内容简介

这次应社会科学文献出版社之邀，主编了这套《英语课外自学文库》，旨在为英语学习者创造一个良好的英语阅读环境。
　　长期以来，我深感国内缺乏适当的英语读物，在书店能够看到的英文原版图书不是价格昂贵，就是鸿篇巨制，对在校的学生及英语学习者来讲，这样既会造成畏难情绪又不实用，对培养他们学习英语的兴趣、提高他们的英语水平极为不利。社会科学文献出版社针对这种情形，同时配合他们的“自学英语行动计划”，精心策划出版《英语课外自学文库》，并诚邀我担纲主编，他们用心良苦，我也欣然应允。
　　《英语课外自学文库》批编辑出版的各辑图书都是依据在世界各地流传广泛而深受欢迎的英语文学作品缩写而成（以后还要出版各类英文版知识性读物），是长期在非英语国家从事英语教育的英国专家S.E.Paces特意为中国学生精心打造的。

目录

My Bank Account
The Barber's Uncle
The Income-tax Man
The Open Window
The Upper Berth
Questions and Language Practice

摘要与插图

I undressed and got into my berth， but I could not sleep. I lay awake for some time， looking at the porthole and wondering if it would open. I was half-asleep when I felt a sudden ice-cold draught blowing in and bringing with it drops of sea-water. I jumped up and the rolling of the ship threw me violently to the other side of the cabin. I struggled to my feet. Then I saw that the porthole was wide open -and hooked back!
　　Brisbane saw that we were finding it hard to believe his story，for he said， “This was no nightmare， the result of eating too much at dinner. This is the truth that I‘m telling you. If you had seen the bruises I had from my fall， you would believe me now.”
　　“Go on. Go on.” we begged him. Whether we believed him or not， we were deeply interested in his story.
　　“I shut the porthole，” went on Brisbane， “and turned the screw with all my strength. Look at these，” he said， showing us his powerful hands. “I turned that screw with these although it was very heavy and hard to turn. I screwed the porthole tight and I was certain that it could not be opened by any human being or even by any movement of the ship. Well， I stood there， in the dark.
　　for about a quarter of an hour， my eyes fixed on the orthole，watching and waiting for it to move.
　　……