京权图字01-96-1584

Originally published by Oxford University Press, Great Clarendon Street, Oxford. © 1989

This edition is licensed for sale in the People's Republic of China only and not for export therefrom.

'Oxford' is a registered trademark of Oxford University Press.

只限中华人民共和国境内销售，不包括香港特别行政区、澳门特别行政区及台湾省。不得出口。

图书在版编目（CIP）数据

弗兰肯斯坦=Frankenstein / （英）雪莱（Shelley, M.）著；（英）诺巴斯（Nobes, P.）改写；杨学义译．—北京：外语教学与研究出版社，1996.12（2015.2 重印）

（书虫·牛津英汉双语读物）

ISBN 978-7-5600-1162-2

Ⅰ．弗…　Ⅱ．①雪…②诺…③杨…　Ⅲ．小说—对照读物—英、汉　Ⅳ．H319.4：I

中国版本图书馆CIP数据核字（96）第25586号

出版人：　蔡剑峰

责任编辑：任小玫

出版发行：外语教学与研究出版社

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版　　次：1997年1月第1版

书　　号：ISBN 978-7-5600-1162-2

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简　介

或许以这个悲伤而恐怖的故事拍成的电影要比世界上由任何其他故事拍成的电影都要多。为什么有这么多的人喜欢它？因为当我们第一次读到它时，它就好像是出自我们梦中的记忆一样。

这是一个古老的故事，也是一个新的故事。说它“古老”是因为它创作于一百五十多年以前，那时的科学发展才刚刚起步；说它“新”是因为弗兰肯斯坦的问题也就是我们今天所面临的问题。科学给予我们力量去改造世界，但这种力量也可能与我们作对并毁灭我们。弗兰肯斯坦创造了一个新的人，他比任何其他人都要巨大和强壮——然而弗兰肯斯坦控制不了他，这个怪物毁灭了弗兰肯斯坦所爱的一切。今天的科学家正在创造着巨大的机器、电脑和武器，他们声称这些东西对我们有益——但我们能够驾驭它们吗？

玛丽·雪莱（1797—1851）是维多利亚时代的一位重要作家。她的丈夫是英格兰最著名的诗人之一——珀西·比希·雪莱。

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Chapter 1

'Captain! Something is moving on the ice. Look over there!'

The sailor stood at the top of the mast, high above the Captain. His hand pointed away from the ship, across the miles of ice that covered the sea.

The Captain looked to the north, where the sailor was pointing. He saw something coming fast towards the ship across the ice. He put his telescope to his eye, and through it he could see the shapes of ten dogs pulling a sledge over the ice. He could also see the driver of the sledge—a huge figure, much bigger than a man.

The sledge came nearer and nearer to the sea. Soon it was only a quarter of a mile from the ship. No one needed a telescope now to see the huge figure of the driver.

Suddenly the sledge went behind a mountain of ice and disappeared. At that moment another sledge appeared. It, too, was moving fast, and was clearly chasing the first sledge. This driver was a smaller figure, more like an ordinary man. Faster and faster the dogs ran; then the second sledge also disappeared behind the mountain of ice.

Two hours passed. The sledges did not appear again. Nothing moved on the ice. Soon night came, and in the night there was a storm. In the morning, the sailors saw that great pieces of ice were floating round the ship. Suddenly the sailor on the mast shouted again:

'Captain, I can see a man on the ice.'

The sailor was pointing to a piece of ice that was floating near the ship. A man was sitting on the ice, and near him was a broken sledge. The man was nearly dead from cold and could not walk. The sailors carried him carefully onto the ship, and took him to the Captain, who said:

'Welcome to my ship. I am the Captain and my name is Robert Walton.'

'Thank you, Captain Walton,' the man said. 'My name is Frankenstein, Victor Frankenstein.'

Then he fainted and said no more.

Two days passed before the man was strong enough to talk and then the Captain asked him to tell his story.

'I am trying to catch someone,' said Frankenstein. 'That is why I have come so far north on the ice.'

'We saw you following someone,' the Captain said. 'He was huge, much bigger than a man. We saw his sledge just in front of you on the night before the storm.'

'I am pleased you all saw that huge figure,' Frankenstein said. 'Perhaps that will help you to believe my story.'

During the days, while the Captain worked on the ship, Frankenstein wrote down his story, and each evening he read what he had written to the Captain.

Here is Victor Frankenstein's story.

---

mast n. tall pole. 船桅，长杆。

telescope n. 望远镜。

sledge n. 雪橇。

disappear v. go out of sight, be seen no more. 消失。

appear v. come into view. 出现。

chase v. run after. 追赶。

float v. stay on the top of water. 浮起，漂流。

nearly adv. almost. 几乎。

welcome v. & n. 欢迎；adj. 受欢迎的。

during prep. in the period of... 在……期间。

第一章

“船长，有东西在冰面上移动！瞧那儿！”

那个船员高高地站在船长头顶的桅杆顶上。他的手指着离船数英里以外覆盖着大海的冰面。

船长朝那个船员指示的北方望去。他看见有个东西正穿过冰面、快速地朝船靠近。他把单筒望远镜凑近眼前并透过它看见有十只狗在冰面上拉着一只雪橇。他还看到驾驶雪橇的那个人——那是一个巨大的身躯，比常人要大得多。

雪橇离水面越来越近，很快它便离船只有1/4英里之遥。现在已不需借助望远镜便可看见那个乘雪橇的人的庞大身躯了。

突然那个雪橇驶到一个冰山的后面消失了。就在那时，另一辆雪橇出现在眼前。它也在急驰着，并且显然是在追逐那第一辆雪橇。驾驶这辆雪橇的人身形小些，更像个普通人。狗跑得越来越快，接着第二辆雪橇也消失在了冰山的后面。

两小时过去了，雪橇再也没有出现过。再没有东西在冰上移动。不久夜晚降临了，晚上起了一场风暴。早上，船员们看到轮船的周围都漂浮着巨大的冰块。突然，桅杆上的船员又喊了起来：

“船长，我看见冰上有一个人。”

那个船员正指着漂近轮船的一块浮冰。有个人正坐在冰上，他的身旁有一辆坏了的雪橇。那个人快要冻死了并且走不了路。船员们小心地把他扶上了船，并把他带到船长跟前。船长说道：

“欢迎您到我的船上来。我是船长，叫罗伯特·沃尔顿。”

“谢谢您，沃尔顿船长。”那个人说道，“我的名字叫弗兰肯斯坦，维克多·弗兰肯斯坦。”

然后他就昏过去，不再说什么了。

两天后，这个男人方才恢复过来能够谈话了，这时船长让他讲讲自己的故事。

“我要尽力抓一个人，”弗兰肯斯坦说道，“这就是我为什么要到这么远的北方的冰面上来的原因。”

“我们看见了你在追赶什么人。”船长说道，“他很大，比常人要大很多。我们在风暴的前夜看见他的雪橇就在你的前面。”

“我很高兴你们都见到了那个庞然大物，”弗兰肯斯坦说道，“那也许能帮助你们相信我的故事。”

白天，船长在船上工作时，弗兰肯斯坦写起了他的故事；晚上他便把写的东西念给船长听。

下面就是弗兰肯斯坦的故事。

Victor Frankenstein's Story Begins
维克多的故事开始了

Chapter 2

I was born in Switzerland, in the town of Geneva. My parents loved each other very much, and I learnt from the example of their love. I learnt that to love and to be patient are the most important things in the world.

My mother hoped to have a daughter after I was born, but for five years I was the only child. And then my mother found a sister for me. She was helping a family in which there were five children. They were very poor, and the children were thin and hungry. One of the children was a little girl, with golden hair and blue eyes. Her name was Elizabeth. My mother took the little girl into our family, and Elizabeth became the daughter that my mother had always wanted. As I grew older, my love for Elizabeth became stronger all the time.

Later my mother had two other sons, Ernest and William. A young woman called Justine came to live in the house to help my mother with the children. We loved her as much as she loved us.

The years passed happily, and we had everything that we needed. At school I met another very fine person. His name was Henry Clerval, and he was very clever. My family also liked him very much, so he was a welcome visitor to our house.

I studied very hard at school. I wanted to know the secrets of life, and, most of all, I wanted to know how to make living things. I read all the books that I could find. One day, something happened that added a new idea to the ideas that I already had. I was fifteen at the time, and we were on holiday in the mountains. There was a wild storm, and with it came the most frightening thunder and lightning that I had ever seen in my life. About twenty metres in front of our house was a great tree. Suddenly a huge fork of lightning hit the tree. After a few seconds, there was nothing left of it except a black piece of wood two metres high. The lightning had destroyed it.

I saw how strong electricity was. I began to read all the books that I could find about electricity and its terrible power.

