Tom Jones is widely regarded as one of the first and most influential English novels.It is certainly the funniest.
Tom Jones,the hero of the book,is introduced to the reader as the ward of a liberal Somerset squire.Tom is a generous but slightly wild and feckless country boy with a weakness for young women.Misfortune,followed by many spirited adventures as he travels to London to seek his fortune,teach him a sort of wisdom to go with his essential good-hearted-ness.
This‘comic,epic poem in prose’will make the modern reader laugh as much as it did his forbears.Its biting satire finds an echo in today's society,for as Doris Lessing recently remarked 'This country becomes every day more like the eighteenth century,full of thieves and adventurers,rogues and a robust,unhypocritical savagery side-by-side with people lecturing others on morality.'
【目录】
BOOK Ⅰ
Containing as much of the birth of the foundling as is necessary or proper to acquaint the reader with in the beginning of this history
Ⅰ.The introduction to the work,or bill of fare to the feast
Ⅱ.A short description of squire Allwortby,and a fuller account of Miss Bridget Allwortby,his sister
Ⅲ.An odd accident wbicb befel Mr Allworthy at his return home.Tbe decent behaviour of Mrs Deborab Wilkins,with some proper animadversions on bastards
Ⅳ.The reader's neck brought into danger by a description;his escape;and the great condescension of Miss Bridget Allwortby
Ⅴ.Containing a few common matters,with a very uncommon observation upon them
Ⅵ.Mrs Deborab isintroduced into the parish with a simile.A short account of Fenny fones,with the difficulties and discouragements whicb may attend young women in the pursuit of learning
Ⅶ.Containing such grave matter,that the reader cannot laugh once through the whole chapter,unless peradventure he should laugh at the author
Ⅷ.A dialogue between Mesdames Bridget and Deborab;containing more amusement,but less instruction,than the former
Ⅸ.Containing matters which will surprise the reader
Ⅹ.The hospitality of Allwortby;with a short sketch of tbe characters of two brothers,a doctor and a captain,who were enterained by that gentleman
Ⅺ.Containing many rules,and some examples,concerning falling in love:descriptions of beauty,and other more prudential inducements to matrimony
Ⅻ.Containing what the first book;with an instance of ingratitude,whicb,we hope,will appear unnatural
BOOK Ⅱ Containing scenes of matrimonial felicity in different degrees of life;and various other transactions during the first two years after the marriage between Captain Blifil and Miss Bridget Allworthy
Ⅰ.Showing what kind of a history this is ;what it is like,and what it is not like
Ⅱ.Religious cautions against showing too much favour to bastards;and a great discovery made by Mrs Deborab Wilkins
Ⅲ.The desciption of a domestic government founded upon rules directly contrary to those of Aristotle
Ⅳ.Containing one of the most bloody battles,or rather duels,that were ever recorded in domestic history
Ⅴ.Containing much matter to exercise the judgement and reflection of the reader
Ⅵ.The trial of Partridge,the schoolmaster,for incontinency;the evidence of his wife;a short reflection on the wisdom of our law ;with other grave matters,which those will like best who understand them most
Ⅶ.A short sketch of that felicity which prudent couples may extract from hatred:with a short apology for those people who overlook imperfections in their friends
Ⅷ.A receipt to regain the lost affections of a wife,whicb bath never been known to fail in the most desperate cases
Ⅸ.A proof of the infallibility of the foregoing receipt,in the lamentations of the widow;with other suitable decorations of death,such as physicians,etc,and an epitaph in the true stile
BOOK Ⅲ
Containing the most memorable transactions which passed in the family of Mr Allworthy,from the time when Tommy Jones arrived at the age of fourteen,till he attained the age of concerning the education of children
Ⅰ.Containing little or nothing
Ⅱ.The heroe of this great history appears with very bad omens. A litte tale of so low a kind that some may think it not worth their notice.A word or two concerning a squire,and more relating to a gamekeeper and a shoolmaster
Ⅲ.The character of Mr Square the philosopher,and of Mr Thwackum the divine;with a dispute concerning-
Ⅳ.Containing a necessary apology for the author;and a cbildish incident,which perhaps an apology likewise
……
BOOK Ⅳ Containing the time of year
BOOK Ⅴ Containing a portion of time somewhat longer than half a year
BOOK Ⅵ Containing about three weeks
BOOK Ⅶ Containing about three days
BOOK Ⅷ Containing about two days
BOOK Ⅸ Containing twlve hours
BOOK Ⅹ In which the history goes forward about twelve hours
BOOK Ⅺ Containing about three days
BOOK Ⅻ Containing the same individual time with former
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