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49岁的美国小说家John Shors在游历长城、咨询了大约六位中国文化和历史专家，并查阅了诸多关于长城的典籍后，历时两年，根据中国古典小说《孟姜女》，创作了小说Unbound。赋予妇女权利是故事中的一个重要主题，Shors希望他的女主角孟能反映出女性在中國历史上所扮演的强大角色。因此，他赋予了新作皆大欢喜的结局。
American novelist John Shors， 49， has seven novels and all of them are set in Asia.
His latest novel Unbound is a love story that takes place on the Great Wall. Unbound is based on an ancient Chinese folk tale about Lady Meng Jiang. Shors fleshed out the original story with fictional side characters and subplots （次要情节）.
While the folk tale ends with the tragic（悲惨的） deaths of Meng and her husband Fan Xiliang， Shors finished his version with a pleasant ending.
Christine Branstad， the wife of the US ambassador to China， Terry Branstad， has read Unbound and recommended it to friends and family， both in China and in the United States. Commenting on the book， she said in an e?mail，“My husband and I have both read it and loved the beauty of the story and the history of the Great Wall. It is a true gift to be able to share that story with the world.”
The tall， thin and soft?spoken author backpacked（背包旅行） across 10 Asian countries when he was 24. And， in 1999， when he was backpacking again in Asia with his wife Allison， Shors discovered the love story behind Indias Taj Mahal that inspired his first novel， Beneath a Marble Sky. Since then he has written stories set in Vietnam， Thailand， Cambodia and Japan.
“I wanted to see the Great Wall， I wanted to walk it， I wanted to understand it， and of course， I wanted to write a book about it，” said Shors.
To create an accurate portrayal（描述） of Chinese culture for the book， Shors spent four months researching before his book in 2014， a two?week trip to Beijing in 2013 included. Then， he walked along the Great Wall for almost a week and felt the texture （质地） of the bricks， in an effort to imagine spending time on it from the perspectives （观点） of his characters in the book.
“My time on the Great Wall allowed me to see its beauty.” said Shors.
“This is a graceful， elaborate structure that is far more than a never?ending pile of stacked （堆叠的） stones.”
Shors admits to his limitations of having to rely on English translations of Chinese historical accounts.
During the two?year writing process， he consulted （咨询） about six experts on Chinese culture and history， including a few from the University of Colorado and one from China. Referring to Shors efforts to get the right details， Jeremiah Jenne， a Chinese history teacher said， “The research shors did on material culture is really fruitful， like some of the descriptions of the clothing， weapons and food.” The book is titled Unbound because its heroine， Meng， has unbound feet and what Shors calls an “unbound spirit”.
Womens empowerment（授权） is an important subject in the story. As Shors sees it， Chinese women pushed boundaries in very subtle （微妙的） ways， for instance， in writing good poetry and getting out of home to travel.
Shors wanted his heroine Meng to reflect the powerful roles women played in Chinas history.
“I think theres a concept （概念） in the West that historically women in Asia were powerless. I just dont think thats accurate，” said Shors.
“I wanted to show women as they truly were， perhaps repressed（被压制的） but yet powerful in their own way.”
And he doesnt expect there to be more criticism （批评） coming from Chinese readers than from other parts of the world.
Mrs Huang， who worked with Shors when the Chinese version of his fourth book The Wishing Trees was published in China in 2011， said she considers Unbound a “faithful， interesting and innovative approach” to Chinese traditional folk tales that will appeal to readers beyond China.
[閱读扫障]
1.be set in 以……为背景
2.take place 发生
3.be based on 以……为基础
4.flesh out 使有血有肉；充实；使……具体化
5.recommend ... to 把……推荐给
6.rely on 依靠
7.refer to 提到；参考
8.for instance 例如
9.appeal to 引起兴趣；有吸引力
[语言提取]
1.民间故事是以孟和丈夫范喜良的惨死结尾，而Shors则以一个愉快的结局结束了他的故事。
the folk tale ends with the tragic deaths of Meng and her husband Fan Xiliang， Shors finished his version with a pleasant ending.
【点石成金】while引导让步状语从句时，需要放在主句前面。答案为While。
2.能够与世界分享这个故事是一个真正的礼物。
to be able to share that story with the world.
【点石成金】it常可用于代替动词不定式，充当句子的形式主语。句中it代替的是 to be able to share that story with the world。答案为It is a true gift。
3.自那以后，他以越南、泰国、柬埔寨和日本为背景，写了一些故事。
Since then he stories Vietnam， Thailand， Cambodia and Japan.
【点石成金】现在完成时常和since连用，故第一空应填写has written；第二空应为set in，是过去分词作后置定语，相当于which / that are set in。答案为has written； set in。
4.（1）Shors花了4个月的时间研究了他在2014年出版的书，其中包括2013年的一次为期两周的北京之行。
Shors spent four months researching before his book in 2014， a two?week trip to Beijing in 2013 （include）.
（2）在两年的写作过程中，他咨询了大约六位中国文化和历史专家，其中几位来自科罗拉多大学，一位来自中国。
During the two?year writing process， he consulted about six experts on Chinese culture and history， （include）a few from the University of Colorado and one from China.