---

Switzerland n. 瑞士（国名）。

Geneva n. 日内瓦，瑞士城市。

example n. 例子。

patient adj. showing patience. 有耐心的。

as... as 与……一样……。

secret n. sth. kept from others' knowing. 秘密；adj. 秘密的。

add v. 加。

frightening adj. causing fear. 吓人的。

thunder n. a very loud noise in the sky when there is a storm. 雷。

lightning n. 闪电。

fork n. 叉。

electricity n. 电。

第二章

我出生在瑞士的日内瓦城。我父母彼此相爱至深，而且我以他们的爱心为榜样。我懂得了去爱他人和富有耐心是世界上最重要的事情。

在生下我后，我母亲希望再生一个女儿，但在五年之中我都是唯一的孩子。后来我母亲给我找了一个妹妹。她那时在一个有五个孩子的家庭里帮忙。他们非常穷，孩子们都又瘦又饿。其中一个孩子是一个头发金黄、有一对蓝色眼睛的小女孩。她名叫伊丽莎白。我母亲把那个小女孩带到了我家，于是伊丽莎白便成了我母亲盼望已久的女儿。随着年龄的增长，我对伊丽莎白的爱与日俱增。

后来我母亲又生了两个儿子：欧内斯特和威廉。有个名叫贾斯汀的年轻女子来我家帮我母亲照看孩子们。我们像她爱我们一样地爱她。

岁月快乐地流逝着，我们拥有所需要的一切。在学校里我遇见了另外一个非常好的人，他的名字叫亨利·克勒沃，人非常聪明。我的家人也非常喜欢他，所以他是我们家受欢迎的客人。

我在学校学习很刻苦。我想要知道生命的奥秘，而且我最想知道的便是如何制造有生命的东西。我阅读了我能找到的一切书籍。有一天发生了一件事情，它给了我新的启发。我那时15岁，我们正在山中度假。那天有一场暴风雨，夹杂其间的是我平生见过的最为吓人的雷霆和闪电。在我们的房子前面约二十米处有一棵大树。突然间一个叉状闪电击中了大树。几秒钟之后，那棵大树便只剩下两米高的一块黑木头。闪电摧毁了它。

我看到了电的力量有多么大。我开始阅读我能找到的有关电及其可怕力量的一切书籍。

Chapter 3

For seventeen years my life was very happy. Then the first sad thing happened. My mother became very ill, and soon she knew that she was dying. Just before she died, she asked Elizabeth and me to go to her room. She held our hands and said:

'My children, I am very happy because you love each other, and because one day you will get married. Everyone in the family loves you, Elizabeth. Will you take my place in the family, my dear? I can die happy if you will look after them when I have gone.'

My mother died, and we were very sad, because we loved her dearly. Elizabeth was brave and helped us; her sweet smile gave us some happiness in the unhappy days after my mother's death.

The time came for me to go to university. I did not want to leave my sad family, but we all knew that I should go. It was hard to leave, too, because the parents of my good friend Henry Clerval would not let him go to university with me. And so I had to go alone.

On my first day at the university I met my teacher, Professor Waldman, who was one of the greatest scientists in the world. He gave a wonderful talk to all the students who were starting at the university. He ended his talk by saying: 'Some of you will become the great scientists of tomorrow. You must study hard and discover everything that you can. That is why God made you intelligent—to help other people.'

After the professor's talk, I thought very carefully. I remembered the storm when I was fifteen. I remembered how the lightning had destroyed the tree. I wanted to use electricity to help people, and I wanted to discover the secrets of life. I decided to work on these two things. I did not know then that my work would destroy me and the people that I loved.

I started work the next day. I worked very hard and soon Professor Waldman and I realized that I could learn to be a very good scientist.

The professor helped me very much, and other important scientists who were his friends helped me, too. I was interested in my work and I did not take one day's holiday during the next two years. I did not go home, and my letters to my family were very short.

After two years I had discovered many things and I built a scientific machine that was better than anything in the university. My machine would help me answer the most important question of all. How does life begin? Is it possible to put life into dead things? To answer these questions about life I had to learn first about death. I had to watch bodies from the moment when they died and the warm life left them. In the hospital and in the university, I watched the dying and the dead. Day after day, month after month, I followed death. It was a dark and terrible time.

Then one day, the answer came to me. Suddenly I was sure that I knew the secret of life. I knew that I could put life into a body that was not alive.

I worked harder and harder now. I slept for only a short time each night, and I did not eat much food. I wrote to my family less often. But they loved me and did not stop writing to me. They said they understood how busy I was. They did not want me to stop work to write or to see them. They would wait until I had more time. They hoped to see me very soon.

The professors realized that I was doing very important work, and so they gave me my own laboratory. There was a small flat above the laboratory, where I lived, and sometimes I stayed inside the building for a week and did not go out.

Above the laboratory I built a very tall mast. It was 150 metres high, and higher than the tallest building in the city. The mast could catch lightning and could send the electricity down to my machine in the laboratory. I had never forgotten the lightning that had destroyed the tree. There had been so much power in the electricity of that lightning. I believed I could use that electricity to give life to things that were dead.

I will say no more than that. The secret of my machine must die with me. I was a very clever scientist, but I did not realize then what a terrible mistake I was making.

---

die v. not live 死。

dying adj. 垂死的。

dearly adv. very much. 非常。

happy adj. glad. 高兴的。

unhappy adj. 不高兴的。

happiness n. 高兴。

university n. 大学。

go to university 上大学学习。

professor n. 教授。

intelligent adj. clever. 聪明的。

carefully adv. thinking of what one does, says, etc. 仔细地，认真地。

hospital n. place where people are nursed through their illness. 医院。

come to 使某人想到。

alive adj. not dead. 活着的。

laboratory n. the building where scientists work and study. 实验室，简写为lab。

flat n. 公寓套房。

power n. something strong that makes other things work. 力量。

mistake n. something not right. 错误。

make a mistake 犯错误。

第三章

在17年的生命历程中我都很幸福。后来第一件悲伤的事发生了。我母亲病得很厉害，不久她便知道自己将不久于人世。就在她去世之前，她把伊丽莎白和我叫到她的房间。她抓住我们的手说道：

“孩子们，你们彼此相爱并且将会结婚，我因此非常高兴。家里的每个人都很爱你，伊丽莎白。你愿意取代我在家中的位置吗，亲爱的？如果你在我走后能照顾他们，我将会走得很幸福。”

我母亲死了，我们都非常伤心，因为我们非常爱她。伊丽莎白很勇敢并帮着我们；她那甜美的微笑在母亲死后的那些不快的日子里给我们带来了一些快乐。

到了我该上大学的时候了。我不想离开我那悲伤的家，可我们都知道我应该去。离别也是很难的，因为我的好朋友克勒沃的父母不让他和我一起去上大学。这样我只能独自一人去了。

大学的第一天我遇到了我的老师沃得曼教授，他是世界上最伟大的科学家之一。他给我们所有开始大学生活的学生做了一次精彩的演讲。他在结束讲话时说：“你们中的一些人将成为明天的科学家。你们必须努力学习并且去揭示你们所能揭示的事物。这就是上帝为什么给了你们智慧——去帮助他人。”

教授演讲过后，我进行了非常认真的思考。我想起了我15岁时的那场暴风雨。我记得那次的闪电是如何摧毁了那棵树的。我想利用电去帮助人们，我还想去揭示生命的奥秘。我决心去从事这两项工作。我当时没有想到我的工作会毁了我还有我所爱的人们。

第二天我就开始了工作。我工作非常努力，我和沃得曼教授不久便意识到我可以通过学习成为一名出色的科学家。

教授帮了我很多的忙，那些是教授的朋友的、重要的科学家们也帮助过我。我对我的工作很感兴趣，在接下来的两年里我没有休过一天假。我没有回过家，给家里写的信也非常短。

两年后我发现了很多的事物并建造了一台比大学里的任何机器都好的科学机器。我的机器能帮助我回答最重要的问题。生命是如何开始的？可以把生命注入无生命的东西中去吗？要回答有关生命的这些问题我首先得了解死亡。我得从他们刚死、滚热的生命离开人体的那一刹那起进行观察。在医院里和大学里，我观察着垂死的人和已死的人。日复一日、月复一月，我都在跟踪死亡。那是黑暗和恐怖的日子。

后来有一天我得到了答案。我突然间确信自己懂得了生命的奥秘。我知道我能将生命注入一个无生命的身体中去。

现在我工作越来越努力。每天晚上我只睡很短的时间，吃的东西也很少。我给家里写的信更加少了。但是家里的人爱我，他们没有停止给我写信。他们说他们理解我有多忙。他们不想让我停止工作而去给他们写信或是去看望他们。他们愿意等到我有时间的时候再说。他们希望很快见到我。

教授们意识到我在从事一项重要的工作，因而给了我一间实验室。实验室的上面有一个小的套房，我就住在里面；有时候我一个星期都待在那座建筑物里不出去。

我在实验室的上方建起了一个很高的杆子。它有150米高，比全城最高的建筑物都要高。那个杆子能够“捕获”闪电并把电送到我实验室的机器上。我从未忘记摧毁那棵树的闪电。那次闪电中的电曾有那么大的力量。我相信我可以利用电给无生命的东西注以生命。

我不想再多说什么了。我的机器的秘密必须随我一起消亡。我是个很聪明的科学家，可我那时没有意识到我在犯多么可怕的错误。

Chapter 4

In my laboratory I made a body. I bought or stole all the pieces of human body that I needed, and slowly and carefully, I put them all together.

I did not let anybody enter my laboratory or my flat while I was doing this awful work. I was afraid to tell anybody my terrible secret.

I had wanted to make a beautiful man, but the face of the creature was horrible. Its skin was thin and yellow, and its eyes were as yellow as its skin. Its long black hair and white teeth were almost beautiful, but the rest of the face was very ugly.

