自私和贪婪的他为了一份许诺的财富,成为了魔鬼的走狗,从此踏上万劫不复之路。
《魔鬼和汤姆.沃克》是美国文学家华盛顿•欧文在19世纪初,旅欧期间根据资本主义时期的欧洲现实而写的一本书,是浮士德传说的一个变体,讲述的都是一个人为了俗世的利益而对魔鬼出卖自己灵魂的故事。“魔鬼”拥有经验、知识、财富、权利,而喜欢、收买、操纵人的灵魂。为了一份许诺的财富,汤姆与魔鬼进行了罪恶的交易,出卖了自己圣洁的灵魂,充当“魔鬼”的忠实走狗,从此“魔鬼和汤姆•沃克”成为新英格兰广为流传的俗语。这个小故事的主人公汤姆胆大却吝啬,本来穷困潦倒的汤姆变成了无情冷血的高利贷商,一生无法得到救赎,最后被魔鬼索命。
欧文为读者营造了一种田园生活般的意境,他擅长描写精灵鬼怪的悬念与恐怖,使故事跌宕起伏。同时他又是一个喜欢怀旧的人。他的作品更像是午后一缕慵懒的和风,在你耳边低吟一曲,使你充满倦意。
“没有欧文就没有美国文学的最早声誉,也就没有以后小说创作伟大局面的产生和出现。”
华盛顿·欧文是21世纪美国最著名的作家,号称美国文学之父。
America's first genuine internationally best-selling author
Irving is largely credited as the first American Man of Letters.
His friend, the poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, acknowledged Irving's role in promoting American literature: "We feel a just pride in his renown as an author, not forgetting that, to his other claims upon our gratitude, he adds also that of having been the first to win for our country an honorable name and position in the History of Letters".
As George William Curtis noted, there "is not a young literary aspirant in the country, who, if he ever personally met Irving, did not hear from him the kindest words of sympathy, regard, and encouragement."
- 魔鬼和汤姆·沃克
- The Devil and Tom Walker
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