小说描写的是一位小资产**妇女因为不满足平庸的生活而逐渐堕落的过程。主人公爱玛为了追求浪漫和优雅的生活而自甘堕落与人通奸,*终因为负债累累无力偿还而身败名裂,服毒自杀。这里写的是一个无论在生活里还是在文学作品中都很常见的桃色事件,但是作者的笔触感知到的是旁人尚未涉及的敏感区域。爱玛的死不仅仅是她自身的悲剧,更是那个时代的悲剧。作者用很细腻的笔触描写了主人公情感堕落的过程,作者很努力地找寻着造成这种悲剧的社会根源。

We were in class when the head-master came in, followed by a "newfellow," not wearing the school uniform, and a school servant carryinga large desk. Those who had been asleep woke up, and everyone roseas if just surprised at his work. The head-master made a sign to us to sit down. Then, turning to theclass-master, he said to him in a low voice: "Monsieur Roger, here is apupil whom I recommend to your care; he'll be in the second. If hiswork and conduct are satisfactory, he will go into one of the upperclasses, as becomes his age." The "new fellow," standing in the corner behind the door so that hecould hardly be seen, was a country lad of about fifteen, and taller thanany of us. His hair was cut square on his forehead like a villagechorister's; he looked sensible, but very ill at ease. Although he wasnot broad-shouldered, his short school jacket of green cloth with blackbuttons must have been tight about the arm-holes, and showed at theopening of the cuffs red wrists accustomed to being bare. His legs, inblue stockings, looked out from beneath yellow trousers, drawn tightby braces; He wore stout, ill-cleaned, hob-nailed boots. We began repeating the lesson. He listened with all his ears, asattentive as if at a sermon, not daring even to cross his legs or lean onhis elbow; and when at two o'clock the bell rang, the master wasobliged to tell him to fall into line with the rest of us. When we came back to work, we were in the habit of throwing ourcaps on the ground so as to have our hands more free; we used fromthe door to toss them under the form, so that they hit against the walland made a lot of dust: it was "the thing". But, whether he had not noticed the trick, or did not dare to attempt it, the "new fellow," was still holding his cap on his knees even afterprayers were over. It was one of those head-gears of composite order, in which we can find traces of the bearskin, shako, billycock hat.
世界文学名著表现了作者描述的特定时代的文化。阅读这些名著可以领略著者流畅的文笔、逼真的描述、详细的刻画,让读者如同置身当时的历史文化之中。为此,我们将这套精心编辑的“名著典藏”奉献给广大读者。
我们找来了专门研究西方历史、西方文化的专家学者,精心挑选了这些可以代表西方文学的著作,并听取了一些国外专门研究文学的朋友的建议,请教了专业的翻译人员,精选英文译本,不删节、不做任何人为改动,让读者能享受纯正的英文。
随着阅读的展开,你会发现自己的英语水平无形中有了大幅提高,并且对西方历史文化的了解也日益深入广阔。
送您一套经典,让您受益永远!

Part Ⅰ
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine

Part Ⅱ
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
……