牛津英文经典（Oxford World’s Classics）为牛津大学出版社百年积淀的精品书系，译林出版社原版引进。除牛津品牌保证的权*原著版本之外，每册书附含名家导读、作家简介及年表、词汇解析、文本注释、背景知识拓展、同步阅读导引、版本信息等，特别适合作为大学生和学有余力的中学生英语学习的必读材料。导读者包括牛津和剑桥大学的资深教授和知名学者。整套书选目精良，便携易读，实为亲近世界名著的经典读本。《一千零一夜》又称《天方夜谭》，是著名的阿拉伯民间故事集，真实生动地反映了阿拉伯社会的生活。故事包括神话传说、寓言故事、童话、爱情故事、航海冒险故事以及宫廷趣闻等，如《渔夫和魔鬼》《阿拉丁和神灯》《阿里巴巴和四十大盗》《辛巴达航海旅行记》等。这些故事将古代阿拉伯以及周围国家的社会现实和神奇的想象巧妙地融为一体，为我们展开了一幅色彩斑斓、形象逼真的中世纪阿拉伯帝国的社会生活画卷。本书引进自牛津大学出版社的精校版本，完整再现了法国东方学者加朗*早的英文译本。本书还附有精彩导读、详尽注释和人物索引，便于深读文本，增加阅读乐趣。

罗伯特?L.麦克是美国田纳西州纳什维尔市的范德堡大学的一名英语助理教授。他是牛津英文经典《威克菲尔德的牧师》的编辑，于2000年在耶鲁大学出版社出版了关于诗人托马斯?格雷的传记。

该作讲述相传古代印度与中国之间有一萨桑国，国王山鲁亚尔生性残暴嫉妒，因王后行为不端，将其杀死，此后每日娶一少女，翌日晨即杀掉，以示报复。宰相的女儿山鲁佐德为拯救无辜的女子，自愿嫁给国王，用讲述故事方法吸引国王，每夜讲到精彩处，天刚好亮了，使国王爱不忍杀，允她下一夜继续讲。她的故事一直讲了一千零一夜，国王终于被感动，与她白首偕老。
Sindbad, Aladdin: all make their spectacular entrance onto the stage of English literary history in the Arabian Nights’ Entertainments (1704—1717). The tales with which Scheherazade nightly postpones the murderous intent of the sultan initiate a pattern of literary reference and influence which today remains as powerful and intense as it was throughout the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.
This edition reproduces in its entirety the earliest English translation of the French orientalist Antoine Galland’s Mille et une Nuit. This remained for over an incalculable number of writers, and no other edition offers this complete text supplemented by full textual apparatus.

Acknowledgements
Introduction
Note on the Text
Select Bibliography
A Select Chronology of the Life of Antoine Galland and the
Appearance of the Arabian Nights’ Entertainments in Europe
ARABIAN NIGHTS ENTERTAINMENTS
Appendix II: Plot Summaries
Explanatory Notes
Index of Tales and Proper Names

ARABIAN NIGHTS' ENTERTA INMENTS

THE chronicles of the Susanians, the ancient kings of Persia, who extended their empire into the Indies, over all the islands therunto belonging, a great way beyond the Ganges and as far as China, acquaint us, that there was formerly a king of that potent family, the most excellent prince of his time; he was as much beloved by his subjects for his wisdom and prudence, as he was dreaded by his neighbours, because of his valour, and his warlike and well disciplined troops. He had two sons; the eldest, Schahriar, the worthy heir of his father, and endowed with all his virtues. The youngest, Schahzenan, was likewise a prince of incomparable merit.

After a long and glorious reign, the king died, and Schahriar mounted his throne. Schahzenan being excluded from all share of the government by the laws of the empire, and obliged to live a private life, was so far from envying the happiness of his brother, that he made it his whole business to please him, and effected it without much difficulty. Schahriar, who had naturally a great affection for that prince, was so charmed with his complaisance, that, out of an excess of friendship, he would needs divide his dominions with him; and he gave him the kingdom of Great Tartary. Schahzenan went immediately, and took possession of it; and fixed the seat of his government at Samarcande, the metropolis of the country.

After they had been separated ten years, Schahriar, having a passionate desire to see his brother, resolved to send an ambassador to invite him to his court. He made choice of his prime visier for the embassy, sent him to Tartary with a retinue answerable to his dignity, and he made all possible haste to Samarcande. When he came near the city, Schahzenan had notice of it, and went to meet him with the principal lords of his court, who, to put the more honour on the sultan's minister, appeared in magnificent apparel. The king of Tartary received the ambassador with the greatest demonstrations of joy; and immediately asked him concerning the welfare of the sultan his brother. The visier having acquainted him that he was in health, gave him an account of his embassy. Schahzenan was so much affected with it, that he answered thus: Sage visier, the sultan my brother does me too much honour; he could propose nothing in the world so acceptable; I long as passionately to see him, as he does to see me. Time has been no more able to diminish my friendship, than his. My kingdom is in peace, and I desire no more than ten days to get myself ready to go with you. So that there is no necessity of your entering the city for so short a time; I pray you to pitch your tents here, and I will order provisions in abundance for your- self and your company.

