 4 The Grandfather / 第4课 祖父 12
Lesson 5 A Boy on a Farm / 第5课 农场里的男孩 14
Lesson 6 The Singing Lesson / 第6课 音乐课 17
Lesson 7 Do not Meddle / 第7课 莫管闲事 19
Lesson 8 Work / 第8课 劳动 24
Lesson 9 The Maniac / 第9课 疯子 26
Lesson 10 Robin Redbreast / 第10课 知更鸟 28
Lesson 11 The Fish I Didn't Catch / 第11课 那条我没钓到的鱼 30
Lesson 12 It Snows / 第12课 下雪了 33
Lesson 13 Respect for the Sabbath Rewarded / 第13课 尊重安息日的回报 37
Lesson 14 The Sands o' Dee / 第14课 迪河沙滩 40
Lesson 15 Select Paragraphs / 第15课 《圣经》选段 42
Lesson 16 The Corn Song / 第16课 玉米颂歌 44
Lesson 17 The Venomous Worm / 第17课 毒虫 46
Lesson 18 The Festal Board / 第18课 节日聚会 48
Lesson 19 How to Tell Bad News / 第19课 如何告诉坏消息 51
Lesson 20 The Battle of Blenheim / 第20课 布伦海姆之战 53
Lesson 21 " I Pity Them" / 第21课 “我同情他们” 56
Lesson 22 An Elegy on Madam Blaize / 第22课 布莱兹夫人的挽歌 58
Lesson 23 King Charles II and William Penn /
第23课 查尔斯二世和威廉 佩恩 60
Lesson 24 What I Live For / 第24课 为何而活 63
Lesson 25 The Righteous Never Forsaken / 第25课 正直的人从未被抛弃 65
Lesson 26 Abou Ben Adhem / 第26课 阿布 本 阿德汉姆 68
Lesson 27 Lucy Forrester / 第27课 露西 弗斯特 70
Lesson 28 The Reaper and the Flowers / 第28课 死神和花朵 75
Lesson 29 The Town Pump / 第29课 小镇水泵 77
Lesson 30 Good Night / 第30课 晚安 82
Lesson 31 An Old-fashioned Girl / 第31课 传统守旧的女孩 84
Lesson 32 My Mother's Hands / 第32课 母亲的手 88
Lesson 33 The Discontented Pendulum / 第33课 不满足的钟摆 90
Lesson 34 The Death of the Flowers / 第34课 花之凋谢 93
Lesson 35 The Thunderstorm / 第35课 暴风雨 96
Lesson 36 April Day / 第36课 四月天 99
Lesson 37 The Tea Rose / 第37课 茶玫 101
Lesson 38 The Cataract of Lodore / 第38课 洛多大瀑布 106
Lesson 39 The Bobolink / 第39课 食米鸟 110
Lesson 40 Robert of Lincoln / 第40课 罗伯特 林肯 114
Lesson 41 Rebellion in Massachusetts State Prison /
第41课 马萨诸塞州监狱叛乱 117
Lesson 42 Faithless Nelly Gray / 第42课 薄情寡义的娜莉 格蕾 123
Lesson 43 The Generous Russian Peasant / 第43课 慷慨的俄罗斯农民 126
Lesson 44 Forty Years Ago / 第44课 四十年前 129
Lesson 45 Mrs. Caudle's Lecture / 第45课 考多夫人枕边训夫 132
Lesson 46 The Village Blacksmith / 第46课 乡村铁匠 136
Lesson 47 The Relief of Lucknow / 第47课 勒克瑙救援 138
Lesson 48 The Snowstorm / 第48课 暴风雪 141
Lesson 49 Behind Time / 第49课 为时晚矣 145
Lesson 50 The Old Sampler / 第50课 老绣花图案 147
Lesson 51 The Goodness of God / 第51课 上帝的仁慈 151
Lesson 52 My Mother / 第52课 母亲 154
Lesson 53 The Hour of Prayer / 第53课 祈祷时刻 155
Lesson 54 The Will / 第54课 遗嘱 157
Lesson 55 The Nose and the Eyes / 第55课 鼻子和眼睛 162
Lesson 56 An Iceberg / 第56课 冰山 165
Lesson 57 About Quail / 第57课 鹌鹑 168
Lesson 58 The Blue and the Gray / 第58课 蓝与灰 172
Lesson 59 The Machinist's Return / 第59课 机械工回家 174
Lesson 60 Make Way for Liberty / 第60课 为自由开路 178
Lesson 61 The English Skylark / 第61课 英国云雀 182
Lesson 62 How Sleep the Brave / 第62课 勇士如何安眠 184
Lesson 63 The Rainbow / 第63课 彩虹 185
Lesson 64 Supposed Speech of John Adams /
第64课 约翰 亚当斯的假想演说 186
Lesson 65 The Rising / 第65课 为自由呐喊 191
Lesson 66 Control Your Temper / 第66课 请君制怒 195
Lesson 67 William Tell / 第67课 威廉 泰尔 198
Lesson 68 William Tell () / 第68课 威廉 泰尔 211
Lesson 69 The Crazy Engineer / 第69课 疯狂的火车司机 218
Lesson 70 The Heritage / 第70课 遗产 226
Lesson 71 No Excellence without Labor / 第71课 优秀源于勤奋 229
Lesson 72 The Old House Clock / 第72课 老钟 232
Lesson 73 The Examination / 第73课 审查考试 234
Lesson 74 The Isle of Long Ago / 第74课 很久以前的小岛 240
Lesson 75 The Boston Massacre / 第75课 波士顿惨案 243
Lesson 76 Death of the Beautiful / 第76课 美之将逝 248
Lesson 77 Snow Falling / 第77课 大雪纷飞 249
Lesson 78 Squeers's Method / 第78课 斯格威尔的教育方法 250
Lesson 79 The Gift of Empty Hands / 第79课 两手空空的礼物 255
