背景知识
Charles Dickens
Charles Dickens (1812—1870) was one of the greatest English writers in the 19th century. He was the greatest representative of English critical realism. He was born in a poor family and when he was a child, his father was put into prison for debts. In order to make a living, he had to work in an underground cellar at a blacking factory in the East End of London when he was only 12. He had to work hard and long hours there and this was the most unhappy time of all his life. Later he had a chance to study at school, but his miserable life at the factory left an everlasting, painful brand on the boy’s mind. At the age of 15, he became a lawyer’s clerk. After work, he learned shorthand and visited the British Museum Library, filling up the gaps in his education by reading. Then he became a Parliamentary reporter for newspapers. In 1834 he was taken on the staff of a newspaper and went all over the country getting news, writing stories, meeting people and learning about life in general.