Its legs and arms were the right shape, but they were huge. I had to use big pieces because it was too difficult to join small pieces together. My creature was two and a half metres tall.

For a year I had worked to make this creature, but now it looked terrible and frightening. I almost decided to destroy it. But I could not. I had to know if I could put life into it.

I joined the body to the wires from my machine. More wires joined the machine to the mast. I was sure that my machine could use electricity from lightning to give life to the body. I watched and waited. Two days later I saw dark clouds in the sky, and I knew that a storm was coming. At about one o'clock in the morning the lightning came. My mast began to do its work immediately, and the electricity from the lightning travelled down the mast to my machine. Would the machine work?

At first nothing happened. But after a few minutes I saw the creature's body begin to move. Slowly, terribly, the body came alive. Its arms and legs began to move, and slowly it sat up.

The dead body had been an ugly thing, but alive, it was much more horrible. Suddenly I wanted to escape from it. I ran out of the laboratory, and locked the door. I was filled with fear at what I had done.

For hours I walked up and down in my flat. At last I lay down on my bed, and fell asleep. But my sleep was full of terrible dreams, and I woke up suddenly. The horrible thing that I had created was standing by my bed. Its yellow eyes were looking at me; its mouth opened and it made strange sounds at me. On its yellow face there was an awful smile. One of its huge hands reached towards me...

Before it could touch me, I jumped off the bed and ran downstairs into the garden. I stayed there all night, but I could not think clearly. I was afraid. And when morning came, I went out into the town and began to walk about.

I did not notice where I was walking, but soon I came to the station. A train from Geneva had just arrived, and the passengers were leaving the station. One of them ran towards me when he saw me. It was my dear friend Henry Clerval.

He was very pleased to see me. He took my hand and shook it warmly.

'My dear Victor!' he said. 'What a lucky chance that you are here at the station. Your father, and Elizabeth and the others, are very worried about you, because you have not visited them for a long time. They ask me to make sure that you are well. And I have very good news. My father has agreed to let me study at the university, so we shall be able to spend a lot of time together.'

I was very happy to hear this news, and for a moment I forgot my fears. I took Henry back to my flat and asked him to wait outside while I went in to look. I was afraid that the creature was still there. But it had disappeared. At that time I did not think of other people, and what the creature could do to them. I took Henry into the flat and cooked a meal for us. But Henry noticed how thin I was, and that I was laughing too much and could not sit still.

Suddenly he said: 'My dear Victor, what is the matter with you? Are you ill? Has something awful happened?'

'Don't ask me that,' I cried. I put my hands over my eyes. I thought I could see the horrible creature there in front of me. I pointed wildly across the room, and shouted: 'He can tell you. Save me! Save me!' I tried to fight the creature, but there was nothing there. Then I fainted and fell to the floor.

Poor Henry! I do not know what he thought. He called a doctor and they put me to bed. I was very ill for two months, and Henry stayed and looked after me. His loving care saved me from death.

I wanted to go home and see my family as soon as possible. When I was well enough, I packed my clothes and books. All my luggage was ready, and I was feeling very happy when the postman arrived with some letters. One of the letters ended my short time of happiness.

---

steal (stole, stolen) v. take somebody else's things secretly. 偷。

skin n. 皮肤。

huge adj. very, very big 巨大的。

creature n. a living animal or person. 生物。

wire n. a long thin piece of metal; electricity travels through wires. 电线。

immediately adv. at once. 马上。

asleep adv. 睡着了。

fall asleep 睡着。

suddenly adv. at once. 突然。

awful adj. terrible. 可怕的。

passenger n. 乘客。

lucky adj. having good luck. 幸运的。

too much 太多，过分。

wildly adv. too excitedly. 狂野地，过分激动地，发疯地。

save... from...把……从……处挽救出来。

pack v. put things into a bag, box, etc. 包装，整理行装。

luggage n. 行李。

第四章

我在我的实验室中造了一个人体。我所需要的人体各部分均是我买来或偷来的，然后我缓慢而细心地把它们拼凑到了一起。

在干这项可怕的工作时，我没有让任何人进入我的实验室和我的住处。我不敢告诉任何人我那可怕的秘密。

我曾想造一个漂亮的男人，但这个家伙的脸非常可怕：皮肤又薄又黄，眼睛同皮肤一样黄。黑长的头发和白色的牙齿倒也漂亮，脸上的其余部分却很丑陋。

它的腿和胳膊的形状是对的，但它们太大了。因为拼接小块的人体太困难了，我只得用大块的去拼接。我创造的这个东西有2.5米高。

我曾为制造这个东西工作了一年时间，现在它却看上去恐怖吓人。我几乎要决定毁了它。但我做不到。我必须知道我是否能将生命植入其中。

我把那个身体同我机器上的那些电线连接起来。更多的电线再把机器和杆子连接起来。我确信我的机器可以用闪电给那个身体生命。我观察着、等待着。两天后我看到天上有了乌云，知道将有一场暴风雨来临。大约在凌晨1点钟闪电闪了一下。我的杆子立即开始工作，闪电通过杆子传到了我的机器上。机器会管用吗？

起先没有发生什么。但是几分钟过后我看见那个东西的躯体在动。那具躯体缓慢而怕人地变活了。他的胳膊和腿开始移动，而且他慢慢地坐了起来。

那个无生命的躯体本来就可怕，而现在变成活的就更加恐怖了。突然间我想逃开。我跑出实验室并且锁上了门。我对我所做的一切充满了恐惧。

有好几个小时我都在我的房间里走来走去。最后我躺倒在床上并睡着了。可是恶梦萦绕着我，我便猛然醒了过来。我所创造的那个可怕的东西正站在我的床边。他的黄色的眼睛正看着我。他的嘴张着并对我发出奇怪的声音。他的黄色的脸庞上露出可怕的笑容。他的一只大手伸向了我……

没等他碰到我，我便跳下床冲到了楼下的花园里。我整个晚上都待在那儿，只是思维已不清楚了。我很害怕。等到早上，我便走出花园到城里去并开始四处逛悠。

我没注意我在什么地方走，但不久便到了火车站。刚好从日内瓦来了一趟火车，乘客正走出车站。其中一位见到我后便朝我跑了过来。原来是我的好朋友亨利·克勒沃。

他见到我很高兴。他抓住我的手热情地握了起来。

“我亲爱的维克多！”他说道，“你在车站这儿真是巧极了。你父亲、伊丽莎白还有其他人都非常为你担心，因为你很久没有探望他们了。他们让我来看看你的身体是否还好。另外我还有个好消息。我父亲已同意让我上大学学习，这样我们就能有好多时间待在一起了。”

我听了这个消息后很高兴，并且有一阵儿都忘记了我的恐惧感。我把亨利带回我的公寓并让他在外面等着以便我能进去看一看。我害怕那个家伙还在那儿。但是他已经不见了。那时我没有想到过其他人以及那个家伙会对他们怎么样。我把亨利领进屋里并给我们做了顿吃的。然而亨利注意到了我有多么瘦削，我还笑得太多，也不能安静地坐着。

他突然说道：“我亲爱的维克多，你怎么啦？你生病了吗？发生了什么可怕的事情了吗？”

“别问我这个，”我喊道。我用手捂住眼睛。当时我想我能看见那个可怕的家伙正在我的面前。我发疯似地指向屋子，并且喊道：“他能告诉你。救救我！救救我！”我想去同那个家伙搏斗，但那儿什么也没有。然后我就晕过去，倒在了地板上。

可怜的亨利！我不知道他当时是怎么想的。他叫了个医生并且一起把我扶到了床上。我大病了两个月，亨利一直留下来照顾我。他那充满爱意的护理把我从死亡那儿救了回来。

我想尽快回家去见我的家人。在我恢复得足够强壮后，我便收拾起衣服和书籍。我的行李都已准备好了，但是正当我无比高兴时邮递员给我送来了几封信。其中的一封结束了我短暂的快乐时光。

Chapter 5

The letter was from my father in Geneva, and this is what he wrote:

My dear Victor,

I want you to know before you arrive home that an awful thing has happened. Your dear youngest brother, William, is dead. He was murdered. It happened last Thursday evening when Elizabeth and I and your two brothers, Ernest and William, went for a walk outside the city. William and Ernest were playing. William had hidden from Ernest, and Ernest asked Elizabeth and me to help find William. We all began to search for him, but we couldn' t find him. We searched all night. At five in the morning I found him. He was lying on the grass, white and still. I could see the marks of fingers on his neck—the murderer had strangled him.

Elizabeth had let him wear a gold chain of hers round his neck. On the chain was a very small picture of your mother. We all think that someone murdered William to steal the gold chain. Poor Elizabeth is terribly unhappy at William's death. She thinks he died because she let him wear the chain. Hurry home, my dear Victor. You are the only one who can help Elizabeth, and we all need you.

With all our love,

Your Father

Henry helped me to catch the train. The journey seemed very long, and it was late at night before the train reached Geneva. I decided to spend the night in a village outside the town and go home early in the morning. I wanted to see the place where William had died.

As I started my walk, a storm broke and lightning lit the sky. The police had put posts round the place where the murderer had strangled William, so I found it easily. I cried sadly as I stood there. My poor brother had been a kind and happy boy, and we had all loved him.

