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Literature Spot 3 Franken Stein - By Mary Shelley My name is Captain Walton.My ship was exploring the Arctic when we found a man on a piece of floating ice.He was called Victor Frankenstein. One night, he told me a strange tale. 'My dear captain, how shall I begin? I grew up near Geneva. I was a happy child. My parents had two other sons, Ernest and William, and they took in an orphan, Elizabeth. When I was seventeen, I went to the University of Ingolstadt. A professor there inspired me to study chemistry. This changed my life as I became obsessed with the search for the secret of life. I worked day and night for two years and, finally, I found the secret. To test my discovery, I decided to create a new life in the laboratory. I collected parts of bodies and, after two years, I was ready to bring my creature to life. But when I saw the monster I had created, I felt horror and disgust. How can I describe the monster? You could see the muscles under his thin, yellow skin. His hair was long and black, his teeth were pearly white,but his eyes were watery and his lips black. When my friend Henry Clerval arrived, I said nothing about the monster, which by now had left my house. Henry brought news of my family. They were well and had taken in a servant called Justine. Imagine my shock when a letter arrived from my father - my young brother William had been murdered! I went to my parents' house. Just before I got there, I saw the monster running through the trees. I realised the monster I had created had killed my brother! When I got to the house, I was horrified to discover that Justine,who had been found near the scene of the crime, was accused of the murder. I knew she was innocent, but could say nothing. She was hanged. Soon afterwards, while I was spending some time alone in the mountains, I met my evil creation again. The monster begged me to listen to his story. This is what he said: 'When I left your house, I came across a cottage and lived secretly in the barn watching an old, blind man and his children.I learned how to speak and I realised how miserable I was.I had no family, no memories, no childhood.One day, I decided to speak to the old man.He was kind and couldn't see my ugly body.But as soon as his children returned, they screamed and hit me with sticks.I ran away.On one occasion, I saved a girl from drowning in a river,but when her friend saw me he fired a gun at me.This was the reward of kindness.I promised eternal hatred and revenge on mankind.My first victim was your young brother. But now I want nothing more than a companion. I want you to make me a female companion and we will live together far away from all humans, I promise.' I agreed to his demand, though the idea was terrible to me. When I returned home, my father mentioned his wish for me to marry Elizabeth, whom I loved dearly. But before the marriage, I needed to go to England to complete my work. Henry came with me to England and, eventually, I completed my second creation. As I was bringing her to life, I began to have serious doubts about what I was doing. But, suddenly, my monster