“經(jīng)典英語文庫”自第一輯2013年8月上市至今，整套圖書已出版六輯共90部作品。圖書選本方面，皆來自世界經(jīng)典名著，涉及政治、藝術(shù)、人文、詩歌、小說等各個領(lǐng)域，原文呈現(xiàn)名著原貌，滿足不同讀者的閱讀需求，《了不起的蓋茨比》《哈姆雷特》等經(jīng)典讀本更是為廣大讀者所追捧。圖書設(shè)計上，完全遵循國外名著圖書的經(jīng)典流行開本規(guī)范，掌中書的大小便攜、易讀；封面設(shè)計、正文版式、印刷材質(zhì)等方面更是精益求精，力求將經(jīng)典、純粹的外國文學(xué)帶給廣大的中國讀者，更新大家的英文圖書閱讀習(xí)慣。
“經(jīng)典英語文庫”系列圖書其規(guī)模之大，品質(zhì)之精在目前國內(nèi)圖書市場上可以稱得上是獨1無2，無愧經(jīng)典的傳承，完美體現(xiàn)“倡導(dǎo)原味閱讀，共享世界經(jīng)典”的出版理念，今后，我們還將陸續(xù)推出更多英文名著經(jīng)典，以饗讀者。
“*經(jīng)典英語文庫”自2013年8月上市至今，整套圖書已出版六輯共90部作品。圖書選本方面，皆來自世界經(jīng)典名著，涉及政治、藝術(shù)、人文、詩歌、小說等各個領(lǐng)域，原文呈現(xiàn)名著原貌，滿足不同讀者的閱讀需求，《了不起的蓋茨比》《哈姆雷特》等經(jīng)典讀本更是為廣大讀者所追捧。圖書設(shè)計上，完全遵循國外名著圖書的經(jīng)典流行開本規(guī)范，掌中書的大小便攜、易讀；封面設(shè)計、正文版式、印刷材質(zhì)等方面更是精益求精，力求將*經(jīng)典、*純粹的外國文學(xué)帶給廣大的中國讀者，更新大家的英文圖書閱讀習(xí)慣。
IsThisBookforYou?
常識與革命
——“最經(jīng)典英語文庫”第六輯之《常識》導(dǎo)讀
田璐柯
托馬斯·潘恩（1737—1809），英國出生，后來擁有美國國籍。他在諸多領(lǐng)域都成為一代翹楚。他是政治活動家、哲學(xué)家，又是一個革命者。尤其作為一個革命者（revolutionary），他被列入美國建國之父行列。之所以被冠以“革命者”頭銜，是因為在美國革命之初，他撰寫了兩本小冊子。這兩本小冊子，都在后來的革命風(fēng)潮中，起到了不可估量的煽動作用。其中一本就是這本《常識》。
此外，他號召當(dāng)時生活在后來成為美國的土地上的民眾挺身起來，勇敢地成為英國政府的反叛者，并激勵民眾從英國統(tǒng)治下獨立，建立自己的自由國度。
1774年，潘恩在本杰明·富蘭克林（其人自傳已經(jīng)收錄在“最經(jīng)典英語文庫”）的幫助下，成功地移民到了當(dāng)時還是英屬殖民地的美國。兩年后，發(fā)生了美國革命。據(jù)有關(guān)資料記載，事實上，幾乎每個參與此“革命”風(fēng)潮中的反叛者，都讀過或聽別人大聲朗讀過這本《常識》。有人如此評價《常識》：“沒有《常識》，作者的筆，就不會有華盛頓舉起的劍�！边@說明了《常識》在美國歷史中的地位所在。
托馬斯·潘恩在接下來幾十年間，居住在法國巴黎。他又對法國大革命產(chǎn)生極大興趣，并深深地卷入其中。1791年，他寫下了另一本名垂史冊的冊子RightsofMan，旨在捍衛(wèi)法國大革命，與批評者展開唇槍舌劍的斗爭。他因之得罪了很多重要人物，并最終遭到巴黎當(dāng)局的逮捕。后來，在美國時任總統(tǒng)的干預(yù)下，他獲得釋放。
他在被捕入獄后，也沒有忘記繼續(xù)撰寫他了不起的著作《理性時代》。在此書中，他強烈呼吁人們理性地、自由地思考，反對宗教意義上刻板的說教性質(zhì)的僵化思維模式。進入19世紀(jì)，他才返回美國，1809年，他離開人世。讓人感到唏噓的是，只有6個人出席了其葬禮，究其原因，就是因為他嚴(yán)厲批評并揶揄了基督教，而美國仍然是一個基督教占據(jù)重要位置的國度。
《常識》開始出版時，發(fā)生了一件有趣的事情。這本小冊子的作者位置上，只印有“某英國人撰寫”的字樣。不過，無論如何，這本小冊子剛剛上市不到三個月，發(fā)行量就超過10萬冊。而當(dāng)時在這塊英屬殖民地上的居住者數(shù)量不過200萬人。整個“美國革命”期間，《常識》的總印數(shù)（包括未經(jīng)授權(quán)而印制的）約為50萬冊。
關(guān)于這本小冊子的名字，還有個小插曲。開始時，它叫《顯而易見的事實》（PlainTruth）。后來，潘恩聽取了友人的建議，改以更為朗朗上口的“常識”為書名。結(jié)果，這一書名大獲成功，它也成為托馬斯·潘恩的代名詞。
這本小冊子所起的最大作用，就是它將“共和”理念傳播開來，燃起人們“獨立”和從軍的熱情，與英國這個強大的統(tǒng)治者一決雌雄的強烈愿望。而且，它不僅僅有啟發(fā)，還有解決方案。它給民眾指出英國專制的危害，其司法制度的腐朽性；它還告訴民眾，應(yīng)該建立一個自由的國度。托馬斯·潘恩知道有很多人從開始時就幻想著與英國統(tǒng)治者妥協(xié)。他在小冊子里告誡民眾，只有“獨立”，才是通往自由之路。
托馬斯·潘恩的寫作風(fēng)格也十分了得，他懂得要使用生動的言辭，激發(fā)民眾的潛在熱情。他在這本小冊子里所使用的語言風(fēng)格，也成為后來很多政客們慣常使用的文風(fēng)。可以如此說，正是因為有了《常識》，讀過它的民眾，才在內(nèi)心里堅定了走獨立道路的決心。也正是因為有了托馬斯·潘恩，才有了美國革命走向成功的理論保證。因此，稱托馬斯·潘恩為“美國之父”之一，不會令人感到驚奇。
“*經(jīng)典英語文庫”第六輯將它收入進來，說明編輯的眼界不僅很寬，而且很準(zhǔn)。它已經(jīng)成為美國之所以成為美國的奠基石之一，也因此成了全人類精神、思想寶庫里的經(jīng)典之作。
托馬斯·潘恩（1737-1809），英國出生，后來擁有美國國籍。他在諸多領(lǐng)域都成為了一代翹楚。他是政治活動家，哲學(xué)家，又是一個革命者。尤其作為一個“革命者”（revolutionary），他被列入到美國建國之父行列。之所以被冠以“革命者”頭銜，是因為在“美國革命”之初，他撰寫了兩個小冊子。這兩個小冊子，都在后來的革命風(fēng)潮中，起到了不可估量的煽動作用。其中一本就是您眼前這本《常識》。
Thomas Paine
Thomas Paine (29 January, 1737 - 8 June, 1809) was an English-American political activist, philosopher, political theorist, and revolutionary. One of the Founding Fathers of the United States, he authored the two most influential pamphlets at the start of the American Revolution, and he inspired the rebels in 1776 to declare independence from Britain. His ideas reflected Enlightenment-era rhetoric of transnational human rights.