Again the lightning lit the sky, and I saw a huge figure standing in the rain. When I saw it, I knew at once what it was. It was the creature that I had made.

What was it doing there? But although I asked myself the question, I knew the answer. He had murdered my brother. I was sure that I was right.

I decided to try and catch him. But as I moved, he ran towards the mountains. He ran much faster than any man. He climbed the mountain easily, reached the top, and disappeared.

I stood there in the dark and the rain, and knew that I had created a monster. And he had murdered my brother.

---

murder v. kill. 谋杀，杀害。

murderer n. 凶手。

lie (lying; lay, lain) v. be at rest. 躺。

still adj. quiet, without movement or sound. 不动的，静止的。

strangle v. to kill someone by holding him very hard round the neck. 勒死。

catch the train 赶火车，上火车。

post n. upright piece of wood, metal, etc. to support or mark something. 柱，杆，竿。

create v. make something new. 创造。

monster n. a very large person or animal with a strange, frightening shape. 庞然大物，怪物。

第五章

信是我父亲从日内瓦写来的，下面就是他写的内容：

我亲爱的维克多：

在你到家之前我想让你知道所发生的一件可怕的事情。你亲爱的小弟弟威廉死了。他是被谋杀的。这件事发生在上个礼拜四，那时我和伊丽莎白以及你的两个弟弟欧内斯特和威廉正在城外散步。威廉同欧内斯特当时正玩耍。威廉藏了起来，不让欧内斯特找到，于是欧内斯特要我和伊丽莎白帮着找威廉。我们都找了起来，但没能找到他。我们找了一整夜。早晨5点钟时我找到他。他躺倒在草地上，脸色苍白，身子一动也不动我能看出他脖子上的手指印——是凶手勒死了他。

伊丽莎白曾让他把她的一根金链子戴在脖子上。链子上有一张非常小的、你妈妈的照片。我们都认为是有人为了偷取那条金链子而杀死了威廉。可怜的伊丽莎白对威廉的死非常伤心。她认为他的死是因为她让他戴了那条链子。赶快回家吧，我亲爱的维克多。只有你能帮助伊丽莎白，并且我们都需要你。

我们都爱你！

你的父亲

亨利帮我上了火车。旅途似乎非常漫长；火车到达日内瓦之前已经是深夜了。我决定在城外的一个村子里过夜，然后清晨再回家。我想看看威廉死去的地方。

在我开始步行时，暴发了一场暴风雨，闪电划亮了天空。警察已在威廉被凶手勒死的地方围上了木桩，这样我很容易地找到了那儿。我站在那儿伤心地哭泣着。我可怜的弟弟一向是个善良而快乐的孩子，并且我们都很爱他。

闪电又一次照亮了天空，我看见雨中站着一个巨大的人。当我看见时，我立马就知道那是谁了。那是我创造的那个家伙。

他在那儿干什么？尽管我在问自己这个问题，却已知道了答案。是他杀死了我的弟弟。我敢肯定我是对的。

我决心要抓住他。但在我走动时，他朝山上跑去了。他比任何人都跑得快。他轻松地爬着山，到了山顶并且消失不见了。

我在黑暗中站着并淋着雨，知道自己创造了一个怪物。是他杀死了我的弟弟。

Chapter 6

At first I decided to tell the police my story. But would they believe me? I had been very ill. When the police learnt about my illness, they would think the monster was just one of my bad dreams. I decided that I could not tell anybody.

I went home to my family and they were very pleased to see me. Then they told me that the police had found the murderer. Perhaps you will think that this was good news, but I have not told you who the police had arrested.

As I went into the house, I noticed that one person did not come to meet me. It was Justine, the young woman who looked after the children and who was like a sister to us. And it was Justine that the police had arrested.

A few days after the murder, the police had searched the house and had found the gold chain in Justine's coat pocket. Everyone in the family knew that Justine had not murdered William. I knew who the murderer was, but I could not tell anyone. We were sure that Justine would be free after the trial, because nobody could believe that she was a murderer. But we were wrong.

The trial did not go well for Justine. There were a number of strange facts that were difficult to explain, and the judge decided that she was the murderer. The punishment for murder was death. We argued and cried. We said she could not murder anyone. But nothing could change the judge's order.

So I got up early and went to the judge's house and told him about the monster. He did not believe me. He thought I was lying in order to save Justine's life.

In the prison Justine waited quietly for death. We spent many hours with her, and she spoke calmly and kindly to us. She was happy because we believed that she had not killed William. And she was almost looking forward to death, because then she would be with William and our dear mother in a place of peace.

Her love and gentleness added to my great unhappiness. I knew she was going to die because of me. I knew my brother had died because of me. I had brought nothing but sadness and misery to my family.

I took a boat and went out on Lake Geneva. Why didn't I end my life then? Two things stopped me. My father was old and another death would probably kill him. And I had to stay alive—to keep my family safe from the monster.

Fear for my family and hate for my monster were with me day and night. I became ill again, and Elizabeth's love could not help me. I needed to escape for a while—to leave my unhappiness behind me. So I went to walk alone in the Alps. I hoped the wild beauty of the mountains would help me.

Slowly I became calmer among the beautiful mountains. I learnt to sleep again, and for days I did not see anybody. Then one morning I saw a figure coming towards me faster than any man could go. It jumped easily over the rocks and I saw with horror the monster that I had created. On his face was a look of deep sadness, but also of evil. At first I could not speak because I hated him so much. But at last I said:

'You are an evil creature. I shall kill you if I can, because you have killed two people that I love.'

The monster's yellow eyes looked at me. 'I am the unhappiest creature in the world, but I shall fight for my life,' he said. 'I am bigger and stronger than you, but I will not start the fight. I shall always be gentle to you because you are my king and creator. You made me, and you should love me and be kind to me, like a father. William and Justine died because you did not love me. Why did you create me if you were not ready to love me?'

'We are enemies,' I said. 'Leave me now, or let us fight until one of us is dead. You are a murderer. How can I be kind to you?'

'You say I am a murderer,' the monster said, 'but you want to kill your own creature. Isn't that wrong, too? I ask you to do one thing for me—listen. Come with me to a warmer place, and listen to my story. Then you can decide.'

I thought carefully about what he had said. It was true that I had given him life but I had not given him love. I decided to go with him and listen to his story.

He took me to a mountain hut where he lit a fire. We sat down by the fire and he began to tell me his story.

---

learn about 获悉。

arrest v. seize by the police. 逮捕。

free adj. not be held as a prisoner any longer. 自由的。

trial n. 审判。

punishment n. suffering for wrongdoing. 惩罚。

argue v. quarrel. 争论。

lie v. not tell the truth. 撒谎；n. 谎。

look forward to waiting for something eagerly. 期待。

peace n. 和平，安宁。

misery n. suffering. 痛苦。

keep sb. safe from 使某人免遭……的危害。

the Alps 阿尔卑斯山脉（山名）。

evil n. 罪恶；adj. 罪恶的。

gentle adj. mild, not rough. 温和的。

creator n. 创造者，造物主。

第六章

起先我打算把我的故事告诉警察，但他们会相信我吗？我一直都生着病。如果警察了解到我的病情，他们会认为那个怪物只是我的一个恶梦而已。我决定不去告诉任何人。

我回到家里，家人都为见到我而高兴。接着他们告诉我说警察已找到了凶手。你也许会认为这是个好消息，但是我还没有告诉你警察抓的是谁。

在我进屋时，我注意到有个人没有来见我。那就是贾斯汀，就是曾照看孩子们并像姐妹一样对待我们的那个年轻女孩。而警察逮捕的就是贾斯汀。

在谋杀案发生了几天之后，警察搜查了房子并在贾斯汀的外衣口袋里找到了那条金链。家里人都知道贾斯汀没有杀害过威廉。我清楚凶手是谁，但是我不能告诉任何人。我们确信审判过后贾斯汀将会被释放的，因为没有人相信她是凶手。但是我们错了。

审判对贾斯汀不利。有许多难以解释的奇怪现象，但法官认定她就是凶手。谋杀的处罚乃是死刑。我们一边申辩一边哭喊着。我们说她不可能谋杀任何人。但没什么能改变法官的判决。

于是我一大早便起床到法官的家中并告诉他有关那个怪物的事情。他不相信我。他认为我是为了救贾斯汀而在撒谎。

贾斯汀在监狱里安静地等着死去。我们同她待了好几个小时，她从容而温和地同我们说话。她为我们相信不是她杀害了威廉而高兴。她几乎在期盼着死去，因为那样她就可以在一个安宁的地方同威廉和我们亲爱的妈妈在一起了。

她的爱心和温柔加重了我那巨大的痛苦。我知道她将因我而死去。我知道我弟弟已经因我而死。我给我家里带来的只有悲伤和苦难。

我乘船去了日内瓦湖。我那时为什么没有结束自己的生命呢？那是因为两件事情。我父亲已经年迈，再有人死很可能会要了他的命。并且我必须活着——以便我的家人免遭怪物的伤害。

对家人的担忧和对怪物的痛恨日夜牵扯着我。我再一次病倒了，连伊丽莎白的爱也帮不了我。我需要逃避一阵子——去将伤心抛诸脑后。因此我便独自一人去阿尔卑斯山散步。我希望群山的旷野之美能够帮助我。

