《小气财神》，又译《圣诞颂歌》，是英国维多利亚时代大文豪查理斯．狄更斯（Charles Dickens, 1812-1870）的知名作品。这本小说发表于1843年，堪称是最受世人欢迎的耶诞故事。故事自问世以来，就不断被拿来改编，演成各种形式的戏剧，后来还被制作成各种版本的电视、电影、广播或动画，深受各个年龄层的读者与观众所喜爱。

　　《小气财神》是一部中篇小说，为狄更斯五本圣诞小说系列（Christmas Books）的第一本。这本小说甫出版即广受欢迎，甚至影响了当时代人们对「圣诞节」的看法，为圣诞节传统注入了新意，让这个节日所代表的意义与精神，重新受到世人的重视。狄更斯曾为圣诞节下过这样的註解：

　　Happy, happy Christmas, that can win us back to the delusions of our childhood days, recall to the old man the pleasures of his youth, and transport the traveler back to his own fireside and quiet home!.

　　「圣诞节快乐」，这个日子带我们重温儿时的想像，
　　唤回老人家飞扬的青春记忆，引领游子回到家中静谧的炉火旁。

　　另外，《小气财神》还成功地塑造了一个文学上的经典人物「Scrooge」。Scrooge是故事中的那位一毛不拔的主人翁，如今这个字在英语里头，已成了「守财奴」的代名词。本书描写一个锱铢必较、爱财如命的守财奴Scrooge，他在一个圣诞夜里，因为经历了几场与鬼魂和精灵的邂逅，竟一夕之间变成了另一个个性截然不同的人。

　　这个故事的背景设在伦敦，时值一个严寒的圣诞节前夕。故事一开始，Scrooge是一个冷酷自私、刻薄悭吝、内心封闭的人，这晚当他回到清冷的家中，却来了一个意外的访客──一个七年前过世的老友的鬼魂，登门拜访来找他。这位老友与他个性相仿，因为死后遭遇悲惨，所以特地前来劝诫老友，要他引以为鑑，并通知他今晚会有三位精灵来找他。

　　这三位精灵分别是「过去的耶诞精灵」、「现在的耶诞精灵」、「未来的耶诞精灵」，他们分别带Scrooge到过去、现在、未来的圣诞节，让他对自己的人生做了回顾、省察和预见。这一夜，历经了痛苦、震惊、恐惧和懊悔，Scrooge顿时觉悟。他痛改前非，做重新人，变成了一个懂得对别人付出金钱与感情的人。

　　《小气财神》涉及了许多层面的议题，包括社会公义、慈善行为、家庭价值，还有贪婪与道德等各种人性问题。而故事中老友鬼魂如下的吶喊之声，传达出了这本书的一个主要精神：

　　Mankind was my business. The common welfare was my business;
　　Charity, mercy, forbearance, and benevolence, were, all, my business.

　　人类，才是我的事业！人们的福祉，才该是我的事业。
　　博爱、仁慈、宽容、慈善，这些才应该是我的事业！

　　A Christmas Carol is a novel written in 1843 by Charles Dickens. This popular story is one of his best; it has never been out of print and has been adapted to film, opera, and other media. The story is about a Christmas Eve when the stingy Ebenezer Scrooge has three ghosts as visitors. The ghosts teach Scrooge a powerful lesson that he will never forget.

　　Happy, happy Christmas, that can win us back to the delusions of our childhood days, recall to the old man the pleasures of his youth, and transport the traveler back to his own fireside and quiet home!

—Charles Dickens

　　A Christmas Carol was written in the style typical of Dickens. Inspiration for his stories was varied, but it came mostly from his own childhood experiences and various Christmas stories and fairy tales.

作者简介

查理斯．狄更斯（Charles Dickens, 1812-1870）

　　为英国维多利亚时期的大文豪，作品普受世人的欢迎，且对英国文学的发展有着深远的影响，是19世纪英国写实主义文学的主要代表。

　　在狄更斯年少时，父亲曾因债入狱，致使狄更斯被送去当学徒，这段经历让他备尝艰辛与屈辱。但也因为这样的经历，狄更斯擅长于描绘英国中下阶层的社会，深刻反映出复杂的社会现实。狄更斯位于西敏寺的墓志铭，适足传达此一精神特色，其写着：

　　He was a sympathiser with the poor, the suffering, and the oppressed; and by his death, one of England's greatest writers is lost to the world.

　　他的心，与穷人、受苦的人和被压迫者同在；他的谢世，令世界失去了一位伟大的英国作家。

　　狄更斯勤于笔耕，着作等身。其代表作包括《孤雏泪》（Oliver Twist）、《小气财神》（A Christmas Carol）、自传性题材的《块肉余生录》（David Copperfield）、《艰难时世》（Hard Times）、《双城记》（A Tale of Two Cities）、《远大前程》（Great Expectations）等。1870年，狄更斯不幸病逝，享年58岁。

　　Charles Dickens (1812-1870) was the most famous English novelist of the Victorian era, and his tales are still popular today and form an important part of English literature. Dickens spent his life writing. His stories reflected his childhood and contributed to the social reform of 19th century Great Britain. His most famous novels are The Adventures of Oliver Twist, A Christmas Carol, David Copperfield, and A Tale of Two Cities.

Stave One
Marley’s Ghost

Stave Two
The First of the Three Spirits

Stave Three
The Second of the Three Spirits

Stave Four
The Last of the Spirits

Stave Five
The End of It