Virtually every rebel read (or listened to a reading of) his powerful pamphlet Common Sense (1776), proportionally the all-time best-selling American title which crystallized the rebellious demand for independence from Great Britain. Common Sense was so influential that John Adams said, “Without the pen of the author of Common Sense, the sword of Washington would have been raised in vain.”
CONTENTS
PREFACE-LIFE OF THOMAS PAINE
INTRODUCTION
OF THE ORIGIN AND DESIGN OF OVERNMENT
IN GENERAL， WITH CONCISE REMARKS
ON THE ENGLISH CONSTITUTION
OF MONARCHY AND HEREDITARY
SUCCESSION
THOUGHTS ON THE PRESENT STATE OF
AMERICAN AFFAIRS
OF THE PRESENT ABILITY OF AMERICA，WITH
SOME MISCELLANEOUS REFLEXIONS
APPENDIX
OTHER WRITINGS OF
THOMAS PAINE
EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION
BEING AN ANSWER TO MR． BURKE'S ATTACK
ON THE FRENCH REVOLOUTION
PAINE'S PREFACE TO THE ENGLISH EDITION
PAINE'S PREFACE TO THE FRENCH EDITION
PART ONE OF RIGHTS OF MAN
OBSERVATIONS ON THE DECLARATION OF RIGHTS
PART TWO OF RIGHTS OF MAN
PART THREE OF RIGHTS OF MAN
OF SOCIETY AND CIVILISATION
OF THE ORIGIN OF THE PRESENT OLD GOVERNMENTS
OF THE OLD AND NEW SYSTEMS OF GOVERNMENT
CONTENTS
OF CONSTITUTIONS
WAYS AND MEANS OF IMPROVING
THE CONDITION OF EUROPE
APPENDIX
THE AUTHOR'S NOTES 343
《常識》：
In the year 1777, Mr. Paine was called away from the army by an unexpected appointment to fill the office of Secretary to the Committee for Foreign Affairs. In this office, as all foreign correspondence passed through his hands, he obtained an insight into the mode of transacting business in the different Courts of Europe, and imbibed much important information. He did not continue in it above two years, and the circumstance of his resignation seems to have been much to his honour as an honest man.It was m consequence of some peculation discovered to have been committed by one Silas Deane who had been a commissioner from the United States to some part of Europe. The discovery was made by Mr. Paine,and he immediately published it in the papers, which gave offence to certain members of the Congress,and in consequence of some threat of Silas Deane,the Congress shewed a disposition to censure Mr.Paine without giving him a hearing, who immediately protested against such a proceeding, and resigned his situation. However, he carried no pique with him into his retirement, but was as ardent as ever in the cause of independence and a total separation from Britain. He published several plans for an equal system of taxation to enable the Congress to recruit the finances and to reinforce the army, and in the most clear and pointed manner, held out to the inhabitants of the United States, the important advantages they would gain by a cheerful contribution towards the exigencies of the times, and at once to make themselves sufficiently formidable, not only to cope with, but to defeat the enemy. He reasoned with them on the impossibility of any army that Britain could send against them, being sufficient to conquer the Continent of America. He again and again explained to them that nothing but fortitude and exertion was necessary on their part to annihilate in one campaign the forces of Britain, and put a stop to the war. It is evident, and admitted on all sides, that these writings of Mr. Paine became the main spring of action in procuring independence to the United States.
……
書單推薦