在美丽的山峦中我慢慢地平静了些。我又学会了安心去睡，并且有好几天我都没有见任何人。后来的一天早晨我看见有个人朝我走来，比任何人走得都要快。在其轻松地跳过岩石之时，我便恐惧地看见了我所创造的那个怪物。他的脸上露出深深的悲伤，但也带着邪恶。起先我说不出话来，因为我太恨他了。但是最后我说道：

“你是个邪恶的东西。如果我做得到的话，我便会杀了你的，因为你已害死了我爱的两个人了。”

怪物的黄色的眼睛看着我。“我是世界上最不幸的人了，但是我得为我的生命而战斗。”他说道，“虽然我比你大，又比你强壮，但我不会挑起战斗的。我将永远温柔地对待你，因为你是我的国王和我的创造者。你既然造了我，那就应该爱我并善待我，就像一个父亲那样。威廉和贾斯汀的死是因为你不爱我。既然你没有打算爱我那又为什么要创造我呢？”

“我们是敌人。”我说，“马上给我离开，否则就让我们搏斗到我们中的一个死去为止。你是个杀人凶手，我怎么会待你好呢？”

“你说我是一个杀人凶手，”怪物说道，“然而你却要杀死你自己创造的生物。这不也是错误的吗？我请你为我做一件事——听着。跟我到一个暖和些的地方去并且听听我的故事。然后你就可以做出决定了。”

我认真地考虑了他所说的话。我给了他生命却没有给他爱，这是事实。我决定跟他走并听听他的故事。

他带我到了一间他已生了火的山间茅屋。我们围着火坐下后，他便开始讲起了他的故事。

Victor Frankenstein's Story Begins
维克多的故事开始了

Chapter 2

I was born in Switzerland, in the town of Geneva. My parents loved each other very much, and I learnt from the example of their love. I learnt that to love and to be patient are the most important things in the world.

My mother hoped to have a daughter after I was born, but for five years I was the only child. And then my mother found a sister for me. She was helping a family in which there were five children. They were very poor, and the children were thin and hungry. One of the children was a little girl, with golden hair and blue eyes. Her name was Elizabeth. My mother took the little girl into our family, and Elizabeth became the daughter that my mother had always wanted. As I grew older, my love for Elizabeth became stronger all the time.

Later my mother had two other sons, Ernest and William. A young woman called Justine came to live in the house to help my mother with the children. We loved her as much as she loved us.

The years passed happily, and we had everything that we needed. At school I met another very fine person. His name was Henry Clerval, and he was very clever. My family also liked him very much, so he was a welcome visitor to our house.

I studied very hard at school. I wanted to know the secrets of life, and, most of all, I wanted to know how to make living things. I read all the books that I could find. One day, something happened that added a new idea to the ideas that I already had. I was fifteen at the time, and we were on holiday in the mountains. There was a wild storm, and with it came the most frightening thunder and lightning that I had ever seen in my life. About twenty metres in front of our house was a great tree. Suddenly a huge fork of lightning hit the tree. After a few seconds, there was nothing left of it except a black piece of wood two metres high. The lightning had destroyed it.

I saw how strong electricity was. I began to read all the books that I could find about electricity and its terrible power.

---

Switzerland n. 瑞士（国名）。

Geneva n. 日内瓦，瑞士城市。

example n. 例子。

patient adj. showing patience. 有耐心的。

as... as 与……一样……。

secret n. sth. kept from others' knowing. 秘密；adj. 秘密的。

add v. 加。

frightening adj. causing fear. 吓人的。

thunder n. a very loud noise in the sky when there is a storm. 雷。

lightning n. 闪电。

fork n. 叉。

electricity n. 电。

第二章

我出生在瑞士的日内瓦城。我父母彼此相爱至深，而且我以他们的爱心为榜样。我懂得了去爱他人和富有耐心是世界上最重要的事情。

在生下我后，我母亲希望再生一个女儿，但在五年之中我都是唯一的孩子。后来我母亲给我找了一个妹妹。她那时在一个有五个孩子的家庭里帮忙。他们非常穷，孩子们都又瘦又饿。其中一个孩子是一个头发金黄、有一对蓝色眼睛的小女孩。她名叫伊丽莎白。我母亲把那个小女孩带到了我家，于是伊丽莎白便成了我母亲盼望已久的女儿。随着年龄的增长，我对伊丽莎白的爱与日俱增。

后来我母亲又生了两个儿子：欧内斯特和威廉。有个名叫贾斯汀的年轻女子来我家帮我母亲照看孩子们。我们像她爱我们一样地爱她。

岁月快乐地流逝着，我们拥有所需要的一切。在学校里我遇见了另外一个非常好的人，他的名字叫亨利·克勒沃，人非常聪明。我的家人也非常喜欢他，所以他是我们家受欢迎的客人。

我在学校学习很刻苦。我想要知道生命的奥秘，而且我最想知道的便是如何制造有生命的东西。我阅读了我能找到的一切书籍。有一天发生了一件事情，它给了我新的启发。我那时15岁，我们正在山中度假。那天有一场暴风雨，夹杂其间的是我平生见过的最为吓人的雷霆和闪电。在我们的房子前面约二十米处有一棵大树。突然间一个叉状闪电击中了大树。几秒钟之后，那棵大树便只剩下两米高的一块黑木头。闪电摧毁了它。

我看到了电的力量有多么大。我开始阅读我能找到的有关电及其可怕力量的一切书籍。

Chapter 3

For seventeen years my life was very happy. Then the first sad thing happened. My mother became very ill, and soon she knew that she was dying. Just before she died, she asked Elizabeth and me to go to her room. She held our hands and said:

'My children, I am very happy because you love each other, and because one day you will get married. Everyone in the family loves you, Elizabeth. Will you take my place in the family, my dear? I can die happy if you will look after them when I have gone.'

My mother died, and we were very sad, because we loved her dearly. Elizabeth was brave and helped us; her sweet smile gave us some happiness in the unhappy days after my mother's death.

The time came for me to go to university. I did not want to leave my sad family, but we all knew that I should go. It was hard to leave, too, because the parents of my good friend Henry Clerval would not let him go to university with me. And so I had to go alone.

On my first day at the university I met my teacher, Professor Waldman, who was one of the greatest scientists in the world. He gave a wonderful talk to all the students who were starting at the university. He ended his talk by saying: 'Some of you will become the great scientists of tomorrow. You must study hard and discover everything that you can. That is why God made you intelligent—to help other people.'

After the professor's talk, I thought very carefully. I remembered the storm when I was fifteen. I remembered how the lightning had destroyed the tree. I wanted to use electricity to help people, and I wanted to discover the secrets of life. I decided to work on these two things. I did not know then that my work would destroy me and the people that I loved.

I started work the next day. I worked very hard and soon Professor Waldman and I realized that I could learn to be a very good scientist.

The professor helped me very much, and other important scientists who were his friends helped me, too. I was interested in my work and I did not take one day's holiday during the next two years. I did not go home, and my letters to my family were very short.

After two years I had discovered many things and I built a scientific machine that was better than anything in the university. My machine would help me answer the most important question of all. How does life begin? Is it possible to put life into dead things? To answer these questions about life I had to learn first about death. I had to watch bodies from the moment when they died and the warm life left them. In the hospital and in the university, I watched the dying and the dead. Day after day, month after month, I followed death. It was a dark and terrible time.

Then one day, the answer came to me. Suddenly I was sure that I knew the secret of life. I knew that I could put life into a body that was not alive.

I worked harder and harder now. I slept for only a short time each night, and I did not eat much food. I wrote to my family less often. But they loved me and did not stop writing to me. They said they understood how busy I was. They did not want me to stop work to write or to see them. They would wait until I had more time. They hoped to see me very soon.

The professors realized that I was doing very important work, and so they gave me my own laboratory. There was a small flat above the laboratory, where I lived, and sometimes I stayed inside the building for a week and did not go out.

Above the laboratory I built a very tall mast. It was 150 metres high, and higher than the tallest building in the city. The mast could catch lightning and could send the electricity down to my machine in the laboratory. I had never forgotten the lightning that had destroyed the tree. There had been so much power in the electricity of that lightning. I believed I could use that electricity to give life to things that were dead.

I will say no more than that. The secret of my machine must die with me. I was a very clever scientist, but I did not realize then what a terrible mistake I was making.

