Thenovelfollowsthejourneyofthetitularcharacter(主人公),OliverTwist.Oliver,anorphansincebirth,spendsmuchofhischildhoodata“childfarm”(orphanage孤兒院)withtoomanychildrenandtoolittlefood.Thefarmislocatedroughly70milesoutsideLondon.Onenight,afterbeingservedhisportionofgruel(稀粥),Oliverasksforasecondhelping.Thisisunacceptable,andOliverissenttoworkasanapprentice(學(xué)徒)toanundertaker.Eventually,aftersufferingrepeatedmistreatment,OliverrunsawayandheadsforLondon.HesoonfindshimselfinthepresenceoftheArtfulDodger,whotellshimtostayatthehouseofan“oldgentleman”(namedFagin)withanumberofotherboys.Oliverlearnsthattheseboysaretrainedpickpockets(扒手).Onanouting,OliverwitnessestheboystakeahandkerchieffromMr.Brownlow,anelderlyman,whichprompts(促使)Olivertorunawayinfearandconfusion.TheelderlymanmistakesOliver’sbehaviourforguiltandhashimarrested.However,afterlearningmoreaboutOliver,Mr.Brownlowrealizeshismistakeandofferstotakecareofhimathishome.
OliverassumesthatheisnowridofFaginandthepickpockets,buthisknowledgeoftheircrimescausesthemtoseekOliverout.Nancy,aprostituteandmistress(情婦)ofoneofFagin’smen,BillSikes,issenttotakeOliverfromMr.BrownlowbacktoFagin.Shedoessosuccessfully,andOliverissentonaburglary(入室盜竊)missionwithanothermemberofthegrouptothecountrysidearoundLondon.Onthiserrand(差事),Oliverisshotinthearmandthenistakeninbythefamily(theMaylies)thatheattemptedtorob.Whileheisthere,FaginandamannamedMonksplot(密謀)togethimback.RoseMaylie,whileonatriptoLondonwithherfamily,meetswithMr.BrownlowtotalkwithNancy,whohasslippedaway(逃走;悄悄溜走)fromSikestoexplaintheplansmadebyMonksandFagintogetOliverback.ShedescribesMonksandtellsthemwhenhemightmosteasilybeapprehended(逮捕).UnfortunatelyforNancy,newsofherbetrayalreachesSikes,andhebeatshertodeath.Sikesaccidentallyhangshimselfsoonafter.TheMayliesreuniteOliverwithMr.Brownlow,whoforcesMonkstoexplainhimself.ThereaderandOliveraretheninformedthatMonksisOliver’shalf-brotherandthatOliverisentitledto(有…資格)alargefortune.Hereceiveshisshareofthemoney,Faginishung,andtheMaylies,Oliver,andMr.Brownlowmovetothecountrysidewheretheyspendtherestoftheirdaystogether.
寫作背景:
CharlesDickenswaswellversedinthepovertyofLondon,ashehimselfwasachildworkerafterhisfatherwassenttodebtors’prison.Hisappreciationofthehardshipsenduredbyimpoverishedcitizensstayedwithhimfortherestofhislifeandwasevidentinhisjournalisticwritingsandnovels.DickensbeganwritingOliverTwistaftertheadoptionofthePoorLawof1834,whichhaltedgovernmentpaymentstotheable-bodiedpoorunlesstheyenteredworkhouses.Thus,OliverTwistbecameavehicleforsocialcriticismaimeddirectlyattheproblemofpovertyin19th-centuryLondon.
查爾斯·狄更斯非常了解倫敦的貧窮,因?yàn)樗母赣H被送進(jìn)債務(wù)人監(jiān)獄后,他自己就是一名童工。他對貧困公民所遭受苦難的欣賞陪伴了他的余生,并在他的新聞作品和小說中表現(xiàn)得很明顯。狄更斯是在1834年《濟(jì)貧法》通過后開始創(chuàng)作《霧都孤兒》的?!稘?jì)貧法》禁止政府向身體健全的窮人提供補(bǔ)助,除非他們進(jìn)入濟(jì)貧院。因此,《霧都孤兒》成為了直指19世紀(jì)倫敦貧困問題的社會批判工具。
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