导语

  

    本书是英文版世界文学名著“名著典藏”丛书之《艰难时世》。是十九世纪英国著名批判现实主义作家狄更斯的又一巨著。小说描绘了资产阶级的唯利是图、工人群众的贫困和苦难，以及劳资的矛盾和斗争。作者以一种近乎漫画式的笔调出神入化地展示了一系列典型的人物性格。

内容提要

  

    在工业小城焦煤镇，人们被禁锢和奴役着，没有个人自由。所谓的“教育家”格拉德格林倡导一套窒息人性的教育方式，结果反而扼杀了自家儿女的天性。而焦煤镇的巨富庞得贝为维护“自我奋斗成功”的虚假形象，不惜抛弃生母，最终落得一个众叛亲离的下场。

BOOK THE FIRST. SOWING
CHAPTER 1  The One Thing Needful
CHAPTER 2  Mudering the Innocents
CHAPTER 3  A Loophole
CHAPTER 4  Mr. Bounderby
CHAPTER 5  The Keynote
CHAPTER 6  Sleary's Horsemanship
CHAPTER 7  Mrs. Sparsit
CHAPTER 8  Never Wonder
CHAPTER 9  Sissy's Progress
CHAPTER 10  Stephen Blackpool
CHAPTER 11  No Way Out
CHAPTER 12  The Old Woman
CHAPTER 13  Rachael
CHAPTER 14  The Great Manufacturer
CHAPTER 15  Father and Daughter
CHAPTER 16  Husband and Wife
BOOK THE SECOND. REAPING
CHAPTER 1  Effects in the Bank
CHAPTER 2  Mr. James Harthouse
CHAPTER 3  The Whelp
CHAPTER 4  Men and Brothers
CHAPTER 5  Men and Masters
CHAPTER 6  Fading Away
CHAPTER 7  Gunpowder
CHAPTER 8  Explosion
CHAPTER 9  Hearing the Last of It
CHAPTER 10  Mrs. Sparsit's Staircase
CHAPTER 11  Lower and Lower
CHAPTER 12  Down
BOOK THE THIRD. GARNERING
CHAPTER 1  Another Thing Needful
CHAPTER 2  Very Ridiculous
CHAPTER 3  Very Decided
CHAPTER 4  Lost
CHAPTER 5  Found
CHAPTER 6  The Starlight
CHAPTER 7  Whelp-hunting
CHAPTER 8  Philosophical
CHAPTER 9  Final