5 Incredible Novels You Must Read At Least Once In Your Life

一生必讀的5本書

1.The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

卡勒德·胡賽尼 《追風(fēng)箏的人》

Told against the backdrop of the changing political landscape of Afghanistan from the 1970s to the period following 9/11, The Kite Runner is the story of the unlikely and complicated friendship between Amir, the son of a wealthy merchant, and Hassan, the son of his father’s servant until cultural and class differences and the turmoil of war tear them asunder. Hosseini brings his homeland to life for us in a way that post 9/11 media coverage never could, showing us a world of ordinary people who live, die, eat, pray, dream, and love. It’s a story about the long shadows that family secrets cast across decades, the enduring love of friendship, and the transformative power of forgiveness.

故事發(fā)生在阿富汗的政治格局變化多端的背景下，從20世紀(jì)70年代到21世紀(jì)9.11事件后期?！蹲凤L(fēng)箏的人》給我們講述了一段關(guān)于兩個(gè)人的不可思議的復(fù)雜友誼。阿米爾，一個(gè)富商的兒子；哈桑,他父親的仆人的兒子。文化和階級(jí)差別以及戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)的動(dòng)蕩迫使他們分開。哈?；氐搅俗约旱募亦l(xiāng)生活，那段時(shí)間正是9.11事件后期，一段媒體從未涉及報(bào)道的時(shí)期。作品給我們展示了一個(gè)普通人的世界，他們是如何生存、死亡、吃飯、祈禱、夢(mèng)想和愛的。這是一個(gè)關(guān)于跨越幾十年的家族秘密的長(zhǎng)長(zhǎng)的投影,是關(guān)于持久的友誼之愛以及變革性力量的故事。

2.Number the Stars by Lois Lowry

露易絲·洛瑞 《數(shù)星星》

This Newbery award-winning novel tells the story of Annemarie Yohansen, a Danish girl growing up in World War II Copenhagen with her best friend, Ellen, who happens to be Jewish. When Annemarie learns about the horrors that the Nazis are inflicting on the Jewish people, she and her family stop at nothing to protect Ellen and her parents, as well as countless other Jews. Lowry’s novel is a powerful reminder that cultural and religious differences are no divide between true friends and that love shines all the brighter against the darkness of hatred.

這部小說榮獲紐伯瑞文學(xué)獎(jiǎng)。小說講述的是第二次世界大戰(zhàn)在哥本哈根長(zhǎng)大的丹麥女孩安妮.約翰遜和她最好的朋友—— 一個(gè)猶太人艾倫的故事。當(dāng)安瑪麗得知納粹對(duì)猶太人帶來的驚駭慘劇時(shí)，她和她的家人不惜一切代價(jià)保護(hù)艾倫和她的父母，以及無數(shù)其他猶太人。勞里的小說強(qiáng)有力的提醒著我們，文化和宗教的差異并不是分裂真正朋友間的隔閡，并且愛可以把所有的光明帶到黑暗的仇恨中，照亮他們。

3.Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

簡(jiǎn)·奧斯丁《傲慢與偏見》

The opening line of this classic novel, “It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife” is one of the most recognizable first lines of fiction. Yet Jane Austen’s most famous work is more than a comedy of manners about the marriage market and the maneuvers of navigating polite society in 19th-century England. Pride and Prejudice remains one of the most enduring works of English Literature not because we find such rewarding pleasure in watching sparks fly between Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy (though that’s certainly reason enough). Readers embrace the novel because Austen candidly captures the human character with all of its beauties and its imperfections. Pride and Prejudice is a novel about overcoming differences of cast and class, about learning to laugh at life even when it’s grossly unfair, and about recognizing that loving someone often means accepting them in spite of rather than because of who they are.

