In 1859, the S.S. Great Eastern departed from England on her maiden voyage. She was a remarkable wonder of the nineteenth century: an iron city longer than Trafalgar Square, taller than Big Ben's tower, heavier than Westminster Cathedral. Her paddles were the size of Ferris wheels; her decks could hold four thousand passengers bound for America, or ten thousand troops bound for the Raj. Yet she ended her days as a floating carnival before being unceremoniously dismantled in 1889. Steamships like the Great Eastern occupied a singular place in the Victorian mind. Crossing oceans, ferrying tourists and troops alike, they became emblems of nationalism, modernity, and humankind's triumph over the cruel elements. Throughout the nineteenth century, the spectacle of a ship's launch was one of the most recognizable symbols of British social and technological progress. Yet this celebration of the power of the empire masked overconfidence and an almost religious veneration of technology. Equating steam with civilization had catastrophic consequences for subjugated peoples around the world. Engines of Empire tells the story of the complex relationship between Victorians and their wondrous steamships, following famous travelers like Mark Twain, Charles Dickens, and Jules Verne as well as ordinary spectators, tourists, and imperial administrators as they crossed oceans bound for the colonies. Rich with anecdotes and wry humor, it is a fascinating glimpse into a world where an empire felt powerful and anything seemed possible―if there was an engine behind it.

很多作家站在万神殿外准备进殿。 这时候来了一个人，不和任何人打招呼，昂首走入了万神殿。 这个人就是莎士比亚。 . “莎士比亚就是我们自己，是忍受煎熬的凡人俗士，为不大不小的抱负激励，关心钱财，受欲念之害，太平庸了。他的背像个驼峰，驮着一种神奇而又未知何故显得不相干的天才……我们都是威尔。莎士比亚是我们众多救赎者中一位救赎者的名字。 ” ——安东尼•伯吉斯 . 威廉•莎士比亚（William Shakespeare，1564—1616），诗人、剧作家、演员，西方经典的中心。歌德说：我读到他的第一页，就使我这一生都属于他。博尔赫斯说：上帝梦见了世界，就像莎士比亚梦见了他的戏剧。他创造了近千年来文学史上最重要的作品，被认为是“俗世的圣经”，关于他的生平我们却所知甚微：作品之外，莎士比亚本人的形象始终模糊。 莎士比亚匪夷所思的创造力源自何处？他是“专门注意人家不留心的零碎东西的小偷”，还是化平庸为灿烂的魔法师？一个乡村青年如何汲取大千世界的养料，短短数年上升为大众剧坛的明星？他驾驭本国语言的盖世才华，对于人类心灵的深刻了解，如何一步步大放异彩？ 在无数为莎士比亚画像的尝试中，英国著名作家安东尼•伯吉斯的莎氏传独具匠心。伯吉斯怀着思乡之情，追慕一个喧嚣变革的文艺复兴时代，追踪莎士比亚成就文学之路的迂回小径。在他笔下，这位天才的肖像最终与每一个凡夫俗子的形象重合：世界是一座剧场，莎士比亚是我们其中一位救赎者的名字。 . 评论推荐： “他（刘国云）翻译的伯吉斯《莎士比亚》传记是现在能找到的最准确、流畅、清雅的译文之一……认真写书，必有回响。”——金雯（华东师范大学比较文学教授） “除了伯吉斯，你很难想象别人用这样的口气谈论莎士比亚，你简直可以看见一只手跨过四百年，拍拍那个叫威尔的‘伦（敦）漂’青年的肩膀。有时候，我觉得这就是为什么面对众多关于莎翁的材料，我仍有重读伯吉斯的必要。”——黄昱宁（出版人、翻译家、作家） “读《莎士比亚》，是看一个才华盖世的小说家怎样愉快地想象另一个他所挚爱的作家的人生，是看作者在一个不太成立‘又被无以计数地尝试过的’（伯吉斯本书开场语）题目下，怎样微妙地制造差异和乐趣。其中最明显的是小说家对叙述弧度的把握——世上所有的话都供他驱驰，而且他知道故事到了什么分儿上该用上哪一句。”——陈以侃（评论家、翻译家）