In July 1887, Esperanto made its debut as a 40-page pamphlet from Warsaw, published in Russian, Polish, French and German: all written by a Polish eye-doctor under the pen-name of Dr. Esperanto (“one who hopes”). Ludovic Lazarus Zamenhof (1859-1917) had a gift for languages, and a calling to help foster world amity: by a neutral “Internacia Lingvo” that anyone anywhere could readily use as a second language: neither forsaking a mother tongue, nor imposing it. In 1889 Zamenhof published an English translation by Richard H. Geoghegan, a young Irish linguist. All five are respectively considered the “First Book”. This classic sets forth Esperanto pretty much as we know it today (except th...
The published dictionary was a huge book: with pages nearly 1½ feet tall and 20 inches wide, it contained 42,773 words; it also sold for the huge price of £4/10s. ($400?). It would be years before “Johnson’s Dictionary”, as it came to be known, would ever turn a profit; authors’ royalities being unknown at that time, Johnson, once his contract to deliver the book was fulfilled, received no further monies connected to the book.
Johnson, once again a freelance writer, albeit now a famous one, faced a grim hand-to-mouth existence; however, in July 1762 the twenty-four year old King George III granted Johnson an annual pension of £300. While not making Johnson rich, it allowed him a ...
本書對於晚清的政治與社會民情有相當的描述,且非常寫實。這些都反映在老殘或夢或醒的遊歷過程中,事實上,他也藉由老殘的夢境來映射他對當時官場與社會現實的看法。
此書不僅為政治類或社會批判性小說,亦是相當成功的遊記類小說,因作者的寫景、寫人與寫情的能力極高,讓人不知不覺地跟著老殘一起遊歷黃河賞美景,一起聽黑妞白妞「大珠小珠落玉盤」般神妙的說書絕技,一起在夢境中歷險,並一起來斷時局,甚至在必要時斷案解惑。