《高爾斯華綏短篇小說精選：蘋果樹（名著雙語讀物中文導讀+英文原版）》精選了英國**作家、諾貝爾文學獎獲得者約翰·高爾斯華綏的5篇短篇小說——《**的和*後的》《演變》《小山上的喜鵲》《品質》和《蘋果樹》等**的短篇小說名篇。
本書采用中文導讀英文版的形式出版。在中文導讀中，盡力使其貼近原作的精髓，也盡可能保留原作的故事主線。

《高爾斯華綏短篇小說精選：蘋果樹（名著雙語 讀物中文導讀+英文原版）》精選了英國著名作家、 諾貝爾文學獎獲得者約翰·高爾斯華綏的5篇短篇小 說——《在前的和在後的》《演變》《小山上的喜鵲 》《品質》和《蘋果樹》等公認的短篇小說名篇。近 一個世紀以來，它們被翻譯成各種文字，影響了一代 又一代世界各地的讀者。 無論作為語言學習的課本，還是作為通俗的文學 讀本，這些經典名篇對當代中國的讀者都將產生積極 的影響。為了使讀者能夠了解英文故事概況，進而提 高閱讀速度和閱讀水平，在每篇的開始部分增加了中 文導讀。

品質
Quality
蘋果樹
The Apple Tree
小山上的喜鵲
Magpie Over The Hill
在前的與在後的
The First And Last
演變
Evolution

品質 蓋斯勒兄弟的鞋店曾位於倫敦西區的一條小街上 ，而現在這條街已不復存在。我從少年起就認識兄弟 倆。他們隻接受預訂的鞋，鞋店櫥窗裡總是陳列著幾 雙極美麗的靴子，從不*換，仿佛隻有親眼見過靴子 靈魂的人纔能做出那樣堪稱典範的鞋子。
蓋斯勒兄弟倆有一種很可貴的品格，他們將做靴 子看成藝術，做的靴子格外耐穿。他們兩個人很像， 隻是弟弟樸實嚴肅而又迷戀理想，哥哥兢兢業業而又 平淡乏味。人們去他們的店鋪時**舒適悠閑，隻需 坐在木椅上等待主人下來詢問。若是我去他們店裡請 他們給我做一雙俄國皮靴，蓋斯勒手裡就會拿著一張 黃褐色皮革，將其嘖嘖稱贊一番，和我約好什麼時候 取之後，我就可以離開了。他總是久久打量自己做的 靴子。有一次我跟小蓋斯勒說他上次給我做的靴子吱 嘎作響，他讓我送回來，說不修好就不收錢。
還有一次，我穿著一雙在大公司買的靴子走進店 裡，小蓋斯勒一眼就看了出來，說那不是他做的靴子 ，語調顯得冷淡。他伸出手指按在鞋的某處問我那裡 疼不疼，我承認了——大公司的鞋穿起來的確不舒服 。他談起了如今行業上的艱難狀況，說大公司們壟斷 了一切，隻登廣告而不好好做事，把靴子從熱愛靴子 的他們手中奪走，於是他們生意一年不如一年，就要 失業了。我看到他的胡子白了不少。為此我訂了許多 靴子，但它們實在太耐穿了，我過了兩年纔又去到他 們店裡，但這時我發現他們的一半店鋪已經盤給了另 一個給王室做靴子的鞋匠，’櫥窗裡的那些美麗靴子 已被扔到一邊。我很不好意思，又趕緊定做了三雙。
幾個月後我再去時，已經六十歲的小蓋斯勒先生 說他哥哥死了。他仍然問我要不要做靴子，我訂了好 幾雙，後來穿著出國了，這些靴子怎麼也穿不壞。等 我一年後再回去，再次請小蓋斯勒為我做靴子時，他 看上去老了*多，弱不禁風。靴子送來了，那是他為 我做過的*好的靴子。一周後，我想去告訴他靴子很 合腳，但店裡一個陌生的年輕人告訴我現在這家店已 經是他們的了，小蓋斯勒已經死了。他還說，小蓋斯 勒從不登廣告，整天在親自做鞋，所有的錢用在房租 和皮革上，也不給自己留喫飯的時間，是慢性饑餓死 的。我轉身離開了，不想讓年輕人知道我不明白怎麼 會這樣。
I knew him from the days of my extreme youth, because he made my father's boots; inhabiting with his elder brother two little shops let into one, in a small by-street-now no more, but then most fashionably placed in the West End. That tenement had a certain quiet distinction; there was no sign upon its face that he made for any of the Royal Family-- merely his own German name of Gessler Brothers; and in the window a few pairs of boots. I remember that it always troubled me to account for those unvarying boots in the window, for he made only what was ordered, reaching nothing down, and it seemed so inconceivable that what he made could ever have failed to fit. Had he bought them to put there？ That, too, seemed inconceivable. He would never have tolerated in his house leather on which he had not worked himself. Besides, they were too beautiful--the pair of pumps, so inexpressibly slim, the patent leathers with cloth tops, making water come into one's mouth, the tall brown riding boots with marvellous sooty glow, as if, though new, they had been worn a hundred years. Those pairs could only have been made by one who saw before him the Soul of Boot--so truly were they prototypes incarnating the very spirit of all foot- gear. These thoughts, of course, came to me later, though even when I was promoted to him, at the age of perhaps fourteen, some inkling haunted me of the dignity of himself and brother. For to make boots--such boots as he made--seemed to me then, and still seems to me, mysterious and wonderful. I remember well my shy remark, one day, while stretching out to him my youthful foot: "Isn't it awfully hard to do, Mr. Gessler？" P1-3