---

die v. not live 死。

dying adj. 垂死的。

dearly adv. very much. 非常。

happy adj. glad. 高兴的。

unhappy adj. 不高兴的。

happiness n. 高兴。

university n. 大学。

go to university 上大学学习。

professor n. 教授。

intelligent adj. clever. 聪明的。

carefully adv. thinking of what one does, says, etc. 仔细地，认真地。

hospital n. place where people are nursed through their illness. 医院。

come to 使某人想到。

alive adj. not dead. 活着的。

laboratory n. the building where scientists work and study. 实验室，简写为lab。

flat n. 公寓套房。

power n. something strong that makes other things work. 力量。

mistake n. something not right. 错误。

make a mistake 犯错误。

第三章

在17年的生命历程中我都很幸福。后来第一件悲伤的事发生了。我母亲病得很厉害，不久她便知道自己将不久于人世。就在她去世之前，她把伊丽莎白和我叫到她的房间。她抓住我们的手说道：

“孩子们，你们彼此相爱并且将会结婚，我因此非常高兴。家里的每个人都很爱你，伊丽莎白。你愿意取代我在家中的位置吗，亲爱的？如果你在我走后能照顾他们，我将会走得很幸福。”

我母亲死了，我们都非常伤心，因为我们非常爱她。伊丽莎白很勇敢并帮着我们；她那甜美的微笑在母亲死后的那些不快的日子里给我们带来了一些快乐。

到了我该上大学的时候了。我不想离开我那悲伤的家，可我们都知道我应该去。离别也是很难的，因为我的好朋友克勒沃的父母不让他和我一起去上大学。这样我只能独自一人去了。

大学的第一天我遇到了我的老师沃得曼教授，他是世界上最伟大的科学家之一。他给我们所有开始大学生活的学生做了一次精彩的演讲。他在结束讲话时说：“你们中的一些人将成为明天的科学家。你们必须努力学习并且去揭示你们所能揭示的事物。这就是上帝为什么给了你们智慧——去帮助他人。”

教授演讲过后，我进行了非常认真的思考。我想起了我15岁时的那场暴风雨。我记得那次的闪电是如何摧毁了那棵树的。我想利用电去帮助人们，我还想去揭示生命的奥秘。我决心去从事这两项工作。我当时没有想到我的工作会毁了我还有我所爱的人们。

第二天我就开始了工作。我工作非常努力，我和沃得曼教授不久便意识到我可以通过学习成为一名出色的科学家。

教授帮了我很多的忙，那些是教授的朋友的、重要的科学家们也帮助过我。我对我的工作很感兴趣，在接下来的两年里我没有休过一天假。我没有回过家，给家里写的信也非常短。

两年后我发现了很多的事物并建造了一台比大学里的任何机器都好的科学机器。我的机器能帮助我回答最重要的问题。生命是如何开始的？可以把生命注入无生命的东西中去吗？要回答有关生命的这些问题我首先得了解死亡。我得从他们刚死、滚热的生命离开人体的那一刹那起进行观察。在医院里和大学里，我观察着垂死的人和已死的人。日复一日、月复一月，我都在跟踪死亡。那是黑暗和恐怖的日子。

后来有一天我得到了答案。我突然间确信自己懂得了生命的奥秘。我知道我能将生命注入一个无生命的身体中去。

现在我工作越来越努力。每天晚上我只睡很短的时间，吃的东西也很少。我给家里写的信更加少了。但是家里的人爱我，他们没有停止给我写信。他们说他们理解我有多忙。他们不想让我停止工作而去给他们写信或是去看望他们。他们愿意等到我有时间的时候再说。他们希望很快见到我。

教授们意识到我在从事一项重要的工作，因而给了我一间实验室。实验室的上面有一个小的套房，我就住在里面；有时候我一个星期都待在那座建筑物里不出去。

我在实验室的上方建起了一个很高的杆子。它有150米高，比全城最高的建筑物都要高。那个杆子能够“捕获”闪电并把电送到我实验室的机器上。我从未忘记摧毁那棵树的闪电。那次闪电中的电曾有那么大的力量。我相信我可以利用电给无生命的东西注以生命。

我不想再多说什么了。我的机器的秘密必须随我一起消亡。我是个很聪明的科学家，可我那时没有意识到我在犯多么可怕的错误。

Chapter 4

In my laboratory I made a body. I bought or stole all the pieces of human body that I needed, and slowly and carefully, I put them all together.

I did not let anybody enter my laboratory or my flat while I was doing this awful work. I was afraid to tell anybody my terrible secret.

I had wanted to make a beautiful man, but the face of the creature was horrible. Its skin was thin and yellow, and its eyes were as yellow as its skin. Its long black hair and white teeth were almost beautiful, but the rest of the face was very ugly.

Its legs and arms were the right shape, but they were huge. I had to use big pieces because it was too difficult to join small pieces together. My creature was two and a half metres tall.

For a year I had worked to make this creature, but now it looked terrible and frightening. I almost decided to destroy it. But I could not. I had to know if I could put life into it.

I joined the body to the wires from my machine. More wires joined the machine to the mast. I was sure that my machine could use electricity from lightning to give life to the body. I watched and waited. Two days later I saw dark clouds in the sky, and I knew that a storm was coming. At about one o'clock in the morning the lightning came. My mast began to do its work immediately, and the electricity from the lightning travelled down the mast to my machine. Would the machine work?

At first nothing happened. But after a few minutes I saw the creature's body begin to move. Slowly, terribly, the body came alive. Its arms and legs began to move, and slowly it sat up.

The dead body had been an ugly thing, but alive, it was much more horrible. Suddenly I wanted to escape from it. I ran out of the laboratory, and locked the door. I was filled with fear at what I had done.

For hours I walked up and down in my flat. At last I lay down on my bed, and fell asleep. But my sleep was full of terrible dreams, and I woke up suddenly. The horrible thing that I had created was standing by my bed. Its yellow eyes were looking at me; its mouth opened and it made strange sounds at me. On its yellow face there was an awful smile. One of its huge hands reached towards me...

Before it could touch me, I jumped off the bed and ran downstairs into the garden. I stayed there all night, but I could not think clearly. I was afraid. And when morning came, I went out into the town and began to walk about.

I did not notice where I was walking, but soon I came to the station. A train from Geneva had just arrived, and the passengers were leaving the station. One of them ran towards me when he saw me. It was my dear friend Henry Clerval.

He was very pleased to see me. He took my hand and shook it warmly.

'My dear Victor!' he said. 'What a lucky chance that you are here at the station. Your father, and Elizabeth and the others, are very worried about you, because you have not visited them for a long time. They ask me to make sure that you are well. And I have very good news. My father has agreed to let me study at the university, so we shall be able to spend a lot of time together.'

I was very happy to hear this news, and for a moment I forgot my fears. I took Henry back to my flat and asked him to wait outside while I went in to look. I was afraid that the creature was still there. But it had disappeared. At that time I did not think of other people, and what the creature could do to them. I took Henry into the flat and cooked a meal for us. But Henry noticed how thin I was, and that I was laughing too much and could not sit still.

Suddenly he said: 'My dear Victor, what is the matter with you? Are you ill? Has something awful happened?'

'Don't ask me that,' I cried. I put my hands over my eyes. I thought I could see the horrible creature there in front of me. I pointed wildly across the room, and shouted: 'He can tell you. Save me! Save me!' I tried to fight the creature, but there was nothing there. Then I fainted and fell to the floor.

Poor Henry! I do not know what he thought. He called a doctor and they put me to bed. I was very ill for two months, and Henry stayed and looked after me. His loving care saved me from death.

I wanted to go home and see my family as soon as possible. When I was well enough, I packed my clothes and books. All my luggage was ready, and I was feeling very happy when the postman arrived with some letters. One of the letters ended my short time of happiness.

---

steal (stole, stolen) v. take somebody else's things secretly. 偷。

skin n. 皮肤。

huge adj. very, very big 巨大的。

creature n. a living animal or person. 生物。

wire n. a long thin piece of metal; electricity travels through wires. 电线。

immediately adv. at once. 马上。

asleep adv. 睡着了。

fall asleep 睡着。

suddenly adv. at once. 突然。

awful adj. terrible. 可怕的。

passenger n. 乘客。

lucky adj. having good luck. 幸运的。

too much 太多，过分。

wildly adv. too excitedly. 狂野地，过分激动地，发疯地。

save... from...把……从……处挽救出来。

pack v. put things into a bag, box, etc. 包装，整理行装。

luggage n. 行李。

第四章

我在我的实验室中造了一个人体。我所需要的人体各部分均是我买来或偷来的，然后我缓慢而细心地把它们拼凑到了一起。

在干这项可怕的工作时，我没有让任何人进入我的实验室和我的住处。我不敢告诉任何人我那可怕的秘密。

我曾想造一个漂亮的男人，但这个家伙的脸非常可怕：皮肤又薄又黄，眼睛同皮肤一样黄。黑长的头发和白色的牙齿倒也漂亮，脸上的其余部分却很丑陋。

它的腿和胳膊的形状是对的，但它们太大了。因为拼接小块的人体太困难了，我只得用大块的去拼接。我创造的这个东西有2.5米高。

我曾为制造这个东西工作了一年时间，现在它却看上去恐怖吓人。我几乎要决定毁了它。但我做不到。我必须知道我是否能将生命植入其中。

我把那个身体同我机器上的那些电线连接起来。更多的电线再把机器和杆子连接起来。我确信我的机器可以用闪电给那个身体生命。我观察着、等待着。两天后我看到天上有了乌云，知道将有一场暴风雨来临。大约在凌晨1点钟闪电闪了一下。我的杆子立即开始工作，闪电通过杆子传到了我的机器上。机器会管用吗？

起先没有发生什么。但是几分钟过后我看见那个东西的躯体在动。那具躯体缓慢而怕人地变活了。他的胳膊和腿开始移动，而且他慢慢地坐了起来。

那个无生命的躯体本来就可怕，而现在变成活的就更加恐怖了。突然间我想逃开。我跑出实验室并且锁上了门。我对我所做的一切充满了恐惧。

有好几个小时我都在我的房间里走来走去。最后我躺倒在床上并睡着了。可是恶梦萦绕着我，我便猛然醒了过来。我所创造的那个可怕的东西正站在我的床边。他的黄色的眼睛正看着我。他的嘴张着并对我发出奇怪的声音。他的黄色的脸庞上露出可怕的笑容。他的一只大手伸向了我……

