这是查尔斯·狄更斯在《双城记》第一章第一节中写下的经典原句,全句为:
"This is the best of times, it is the worst of times; this is the age of wisdom, it is the age of foolishness; this is the epoch of belief, it is the epoch of incredulity; this is the season of light, it is the season of darkness; this is the spring of hope, it is the winter of despair. We are all going direct to Heaven, we are all going direct the other way."
补充说明:
创作背景
该句开篇即奠定全书的基调,通过极端对比手法,隐喻法国大革命前后的社会动荡与人性挣扎。
历史与现实的呼应
狄更斯虽生于19世纪,但其对时代矛盾的洞察却跨越时空。例如,20世纪学者鲁思·本尼迪克特用“菊与刀”分析日本文化,与狄更斯的双城记有异曲同工之妙。
当代解读
该句常被用于形容具有复杂性的现代社会,如科技发展带来的机遇与挑战并存,或经济繁荣与精神困惑交织。例如,副业经济兴起既体现时代进步,也暗含就业压力。
若需进一步探讨其文学手法或历史背景,可参考《双城记》研究著作或文学赏析文章。