arrived. He said: "You are my creator, but I am your master!" In my confusion, I broke her body into pieces. The monster left, saying: 'I will be with you on your wedding night!' Then next day the police arrested me. I was accused of the murder of a young man. They showed me the body - it was my friend Henry! My monster had claimed his third victim. They put me in prison, but, in the end, I was proved innocent. I was haunted by what the monster had said about my wedding night and I wanted to destroy him. On our wedding night, I was checking for the monster outside when I heard screams. I ran upstairs, only to find Elizabeth dead! The monster was at the window. He laughed before he ran off into the night. The destruction of the monster was now my only aim. I followed him all over the Earth - the Mediterranean, the Black Sea, Russia - but he always escaped. He went north.I followed him to the frozen wastes of the Arctic, but he was one step ahead. I was drifting on a piece of broken ice when, dear captain, you found me. I am dying. Please believe my tale and promise me you will do all you can to kill this monster.' Those were his last words. He died in my cabin. I went out and then I heard strange noises. When I returned to my cabin I saw the monster,a horrible creature, kneeling next to Frankenstein and crying. He told me how miserable he had been and how guilty he felt.He wanted to die and assured me he would destroy himself.Then, he jumped out of the cabin window onto the ice and was taken away by the waves into the darkness. 文学作品3 《弗兰肯斯坦》- 玛丽o雪莱著 我是舰长华尔顿。我的船只在考查北极时，发现一个男人躺在一块浮冰上。他叫维克多o弗兰肯斯坦。 当晚，他跟我讲了一个奇怪的故事。 “我的好舰长，我该从哪开始说呢？我在日内瓦附近长大，我有个快乐的童年。 我的父母除了我还有两个儿子，欧内斯特和威廉，他们还收养了一个孤儿，伊丽莎白。 当我17岁的时候，我去了因戈尔施塔特的大学。 一个教授鼓励我去学化学。 当我被创造生命的秘术迷住的时候，它改变了我的一生。 我没日没夜地工作了2年之后，我终于发现了这秘术。 为了试验我的发现，我决定在实验室里创造一个生命。 我收集躯体的碎片，2年之后，我可以给予我的创造物生命了。 但是我看着我创造出的怪物，我感到恐惧和厌恶。 我怎么形容这怪物呢？ 你透过他薄薄的黄色皮肤可以看到他的块块肌肉。 他的头发长长的，黑黑的，他的牙齿倒是珍珠白的，但他的眼睛是淡色的，嘴唇是黑的。 我的朋友亨利来到时，我对我那已经逃跑很久的怪物只字未提。 亨利带来了我家人的消息。 他们都很好，而且雇佣了一个女佣，叫贾斯汀。 但你想不到接下来我父亲的来信带来让我多吃惊的消息： 我的弟弟威廉被杀害了！ 我赶回我父母的家。 到那之前，我正好撞见看见我的怪物穿过树林。 我意识到是我创造的怪物杀了我的弟弟。 当我回到父母家时，我恐惧地听说贾斯汀被发现当时正在谋杀现场，被指控谋杀，我知道她是无罪的，但我什么都说不出来。她被绞死了。 没过多久，当我独自登山时，我又看见了我邪恶的创造物。 我的怪物求我听听他的遭遇。 这是他所说的：“当我离开你家时，我来到一个小村并悄悄地藏在一个谷仓里。附近住的是一个带着几个孩子的盲老人。 我学会了说话并且意识到了我长得有多可怕。我没有家庭，没有记忆，没有童年。 一天，我打算向老人开口。他是个好人并且看不到我长得有多丑陋。 但很快，他的孩子们回来了。他们尖叫，用筷子投我。我跑走了。 有一次，我救了一个溺水的女孩，但是她的朋友看到我时就开枪打我。 这就是友善的回报。 我发誓要对人类永远的憎恨、报复。 我的第一个牺牲品是你年轻的弟弟。但是现在一个同伴对我来说最重要。 我要你为我创造一个女伴，和我一块生活。我保证我们一定会远离所有的人类。” 我答应了他的要求，尽管这是个可怕的要求。 当我回家时，我父亲提出让我娶伊丽莎白，我亲爱的伊丽莎白。 但在结婚之前，我必须回英国完成我的工作。 亨利和我一起去了英国，最后，我完成了我的第二个创造物但当我准备给予她生命时，我对我所干的这种邪恶的创造工作陷入了深深的犹豫。 这时，我的怪物突然出现。 他说：“你虽然创造了我，但我才是你的主人！” 我陷入了惊疑和震怒中，我把她的身体破成碎片。 我的怪物离开了，恐吓着：“我们会在你的新婚之夜再见。” 第二天警察逮捕了我。我被指控杀死了一个年轻男人。 他们给我看尸体—那是我的朋友亨利！ 我的怪物要去了他的第三个牺牲品。 他们关押了我，但是，最后我被证明无罪。 我为我的怪物关于我新婚之夜的宣言恐惧着，我要毁灭他。 在我们的新婚之夜，我在外面巡视，但我听到屋里的一声尖叫。 我跑上楼，只看到伊丽莎白的尸体！ 我的怪物站在窗台，大笑几声，奔入了黑夜。 现在毁灭我的创造物是我唯一的目标。 我追着他，满世界—到地中海，黑海，俄罗斯—但他总是逃脱。 他向北方去。我跟着他到了北极的无人冰原，但他总比我快一步。 当我倒在一块浮冰上随处漂流时，你找到了我，我的好舰长。 我快要死了。请一定相信我的话并答应我一定尽你所能杀了那只怪物。” 这便是他的最后几句话。他死在我的船舱内。 我出去散心时，听到舱内有怪声。当我赶回船舱时我见到了那怪物， 那个可怕的怪物，跪在弗兰肯斯坦身边哭泣。他告诉我，他有多痛苦，多内疚。他不想活了，要我让他自杀。 他跳出了船舱的窗户，直直地落在冰面上。夜晚的波涛将他带入了黑暗之中。 |
