这是个关于迭戈·德拉·维加的故事，讲述他如何变成了传奇的佐罗。   他们是一些有血有肉，有道德和缺点，敏感而果断的人物的画像，他们将我们拉入了他们在一个动荡时代中的冒险。伊萨贝尔·阿连德以她惯有的高超技艺,为我们揭示了十九世纪初在加利福尼亚的西班牙布道区的朴素生活,在西班牙独立战争中被拿破仑军队占领的巴塞罗那街道的骚动。土著部落的入教仪式,进入一个欧洲秘密社团所要经历的那些神秘仪式。一番与从前的历险一样的历险……

1790年,加利福尼亚，那是一个激动人心的充满诱惑的时代,一些有着不可驯服的精神的性情真挚的人物,一个有着浪漫的心和轻佻性格的男人,开始了一段历险。揭开佐罗面具的时刻到了！伊萨贝尔·阿连德恢复了这个主人公的真实形象,并且带着嘲讽和人道精神,使他具有了超出传奇之外的生命。

CHAPTER ONE The Stranger in the Storm

第一章 风雨中的陌生人

CHAPTER Two A Clash 0f Swords

第二章 格斗

CHAPTER THREE A Proposal of Marriage

第三章 求婚

CHAPTER FOUR Zorro Rides Again

第四章 佐罗归来

CHAPTER FIVE Love at Last

第五章 最终相爱

CHAPTER SIX The Letter

第六章 告发信

CHAPTER SEVEN A Public Punishment

第七章 公众的惩罚

CHAPTER EIGHT The Young Avengers

第八章 年轻的复仇者

CHAPTER NINE To the Rescue！

第九章 营救！

CHAPTER TEN Zorro Unmasked

第十章 佐罗的真面目

It was a typical February storm for southern California. The wind shrieked and sheets of rain hit the ground in the little town of Reina de Los Angeles. But inside the tavern, Sergeant Pedro Gonzales stretched his big feet towards the roaring fire. With one hand he touched his sword and in the other he held a mug of wine.

"Tis a night for evil!" he said to the landlord.

The landlord agreed and filled the sergeant's mug again. Pedro Gonzales had a bad temper when it was empty.

"An evil night!" the sergeant repeated. He drank his wine in one gulp and sprawled closer to the fire.

The conversation died away and the landlord became afraid.Sergeant Gonzales was only happy when he was arguing and if he could not argue, he might start a fight. The landlord came closer and started to speak. "They are saying in the town that this Senor Zorro is causing trouble again. "

His words had a terrible effect on Gonzales. He hurled his half-filled wine mug onto the dirt floor and crashed his fist onto the table. The other soldiers sCattered.

"Senor Zorro, eh?" he cried in a ferocious voice. "Is it my fate to always hear that name? Senor Zorro, eh? Mr Fox! He is as cunning as one, and he stinks as much!"

Gonzales turned to face his soldiers. "He is the curse of the highway with his mask and sword, they tell me. He uses the point of it to carve the letter 'Z' on the face of his enemy. The mark of Zorro, that's what they call it. But I have never seen him or his sword. No, Senor Zorro never comes near me. Here is one fox it will give me pleasure to hunt. "

"There is a reward... " the landlord began.

"Yes," Gonzales interrupted, "offered by the Governor of California himself. But Senor Zorro never visits our town. Why not? Because we have a prison, that's why! And Senor Zorro keeps away from prisons. "

"But he must have a place where he eats and sleeps," the landlord said. "One day your soldiers will trail him to his den. "

"He says that he is not a thief," Gonzales sneered. "He says that he is a friend of the poor and that that he only punishes thosewho behave badly. "

"I am glad that he never comes here," the landlord said. "I have no wish to be robbed."

"To be robbed?" Gonzales cried in a voice of thunder.

"Robbed of what? Of a jug of weak wine. You fool! Let this bold and cunning Zorro enter this door. Let his eyes twinkle through his mask. Let me face him just for one moment and I shall claim that generous reward. More wine, fat fool!"

The door of the tavern suddenly opened and the candles flickered in a gust of wind and rain. Gonzales half pulled out his sword. The landlord gave a sigh of relief. It was Don Diego Vega,a fair young nobleman of twenty-four.

"Have I startled you, senores?" Don Diego asked politely,glancing around the room.  "No, the storm did," Gonzales replied. "You are not capable of startling any man. "

"Hmm! " Don Diego grunted, taking off his hat and cloak. "Watch your words, my friend. I can forget the difference in our upbringing only if you mind your tongue. You amuse me, senor,and for that I do not mind buying you wine. But make fun of me in public, or in private, and we shall no longer be friends. "

P7-9

约翰斯顿·麦卡利1879年生于美国，早年曾为报社撰写治安通讯，也时常编写牛仔故事在期刊杂志上发表。1919年，麦卡利通过5个故事塑造出一位新的小说人物——佐罗。故事于1920年被搬上银幕，深入人心，又于1924年被编辑成书出版发行，与电影同名叫《蒙面侠佐罗》。

佐罗的故事发生在加利福尼亚南部小镇——天使女王镇，即现在的洛杉矶。当时的加利福尼亚州还是墨西哥的一个省，当地人讲西班牙语。许多圣方济会的修士来到这里建立教区。他们拥有大片土地，饲养牲畜以出售皮革。

佐罗正是出现在那样一个乱世，身披紫色斗篷，头戴黑色面具，一手持剑一手握枪。他始终是正义、劫富济贫的化身。在《蒙面侠佐罗》一书中，他帮助过一位修士，也帮助过一户土地被夺的贵族家庭，并爱上了贵族家的女儿。

全世界有80多部电影根据佐罗的传奇改编而成，佐罗成为备受人们喜爱的人物。为此约翰斯顿·麦卡利一直都在撰写佐罗的故事，直到1958年79岁去世。