Mark Twain was an American writer, fearless humorist, and educator, whose quick wit and retorts are also famous. He wrote children’s stories and novels that were very well-received. Mark Twain was traveling on a train on April 21, 1910, when he suffered a heart attack. Today, admirers and fans of his humorous works are commemorating Mark Twain’s legacy.
He was born Samuel Langhorne Clemens in Florida, USA in 1835, and he gained fame under the pen name Mark Twain in the literary world. In addition to his humorous works, Mark Twain earned a lot of fame through his novels “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” and “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.” His stories have been translated into many languages of the world, including Urdu. It was through these translations that Mark Twain gained recognition in Pakistan, and he became popular among Urdu-speaking readers as well.
Mark Twain was an American writer and humorist who lived from 1835 to 1910. He is best known for his novels, such as “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer” and “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,” which are considered classics of American literature. Twain was born in Missouri and had a difficult childhood due to financial problems. He left school at the age of 11 and worked in various jobs, including as a newspaper apprentice, where he discovered his interest in writing.
Twain’s writing style was characterized by his wit, humor, and satire. He used his writing to comment on social and political issues of his time, such as slavery and imperialism. Twain’s works were popular with both the general public and intellectuals, and he was highly regarded by other writers of his time.
Some of Twain’s famous quotes include “The secret of getting ahead is getting started,” “Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don’t mind, it doesn’t matter,” and “The difference between the almost right word and the right word is really a large matter – ’tis the difference between the lightning bug and the lightning.”
The passages are written in Urdu, a language spoken mainly in Pakistan and India. Here are English translations:
- A friend joked, “Mark! Is it necessary that Shakespeare is in heaven? It is possible that he may be in hell.” Mark replied confidently with a smile, “In that case, you should go there and ask him.”
- Mark Twain shared a childhood incident, “I was extremely dishonest as a child. One day, I was playing outside my house when I heard a voice in my ear, ‘Two sweet apples for a penny.’ A man with a cart was passing by selling red and white round apples. My pocket was empty, but my heart was craving for the apples. I winked at the cart-man, picked up an apple and ran away. As soon as I took a bite of the apple, my conscience began to rebuke me. I became restless and ran back to the cart-man, kept the apple in it, and took a ripe and sweet one instead.”
- Mark Twain was supposed to give a lecture in the evening. He went to get a haircut in the afternoon. The barber held his tongue and began to move it like a scissor, “Sir! Mark Twain is going to have a lecture this evening. Have you bought the ticket? If not, buy it; otherwise, you will have to stand and listen to the lecture.” Mark Twain replied with simplicity and seriousness, “Thank you for your opinion. But, I am very unlucky because whenever Mark Twain has to give a lecture, he has to stand and listen to it.”
