mark twain (1835-1910)， one of the best known american writers in the 19th century， was born in missouri in the middle part of the united states.

　　mark twain’s hometown lay on the banks of the mississippi river， where he spent his childhood. when he grew up he worked as a pilot on a river boat for some time. mark twain is his pen name. he took it from the shout of the sailors measuring the depth of the water when the water was two marks deep on the lead line.

　　mark twain wrote a lot of novels， one of which is the adventures of tom sawyer， the masterpiece which brought him fame and honor. some of his writings have been translated into many languages. he and his works are deeply loved by readers throughout the world.