The Web is grand. With its fame for hosting informative, easy-to-skim textual snippets, and collaborative written works, people are spending more and more time reading online. Nevertheless, the Web cannot replace the authoritative transmissions from certain classic books that have delivered (or will deliver) profound ideas around the globe for generations.
The thirty books listed here are of unparalleled prose, packed with wisdom capable of igniting a new understanding of the world. Everyone should read these books before their thirtieth birthday.
1。Siddhartha《流浪者之歌》 by Hermann Hesse
A powerful story about the importance of life experiences as they relate to approaching an understanding of reality and attaining enlightenment
《流浪者之歌》是诺贝尔文奖得主赫塞融和东西文化，探求人类内在精神真实体验的一部巨作。在本书中，赫塞藉由主角求道的过程，反应出潜藏世人内心各种不安、迷惑、莫名蠢动诱因力道之强大，以坦白、不假修饰的真诚频率，带领读者以一种平和、不执妄的喜悦心，臻至追求真我性灵的丰美与满足的境地。
2。1984《一九八四》 by George Orwell [PDF格式下载]
1984 still holds chief significance nearly sixty years after it was written in 1949. It is widely acclaimed for its haunting vision of an all-knowing government, which uses pervasive, twenty-four/seven surveillance tactics to manipulate all citizens of the populace.
《一九八四》是奥威尔的传世之作，堪称世界文坛最著名的反乌托邦、反极权的政治讽喻小说。他在小说中创造的“老大哥”、“双重思想”、“ 新话”等词汇都已收威的英语词典，甚至由他的姓衍生出“奥威尔式” （Orwellian）、“奥威尔主义”（Orwellism）这样的通用词汇，不断出现在报道国际新闻的记者笔下，足见其作品在英语国家影响之深远。
3。To Kill a Mockingbird《杀死一只知更鸟》 by Harper Lee[PDF格式下载]
The story surveys the controversial issues of race and economic class in the 1930s Deep South via a court case of a black man charged with the rape and abuse of a young white girl. It’s a moving tale that delivers a profound message about fighting for justice and against prejudice.
本书获1960年普利策奖。三十年代，美国大萧条时期南部的一个小镇，三个天真孩子的生活因为两桩冤案而改变。赢弱而失语的人、固守太多偏见的无知的人，还有恪守原则的善良的律师父亲，迫使他们艰难地去理解成人世界里的偏见和冷漠，去理解真相所包含的危机和无奈，同时试着去理解，坏人的内心也可能无辜。
4。A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess [PDF格式下载]
A nightmarish vision of insane youth culture that depicts heart wrenching insight into the life of a disturbed adolescent. This novel will blow you away … leaving you breathless, livid, thrilled, and concerned.
《发条橙》是一部幻想小说，一个生活在英国未来社会的问题少年，由于青春斯躁动走上犯罪道路，破坏社会，五毒俱全，后受到社会制裁，被剥夺自由意志，经过思考与改造，他重新融入社会，意识到自己不过是上帝手中的一只发条橙……
5。For Whom the Bell Tolls 《战地钟声》by Ernest Hemingway[PDF格式下载]A short, powerful contemplation on death, ideology and the incredible brutality of war.
《战地钟声》是描述西班牙内战，海明威表达了佛朗哥元帅极权统治不但影响西班牙人，也影响其他国家的人。那个时期，欧美国家很多左倾艺术家和知识分子，都 表态反对极权统治，毕加索更以著名巨型画作格尔尼卡（Guernica）批评佛朗哥。于1940年出版。以西班牙内战为背景，描写满怀理想的美国青年罗伯 特·约丹（Robert Jordan)志愿参战，逃亡时因受伤而被遗弃在后方，于是独自与敌人火拼，最后以自杀了结此生的悲剧。故事情节复杂，人物刻划生动。
6。War and Peace《战争与和平》 by Leo Tolstoy[PDF格式下载]
This masterpiece is so enormous even Tolstoy said it couldn’t be described as a standard novel. The storyline takes place in Russian society during the Napoleonic Era, following the characters of Andrei, Pierre and Natasha … and the tragic and unanticipated way in which their lives interconnect.
