Twelfth Night cover

Twelfth Night

Rating 4.4
Word count
48K words
Chapters
27
ISBN
9787532771936

Tags

Summary

Twelfth Night marks the close of Shakespeare's early comic writing. Lyrical in tone and romantic in form, it once again celebrates the humanist ideal of love and friendship and affirms the beauty of life and of love.

Editor's review

As one of Shakespeare's most celebrated comedies, Twelfth Night in the Shanghai Translation Publishing House edition (ISBN 9787532771936) is highly regarded for its precise, expressive translation and detailed scholarly notes. The book is not only a literary classic but also an elegant model for exploring human nature, love, and mistaken identity. In the editor's view, the edition's greatest value lies in preserving the rhythm and wit of the original play while bringing the drama of the Elizabethan age closer to modern readers through notes and interpretation. The twin confusion of Viola and Sebastian not only creates uproarious misunderstandings but also touches more deeply on gender roles and social expectation. Duke Orsino's idealized pursuit of love and Olivia's transformation from seclusion to openness together form a multidimensional inquiry into the nature of love. Shakespeare's language here is not merely an instrument; it becomes a source of pleasure in itself—puns, banter, and lyrical soliloquies display the verbal art of the peak of English literature. For contemporary readers, reading Twelfth Night means not only enjoying a story of love and reunion but also undergoing a exercise in thought across time, prompting us amid laughter to reflect on self-knowledge and the subtle line between sincerity and disguise. This edition is an excellent gateway into Shakespeare's dazzling world.

Who it's for

A good fit for

  • Readers with a strong interest in Shakespeare or English classical literature
  • Theater lovers who wish to understand comic structure and the power of dialogue in depth
  • Students and researchers in English literature or drama
  • Deep readers who enjoy enduring themes such as love, identity, and human nature

Not a good fit for

  • Readers seeking fast-paced, plot-driven online fiction
  • Readers who want a plain, simple story requiring no background interpretation

Reading tips

  1. On a first reading, skim the plot quickly, then return to savor the brilliance of the famous soliloquies and dialogue.
  2. Use the notes to learn about Elizabethan social customs, which greatly enhances understanding of the plot and the jokes.
  3. Try reading some lines aloud to feel the rhythm and musicality of Shakespeare's language.

About the publisher

Shanghai Translation Publishing House China · Founded in 1978

Shanghai Translation Publishing House is a Chinese publisher oriented mainly toward translation and publishing. Its publications cover foreign literature, world classics and classic works, as well as social culture, folk literature and classical poetry. The database contains 2,618 titles, including Never Let Me Go, Les Misérables (2 volumes), Don Quixote (illustrated collector's edition), The Complete Comedies of Molière (4 volumes), The Complete Novels of Kafka (3 volumes), The Collected Works of Dostoevsky (9-volume set), Reason and Persons, and Oedipus Rex (Translation Classics). Its author resources include foreign writers such as Kazuo Ishiguro, Victor Hugo, Cervantes and Molière, as well as translators such as Zheng Kelu, Sun Jiameng, Li Jianwu and Zhang Kun. The publisher has brands such as "Translation Classics Selections" and "Translation Documentary," and emphasizes translated works in foreign literature and the humanities and social sciences, while also publishing bilingual dictionaries and foreign-language educational books. Public information is limited; the above is based on the book information in the database.

Contents

  1. 版权信息
  2. 前言
  3. 剧中人物
  4. 第一幕
  5. 第一景 爵府
  6. 第二景 海滩上
  7. 第三景 室内
  8. 第四景 公爵府
  9. 第五景 室内
  10. 第二幕
  11. 第一景 海滨
  12. 第二景 街道
  13. 第三景 室内
  14. 第四景 公爵府
  15. 第五景 花园
  16. 第三幕
  17. 第一景 花园
  18. 第二景 室内
  19. 第三景 街道
  20. 第四景 花园
  21. 第四幕
  22. 第一景 宅子前
  23. 第二景 室内
  24. 第三景 花园
  25. 第五幕
  26. 第一景 宅子前
  27. 考证

FAQ

What special meaning does the title Twelfth Night carry?
"Twelfth Night" refers to the twelfth night after Christmas, the eve of Epiphany, a festival of revelry and role reversal in Shakespeare's time. The title hints at the comedy's themes of mistaken identity and overturned order.
What are the features of this translation?
This Shanghai Translation Publishing House edition generally uses classic translations such as Zhu Shenghao's, with graceful, fluent language that restores Shakespeare's literary brilliance as fully as possible, and includes scholarly notes that aid understanding of the historical and cultural background.
Can I understand it without having read Shakespeare before?
Absolutely. Although the language differs from modern usage, Twelfth Night has a lively, entertaining plot and vivid characters. The notes and introduction in this edition effectively help readers bridge the gaps of language and era and appreciate its core appeal.

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About the author

William Shakespeare Author · English · 1564–1616

William Shakespeare (1564–1616) was an English playwright, poet, and actor of the Renaissance. Born in Stratford, he is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language. His representative works include Hamlet, Othello, Macbeth, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Antony and Cleopatra, and his sonnets. His plays span tragedy, comedy, and history, with vividly drawn characters and a poetic, rhetorically charged style that probes human nature and power with particular depth. Translated into many languages and performed worldwide, his works have had a profound influence. This site holds 187 of his works, including English-Chinese bilingual editions for comparative reading.

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