《魔鬼辞典》通过对词条定义或解释的方式来解剖世界，其风格类似于杂文。作者无情地揭示了人类文明的缺陷和人性的弱点，色勒了类羞于暴露，难以正视的阴影。全书幽默，诙谐，辛辣，调侃，富含深刻的哲理和尖利的讽刺，让人在开怀一笑之余，不禁掩卷沉思。

THE DEVIL'S DICTIONARY
THE DEVIL'S
DICTIONARY
by AMBROSE BIERCE

1

THE DEVIL'S DICTIONARY
AUTHOR'S PREFACE

_The Devil's Dictionary_ was begun in a weekly paper in 1881, and
wascontinued in a desultory way at long intervals until 1906.In thatyear a
large part of it was published in covers with the title _TheCynic's Word
Book_, a name which the author had not the power toreject or happiness to
approve.To quote the publishers of thepresent work:

"This more reverent title had previously been forced upon him bythe
religious scruples of the last newspaper in which a part of thework had
appeared, with the natural consequence that when it came outin covers the
country already had been flooded by its imitators with ascore of 'cynic'
books -- _The Cynic's This_, _The Cynic's That_, and_The Cynic's
t'Other_.Most of these books were merely stupid, thoughsome of them
added the distinction of silliness.Among them, theybrought the word
'cynic' into disfavor so deep that any book bearingit was discredited in
advance of publication."

Meantime, too, some of the enterprising humorists of the countryhad
helped themselves to such parts of the work as served their needs,and
many of its definitions, anecdotes, phrases and so forth, hadbecome more
or less current in popular speech.This explanation ismade, not with any
pride of priority in trifles, but in simple denialof possible charges of
plagiarism, which is no trifle.In merelyresuming his own the author hopes
to be held guiltless by those towhom the work is addressed -- enlightened
souls who prefer dry winesto sweet, sense to sentiment, wit to humor and
clean English to slang.