2.4 Modern English外国文学名著导读.pdf

Chapter Two 2.4 Modern English Early Modern English Modern Era: 16th century onwards (1) Renaissance (16th c.) – greatly expanded vocabulary (2) Printing – Caxton 1476 (3) King James Bible (4) Shakespeare – creativity, richness Renaissance (16th c.) This period, from the time of Caxton (1476) until around 1650, was called the “Renaissance”. The increase in foreign borrowings is the most distinctive linguistic sign of the Renaissance in English. By the end of the 16th century, English became the language of learning. Printing – Caxton (1476) William Caxton (1415~1422 – March 1492) was an English merchant, diplomat, writer and printer. He was the first English person to work as a printer and the first to introduce a printing press into England. He was also the first English retailer of printed books (his London contemporaries in the same trade were all Dutch, German or French). Caxton showing the first specimen of his printing to King Edward IV and Queen Elizabeth at the Almonry, Westminster. (painting by Daniel Maclise) 图片来源：h