托尔斯泰卷帙浩繁的长篇小说。场面浩大，人物繁多，被称为“世界上最伟大的小说”，成就非凡。《战争与和平》问世至今，一直被人称为“世界上最伟大的小说 ”。 这部卷帙浩繁的巨著以史诗般广阔与雄浑的气势，生动地描写了1805至1820年俄国社会的重大历史事件和各个生活领域：“近千个人物，无数的场景，国家 和私人生活的一切可能的领域，历史，战争，人间一切惨剧，各种情欲，人生各个阶段，从婴儿降临人间的啼声到气息奄奄的老人的感情最后迸发，人所能感受到的 一切欢乐和痛苦，各种可能的内心思绪，从窃取自己同伴的钱币的小偷的感觉，到英雄主义的最崇高的冲动和领悟透彻的沉思— —在这幅画里都应有尽有。
7。The Rights of Man by Tom Paine [PDF格式下载]
Written during the era of the French Revolution, this book was one of the first to introduce the concept of human rights from the standpoint of democracy.
托马斯·潘恩的《论》主张天赋权利和代议制民主共和的思想,其中处处体现出了对贫苦人民生活的关注,反对社会的不平等,成为英国早期工人运动的启蒙教材,在英国工人运动思想史上具有不容忽视的作用.
8。The Social Contract《社会契约论》 by Jean-Jacques Rousseau[PDF格式下载]
A famous quote from the book states that “Man is born free, and everywhere he is in chains.” This accurately summarizes the book’s prime position on the importance of individual human rights within society.
社会契约论(法文：Du Contrat Social，又译《民约论》，或称政治权利原理）是法国思想家让·雅克·卢梭于1762年写成的一本书。《社会契约论》中主权在民的思想，是现代民主制度的基石，深刻地影响了逐步废除欧洲君主绝对权力的运动，和18世纪末北美殖民地摆脱英帝国统治、建立民主制度的斗争。美国的《独立宣言》和法国的《宣言》及两国的宪法均体现了《社会契约论》的民主思想。
9。One Hundred Years of Solitude《百年孤独》 by Gabriel García Márquez [PDF格式下载]
This novel does not have a plot in the conventional sense, but instead uses various narratives to portray a clear message about the general importance of remembering our cultural history.
10。The Origin of Species《物种起源》 by Charles Darwin
Few books have had as significant an impact on the way society views the natural world and the genesis of humankind.
必读理由
影响世界历史进程的经典著作
震撼世界的10本书之一
1985年美国《生活》杂志评选的人类有史以来的最佳图书
1986年英国《读书》杂志推荐的理想藏书
所阐述的进化论是19世纪自然科学的三大发现之一
人类思想发展史上一座最伟大的划时代的里程碑
11。The Wisdom of the Desert《沙漠的智慧》 by Thomas MertonA collection of thoughts, meditations and reflections that give insight into what life is like to live simply and purely, dedicated to a greater power than ourselves.
这是一部对比本身更强大的力量的思考、冥想和反思的文集，它让人们了解，如果简单而纯粹地生活，生命又是怎样一番景象。
12。The Tipping Point《引爆流行》 by Malcolm Gladwell
Gladwell looks at how a small idea, or product concept, can spread like a virus and spark global sociological changes. Specifically, he analyzes “the levels at which the momentum for change becomes unstoppable.”
《引爆流行》可谓是一部智力历险记忆，妙趣横生，极富有感染力，让人充分感受到思想的魅力和愉悦。尤其重要的是，本书如同一幅思维导航图，让人看到思维的一种新的拓展方式，并且相信，一个富有想像力的人只要能找准引爆点，就能打开一个充满惊喜的世界。
13。The Wind in the Willows《柳林风声》 by Kenneth Graham
Arguably one of the best children’s books ever written; this short novel will help you appreciate the simple pleasures in life. It’s most notable for its playful mixture of mysticism, adventure, morality, and camaraderie.
《柳林风声》为仅带读者经历动物主角们随着季节变化的生活故事，还生动地刻画了柳林中萦绕的友谊与温情。此书也是哈利波特的作者JK•罗琳最喜欢的文学作品，在哈利波特当中，赫奇帕奇的象征獾也是以书里憨厚的獾先生为原型的。
14。The Art of War《孙子兵法》 by Sun TzuOne of the oldest books on military strategy in the world. It’s easily the most successful written work on the mechanics of general strategy and business tactics.
《孙子兵法》是中国古典军事文化遗产中的璀璨瑰宝，是中国优秀文化传统的重要组成部分。是世界三大兵书之一（另外两部是：《战争论》(克劳塞维茨) ，《五轮书》(宫本武藏) ）其内容博大精深，思想精邃富赡，逻辑缜密严谨。作者为春秋末年的齐国人孙武（字长卿）。 |
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