Lesson 80 Capturing the Wild Horse / 第80课 捕猎野马 257
Lesson 81 Sowing and Reaping / 第81课 播种和收获 262
Lesson 82 Taking Comfort / 第82课 享受快乐 264
Lesson 83 Calling the Roll / 第83课 点名 267
Lesson 84 Turtle Soup / 第84课 甲鱼汤 270
Lesson 85 The Best Kind of Revenge / 第85课 最好的报复 273
Lesson 86 The Soldier of the Rhine / 第86课 莱茵河的士兵 275
Lesson 87 The Winged Worshipers / 第87课 长翅膀的朝圣者 279
Lesson 88 The Peevish Wife / 第88课 脾气暴躁的妻子 281
Lesson 89 The Rainy Day / 第89课 雨天 285
Lesson 90 Break, Break, Break / 第90课 撞击,撞击,撞击 286
Lesson 91 Transportation and Planting of Seeds /
第91课 种子的传播和种植 287
Lesson 92 Spring Again / 第92课 又是一年春来到 292
Lesson 93 Religion the only Basis of Society /
第93课 宗教——唯一的社会基石 295
Lesson 94 Rock Me to Sleep / 第94课 请摇我入眠 297
Lesson 95 Man and the Inferior Animals / 第95课 人和低等动物 301
Lesson 96 The Blind Men and the Elephant / 第96课 盲人摸象 304
Lesson 97 A Home Scene / 第97课 家庭一幕 306
Lesson 98 The Light of Other Days / 第98课 昔日的光辉 310
Lesson 99 A Chase in the English Channel / 第99课 英吉利海峡追逐战 312
Lesson 100 Burial of Sir John Moore / 第100课 约翰 摩尔爵士的葬礼 317
Lesson 101 Little Victories / 第101课 微小的胜利 319
Lesson 102 The Character of a Happy Life / 第102课 幸福的生活 325
Lesson 103 The Art of Discouragement / 第103课 挫折的艺术 327
Lesson 104 The Mariner's Dream / 第104课 水手的梦 331
Lesson 105 The Passenger Pigeon / 第105课 旅行鸽 335
Lesson 106 The Country Life / 第106课 乡村生活 340
Lesson 107 The Virginians / 第107课 弗吉尼亚人 342
Lesson 108 Minot's Ledge / 第108课 迈诺特的礁石 348
Lesson 109 Hamlet / 第109课 哈姆雷特 351
Lesson 110 Dissertation on Roast Pig / 第110课 烤猪的故事 358
Lesson 111 A Pen Picture / 第111课 北极素描 364
Lesson 112 The Great Voices / 第112课 伟大的声音 368
Lesson 113 A Picture of Human Life / 第113课 人生风景画 370
Lesson 114 A Summer Longing / 第114课 夏日的渴望 375
Lesson 115 Fate / 第115课 命运 377
Lesson 116 The Bible the Best of Classics /
第116课 《圣经》——最好的经典 378
Lesson 117 My Mother's Bible / 第117课 母亲的《圣经》 380
精彩书摘
It is told of Frederick the Great, King of Prussia, that, as he was seated one day in his private room, a written petition was brought to him with the request that it should be immediately read. The King had just returned from hunting, and the glare of the sun, or some other cause, had so dazzled his eyes that he found it difficult to make out a single word of the writing.
His private secretary happened to be absent; and the soldier who brought the petition could not read. There was a page, or favorite boy servant, waiting in the hall, and upon him the King called. The page was a son of one of the noblemen of the court, but proved to be a very poor reader.
In the first place, he did not articulate distinctly. He huddled his words together in the utterance, as if they were syllables of one long word, which he must get through with as speedily as possible. His pronunciation was bad, and he did not modulate his voice so as to bring out the meaning of what he read. Every sentence was uttered with a dismal monotony of voice, as if it did not differ in any respect from that which preceded it.
"Stop!" said the King, impatiently. "Is it an auctioneer's list of goods to be sold that you are hurrying over? Send your companion to me." Another page who stood at the door now entered, and to him the King gave the petition. The second page began by hemming and clearing his throat in such an affected manner that the King jokingly asked him whether he had not slept in the public garden, with the gate open, the night before.