這部經(jīng)典小說的開場(chǎng)白，“英美凡是有錢的單身漢，總想娶位太太，這已經(jīng)成了一條舉世公認(rèn)的真理”這已經(jīng)成為辨識(shí)度最高的小說的開場(chǎng)白之一。然而，簡(jiǎn)·奧斯丁最著名的作品是一部反19世紀(jì)英格蘭婚姻市場(chǎng)的繁雜習(xí)俗和躋身上流社會(huì)的眾多手段的喜劇?！栋谅c偏見》仍是流傳最久的英語文學(xué)作品之一，并不是因?yàn)槲覀兛吹揭聋惿缀瓦_(dá)西先生之間擦出的愛情火花感到高興（盡管這是一個(gè)充分的理由）。讀者能夠接受這部小說，是因?yàn)閵W斯丁坦率地捕捉了人類性格的美與缺陷?！栋谅c偏見》是一部關(guān)于克服社會(huì)角色和階級(jí)差異，關(guān)于笑著面對(duì)即便是非常不公平的生活，關(guān)于意識(shí)到愛一個(gè)人常常意味著接受他們，而不是因?yàn)樗麄兊纳矸荨?/p>

4.The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton

S.E.辛頓 《局外人》

Hinton penned this novel when she was only 16 because she was tired of reading fluffy romances. She wanted a story about the harsh realities of being a teenager in mid-20th century America, and since none existed, she wrote one herself. Told from the perspective of orphan Ponyboy Kurtis, this multiple award-winning young adult novel tells the story of a group of rough, teenage boys on the streets of an Oklahoma town, struggling to survive and stick together amidst violence, peer pressure, and broken homes. The novel reminds us that growing up is never easy and that pain, loss, friendship, and love are universal experiences that both create and dissolve socio-economic boundaries.

辛頓寫這部小說時(shí)只有16歲。因?yàn)樗齾捑肓俗x那些空洞的戀情。她想要一篇關(guān)于一名20世紀(jì)中期的美國(guó)青少年的殘酷故事。而由于并沒有這樣的一個(gè)小說存在，所以她自己寫了一篇。這部榮獲多項(xiàng)大獎(jiǎng)的青年小說，從孤兒波里博伊.柯蒂斯的角度講述了一群在俄克拉荷馬城大街上艱難生活的年輕人。他們掙扎著為生存而斗爭(zhēng)，在暴力、來自同伴的壓力和破碎的家庭中不斷堅(jiān)持的故事。這部小說提醒我們,成長(zhǎng)絕非易事,而痛苦、損失、友誼和愛都是必經(jīng)的也正是創(chuàng)建和消融社會(huì)經(jīng)濟(jì)界限的經(jīng)歷。

5.Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

路易莎·梅·阿爾科特 《小婦人》

A richly written novel with a cast of memorable characters, Little Women invites us into the warm, comfortable home of a 19th-century American family. Everyone can find a character trait that resonates with them, whether Jo’s temper, Meg’s vanity, Amy’s mischievousness, or Beth’s shyness. The novel is a coming-of-age story that follows four sisters (the March girls) from girlhood to womanhood in Civil War America. Together they learn about the harsh realities of poverty, illness, and death, and how to dream, love, and laugh through it all. This is a heartwarming, timeless classic about the importance of family and the simple, home-spun comfort of never being alone.

一部濃墨重彩的小說，《小婦人》帶我們來到溫暖、舒適的19世紀(jì)的美國(guó)家庭的一間小屋。每個(gè)人都可以找到一個(gè)與他們產(chǎn)生共鳴的性格特征。無論是喬的暴躁脾氣，梅格的貪慕虛榮，艾米的嬌氣俏皮還是貝斯的嬌羞溫順。小說隨著四姐妹在南北戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)中從少女蛻變成成熟女性而發(fā)展。他們一起學(xué)會(huì)了接收貧窮，疾病、死亡。學(xué)會(huì)了如何充滿夢(mèng)想，如何愛，如何笑著看這一切。這是一個(gè)感人至深的,永恒的經(jīng)典。道出了家庭的重要性，以及家里那簡(jiǎn)單淳樸從不會(huì)令人感到孤獨(dú)的舒適。