内容简介
Thenaturalworldinallitsrichness，glimpsedvariouslyinthehouse，thebarnyard，andthegarden，inpondsandstreams，andatlargeinthewoodsandthefields，includingoldfriendslikethedog，thecat，thecow，andthepig，alongwithmoreunusualandsometimesalarmingcharacterssuchastheweasel，thedragonfly，snakesofseveralsorts，andevenawhale，nottomentionantsintheirseeminginfinitudeandasinglehumblepotato—alltheseandmorearethesubjectsofwhatmaywellbethemostdeftanddelightfulbookofliteraryminiatureseverwritten.InJulesRenard’sworld，plantsandanimalsnotonlyfeelbutspeak(onespecies，theswallow，appearstowriteHebrew)，andyet，foralltheanthropomorphicwitandwhimsytheauthorindulgesin，theyguardtheirmysterytoo.Sly，funny，andtouching，NatureStories，herebeautifullyrenderedintoEnglishbyDouglasParméeandaccompaniedbythewonderfulink-brushimagesofPierreBonnardwithwhichthebookwasoriginallypublished，isaliteraryclassicofinexhaustiblefreshness.
作者简介
JulesRenard(1864–1910)wasaFrenchnovelist,playwright,anddiaristwhodividedhistimebetweenParisandtheBurgundiancountrysideformostofhislife.HedescribedhislonelychildhoodgrowingupinacoldbourgeoisfamilyintheautobiographicalnovelPoildecarotte(CarrotTop).Thougheducatedtobeateacher,theyoungRenardmovedtoPariswherehetookupwithanactressoftheComédie-Françaiseandwasintroducedintothecity’smostprestigiousliterarysalons.Hismarriagein1888toMarieMorneaubroughthimalargedowryandallowedhimtodevotehimselftolifeasanhommedelettresandtofoundtheliteraryreviewMercuredeFrance.FortherestofhisshortlifeRenardwouldspendthewarmermonthsinChitry,wherelikehisfatherbeforehimhebecamemayor.InParishelivedthelifeofamemberoftheAcadémieGoncourtandcountedamonghisfriendsAlphonseDaudet,EdmonddeGoncourt,AnatoleFrance,PaulClaudel,andSarahBernhardt.InadditiontoPoildecarotteandHistoiresnaturelles,Renardisbestknownforhisfive-volumeJournal,citedasaninfluencebyauthorsasdiverseasW.SomersetMaugham,SusanSontag,DonaldBarthelme,andSamuelBeckett.AmonghisotherworksareLeplaisirderompre,L’écornifleur,andHuitjoursàlacampagne.DouglasParmée(1914–2008)wasalecturerinmodernlanguagesatCambridgeandaLifetimeFellowofQueens’College.HetranslatedmanyworksofclassicandcontemporaryliteraturefromFrench,Italian,andGerman,receivingthetheScottMoncrieffPrizeforFrenchtranslationin1976.NYRBClassicspublisheshistranslationsofTheChildbyJulesVallèsandAfloatbyGuydeMaupassantandin2011willpublishhistranslationofIrretrievablebyTheodorFontaine.,,,,
