小说讲述的是格罗史密斯兄弟虚构的英国老绅士普特尔的幸福生活，小市民家常的细微末节让人感到亲切，其中对老普的讥讽有一定深度的自省和自嘲。老普刻板老套、乏味虚荣、容易满足、没有幽默感等，既让人发笑，也令人同情。英国讽刺艺术的精妙于此中毕现。钱锺书先生将此书“叹为奇作”，“惊其设想之巧”，认为“世间真实情事皆不能出其范围”。

The Diary of A Nobody，中文译名《小人物日记》，它由英国著名喜剧演员、作家、歌手乔治·格罗史密斯和其弟英国著演员、画家威登·格罗史密斯共同编著而成。书中讲述了实实在在的正经人普特尔的幸福生活。普特尔是一个公司的小职员，勤勤恳恳、兢兢业业，他对工作和生活心满意足：在郊区有一幢六个卧室的房子，老板对他很照顾，妻子也与他情投意合，还有两个关系很不错的朋友。踌躇满志的普特尔开始写日记，当然都是些家长里短、柴米油盐，太阳底下无新事。偶尔有机会参加一个上等人的聚会，虽洋相出尽，可老普却并不在意。成为一个体面的绅士是他生活目标，他的努力得到了回报，最终他基本上达到了自己的目标。

一百多年来，该书被翻译成几十种语言，可谓是走遍全世界。无论作为语言学习的课本，还是作为通俗的文学读本，引进该书对当代中国的青少年都将产生积极的影响。为了使读者能够了解英文故事概况，进而提高阅读速度和阅读水平，在每章的开始部分增加了中文导读。

普特尔先生的序言

第一章

第二章

第三章

第四章

第五章

第六章

第七章

第八章

第九章

第十章

第十一章

第十二章

第十三章

第十四章

第十五章

第十六章

第十七章

第十八章

第十九章

第二十章

第二十一章

第二十二章

第二十三章

最后一章

Arrived home tired and worried. Mr. Putley, a painter and decorator, who had sent in a card, said he could not match the colour on the stairs, as it contained Indian carmine. He said he spent half-a-day calling at warehouses to see if he could get it. He suggested he should entirely repaint the stairs. It would cost very little more; if he tried to match it, he could only make a bad job of it. It would be more satisfactory to him and to us to have the work done properly. I consented, but felt I had been talked over. Planted some mustard-and-cress and radishes, and went to bed at nine.

April 10. --Farmerson came round to attend to the scraper himself. He seems a very civil fellow. He says he does not usually conduct such small jobs personally, but for me he would do so. I thanked him, and went to town. It is disgraceful how late some of the young clerks are at arriving. I told three of them that if Mr. Perkupp, the principal, heard of it, they might be discharged.

Pitt, a monkey of seventeen, whohas only been with us six weeks, told me "to keep my hair on !" I informed him I had had the honour of being in the firm twenty years, to which he insolently replied that I " looked it." I gave him an indignant look, and said: "1 demand from you some respect, sir." He replied: "All right, go on demanding." I would not argue with him any further. You cannot argue with people like that. In the evening Gowing called, and repeated his complaint about the smell of paint.Gowing is sometimes very tedious with his remarks, and not always cautious; and Carrie once very properly reminded him that she was present.

April 11. --Mustard-and-cress and radishes not come up yet. To-day was a day of annoyances. I missed the quarter-to- nine bus to the City, through having words with the grocer's boy, who for the second time had the impertinence to bring his basket to the hall-door, and had left the marks of his dirty boots on the fresh-cleaned door-steps. He said he had knocked at the side door with his knuckles for a quarter of an hour. I knew Sarah, our servant, could not hear this, as she was upstairs doing the bedrooms, so asked the boy why he did not ring the bell? He replied that he did pull the bell, but the handle came off in his hand.

I was half-an-hour late at the office, a thing that has never happened to me before. There has recently been much irregularity in the attendance of the clerks, and Mr. Perkupp, our principal, unfortunately choose this very morning to pounce down upon us early. Someone had given the tip to the others. The result was that I was the only one late of the lot. Buckling, one of the senior clerks, was a brick, and 1 was saved by his intervention. As I passed by Pitt's desk, I heard him remark to his neighbour: "How disgracefully late some of the head clerks arrive! " This was, of course, meant for me. I treated the observation with silence, simply giving him a look, which unfortunately had the effect of making both of the clerks laugh. Thought afterwards it would have been more dignified if I had pretended not to have heard him at all. Cummings called in the evening, and we played dominoes.