【点石成金】included和including用法不同。前者用于sb / sth included结构，而后者用于including sb / sth结构。答案分别为included和including。
49岁的美国小说家John Shors在游历长城、咨询了大约六位中国文化和历史专家，并查阅了诸多关于长城的典籍后，历时两年，根据中国古典小说《孟姜女》，创作了小说Unbound。赋予妇女权利是故事中的一个重要主题，Shors希望他的女主角孟能反映出女性在中國历史上所扮演的强大角色。因此，他赋予了新作皆大欢喜的结局。
American novelist John Shors， 49， has seven novels and all of them are set in Asia.
His latest novel Unbound is a love story that takes place on the Great Wall. Unbound is based on an ancient Chinese folk tale about Lady Meng Jiang. Shors fleshed out the original story with fictional side characters and subplots （次要情节）.
While the folk tale ends with the tragic（悲惨的） deaths of Meng and her husband Fan Xiliang， Shors finished his version with a pleasant ending.
Christine Branstad， the wife of the US ambassador to China， Terry Branstad， has read Unbound and recommended it to friends and family， both in China and in the United States. Commenting on the book， she said in an e?mail，“My husband and I have both read it and loved the beauty of the story and the history of the Great Wall. It is a true gift to be able to share that story with the world.”
The tall， thin and soft?spoken author backpacked（背包旅行） across 10 Asian countries when he was 24. And， in 1999， when he was backpacking again in Asia with his wife Allison， Shors discovered the love story behind Indias Taj Mahal that inspired his first novel， Beneath a Marble Sky. Since then he has written stories set in Vietnam， Thailand， Cambodia and Japan.
“I wanted to see the Great Wall， I wanted to walk it， I wanted to understand it， and of course， I wanted to write a book about it，” said Shors.
To create an accurate portrayal（描述） of Chinese culture for the book， Shors spent four months researching before his book in 2014， a two?week trip to Beijing in 2013 included. Then， he walked along the Great Wall for almost a week and felt the texture （质地） of the bricks， in an effort to imagine spending time on it from the perspectives （观点） of his characters in the book.
“My time on the Great Wall allowed me to see its beauty.” said Shors.
“This is a graceful， elaborate structure that is far more than a never?ending pile of stacked （堆叠的） stones.”
Shors admits to his limitations of having to rely on English translations of Chinese historical accounts.
During the two?year writing process， he consulted （咨询） about six experts on Chinese culture and history， including a few from the University of Colorado and one from China. Referring to Shors efforts to get the right details， Jeremiah Jenne， a Chinese history teacher said， “The research shors did on material culture is really fruitful， like some of the descriptions of the clothing， weapons and food.” The book is titled Unbound because its heroine， Meng， has unbound feet and what Shors calls an “unbound spirit”.
Womens empowerment（授权） is an important subject in the story. As Shors sees it， Chinese women pushed boundaries in very subtle （微妙的） ways， for instance， in writing good poetry and getting out of home to travel.
Shors wanted his heroine Meng to reflect the powerful roles women played in Chinas history.
“I think theres a concept （概念） in the West that historically women in Asia were powerless. I just dont think thats accurate，” said Shors.
“I wanted to show women as they truly were， perhaps repressed（被压制的） but yet powerful in their own way.”
And he doesnt expect there to be more criticism （批评） coming from Chinese readers than from other parts of the world.
Mrs Huang， who worked with Shors when the Chinese version of his fourth book The Wishing Trees was published in China in 2011， said she considers Unbound a “faithful， interesting and innovative approach” to Chinese traditional folk tales that will appeal to readers beyond China.
[閱读扫障]
1.be set in 以……为背景
2.take place 发生
3.be based on 以……为基础
4.flesh out 使有血有肉；充实；使……具体化
5.recommend ... to 把……推荐给
6.rely on 依靠
7.refer to 提到；参考
8.for instance 例如
9.appeal to 引起兴趣；有吸引力
[语言提取]
1.民间故事是以孟和丈夫范喜良的惨死结尾，而Shors则以一个愉快的结局结束了他的故事。
the folk tale ends with the tragic deaths of Meng and her husband Fan Xiliang， Shors finished his version with a pleasant ending.
【点石成金】while引导让步状语从句时，需要放在主句前面。答案为While。
2.能够与世界分享这个故事是一个真正的礼物。
to be able to share that story with the world.
【点石成金】it常可用于代替动词不定式，充当句子的形式主语。句中it代替的是 to be able to share that story with the world。答案为It is a true gift。
3.自那以后，他以越南、泰国、柬埔寨和日本为背景，写了一些故事。
Since then he stories Vietnam， Thailand， Cambodia and Japan.
【点石成金】现在完成时常和since连用，故第一空应填写has written；第二空应为set in，是过去分词作后置定语，相当于which / that are set in。答案为has written； set in。
4.（1）Shors花了4个月的时间研究了他在2014年出版的书，其中包括2013年的一次为期两周的北京之行。
Shors spent four months researching before his book in 2014， a two?week trip to Beijing in 2013 （include）.
（2）在两年的写作过程中，他咨询了大约六位中国文化和历史专家，其中几位来自科罗拉多大学，一位来自中国。
During the two?year writing process， he consulted about six experts on Chinese culture and history， （include）a few from the University of Colorado and one from China.
【点石成金】included和including用法不同。前者用于sb / sth included结构，而后者用于including sb / sth结构。答案分别为included和including。