📖 The Ersatz Elevator

The Ersatz Elevator by Lemony Snicket is about the Baudelaire orphans Violet, Klaus, and Sunny. After the sibling's wealthy parents died in a house fire, they were sent to many foster care parents. The one that stood out the most was Count Olaf, and ever since he laid eyes on the orphans, he has been chasing after them and their inherited money by stalking them and coming up with devious plans and disguises to steal the money. After narrowly escaping their horrifying Count Olaf from the orphan's boarding school, they were now back once again at a new home: a massive penthouse on Dark Avenue. It was home to some of the richest individuals of the city, including their new foster parents. Their foster parent was Jerome Squalor, a kind and generous man who actually cared about the children and supported them. His wife was a strange but very wealthy financier named Esme who had a weird obsession with "ins" and "outs". If something was "in", it was popular and it was okay to use it(for example a certain clothing). She was so centered around this topic that she even had her own auction where rich people would bid for objects that were "in". One day, she actually decided to give the Baudelaire orphans a gift: pinstripe pajamas(which were of course "in") instead of the things they really desired(like books or tools to make inventions). As the disgusted orphans were putting on their oversize pajamas, they looked up and saw him again….. it was Count Olaf. He was disguised as the new auctioneer of the "In" Auction, but most importantly, he was back for the Baudlaire's money… and lives. In a book where neither the protagonist or the antagonist wins, the reader of this thrilling story learns about a non-fairy tail world….. where there can be some unfortunate series of events.

《假电梯》(The Ersatz Elevator)是由莱蒙尼·斯尼科特(Lemony Snicket)创作的一本书,讲述了波德莱尔孤儿——维奥莱特、克劳斯和桑妮——的故事。在他们富有的父母因一场房屋大火去世后,兄妹三人被送往许多寄养家庭。其中最令人印象深刻的是奥拉夫伯爵。自从他见到这些孤儿后,就一直追逐他们和他们继承的财产,通过跟踪他们以及想出各种阴险的计划和伪装来企图夺取这笔钱。 在刚刚从那所寄宿学校里可怕的奥拉夫伯爵手中惊险逃脱后,他们再次被送到一个新家——位于黑暗大道的一座巨大的顶层公寓。那里住着城市中最富有的一些人,包括他们的新监护人。他们的监护人是杰罗姆·斯夸勒,一个善良而慷慨的人,真正关心孩子们并支持他们。他的妻子是埃丝梅,一位古怪却非常富有的金融家,她对"流行"和"过时"("in"和"out")有着奇怪的执念。如果某样东西是"流行"的,那它就是受欢迎的、可以使用的(例如某种服装)。她对这个话题如此痴迷,甚至举办了自己的拍卖会,让富人们竞拍那些"流行"的物品。 有一天,她决定送给波德莱尔孤儿们一份礼物:细条纹睡衣(当然这是"流行"的),而不是他们真正渴望的东西(比如书籍或制作发明的工具)。当厌恶的孤儿们穿上过大的睡衣时,他们抬头一看,又看见了他……那是奥拉夫伯爵。他伪装成"流行"拍卖会的新拍卖师,但更重要的是,他又一次为了波德莱尔的财产——以及他们的生命——而来。 在这本既没有真正赢家、也没有真正失败者的书中,读者通过这个扣人心弦的故事了解到一个并非童话般美好的世界……在那里,可能会发生一连串不幸的事件。