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天才洋溢的奧斯卡．王爾德（Oscar Wilde, 1854~1900）出生於愛爾蘭，被譽為十九世紀的英國才子。不到三十歲就已在文壇頭角崢嶸，他在詩歌、童話、小說和藝術評論等方面都有了不起的成就，特別是童話。他的第一部值得注意的著作，就是1888年出版的童話《快樂王子》，這本書可稱得上是世界兒童文學的經典之作。童話創作奠定了他在文壇上的影響力，也樹立了他獨特的寫作風格。
《快樂王子》至今依然是英國最著名的童話作品之一，多次再版。共收錄了五個故事，包括：〈快樂王子〉（The Happy Prince）、〈夜鶯與玫瑰〉（The Nightingale and the Rose）、〈自私的巨人〉（The Selfish Giant）、〈忠實的朋友〉（The Devoted Friend）、〈了不起的火箭〉（The Remarkable Rocket）。
The Happy Prince and Other Stories, first published in 1888, is an collection of stories for children by Irish author and wit Oscar Wilde (1854-1900) . These beautifully written modern fairy tales intended for reading to children but also with a message for adults. In these tales, most of them being sad, Oscar Wilde looks for a way to save one's soul in front of the unhappiness of the world.
The stories included in this collection are:
1. The Happy Prince
2. The Nightingale and the Rose
3. The Selfish Giant
4. The Devoted Friend
5. The Remarkable Rocket
作者簡介
奧斯卡．王爾德（Oscar Wilde, 1854~1900）
英國劇作家、散文家和詩人。1854年出生於都柏林，父親威廉．王爾德爵士是著名的醫生，母親珍妮．弗蘭西斯卡亦為作家和詩人。王爾德劇作豐富，但童話故事比其他作品流傳更廣。早期作品有兩本童話集：《快樂王子》和《石榴之家》，皆已載入英國兒童文學史冊中。
An Irish-born playwright, novelist, poet, and wit who spent most of his career in England. Wilde was one of the most successful playwrights of late Victorian London. His best-known works include the play The Importance of Being Earnest and the novel The Picture of Dorian Gray.
Wilde was also well known for his role in the aesthetic and decadent movements. He was the chief proponent of the aesthetic movement, based on the principle of art for art’s sake. Wilde was convicted of homosexual activity and spent about two years in prison. After his release, he wrote the famous poem “The Ballad of Reading Gaol” (1897). It is based on his experiences there and its main theme is the death penalty.
