A Christmas Carol é um grande clássico da literatura em inglês, escrito por Charles Dickens em 1843. O livro foi escrito em menos de um mês, teve todas as cópias vendidas em poucos dias, e até hoje, mais de 100 anos depois, nunca parou de ser publicado.

Além disso, já foram feitas várias adaptações para o cinema, ópera e teatro, mas hoje vamos estudar a história original. Abaixo você encontrará um resumo de cada um dos cinco “staves” que compõem o livro. Leia o vocabulário destacado e veja se você consegue compreender o significado.

E, antes de começar, uma curiosidade: Dickens escolheu dividir sua história em “staves” e não “chapters”. “Staves” são as pautas usadas para escrever as notas musicais em uma partitura, o que reforça a sugestão da história ser uma grande “Christmas Carol” (canção natalina).

STAVE ONE: MARLEY'S GHOST

Dickens begins his novella by introducing the miserly Ebenezer Scrooge, his poor clerk Bob Cratchit, and the ghost of Scrooge's late partner, Jacob Marley. The ghost tells Scrooge he will be visited by three spirits during the night.

Miserly
a rich person who spends as little money as possible

Clerk
a person employed in an office or bank to keep records, accounts, and undertake other routine administrative duties

STAVE TWO: THE FIRST OF THE THREE SPIRITS

The first spirit to visit Scrooge is the Ghost of Christmas Past, who shows him scenes from his lonely childhood and a broken engagement to a lovely young woman because of his greed.

Lonely
a person who has no friends or company

Greed
a selfish and excessive desire for more of something (such as money) than is needed

STAVE THREE: THE SECOND OF THE THREE SPIRITS

Ghost of Christmas Present visits Scrooge and shows him the happy holiday scenes in his town, including in the home of his clerk, Bob Cratchit. Despite being poor and having a crippled son (Tiny Tim), Cratchit and his family rejoice in the holiday spirit.

Despite
without being affected by something

Crippled
unable to walk or move properly

Rejoice
feel or show great joy or delight

STAVE FOUR: THE LAST OF THE SPIRITS

The final spirit, the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come, is a silent, dark figure, who shows Scrooge a dismal future and death of a greedy man who turns out to be Scrooge. His clerk, meanwhile, grieves the loss of his young son. Terrified, Scrooge begs the spirit for mercy and promises to change his life.

Dismal
pitifully or disgracefully bad

Grieve
feel intense sorrow

Mercy
compassion or forgiveness

STAVE FIVE: THE END OF IT

Scrooge wakes up with a new, joyful outlook on life, grateful for a second chance. He surprises everyone with his cheerful greetings. He donates money to the poor, sends a turkey to the Cratchit home, and attends his nephew's Christmas party. He further shocks the Cratchits by giving Bob a substantial raise and acting as a second father to Tiny Tim.

Outlook
a person's point of view or general attitude to life

Cheerful
noticeably happy and optimistic

Attend
be present at (an event, for example)

Source:
https://www.thoughtco.com/
https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/

Michel Rosas é professor de inglês e gerente de marketing na Companhia de Idiomas.