20101129 Mark Twain The Father of American Literature (1)

Mark Twain: The Father of American Literature

One hundred years after Twain's death, his memorable characters live on

In 1835, the return of Halley's comet caused great excitement in the world. That same year in another historic event, the baby who would become the "Father of American Literature" was born. Samuel Langhorne Clemens – known later as Mark Twain – began life on November 30, 1835, in Florida, Mo. When Clemens was around 4, his family moved to Hannibal, Mo., a river town situated on the Mississippi River. His new home provided him with lots of excitement and adventure as steamboats from New Orleans and St. Louis stopped there regularly. The new environment also proved to be fertile ground for a boy with an active imagination and a gift for storytelling.

Discovering his talent

When Clemens was only 11, his father died, leaving the family in financial difficulty. At 13, the boy had to quit school and find a job, working first for a printer. Next he worked for his brother, a newspaper publisher, and it was then that Clemens discovered how much he enjoyed writing. In his free time, he began writing and submitting humorous piece to his brother's newspaper.

literature un. 文學

eg: The professor specializes in modern English literature.

=> 這位教授專精於英國現代文學

eg: In this author’s latest work of literature, you can find a shift from pessimism to optimism.

=> 在這位作者最近的文學作品中，你可以發現他從悲觀到樂觀的轉變。

fertile adj. 肥沃的

fertile ground for something 培養某件事的最佳環境

=> 某件事物的沃土即培養某件事的最佳環境

eg: Touring with his mother's band offered fertile ground for the talented little boy.

=> 和母親一起巡迴演出提供這位有天分的小男孩培養天分的最佳環境

submit v. 繳交/提交

submit sumitted sumitted submitting

eg: You need to submit your application form by this Friday.

=> 你需要在本週五以前提交申請表

eg: The proposal will be submitted next week.

=> 這個提案會在下週呈遞上去

//== Chat room ==//

humor n. 幽默/可笑/滑稽。

eg: a sense of humor幽默感

see its humor 看到它其中的幽默。

humorous adj. 很幽默的

eg: humorous pieces 很幽默的文章/作品。

eg: He began writing and submitting humorous pieces to his brother's newspaper.

=> 他開始寫幽默作品，並提交給他的弟弟的報紙。

humor 心情/情緒/興致

=> mood

humor n. 一時的興致/心情/情緒

eg: In a good humor 心情很好

eg: In a bad humor 心情不好

I'm in no humor to do something.

=> 我沒心情去做某事

//== More Information ==//

A Few Mark Twain Facts:

1. Halley’s comet could be seen on the night Mark Twain was born and the night he passed away.

2. In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn the fictional town of St. Petersberg was based on Twain’s hometown of Hannibal Mo.

3. As a riverboat pilot, Twain earned from $150 to $250 a month.

4. Roughing it describes Twain’s journey out West with his brother Orion.