The visier did accordingly; and as soon as the king returned, he sent him a prodigious quantity of provisions of all sorts, with presents of great value.

In the mean while Schahzenan made ready for his journey, took orders about his most important affairs, appointed a council to govern in his absence, and named a minister, of whose wisdom he had sufficient experience, and in whom he had entire confidence, to be their president. At the end of ten days his equipage being ready, he took his leave of the queen his wife, and went out of town in the evening with his retinue, pitching his royal pavilion near the visier's tent, and he discoursed with that ambassador till midnight: But willing once more to embrace the queen, whom he loved entirely, he returned alone to his palace, and went straight to her majesty's apartment; who, not expecting his return, had taken one of the meanest officers of the household to her bed, where they lay both fast asleep, having been in bed a considerable while.

The king entered without any noise, and pleased himself to think how he should surprise his wife, who he thought loved him as entirely as he did her; but how strange was his surprise, when by the light of the flambeaus, which burn all night in the apartments of those eastern princes, he saw a man in her arms! He stood immoveable for a time, not knowing how to believe his own eyes: but finding it was not to be doubted,- How! says he to himself, I am scarce out of my palace, and but just under the walls of Samarcande, and dare they put such an outrage upon me? Ah! perfidious wretches, your crime shall not go unpunished. As king, I am to punish wickedness committed in my dominions; and as an enraged husband, I must sacrifice you to my just resentment. In a word, this unfortunate prince, giving way to his rage, drew his scymetar,* and approaching the bed, killed them both with one blow, turning their sleep into death; and afterwards taking them up, threw them out of a window into the ditch that surrounded the palace.

Having avenged himself thus, he went out of town privately, as he came into it; and returning to his pavilion, without saying one word of what had happened, he ordered the tents to be struck, and to make ready for his journey. This was speedily done; and before day he began his march, with kettle-drums and other instruments of music, that filled every one with joy except the king, who was so much troubled at the disloyalty of his wife, that he was seized with extreme melancholy, which preyed upon him during his whole journey.

When he drew near the capital of the Indies, the sultan Schahriar and all his court came out to meet him: the princes were overjoyed to see one another; and alighting, after mutual embraces and other marks of affection and respect, they mounted again, and entered the city, with the acclamations of vast multitudes of people. The sultan conducted his brother to a palace he had provided for him，which had a communication with his own by means of a garden; and was so much the more magnificent, for it was set apart as a banquetting-house for public entertainment, and other diversions of the court, and the splendour of it had been lately augmented by new furniture.

Schahriar immediately left the king of Tartary, that he might give him time to bathe himself, and to change his apparel. And as soon as he had done, he came to him again, and they sat down together upon a sofa or alcove.* The courtiers kept at a distance, out of respect; and those two princes entertained one another suitably to their friendship, their nearness of blood, and the long separation that had been betwixt them. The time of supper being come, they eat together; after which they renewed their conversation, which continued till Schahriar, perceiving that it was very late, left his brother to his rest.

The unfortunate Schahzenan went to bed; and though the conversation of his brother had suspended his grief for some time, it returned upon him with more violence; so that, instead of taking his necessary rest, he tormented himself with cruel reflections. All the circumstances of his wife's disloyalty presented themselves afresh to his imagination, in so lively a manner, that he was like one beside himself. In a word, not being able to sleep, he got up, and giving himself over to afflicting thoughts, they made such an impression upon his countenance, that the sultan could not but take notice of it, and said thus to himself; What can be the matter with the king of Tartary, that he is so melancholy; Has he any cause to complain of his reception? No surely; I have received him as a brother whom I love, so that I can charge myself with no omission in that respect. Perhaps it grieves him to be at such a distance from his dominions, or from the queen his wife: Alas! if that be the matter, I must forthwith give him the presents I designed for him, that he may return to Samarcande when he pleases. Accordingly next day Schahriar sent him part of those presents, being the greatest rarities and the richest things that the Indies could afford. At the same time he endeavoured to divert his brother every day by new objects of pleasure, and the finest treats; which, instead of giving the king of Tartary any ease, did only increase his sorrow.

One day, Schahriar having appointed a great hunting- -match, about two days journey from his capital, in a place that abounded with deer; Schahzenan prayed him to excuse him, for his health would not allow him to bear him company. The sultan, unwilling to put any constraint upon him, left him at liberty, and went a-hunting with his nobles. The king of Tartary being thus left alone, shut himself up in his apartment, and sat down at a window that looked into the garden: That delicious place, and the sweet harmony of an infinite number of birds, which chose it for a place of retreat, must certainly have diverted him, had he been capable of taking pleasure in any thing; but being perpetually tormented with the fatal remembrance of his queen's in-famous conduct, his eyes were not so often fixed upon the garden, as lifted up to heaven to bewail his misfortune.