April 12, --Mustard-and-cress and radishes not come up yet. Left Fannerson repairing the scraper, but when I came home found three men working. I asked the meaning of it, and Farmerson said that in making a fresh hole he had penetrated the gas-pipe. He said it was a most ridiculous place to put the gas-pipe, and the man who did it evidently knew nothing about his business. I felt his excuse was no consolation for the expense I shall be put to.

In the evening, after tea, Gowing dropped in, and we had a smoke together in the breakfast-parlour. Carrie joined us later, but did not stay long, saying the smoke was too much for her. It was also rather too much for me, for Gowing had given me what he called a green cigar, one that his friend Shoemach had just brought over from America. The cigar didn't look green, but I fancy I must have done so; for when I had smoked a little more than half I was obliged to retire on the pretext of telling Sarah to bring in the glasses.

I took a walk round the garden three or four times, feeling the need of fresh air. On returning Gowing noticed I was not smoking, offered me another cigar, which I politely declined. Gowing began his usual sniffing, so, anticipating him, I said: "You're not going to complain of the smell of paint again?" He said: "No, not this time; but I'll tell you what, I distinctly smell dry rot." I don't often make jokes, but I replied. "You're talking a lot of DRY ROT yourself." I could not help roaring at this, and Carrie said her sides quite ached with laughter. I never was so immensely tickled by anything I have ever said before. I actually woke up twice during the night, and laughed till the bed shook.

P10-12

乔治·格罗史密斯(George Grossmith，1848-1912)，英国著名喜剧演员、作家、歌手，著有自传小说《大众小丑》。威登·格罗史密斯(WeedonGrossmith，1852-1919)是乔治·格罗史密斯的弟弟，英国著名剧作家、画家和大众喜剧演员。格罗史密斯兄弟于1891年共同创作出版了雅俗共赏的名著The Diary of ANobody(《小人物日记》)。

格罗史密斯兄弟在《小人物日记》一书中虚构的公司小职员普特尔可是个名人，他的名字还进入了日常英语。《小人物日记》讲述的正是老普的幸福生活，小市民家常的细微末节让人感到亲切，其中对老普的讥讽有一定深度的自省和自嘲。该书先是在英国的幽默杂志《潘趣》(Punch)上连载，后来才结集成书，引起轰动，之后不断再版。该书出版后，普特尔便成了英国的名人，他的名字pooter进入了日常英语，还派生了pooterish一词，用来指某一类在郊区生活的古板守旧的中产人士。该日记也被认为是一部维多利亚全盛时期郊区生活的“编年史”。当然，老普是被虚构出来的一个“典型”，他的刻板老套、乏味虚荣、容易满足、没有幽默感等，既让人发笑，也令人同情。英国讽刺艺术的精妙于此中毕现。钱钟书先生将此书叹为奇作，惊其设想之巧，认为“世间真实情事皆不能出其范围”。该书雅俗共赏，时至今日，仍广受世界各地读者的欢迎，尤其是青少年朋友们。《不列颠百科全书》和牛津出版社的《英美文化词典》里都有相关的词条。

在中国，《小人物日记》同样是最受广大青少年读者欢迎的经典小说之一。目前，在国内数量众多的《小人物日记》书籍中，主要的出版形式有两种，一种是中文翻译版，另一种是中英文对照版。而其中的中英文对照读本比较受读者的欢迎，这主要是得益于中国人热衷于学习英文的大环境。而从英文学习的角度上来看，直接使用纯英文的学习资料更有利于英语学习。考虑到对英文内容背景的了解有助于英文阅读，使用中文导读应该是一种比较好的方式，也可以说是该类型书的第三种版本形式。采用中文导读而非中英文对照的方式进行编排，这样有利于国内读者摆脱对英文阅读依赖中文注释的习惯。基于以上原因，我们决定编译《小人物日记》，并采用中文导读英文版的形式出版。在中文导读中，我们尽力使其贴近原作的精髓，也尽可能保留原作简洁、精练、明快的风格。我们希望能够编出为当代中国读者所喜爱的经典读本。读者在阅读英文故事之前，可以先阅读中文导读内容，这样有利于了解故事背景，从而加快阅读速度。我们相信，该经典著作的引进对加强当代中国读者，特别是青少年读者的人文修养是非常有帮助的。

本书主要内容由王勋、纪飞编译。参加本书故事素材搜集整理及编译工作的还有郑佳、刘乃亚、熊金玉、赵雪、李丽秀、熊红华、王婷婷、孟宪行、胡国平、李晓红、贡东兴、陈楠、邵舒丽、冯洁、王业伟、徐鑫、王晓旭、周丽萍、熊建国、徐平国、肖洁、王小红等。限于我们的科学、人文素养和英语水平，书中会有一些不当之处，衷心希望读者朋友批评指正。