喜剧之王 查理·卓别林

查理·卓别林(Charlie Chaplin，1889-1977)出生在英国伦敦的一个贫民区里，他的父母是音乐厅的演员。由于父亲早亡，母亲精神失常，他被迫流浪街头。14岁那年，卓别林加入流动剧团，跑遍了英国各个角落。19岁时，他当上了一个著名剧团的演员，并随团到欧洲、美国等地演出。1913年他到了美国，开始从事电影事业，并于1914年在影片《威尼斯赛车记》中创造了一个悲剧小人物“夏尔洛”，从此这个有特别装束的流浪汉形象风行世界70年，经久不衰。

Charles Spencer Chaplin was born in London, on April 16th 1889. His father was a versatile vocalist and actor; and his mother, known under the stage name of Lily Harley, was an attractive actress and singer, who gained a reputation for her work in the light opera field. Having inherited natural talents from their parents, the youngsters took to the stage as the best opportunity for a career.

When he was about twelve, he got his first chance to act in a legitimate stage show, and appeared as "Billy" the page boy, in support of William Gillette in "Sherlock Holmes". At the close of this engagement, Charlie started a career as a comedian in vaudeville, which eventually took him to the United States in 1910 as a featured player.

Chaplin became a worldwide icon through his screen persona "the Tramp" and is considered one of the most important figures of the film industry. His career spanned more than 75 years, from a child in the Victorian era to close to his death at the age of 88, and encompassed both adulation and controversy.

著名作品：卓别林一生主演过八十多部影片，他的一些代表作品，如《安乐狗》、《狗的生涯》、《寻子遇仙记》、《淘金记》、《城市之光》、《摩登时代》、《大独裁者》等，总是寄同情于穷人，而嘲弄那些富人。他的作品具有独特的艺术风格，他的喜剧性的表演令人捧腹大笑，但是又使人笑后感到泪水的苦味，充满了对受压迫受欺凌的人们的同情。

伟人末年：卓别林在美国居住了近40年，第二次世界大战后，由于他参加进步的文化活动而受到美国麦卡锡主义的迫害。1952年他怀着满腔愤恨，带着妻子儿子离开美国回到英国。以后长期定居在瑞士洛桑附近的韦威，1977年12月25日凌晨4时，世界著名的幽默大师查理·卓别林，在瑞士洛桑附近的韦威逝世，终年88岁。