没等他碰到我，我便跳下床冲到了楼下的花园里。我整个晚上都待在那儿，只是思维已不清楚了。我很害怕。等到早上，我便走出花园到城里去并开始四处逛悠。

我没注意我在什么地方走，但不久便到了火车站。刚好从日内瓦来了一趟火车，乘客正走出车站。其中一位见到我后便朝我跑了过来。原来是我的好朋友亨利·克勒沃。

他见到我很高兴。他抓住我的手热情地握了起来。

“我亲爱的维克多！”他说道，“你在车站这儿真是巧极了。你父亲、伊丽莎白还有其他人都非常为你担心，因为你很久没有探望他们了。他们让我来看看你的身体是否还好。另外我还有个好消息。我父亲已同意让我上大学学习，这样我们就能有好多时间待在一起了。”

我听了这个消息后很高兴，并且有一阵儿都忘记了我的恐惧感。我把亨利带回我的公寓并让他在外面等着以便我能进去看一看。我害怕那个家伙还在那儿。但是他已经不见了。那时我没有想到过其他人以及那个家伙会对他们怎么样。我把亨利领进屋里并给我们做了顿吃的。然而亨利注意到了我有多么瘦削，我还笑得太多，也不能安静地坐着。

他突然说道：“我亲爱的维克多，你怎么啦？你生病了吗？发生了什么可怕的事情了吗？”

“别问我这个，”我喊道。我用手捂住眼睛。当时我想我能看见那个可怕的家伙正在我的面前。我发疯似地指向屋子，并且喊道：“他能告诉你。救救我！救救我！”我想去同那个家伙搏斗，但那儿什么也没有。然后我就晕过去，倒在了地板上。

可怜的亨利！我不知道他当时是怎么想的。他叫了个医生并且一起把我扶到了床上。我大病了两个月，亨利一直留下来照顾我。他那充满爱意的护理把我从死亡那儿救了回来。

我想尽快回家去见我的家人。在我恢复得足够强壮后，我便收拾起衣服和书籍。我的行李都已准备好了，但是正当我无比高兴时邮递员给我送来了几封信。其中的一封结束了我短暂的快乐时光。

Chapter 5

The letter was from my father in Geneva, and this is what he wrote:

My dear Victor,

I want you to know before you arrive home that an awful thing has happened. Your dear youngest brother, William, is dead. He was murdered. It happened last Thursday evening when Elizabeth and I and your two brothers, Ernest and William, went for a walk outside the city. William and Ernest were playing. William had hidden from Ernest, and Ernest asked Elizabeth and me to help find William. We all began to search for him, but we couldn' t find him. We searched all night. At five in the morning I found him. He was lying on the grass, white and still. I could see the marks of fingers on his neck—the murderer had strangled him.

Elizabeth had let him wear a gold chain of hers round his neck. On the chain was a very small picture of your mother. We all think that someone murdered William to steal the gold chain. Poor Elizabeth is terribly unhappy at William's death. She thinks he died because she let him wear the chain. Hurry home, my dear Victor. You are the only one who can help Elizabeth, and we all need you.

With all our love,

Your Father

Henry helped me to catch the train. The journey seemed very long, and it was late at night before the train reached Geneva. I decided to spend the night in a village outside the town and go home early in the morning. I wanted to see the place where William had died.

As I started my walk, a storm broke and lightning lit the sky. The police had put posts round the place where the murderer had strangled William, so I found it easily. I cried sadly as I stood there. My poor brother had been a kind and happy boy, and we had all loved him.

Again the lightning lit the sky, and I saw a huge figure standing in the rain. When I saw it, I knew at once what it was. It was the creature that I had made.

What was it doing there? But although I asked myself the question, I knew the answer. He had murdered my brother. I was sure that I was right.

I decided to try and catch him. But as I moved, he ran towards the mountains. He ran much faster than any man. He climbed the mountain easily, reached the top, and disappeared.

I stood there in the dark and the rain, and knew that I had created a monster. And he had murdered my brother.

---

murder v. kill. 谋杀，杀害。

murderer n. 凶手。

lie (lying; lay, lain) v. be at rest. 躺。

still adj. quiet, without movement or sound. 不动的，静止的。

strangle v. to kill someone by holding him very hard round the neck. 勒死。

catch the train 赶火车，上火车。

post n. upright piece of wood, metal, etc. to support or mark something. 柱，杆，竿。

create v. make something new. 创造。

monster n. a very large person or animal with a strange, frightening shape. 庞然大物，怪物。

第五章

信是我父亲从日内瓦写来的，下面就是他写的内容：

我亲爱的维克多：

在你到家之前我想让你知道所发生的一件可怕的事情。你亲爱的小弟弟威廉死了。他是被谋杀的。这件事发生在上个礼拜四，那时我和伊丽莎白以及你的两个弟弟欧内斯特和威廉正在城外散步。威廉同欧内斯特当时正玩耍。威廉藏了起来，不让欧内斯特找到，于是欧内斯特要我和伊丽莎白帮着找威廉。我们都找了起来，但没能找到他。我们找了一整夜。早晨5点钟时我找到他。他躺倒在草地上，脸色苍白，身子一动也不动我能看出他脖子上的手指印——是凶手勒死了他。

伊丽莎白曾让他把她的一根金链子戴在脖子上。链子上有一张非常小的、你妈妈的照片。我们都认为是有人为了偷取那条金链子而杀死了威廉。可怜的伊丽莎白对威廉的死非常伤心。她认为他的死是因为她让他戴了那条链子。赶快回家吧，我亲爱的维克多。只有你能帮助伊丽莎白，并且我们都需要你。

我们都爱你！

你的父亲

亨利帮我上了火车。旅途似乎非常漫长；火车到达日内瓦之前已经是深夜了。我决定在城外的一个村子里过夜，然后清晨再回家。我想看看威廉死去的地方。

在我开始步行时，暴发了一场暴风雨，闪电划亮了天空。警察已在威廉被凶手勒死的地方围上了木桩，这样我很容易地找到了那儿。我站在那儿伤心地哭泣着。我可怜的弟弟一向是个善良而快乐的孩子，并且我们都很爱他。

闪电又一次照亮了天空，我看见雨中站着一个巨大的人。当我看见时，我立马就知道那是谁了。那是我创造的那个家伙。

他在那儿干什么？尽管我在问自己这个问题，却已知道了答案。是他杀死了我的弟弟。我敢肯定我是对的。

我决心要抓住他。但在我走动时，他朝山上跑去了。他比任何人都跑得快。他轻松地爬着山，到了山顶并且消失不见了。

我在黑暗中站着并淋着雨，知道自己创造了一个怪物。是他杀死了我的弟弟。

Chapter 6

At first I decided to tell the police my story. But would they believe me? I had been very ill. When the police learnt about my illness, they would think the monster was just one of my bad dreams. I decided that I could not tell anybody.

I went home to my family and they were very pleased to see me. Then they told me that the police had found the murderer. Perhaps you will think that this was good news, but I have not told you who the police had arrested.

As I went into the house, I noticed that one person did not come to meet me. It was Justine, the young woman who looked after the children and who was like a sister to us. And it was Justine that the police had arrested.

A few days after the murder, the police had searched the house and had found the gold chain in Justine's coat pocket. Everyone in the family knew that Justine had not murdered William. I knew who the murderer was, but I could not tell anyone. We were sure that Justine would be free after the trial, because nobody could believe that she was a murderer. But we were wrong.

The trial did not go well for Justine. There were a number of strange facts that were difficult to explain, and the judge decided that she was the murderer. The punishment for murder was death. We argued and cried. We said she could not murder anyone. But nothing could change the judge's order.

So I got up early and went to the judge's house and told him about the monster. He did not believe me. He thought I was lying in order to save Justine's life.

In the prison Justine waited quietly for death. We spent many hours with her, and she spoke calmly and kindly to us. She was happy because we believed that she had not killed William. And she was almost looking forward to death, because then she would be with William and our dear mother in a place of peace.

Her love and gentleness added to my great unhappiness. I knew she was going to die because of me. I knew my brother had died because of me. I had brought nothing but sadness and misery to my family.

I took a boat and went out on Lake Geneva. Why didn't I end my life then? Two things stopped me. My father was old and another death would probably kill him. And I had to stay alive—to keep my family safe from the monster.

Fear for my family and hate for my monster were with me day and night. I became ill again, and Elizabeth's love could not help me. I needed to escape for a while—to leave my unhappiness behind me. So I went to walk alone in the Alps. I hoped the wild beauty of the mountains would help me.

Slowly I became calmer among the beautiful mountains. I learnt to sleep again, and for days I did not see anybody. Then one morning I saw a figure coming towards me faster than any man could go. It jumped easily over the rocks and I saw with horror the monster that I had created. On his face was a look of deep sadness, but also of evil. At first I could not speak because I hated him so much. But at last I said:

'You are an evil creature. I shall kill you if I can, because you have killed two people that I love.'

