书虫是外语教学与研究出版社和牛津大学出版社共同奉献给广大英语学习者的一大精品。书虫在英语中大概是颇可爱的形象。想象一下，有那么一只勤勉的小虫，它如痴如醉地沉迷于书卷，孜孜不倦地咀嚼着字母。

如今这只书虫漂洋过海，轻盈地落在了中国英语学习者的掌中。书虫首先将给你自信，即使你目前只有几百的词汇量，也可以不太费劲地阅览世界名作了。书虫还会用它细细的鸣叫声不停地提醒你：要坚持不懈地读下去，要广泛而丰富地读下去。待到读完丛书系列中的最后一本，你也许会突然发现：你已经如蛹化蝶，振翅欲翔了！

本书作者詹妮弗茅屋斯特是拉资历很深的教师和作家。她生活在英国西南的德文郡。

1578年艾汶河畔的斯特拉福镇。有位男孩坐在书桌旁专心地学习，他认真听课、拼命看书。可他在想些什么呢？1587年伦敦。一位年轻人首次到伦敦谋生。他听着闹市的喧嚣声，看看伦敦塔雄伟的大墙，望着泰晤士河的淙淙流水。“静谧的泰晤士河，潺潺地流淌，直到我唱完心中的歌。”1601年伦敦。泰晤士河上的船夫对人群大声喊着：“快来，快来，快来呀！‘环球剧院’快挤满人啦！”2000多观众渡过河，前来观看莎士比亚的最新一部戏剧——《哈姆雷特》。

1 Toby remembers
1 托比的回忆
2 Stratford-upon-Avon
2 艾汶河畔的斯特拉福镇
3 The actors come to town
3 演员来到镇上
4 A new life in London
4 伦敦的新生活
5 The plague years
5 瘟疫流行时期
6 Death in the family
6 幼子夭折
7 Queens，Kings，and Princes
7 女王、国王和王子们
8 A Scottish King for England
8 苏格兰来的英国国王
9 The Mermaid Tavern
9 美人鱼酒店
10 Back to Stratford
10 退居斯特拉福镇
11 The last years
11 退隐的晚年
12 England will remember
12 英国会永远记住
Exercises

Will wrote his play Richard Ⅲ for Richard Burbage，and it was a great success．Richard the Third was a wicked king—a murderer—but he was wonderful on the stage，with Burbage's great voice and fine acting．Soon all London was saying King Richard's famous words when his horse is killed in war:
　　A horse! A horse! My kingdom for a horse!
　　All kinds of people came to see plays and Will was making a lot of new friends．One day，after the play，he was talking to a young man outside the Rose．He was a very beautiful young man，a bit like a girl，perhaps—but still very good-looking．Later，I asked Will who he was．
　　'The Earl of Southampton，' Will said．'He's only eighteen，but he loves poetry and plays．'
　　'Isn't he a friend of the Earl of Essex？' I asked．Everybody knew the Earl of Essex．He was young and good looking —and some people said that Queen Elizabeth was in love with him．
　　I don't know about that．The Queen was fifty-nine years old，and a very，very clever woman．But it was true that she liked to have good-looking young men around her，and the Earl of Essex was her favourite．Then．It all changed later，of course．
　　'Yes，he is，' said Will．'But I think Essex is a dangerous man．Henry needs better friends than him．'
　　威尔为理查白贝芝编写了剧本《理查三世》，获得巨大成功。剧中的理查三世是个狡诈的暴君——一个凶手——但白贝芝雄浑的嗓音和精彩的表演使这一形象在舞台上活灵活现。不久全伦敦传遍了在战场上理查王的马被宰时，他的那句名言：
　　“一匹马！一匹马！我的国家换一匹马！”
　　形形色色的人慕名来看戏，威尔也因此结交了许多新朋友。一天，演出结束后，我看见在“玫瑰剧院”外他正和一个年轻人交谈。这人年少英俊，或许有点像女孩，不过依然相貌堂堂。后来，我向威尔问起这个人。
　　“他是索桑普敦伯爵，”威尔说道，“他年仅18岁，但热爱诗歌和戏剧。”
　　“他是不是爱塞克斯伯爵的朋友？”我问他。爱塞克斯伯爵无人不晓。他年轻英俊——有人说伊丽莎白女王也爱着他。
　　这件事我倒不清楚。女王年已59岁，是个非常非常聪明的女人。但是女王喜欢年轻的、面目俊俏的男人陪伴左右是千真万确的，而爱塞克斯伯爵最得宠。当然，后来一切都变了。
　　“是的，”威尔说道，“但我认为爱塞克斯是个危险的人物。亨利需要结交比他更好的朋友。”