For gauche young apprentice Milos Hrma, life at the small but strategic railway station in Bohemia in 1945 is full of complex preoccupations. There is the exacting business of dispatching German troop trains to and from the toppling Eastern front; the problem of ridding himself of his burdensome innocence; and the awesome scandal of Dispatcher Hubicka's gross misuse of the station's official stamps upon the telegraphist's anatomy. Beside these, Milos's part in the plan for the ammunition train seems a simple affair. CLOSELY OBSERVED TRAINS, which became the award-winning Jiri Menzel film of the 'Prague Spring', is a classic of postwar literature, a small masterpiece of humour, humanity and heroism which fully justifies Hrabal's reputation as one of the best Czech writers of today.

博胡米尔•赫拉巴尔，二十世纪最重要的捷克作家之一。生于一九一四年，法学博士，服过兵役，当过推销员、仓管员、炼钢工，等等。一九九七年死于意外。他历经和见证了二十世纪捷克历史的跌宕起伏，四十九岁时才得以出版首部作品，一生创作无数，获得国内外奖项多达三十多个。他的作品经常被改编为电影和戏剧，与小说同名的电影《严密监视的列车》于一九六六年获奥斯卡最（zui）佳外语片奖；《我曾侍候过英国国王》于二〇一二年获得捷克国家电影奖“捷克狮”奖最（zui）佳影片、最（zui）佳导演等四项大奖。其他代表作品有《绝对恐惧：致杜卞卡》《雪绒花的庆典》《温柔的野蛮人》《过于喧嚣的孤独》等。

徐伟珠，一九六四年生于江苏省无锡市。一九九〇年毕业于布拉格查理大学哲学院语言文学专业。在捷克学习工作十余年。现为北京外国语大学捷克语专业副教授。翻译作品：《历史上的独裁者》《绞刑架下的报告》《洪水之后》《终极亲密》等。