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【冷泉泓薇】整理

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THE　GREEN　MILE

1996

Foreword：　A　Letter

Dear　Constant　Reader；

Life　is　a　capricious　business。　The　story　which　begins　in　this　little　book　exists　in　this　form　because　of　a　chance　remark　made　by　a　realtor　I　have　never　met。　This　happened　a　year　ago；　on　Long　Island。　Ralph　Vicinanza；　a　long…time　friend　and　business　associate　of　mine　（what　he　does　mostly　is　to　sell　foreign　publishing　rights　for　books　and　stories）；　had　just　rented　a　house　there。　The　realtor　remarked　that　the　house　〃looked　like　something　out　of　a　story　by　Charles　Dickens。〃

The　remark　was　still　on　Ralph's　mind　when　he　weled　his　first　houseguest；　British　publisher　Malcolm　Edwards。　He　repeated　it　to　Edwards；　and　they　began　chatting　about　Dickens。　Edwards　mentioned　that　Dickens　had　published　many　of　his　novels　in　installments；　either　folded　into　magazines　or　by　themselves　as　chapbooks；　（I　don't　know　the　origin　of　this　word；　meaning　a　smaller…than…average　book；　but　have　always　loved　its　air　of　intimacy　and　friendliness）。　Some　of　the　novels；　Edwards　added；　were　actually　written　and　revised　in　the　shadow　of　publication；　Charles　Dickens　was　one　novelist　apparently　not　afraid　of　a　deadline。

Dickens's　serialized　novels　were　immensely　popular；　so　popular；　in　fact；　that　one　of　them　precipitated　a　tragedy　in　Baltimore。　A　large　group　o