最近在圖書館發現了一些厚度適宜（也就是很薄）的小說，裏面不乏我只聽說過名字的經典。拿起來一看，發現居然是劍橋大學出版社（Cambridge University Press）和牛津大學出版社（Oxford University Press）按英語詞彙量嚴格分級的系列叢書。再一細看，發現《愛麗絲夢遊仙境》是二級，愛倫·坡的《謎團與想象怪談》是三級，奧爾柯特的《小女人》是四級。這個系列的分級，是這麼分的：
- 初級 Starter Level：250詞彙量，平均頁數24
- 一級 Level 1：400詞彙量，平均頁數40
- 二級 Level 2：700詞彙量，平均頁數40
- 三級 Level 3：1000詞彙量，平均頁數56
- 四級 Level 4：1400詞彙量，平均頁數72
- 五級 Level 5：1800詞彙量，平均頁數88
- 六級 Level 6：2500詞彙量，平均頁數104
所以，這些名著，都這麼簡單的嗎？
讀了兩本，發現故事都寫得不錯，也沒覺得劇情有明顯的刪減。但是，這些名著許多都是一兩百年前的，那時候的英文，也能這麼易讀的嗎？於是細細翻了一下這些書，終於發現很多上面都藏着Retold by誰誰誰這樣的話。破案了！
所以，名著果然是難讀的吧，只是這個出版社找作者把這些名著從新精簡了。只是不知，精簡後的小說，能保留原著幾分神韻。
擔心着我讀的是閹割版名著，我專門找出了《愛麗絲夢遊仙境》的原著，和牛津版的稍微對比了一下。然後我驚喜地發現，好像改得並不算多。例如，原著第一章裏的兩段是這樣的：
There was nothing so very remarkable in that; nor did Alice think it so very much out of the way to hear the Rabbit say to itself “Oh dear! Oh dear! I shall be too late!” (when she thought it over afterwards, it occurred to her that she ought to have wondered at this, but at the time it all seemed quite natural); but, when the Rabbit actually took a watch out of its waistcoat–pocket, and looked at it, and then hurried on, Alice started to her feet, for it flashed across her mind that she had never before seen a rabbit with either a waistcoat–pocket, or a watch to take out of it, and, burning with curiosity, she ran across the field after it, and was just in time to see it pop down a large rabbit–hole under the hedge.
In another moment down went Alice after it, never once considering how in the world she was to get out again.
Excerpt From
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass
Lewis Carroll
PENGUIN BOOKS
而牛津版的內容其實差不多：
There was nothing really strange about seeing a rabbit. And Alice was not very surprised when the Rabbit said, ‘Oh dear! Oh dear! I shall be late!’ (Perhaps, it was a little strange, Alice thought later, but at the time she was not surprised.)
But then the Rabbit took a watch out of its pocket, looked at it, and hurried on. At once Alice jumped to her feet.
‘I’ve never before seen a rabbit with either a pocket, or a watch to take out of it,’ she thought. And she ran quickly across the field after the Rabbit. She did not stop to think, and when the Rabbit ran down a large rabbit-hole, Alice followed it immediately.
After a little way the rabbit-hole suddenly went down, deep into the ground. Alice could not stop herself falling, and down she went, too.
Excerpt From
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
Lewis Carroll
Retold by Jennifer Bassett
Oxford University Press
原文是165詞，改版是144詞；原文是兩段，改版是四段。原文裏稍難的詞彙，如remarkable, afterwards, waistcoat等，都被替換或刪除。
改版確實對詞彙量要求低些，斷句斷段也更容易理解，但少了一下詞，有時還是會讓人產生疑惑。例如看到兔子從口袋取出懷錶，我就在疑惑兔子的口袋在哪，就因爲改版刪了背心（waistcoat）這個關鍵詞。
但說實話，我也沒覺得這些刪改真的影響我的閱讀體驗了。至少，原文大意沒變，劇情沒刪。除了用詞不一樣，原文的辭藻大概更有文采，我也沒覺得改版差了。或者說，這種辭藻的缺失，被不用查字典或猜詞義的喜悅彌補。
二級的《愛麗絲夢遊仙境》，對我來說是簡單了些。因爲原文是童話，我大概能直接閱讀原著。但是更難的那些，特別是原著一聽就不想讀的那些，改版大概比較適合我。畢竟，和詞彙量一起的，還有頁數。能夠薄幾頁，我也比較願意讀完。
對了，這個系列並不是所有書都是名著改版，也有一些不太著名的原著。例如A Picture to Remember是一本二級的偵探小說，雖然詞彙量太簡單，但是也正因爲這樣讓我讀得很快，讀完覺得還有點意思。
總之，我覺得能把經典小說做個難度分類，把其中一些改簡單一些，對於英語不是百分百精通，或者就是想輕鬆讀個簡單版經典的人來說，是個不錯的選擇。
