《美國(guó)語(yǔ)文讀本》從19世紀(jì)中期至20世紀(jì)中葉,一直被廣泛用作美國(guó)學(xué)校的語(yǔ)文教材,據(jù)稱有10000多所美國(guó)學(xué)校拿它當(dāng)作教材。到了21世紀(jì),西方一些私立學(xué)校(Private School)和家庭學(xué)校(Homeschool)仍用它作為教材,足見(jiàn)這套書的價(jià)值與影響力。據(jù)估計(jì),這套書從問(wèn)世至1960年,至少發(fā)行了1.22億冊(cè);1961年后,在西方每年銷量仍達(dá)30000冊(cè)以上。應(yīng)該說(shuō),沒(méi)有哪一套個(gè)人主編的教材能超過(guò)此發(fā)行量了!
此套讀本的英文原版共分七級(jí),包括啟蒙讀本和第1-6級(jí)。考慮到啟蒙讀本與第一級(jí)篇幅都較少,難易程度也很接近,于是我們將之合并為第1冊(cè),其余2-6級(jí)與英文原版相同。這樣國(guó)內(nèi)出版的這套讀本共包括6冊(cè)。第1冊(cè)從字母表開(kāi)始,主要側(cè)重于字母的發(fā)音與書寫、簡(jiǎn)單的單詞與句型,同時(shí)強(qiáng)調(diào)英文書寫,課文后面附有不少書法練習(xí),讓孩子們不僅將英語(yǔ)說(shuō)得像外國(guó)人,而且寫得也跟外文書法一樣,這是國(guó)內(nèi)英語(yǔ)教學(xué)所缺少的一個(gè)環(huán)節(jié)。從第2冊(cè)開(kāi)始,均是比較正式的課文,每一課包括詞匯和課文,對(duì)一些生詞有英文解釋,讓學(xué)生學(xué)會(huì)通過(guò)簡(jiǎn)單英文理解生詞,養(yǎng)成用英語(yǔ)理解和思維的習(xí)慣。第5冊(cè)和第6冊(cè)的課文前增加了作者簡(jiǎn)介與相關(guān)背景知識(shí),內(nèi)容豐富而有一定深度。
此套書為在原版本基礎(chǔ)上重新修訂精裝版,后兩冊(cè)字號(hào)較之前有所放大,并且修正了原有的錯(cuò)誤之處,以方便學(xué)生閱讀。
This series of schoolbooks teaching reading and moral precepts, originally prepared by William Holmes who was a professor at Miami University McGuffey, had a profound influence on public education in the United States. The eclectic readers, meaning that the selections were chosen from a number of sources, were considered remarkably literary works and probably exerted a greater influence upon literary tastes in the United States more than any other book, excluding the Bible.
It is estimated that at least 120 million copies of McGuffey's Readers were sold between 1836 and 1960, placing its sales in a category with the Bible and Webster's Dictionary. Since 1961 they have continued to sell at a rate of some 30,000 copies a year. No other textbook bearing a single person's name has come close to that mark. McGuffey's Readers are still in use today in some school systems, and by parents for home schooling purposes.