Mark Twain马克吐温简介和作品赏析

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Because of financial problems, Clemens lived in Europe from 1891-1901, but this was neither his first nor last trip abroad. In fact, he was an inveterate（成僻的） traveler. From the age of 17 to the last few weeks of his life he was always discovering new places and revisiting old. He crisscrossed the Atlantic more than a dozen times and also saw Turkey, Palestine, Hawaii, Australia, India, and South Africa.
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By 1900 Twain had become America‘s foremost celebrity. He was invited to attend ship launchings, anniversary gatherings, political conventions, and countless dinners. Reporters met him at every port of call, anxious to print a new quip （妙语）from the famous humorist. To enhance his image, he took to wearing white suits and loved to stroll down the street and see people staring at him.
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In time, the Clemens home became a revolving door for the leading names of the day: Howells, Sherman, Cable, Harte, and others. But it also saw Clemens involve himself in fanciful investment schemes that led to his bankruptcy— and eventual departure.
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In 1861, Samuel Clemens avoided the brewing Civil War by going west. He took his first writing job as reporter at the Virginia City Territorial Enterprise. Serious news was often mixed with ―reports‖ that had to be taken with a grain of salt（有保留的）. Soon, he began using the name Mark Twain and affixing it to sketches, reportage, and an occasional hoax. It was a time when he first discovered his talent, his calling（职业）, and his voice.
Inspired by his invention of the scrapbook, this electronic scrapbook records information about probably the most famous and beloved humorist, satirist, and entertainer in American history and illustrates some of Mark Twain‘s quotations about every aspect of our lives.
“Mark
Twain was a lifelong creator and keeper of scrapbooks（剪贴 本）. He took them with him everywhere and filled them with souvenirs, pictures, and articles about his books and performances.
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―I have no color prejudices nor caste （社会等级）prejudices nor creed prejudices. All I care to know is that a man is a human being, and that is enough for me; he can't be any worse."
As a young man Twain worked as a riverboat pilot on the Mississippi River. When he started his writing career, Samuel Clemens adopted the name ―Mark Twain,‖ which meant two fathoms, a safe depth for a riverboat.
―I vividly remember seeing a dozen black men and women chained to one another, once, and lying in a group on the pavement, awaiting shipment to the Southern slave market. Those were the saddest faces I have ever seen.‖– Mark Twain
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Though his most famous novel is criticized for being racist, Mark Twain never expected nor intended the controversy that arose with the publication of Huckleberry Finn. Mark Twain was not racist, but depicted life in his times.
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At 34 years of age he married Olivia Langdon Clemens. She was the daughter of a New York coal magnate, a member of the country‘s wealthy elite. She would be partner, editor, and fellow traveler in success and failure for the next thirty-five years. She would also furnish him her family‘s home in Elmira, New York, a place where he visited often and wrote many of his best-loved books.
Mark Twain, (马克•吐温) Samuel Langhorne Clemens （塞缪尔•朗赫恩•克莱门斯） (1835-1910)
Markቤተ መጻሕፍቲ ባይዱTwain
an American Icon
Mark Twain (1835 -1910)
• Mark Twain was a great American writer, and he was also a famous speaker. • Samuel Langhorne Clemens (Mark Twain) was born in Florida and he was not a healthy baby. In fact, he was not expected to live through the first winter. But with his mother's tender care, he managed to survive. As a boy, he caused much trouble for his parents. He used to play jokes on all of his friends and neighbors. He didn't like to go to school, and he constantly ran away from home.
Mark Twain (1835 -1910)
• He always went in the direction of the nearby Mississippi as he loved the great river so much. His father died when he was 12. Mark Twain left school and began to work for a printer, who only provided him with food and clothing. Then, he worked as a printer, a riverboat pilot and later joined the army. But shortly after that he became a miner. During this period, he started to write short stories. Afterwards he became a full-time writer.