قراءة كتاب A Christmas Carol
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A CHRISTMAS CAROL
BY
CHARLES DICKENS
ILLUSTRATED BY ARTHUR RACKHAM
J. B. LIPPINCOTT COMPANY PHILADELPHIA AND NEW YORK
FIRST PUBLISHED 1915
ISBN: 0-397-00033-2
PRINTED IN GREAT BRITAIN
PREFACE
I have endeavoured in this Ghostly little book to raise the Ghost of an Idea which shall not put my readers out of humour with themselves, with each other, with the season, or with me. May it haunt their house pleasantly, and no one wish to lay it.
Their faithful Friend and Servant,
December, 1843.
CHARACTERS
Bob Cratchit, clerk to Ebenezer Scrooge.
Peter Cratchit, a son of the preceding.
Tim Cratchit ("Tiny Tim"), a cripple, youngest son of Bob Cratchit.
Mr. Fezziwig, a kind-hearted, jovial old merchant.
Fred, Scrooge's nephew.
Ghost of Christmas Past, a phantom showing things past.
Ghost of Christmas Present, a spirit of a kind, generous, and hearty nature.
Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come, an apparition showing the shadows of things which yet may happen.
Ghost of Jacob Marley, a spectre of Scrooge's former partner in business.
Joe, a marine-store dealer and receiver of stolen goods.
Ebenezer Scrooge, a grasping, covetous old man, the surviving partner of the firm of Scrooge and Marley.
Mr. Topper, a bachelor.
Dick Wilkins, a fellow apprentice of Scrooge's.
Belle, a comely matron, an old sweetheart of Scrooge's.
Caroline, wife of one of Scrooge's debtors.
Mrs. Cratchit, wife of Bob Cratchit.
Belinda and Martha Cratchit, daughters of the preceding.
Mrs. Dilber, a laundress.
Fan, the sister of Scrooge.
Mrs. Fezziwig, the worthy partner of Mr. Fezziwig.
CONTENTS
STAVE ONE—MARLEY'S GHOST | 3 |
STAVE TWO—THE FIRST OF THE THREE SPIRITS | 37 |
STAVE THREE—THE SECOND OF THE THREE SPIRITS | 69 |
STAVE FOUR—THE LAST OF THE SPIRITS | 111 |
STAVE FIVE—THE END OF IT | 137 |
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
IN COLOUR
"How now?" said Scrooge, caustic and cold as ever. "What do you want with me?" |
Frontispiece |
Bob Cratchit went down a slide on Cornhill, at the end of a lane of boys, twenty times, in honour of its being Christmas Eve | 16 |
Nobody under the bed; nobody in the closet; nobody in his dressing-gown, which was hanging up in a suspicious attitude against the wall | 20 |
The air was filled with phantoms, wandering hither and thither in restless haste and moaning as they went | 32 |
Then old Fezziwig stood out to dance with Mrs. Fezziwig | 54 |
A flushed and boisterous group | 62 |
Laden with Christmas toys and presents | 64 |
The way he went after that plump sister in the lace tucker! | 100 |
"How are you?" said one. "How are you?" returned the other. "Well!" said the first. "Old Scratch has got his own at last, hey?" |
114 |
"What do you call this?" said Joe. "Bed-curtains!" "Ah!" returned the woman, laughing.... "Bed-curtains!" "You don't mean to say you took 'em down, rings and all, with him lying there?" said Joe. "Yes, I do," replied the woman. "Why not?" |
120 |
"It's I, your uncle Scrooge. I have come to dinner. Will you let me in, Fred?" |