跳蛙

TheCelebratedJumpingFrogofCalaverasCounty卡拉维拉县驰名的跳蛙——马克·吐温TheCelebratedJumpingFrogofCalaverasCounty《卡拉维拉斯县臭名昭著的跳蛙》Briefintroduction“TheCelebratedJumpingFrogofCalaverasCounty"isan1865shortstorybyMarkTwain,hisfirstgreatsuccessasawriter,bringinghimnationalattention.Thestoryhasalsobeenpublishedas"JimSmileyandHisJumpingFrog"(itsoriginaltitle)and"TheCelebratedJumpingFrogofCalaverasCounty".“TheCelebratedJumpingFrogofCalaverasCounty"isalsothetitlestoryofan1867collectionofshortstoriesbyMarkTwainCelebratedJumpingFrogofCalaverasCountyTheshort-storycollectionTheCelebratedJumpingFrogofCalaverasCounty,andOtherSketches,Twain'sfirstbook,containstwenty-sevenshortstoriesandsketches."TheCelebratedJumpingFrogofCalaverasCounty“"Aurelia'sUnfortunateYoungMan“"AComplaintaboutCorrespondents,DatedinSanFrancisco“"AnswerstoCorrespondents“"AmongtheFenians""TheStoryoftheBadLittleBoyWhoDidn'tCometoGrief“"CuringaCold“"AnInquiryaboutInsurances“"LiteratureintheDryDiggings“"'After'Jenkins“"LucretiaSmith'sSoldier"12."TheKillingofJuliusCaesar'Localized'“13."AnItemwhichtheEditorHimselfcouldnotUnderstand“14."AmongtheSpirits“15."BriefBiographicalSketchofGeorgeWashington“16."ATouchingStoryofGeorgeWashington'sBoyhood“17."APagefromaCalifornianAlmanac“18."InformationfortheMillion“19."TheLaunchoftheSteamerCapital“20."OriginofIllustriousMen“21."AdviceforGoodLittleGirls“22."ConcerningChambermaids“23."RemarkableInstancesofPresenceofMind“24."HonoredasaCuriosityinHonolulu“25."TheSteed'Oahu'“26."AStrangeDream“27."ShortandSingularRations”SettingCharacterPlotThemeBackground:GoldRushThisstoryissetinthegoldrushatAngel'sMiningCampinMissouri.In1848,inCaliferniagoldwasdiscovered,arapidmovementofpeopletothenewlydiscoveredgoldfield.Californiawasaworldofmen,isolated,homesick,andeagerforentertainment.Gambingwasoneoftheeasiestandmostpopularwaystoamusethemselves.Characters人物介绍I叙述者anupperclassgentleman知识阶层的绅士Simonwheeler西蒙·维勒Arough,rude,uneducatedminer粗鲁无知的采矿工人Jimsmiley吉姆·斯迈里Apitiableguylivingonbetting嗜赌为命的可怜虫PlotStructure:Ithasan"as-told-to"frameworkaframestory,thatis,astorywithinastory.ThestoriestoldbySimonWheelerareframedbythenarrator'sreportoflookingforLeonidasW.Smiley.Thestoryteller“I”isalistener,whilethecharacterSimonWheelerisastoryteller.Thenarratorfleshedoutthenovelwithsubplots.(ParsonWalker’swife,mare,bull-pup)Particularplots"I"amtrappedby"my"friendtolookforapersoncalledLeonidasW.Smileywhoismadeup.ThegamblersfallintothetrapofSmiley.Thelittleanimalsaretrappedbyperson.ThegamblerJimSmileyfallsintoaframe-upofthestranger.Theuseofparticularplotsheightenstheappealofartinhumor.TheplotsofthenovelOnce,JimcaughtafrogandnameditDan'lWebster.Forthreemonths,hetrainedthefrogtojumphigh.Attheendofthosethreemonths,thefroghadinfactjumpedhigherthananyother.Jimcarriedthefrogaroundinabox.Oneday,astrangertothetownasksJimwhatisintheboxofhis.JimtellsthatintheboxisafrogthatcanjumphigherthananyotherfroginCalaverascounty.Thestrangerrespondsthatthefrogdoesn'tlookanydifferentthantheotherfrogsofCalaverascounty,sohemustn'tbethebest.HetellsJimifhehadafrog,he'dbethim$40thatthefroghehadcouldbeatJim's.Jimagreestobet,andhegivestheboxtothestrangertoholdwhileJimwastocatchanotherfrogforthestranger.WhileJimiscatchingthestranger'sfrog,thestrangerpoursleadshotintothefrog'smouth.WhenJimcomesback,theysetthefrogsupreadytobegin.Theyalignedthefrogsupevenly,andonthecountofthreeletthemloose.Thefreshlycaughtfrog(thestranger's)jumpedoff,whileDan'lWebsterdidn'tbudgeabit.Jimwassurprisedanddisgusted.Hegavethemoneytothestrangerandthestrangergiddilyleft.JimwonderswhyDan'llooksallofthesuddensoplumpy.Hetakesthefrogandtipshimupsidedown.Thefrogcoughedouthandfulsofshot.Jimsetthefrogdown,andchasedafterthestranger.Butthestrangerwaslonggone,andJimnevercaughtuptohim.storymyfriendI(first-personnarrator)SimonwheelerLeonidasW.SmileyJimSmileyThesettingofthestoryisAngelsCamp,aminingtowninthewest,stillexistingtoday.JimSmileySlowMareSmallBull-pup(AndrewJackson)Frog(DanielWebster)(educated)(newuneducated)quailshotTheEnd:Atthispointinthestory,Wheeleriscalledawaybysomeoneonthefrontporch,andtellsthenarratortokeepseated.ThenarratorrealizesthatJimSmileyisn'ttheleastbitrelatedtoLeonidasW.Smiley,andstartswalkingaway.Simoncatchesthenarratoratthedoorjustbeforeheleaves,andstartstellinghimanotherstory,aboutJim'sone-eyedcow.Thenarratorexcuseshimselfandleaves.在卡县有一个人拥有一只可以跳得很高的红腿跳蛙，他经常碰上一个人就和他赌钱，谁的跳蛙跳得更高就算谁赢。如果对方没有跳蛙和他比赛，他还负责帮对手找一只跳蛙来。当然，他的跳蛙每次都可以赢，他也因此赚了不少钱。有一天，他又遇到了路人，便要求和他用跳蛙比赛，但是那个人以没有跳蛙拒绝了他，但他不死心，承诺帮那个人找一只跳蛙来，极力的说服他，那个人最后终于同意了。就在他去帮这个对手找跳蛙来比赛的过程中，这个路人往他的跳蛙的肚子里塞满了打鸟用的铁砂，他带着跳蛙回来的时候并不知道这件事。比赛结果不言而喻，路人赢得了比赛，并从他手里得到了一大笔赌金.Houmorouswriting:Eg:Thisyear,westartedourOrlandotripatSeaWorld,whichisaneducationalthemeparkwhereyoulearnhowseacreaturesnaturallybehavewhentheyliveinconcretepoolsandperformtricksallday.(atongue-in-cheekcomment)—Theme-parkStupid(21Century10Mar.2010)Bizarrecharacter“I”(aneducatedeasterner)Myfriend(Why?)SimonWheelerJimSmiley(agambler)Thefeller(astranger)Themare(fifteen-minutenag)Thebull-pup(AndrewJackson—the7thpresidentoftheUnitedStates)Thefrog(DanielWebster—afamousSenatorandnationalfigureduringTwain'slife)Irony:SimonWheelerappearsoblivioustothefactthatthenarratorwantsnothingtodowithhim.Thenarrator'seasterneducationavailshimnothingashefutilelyattemptstoseverhimselffromWheeler'sendlessramblings.Language“I”Vs.SimonWheelerTheKing’sEnglishVs.PubTalkSetting:ThestorytakesplaceatAngel'sMiningCampinMissouri,astarkcontrastfromthenarrator'snativeeast.Twain'sabilitytocontrasttheuneducatedminer'sdialectofSimonWheelerwiththeeducatedvernacularofthenarratoraddshumorandrealismtotheencounter.Whatisthethemeofthestory?Thethemeof"TheCelebratedJumpingFrogofCalaverasCounty"centersonthecontrastbetweenthenarratorandSimonWheeler.Twainsatirizes,notjustoldminersandwesternhicks,buttheeliteeducatedeasternerswhocomeoutwestandfindtheirtraininguseless.Thecontrastbetweenthestory'smaincharactersshowsthattheeducatednarratorlookslikemoreofafoolthanevenJimSmileyandhisweigheddownfrog.AndfromtheNortheastthatendsuptalkingtoaslackjawed,westerncountryguyandalltheNortheasternguycanthinkaboutishowmuchhewantstogetawayfromhim.It'saclashofAmericanpoliticalfiguresandtheliketohelptieinthethemeofAmerican.《卡拉韦拉斯县驰名的跳蛙》通过描述小说主人公斯迈雷嗜赌成性屡战屡胜运气不减，然而最后却败在了一个以欺骗手段获胜的陌生人手中的故事，以幽默诙谐的口语形象的再现了美国强烈的本土文化特色，讽刺了人们极度空虚接近绝望的精神生活，呈现给我们“我”和叙事者西蒙·维勒之间东西方文化的强烈的对比与激烈的碰撞。另有评论家认为受过教育的跳蛙输给一只无名蛙意在暗指在淘金热的背景下人们取得胜利完全靠运气的一种社会风气。这些都是出自现实，再现现实，然而却超越现实，反映现实，批判现实。同时，讽刺也是小说搞笑的重要手段。如小斗狗名叫安德鲁·杰克逊，跳蛙则叫丹尼尔·韦伯斯特，这俩名字恰好是当时美国共和党与民主党头面人物的名字。小说把政党领袖比作斗狗是一种嘲弄，接着又对斗狗进行看似表扬的讽刺：“那可是只好狗，那个安德鲁·杰克逊要是活着，一准会出名，胚子好，又聪明”。可实际上斗狗的本领很简单，它只会咬其他狗的后腿。这种欲擒故纵的含沙射影，集嬉笑怒骂于一体，体现出作家过人的幽默睿智。还有小说中的跳蛙，实际上不过是只蛤蟆，在英语词汇中这词还有讨人嫌的意思。小说先写跳蛙的自负，然后写它的愚蠢，真是冷嘲热讽浑然成趣。通过斗狗与跳蛙形象，马克·吐温对上层统治者的自负与愚蠢进行戏谑调侃，诙谐生动而又不失深刻。