【杀死一只知更鸟】英文简介

To Kill a Mockingbird   The film's young protagonists, Jean Louise "Scout" Finch and her brother Jeremy Atticus "Jem" Finch, live in the fictional town of Maycomb, Alabama, during the early 1930s. The story covers three years, during which Scout and Jem undergo changes in their lives. They begin as innocent children, who spend their days happily playing games with each other and spying on Arthur "Boo" Radley, who has not been seen for many years by anybody as a result of never leaving his house and about whom many rumors circulate. Their widowed father, Atticus, is a town lawyer and has a strong belief that all people are to be treated fairly, to turn the other cheek, and to stand for what you believe.     The local judge appoints Atticus to defend a black man, Tom Robinson, against an accusation of rape of a white girl, Mayella Ewell. Atticus accepts the case.     At the trial it is undisputed that Tom came to Mayella's home at her request to help with the chopping up of a chifforobe, and that Mayella showed signs of having been beaten around that time. Among Atticus' chief arguments, he points out that Tom is crippled in his left arm, and that the supposed rapist would have had to make extensive use of his left hand in assaulting Mayella before raping her. At the same time Atticus demonstrates that Mayella's father, Bob Ewell, is left handed, implying that he – rather than Tom – was the one who beat Mayella. Atticus also states that the girl had not even been examined by a doctor to check for signs of rape after the supposed assault. In his closing argument Atticus asks the all white, male jury to cast aside their prejudices and instead focus on Tom's obvious innocence. But in a town where whites are viewed as superior to blacks, Tom's sympathy for Mayella dooms his case, and he's found guilty. The film ends with Scout considering events from Boo's point of view and with Atticus watching over the unconscious Jem.