黑色郁金香

The black Tulip About the author Alexandre Dumas (1802-1870) began to focus on historical novels after twenty successful years as a playwright. During his most productive period, from 1841 to 1850, he wrote forty-one novels, twenty-three plays, seven historical novels, and a dozen travel books. Robin Buss is a writer and translator who write for the Independent on Sunday and The Times Educational Supplement (London). For Penguin Classics, he has translated some of the novels of émile Zola. (1802-1870) began to focus on historical novels after twenty successful years as a playwright. During his most productive period, from 1841 to 1850, he wrote forty-one novels, twenty-three plays, seven historical novels, and a dozen travel books. Robin Buss is a writer and translator who write for the Independent on Sunday and The Times Educational Supplement (London). For Penguin Classics, he has translated some of the novels of émile Zola. Content abstract In this story, Cornelius Van Baerle being so crazy about tulips tries to grow a black tulip without any other color on it at all in order to gain quite a substantial sum of money offered to the winner. However, Boxtel, a man living in the next door, also has a crush on the money. He then supervises every movement of Cornelius secretly for fear that Cornelius may grow better tulips than his own. Besides this, he also carries out many surreptitious activities to destroy Cornelius’ tulips by all means. Once a while, he accuses Cornelius of harboring letters that might be harmful to the government so that Cornelius is sent to the prison without giving provocation. This nearly causes him to death. Even here, Cornelius manages to grow tulips with the help of Rosa, the daughter of the prison-keeper. But unfortunately, their first black tulip is stolen by Boxtel. It’s Rosa who proves the truth and saves Cornelius by herself! It’s a happy ending in this novel as it says “Those who have suffered much have a right to be happy.” This quotation brings the whole story to an end and will certainly motivate readers to go on. Rosa herself will remain as quite a good example, too. The feeling after reading I believe that nothing is further from the truth. To my mind, the secret to happiness lies in your successful work, in your contribution towards others’ happiness and in your wealth you have earned through your own honest efforts. Firstly, in order to obtain happiness, you should achieve your successful work, in order to achieve your successful work; you should go through thick and thin. As the writer said, “those who have suffered much, have a right to be happy.” Take the two leading characters for example. They eventually reach happiness after suffering a lot both psychologically and physiologically. Secondly, your happiness should live in your contribution towards others’ happiness, but not on the contrary, in destroying others’ happiness. If you get your happiness by taking advantage of others or by hurting others, you won’t be happy with it for long, at least, you won’t enjoy the real happiness. People will think you’re a mean person. Boxtel was a typical case. He would never gain happiness. Thirdly, wealth obtained through dishonest means doesn’t bring happiness. Happiness is not an end, it is a process. It’s a continuous process of honest and productive work which makes a real contribution to others and makes you feel you are a useful and worthy person.