《湯姆•索亞歷險記》是著名小說家馬克•吐溫的代表作，發表于1876年。小說主人公湯姆•索亞天真活潑，富于幻想和冒險，不堪忍受束縛個性、枯燥乏味的生活，幻想干一番英雄事業。小說通過主人公的冒險經歷，對美國虛偽庸俗的社會習俗、偽善的宗教儀式和刻板陳腐的學校教育進行了諷刺和批判，以歡快的筆調描寫了少年兒童自由活潑的心靈?！稖?#8226;索亞歷險記》以其濃厚的深具地方特色的幽默和對人物敏銳觀察，一躍成為*偉大的文學作品，也是一首美國“黃金時代”的田園牧歌。
在這部作品中，兒童的靈動活潑和周圍現實生活的陳腐刻板形成了鮮明的對照。故事向人們展示了一些社會弊病和黑暗現實，揭示了的虛偽性，無情地嘲諷了庸俗的小市民習氣。作品問世以來，一直受到讀者的喜愛，成為一部。

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain is an 1876 novel about a youngboy growing up along the Mississippi River. The story is set in the fictionaltown of St. Petersburg, inspired by Hannibal, Missouri, where Twain lived. TomSawyer lives with his Aunt Polly and his half-brother Sid. Tom dirties hisclothes in a fight and is made to whitewash the fence the next day aspunishment. He cleverly persuades his friends to trade him small treasures forthe privilege of doing his work. He then trades the treasures for Sunday Schooltickets which one normally receives for memorizing verses, redeeming them for aBible, much to the surprise and bewilderment of the superintendent who thought“it was simply preposterous that this boy had warehoused two thousand sheavesof Scriptural wisdom on his premises—a dozen would strain his capacity, withouta doubt.”
Tom falls in love with Becky Thatcher, a new girl in town, and persuadesher to get “engaged” by kissing him. But their romance collapses when shelearns Tom has been “engaged” previously to Amy Lawrence. Shortly after Beckyshuns him, he accompanies Huckleberry Finn to the graveyard at night, wherethey witness the murder of Dr. Robinson.

Most of the adventuresrecorded in this book really occurred; one or two were experiences of my own,the rest those of boys who were schoolmates of mine. Huck Finn is drawn fromlife; Tom Sawyer also, but not from an individual—he is a combination of thecharacteristics of three boys whom I knew, and therefore belongs to thecomposite order of architecture.
The odd superstitionstouched upon were all prevalent among children and slaves in the West at theperiod of this story—that is to say, thirtyor forty years ago.
Although my book isintended mainly for the entertainment of boys and girls, I hope it will not beshunned by men and women on that account, for part of my plan has been to tryto pleasantly remind adults of what they once were themselves, and of how theyfelt and thought and talked, and what queer enterprises they sometimes engagedin.
THE AUTHOR
HARTFORD, 1876.