The second page had a good share of self-conceit, however, and so was not greatly confused by the King's jest. He determined that he would avoid the mistake which his comrade had made. So he commenced reading the petition slowly and with great formality, emphasizing every word, and prolonging the articulation of every syllable. But his manner was so tedious that the King cried out, "Stop! are you reciting a Lesson in the elementary sounds? Out of the room! But no: stay! Send me that little girl who is sitting there by the fountain."
The girl thus pointed out by the King was a daughter of one of the laborers employed by the royal gardener; and she had come to help her father weed the flower beds. It chanced that, like many of the poor people in Prussia, she had received a good education. She was somewhat alarmed when she found herself in the King's presence, but took courage when the King told her that he only wanted her to read for him, as his eyes were weak.
Now, Ernestine (for this was the name of the little girl) was fond of reading aloud, and often many of the neighbors would assemble at her father's house to hear her; those who could not read themselves would come to her, also, with their letters from distant friends or children, and she thus formed the habit of reading various sorts of handwriting promptly and well.
The King gave her the petition, and she rapidly glanced through the opening lines to get some idea of what it was about. As she read, her eyes began to glisten, and her breast to heave. "What is the matter?" asked the King; "don't you know how to read?" "Oh, yes! sire," she replied, addressing him with the title usually applied to him: "I will now read it, if you please."
The two pages were about to leave the room. "Remain," said the King. The little girl began to read the petition. It was from a poor widow, whose only son had been drafted to serve in the army, although his health was delicate and his pursuits had been such as to unfit him for military life. His father had been killed in battle, and the son had a strong desire to become a portrait painter.
The writer told her story in a simple, concise manner, that carried to the heart a belief of its truth; and Ernestine read it with so much feeling, and with an articulation so just, in tones so pure and distinct, that when she had finished, the King, into whose eyes the tears had started, exclaimed, "Oh! now I understand what it is all about; but I might never have known, certainly I never should have felt, its meaning had I trusted to these young gentlemen, whom I now dismiss from my service for one year, advising them to occupy their time in learning to read."
"As for you, my young lady," continued the King, "I know you will ask no better reward for your trouble than the pleasure of carrying to this poor widow my order for her son's immediate discharge. Let me see whether you can write as well as you can read. Take this pen, and write as I dictate." He then dictated an order, which Ernestine wrote, and he signed. Calling one of his guards, he bade him go with the girl and see that the order was obeyed.
How much happiness was Ernestine the means of bestowing through her good elocution, united to the happy circumstance that brought it to the knowledge of the King! First, there were her poor neighbors, to whom she could give instruction and entertainment. Then, there was the poor widow who sent the petition, and who not only regained her son, but received through Ernestine an order for him to paint the King's likeness; so that the poor boy soon rose to great distinction, and had more orders than he could attend to. Words could not express his gratitude, and that of his mother, to the little girl.
……
前言/序言
在美国,凡是受过教育的人几乎都读过《麦加菲读本》,美国媒体更称其为“影响美国五代人的心灵读本”。其主编者威廉?麦加菲,是美国著名的教育家。他先后担任过弗吉尼亚大学道德哲学教授、迈阿密大学语言学教授以及俄亥俄大学校长。他用了20多年时间,从浩瀚的西方经典文学中选编了一套读本,希望通过这些散文、诗歌、戏剧、哲理故事中浅显而美妙的文字,让美国的小朋友们在提高文学修养的同时,也可以感受道德教育的力量。该读本一经面世,就有近万所美国学校将它选为教材。著名的“汽车大王”亨利?福特称赞这套书是他儿童时代最感兴趣的读物,后来他大量自费印刷这套书,送给许多学校。据估计,在不到一个世纪的时间里,这套书的销量超过了1.2亿册。1961年以后,在西方每年销量仍达到3万册。可以说,没有哪一套个人主编的教材能超过这套书的发行量!
麦加菲编写的这套教材,包括从学龄前启蒙读本到小学六年级课本。这套书的内容由浅入深,从基本单词、常用句型开始,延展到简单的诗歌,再进阶到中长篇的经典著作。从难易程度来看,前三部分内容单纯美好,文字朴素简洁,比较适合国内中低年级小学生阅读;后三部分的内容相对繁复深奥,开始有侧重性,比较适合高年级小学生和中学生阅读。
这套书的最大特色在于它所包含的内容贴近生活。它没有童话的唯美和寓言的神奇,其中的文章会让小朋友们觉得事情就发生在身边。而且,除了对真、善、美的颂扬,麦加菲也没有回避生活中的艰难与困苦,但其宗旨绝非消极愤世,而是突出困境之下个人的坚守与成长。这样的文章往往更容易引起人们心灵的共鸣,滋养心灵的成长,也将对小朋友的人生观起到积极正面的引导作用,堪称真正的“德育”教材。
我们衷心希望这套书能够让中国的读者朋友学习标准的英语,开阔自己的视野,打开通往世界的心灵之窗;同时又能获得文学知识、个人修养、伦理道德等多方面的提升。
我们更期待这套书成为大家学习道路上不可或缺的好伙伴!如果您在阅读中发现有疑问或错误之处,请不吝指正,以便我们更加完善这套书。