The monster's yellow eyes looked at me. 'I am the unhappiest creature in the world, but I shall fight for my life,' he said. 'I am bigger and stronger than you, but I will not start the fight. I shall always be gentle to you because you are my king and creator. You made me, and you should love me and be kind to me, like a father. William and Justine died because you did not love me. Why did you create me if you were not ready to love me?'

'We are enemies,' I said. 'Leave me now, or let us fight until one of us is dead. You are a murderer. How can I be kind to you?'

'You say I am a murderer,' the monster said, 'but you want to kill your own creature. Isn't that wrong, too? I ask you to do one thing for me—listen. Come with me to a warmer place, and listen to my story. Then you can decide.'

I thought carefully about what he had said. It was true that I had given him life but I had not given him love. I decided to go with him and listen to his story.

He took me to a mountain hut where he lit a fire. We sat down by the fire and he began to tell me his story.

---

learn about 获悉。

arrest v. seize by the police. 逮捕。

free adj. not be held as a prisoner any longer. 自由的。

trial n. 审判。

punishment n. suffering for wrongdoing. 惩罚。

argue v. quarrel. 争论。

lie v. not tell the truth. 撒谎；n. 谎。

look forward to waiting for something eagerly. 期待。

peace n. 和平，安宁。

misery n. suffering. 痛苦。

keep sb. safe from 使某人免遭……的危害。

the Alps 阿尔卑斯山脉（山名）。

evil n. 罪恶；adj. 罪恶的。

gentle adj. mild, not rough. 温和的。

creator n. 创造者，造物主。

第六章

起先我打算把我的故事告诉警察，但他们会相信我吗？我一直都生着病。如果警察了解到我的病情，他们会认为那个怪物只是我的一个恶梦而已。我决定不去告诉任何人。

我回到家里，家人都为见到我而高兴。接着他们告诉我说警察已找到了凶手。你也许会认为这是个好消息，但是我还没有告诉你警察抓的是谁。

在我进屋时，我注意到有个人没有来见我。那就是贾斯汀，就是曾照看孩子们并像姐妹一样对待我们的那个年轻女孩。而警察逮捕的就是贾斯汀。

在谋杀案发生了几天之后，警察搜查了房子并在贾斯汀的外衣口袋里找到了那条金链。家里人都知道贾斯汀没有杀害过威廉。我清楚凶手是谁，但是我不能告诉任何人。我们确信审判过后贾斯汀将会被释放的，因为没有人相信她是凶手。但是我们错了。

审判对贾斯汀不利。有许多难以解释的奇怪现象，但法官认定她就是凶手。谋杀的处罚乃是死刑。我们一边申辩一边哭喊着。我们说她不可能谋杀任何人。但没什么能改变法官的判决。

于是我一大早便起床到法官的家中并告诉他有关那个怪物的事情。他不相信我。他认为我是为了救贾斯汀而在撒谎。

贾斯汀在监狱里安静地等着死去。我们同她待了好几个小时，她从容而温和地同我们说话。她为我们相信不是她杀害了威廉而高兴。她几乎在期盼着死去，因为那样她就可以在一个安宁的地方同威廉和我们亲爱的妈妈在一起了。

她的爱心和温柔加重了我那巨大的痛苦。我知道她将因我而死去。我知道我弟弟已经因我而死。我给我家里带来的只有悲伤和苦难。

我乘船去了日内瓦湖。我那时为什么没有结束自己的生命呢？那是因为两件事情。我父亲已经年迈，再有人死很可能会要了他的命。并且我必须活着——以便我的家人免遭怪物的伤害。

对家人的担忧和对怪物的痛恨日夜牵扯着我。我再一次病倒了，连伊丽莎白的爱也帮不了我。我需要逃避一阵子——去将伤心抛诸脑后。因此我便独自一人去阿尔卑斯山散步。我希望群山的旷野之美能够帮助我。

在美丽的山峦中我慢慢地平静了些。我又学会了安心去睡，并且有好几天我都没有见任何人。后来的一天早晨我看见有个人朝我走来，比任何人走得都要快。在其轻松地跳过岩石之时，我便恐惧地看见了我所创造的那个怪物。他的脸上露出深深的悲伤，但也带着邪恶。起先我说不出话来，因为我太恨他了。但是最后我说道：

“你是个邪恶的东西。如果我做得到的话，我便会杀了你的，因为你已害死了我爱的两个人了。”

怪物的黄色的眼睛看着我。“我是世界上最不幸的人了，但是我得为我的生命而战斗。”他说道，“虽然我比你大，又比你强壮，但我不会挑起战斗的。我将永远温柔地对待你，因为你是我的国王和我的创造者。你既然造了我，那就应该爱我并善待我，就像一个父亲那样。威廉和贾斯汀的死是因为你不爱我。既然你没有打算爱我那又为什么要创造我呢？”

“我们是敌人。”我说，“马上给我离开，否则就让我们搏斗到我们中的一个死去为止。你是个杀人凶手，我怎么会待你好呢？”

“你说我是一个杀人凶手，”怪物说道，“然而你却要杀死你自己创造的生物。这不也是错误的吗？我请你为我做一件事——听着。跟我到一个暖和些的地方去并且听听我的故事。然后你就可以做出决定了。”

我认真地考虑了他所说的话。我给了他生命却没有给他爱，这是事实。我决定跟他走并听听他的故事。

他带我到了一间他已生了火的山间茅屋。我们围着火坐下后，他便开始讲起了他的故事。

Victor Frankenstein's Story Begins
维克多的故事开始了

Chapter 2

I was born in Switzerland, in the town of Geneva. My parents loved each other very much, and I learnt from the example of their love. I learnt that to love and to be patient are the most important things in the world.

My mother hoped to have a daughter after I was born, but for five years I was the only child. And then my mother found a sister for me. She was helping a family in which there were five children. They were very poor, and the children were thin and hungry. One of the children was a little girl, with golden hair and blue eyes. Her name was Elizabeth. My mother took the little girl into our family, and Elizabeth became the daughter that my mother had always wanted. As I grew older, my love for Elizabeth became stronger all the time.

Later my mother had two other sons, Ernest and William. A young woman called Justine came to live in the house to help my mother with the children. We loved her as much as she loved us.

The years passed happily, and we had everything that we needed. At school I met another very fine person. His name was Henry Clerval, and he was very clever. My family also liked him very much, so he was a welcome visitor to our house.

I studied very hard at school. I wanted to know the secrets of life, and, most of all, I wanted to know how to make living things. I read all the books that I could find. One day, something happened that added a new idea to the ideas that I already had. I was fifteen at the time, and we were on holiday in the mountains. There was a wild storm, and with it came the most frightening thunder and lightning that I had ever seen in my life. About twenty metres in front of our house was a great tree. Suddenly a huge fork of lightning hit the tree. After a few seconds, there was nothing left of it except a black piece of wood two metres high. The lightning had destroyed it.

I saw how strong electricity was. I began to read all the books that I could find about electricity and its terrible power.

---

Switzerland n. 瑞士（国名）。

Geneva n. 日内瓦，瑞士城市。

example n. 例子。

patient adj. showing patience. 有耐心的。

as... as 与……一样……。

secret n. sth. kept from others' knowing. 秘密；adj. 秘密的。

add v. 加。

frightening adj. causing fear. 吓人的。

thunder n. a very loud noise in the sky when there is a storm. 雷。

lightning n. 闪电。

fork n. 叉。

electricity n. 电。

第二章

我出生在瑞士的日内瓦城。我父母彼此相爱至深，而且我以他们的爱心为榜样。我懂得了去爱他人和富有耐心是世界上最重要的事情。

在生下我后，我母亲希望再生一个女儿，但在五年之中我都是唯一的孩子。后来我母亲给我找了一个妹妹。她那时在一个有五个孩子的家庭里帮忙。他们非常穷，孩子们都又瘦又饿。其中一个孩子是一个头发金黄、有一对蓝色眼睛的小女孩。她名叫伊丽莎白。我母亲把那个小女孩带到了我家，于是伊丽莎白便成了我母亲盼望已久的女儿。随着年龄的增长，我对伊丽莎白的爱与日俱增。

后来我母亲又生了两个儿子：欧内斯特和威廉。有个名叫贾斯汀的年轻女子来我家帮我母亲照看孩子们。我们像她爱我们一样地爱她。

岁月快乐地流逝着，我们拥有所需要的一切。在学校里我遇见了另外一个非常好的人，他的名字叫亨利·克勒沃，人非常聪明。我的家人也非常喜欢他，所以他是我们家受欢迎的客人。

我在学校学习很刻苦。我想要知道生命的奥秘，而且我最想知道的便是如何制造有生命的东西。我阅读了我能找到的一切书籍。有一天发生了一件事情，它给了我新的启发。我那时15岁，我们正在山中度假。那天有一场暴风雨，夹杂其间的是我平生见过的最为吓人的雷霆和闪电。在我们的房子前面约二十米处有一棵大树。突然间一个叉状闪电击中了大树。几秒钟之后，那棵大树便只剩下两米高的一块黑木头。闪电摧毁了它。

我看到了电的力量有多么大。我开始阅读我能找到的有关电及其可怕力量的一切书籍。

Chapter 3

For seventeen years my life was very happy. Then the first sad thing happened. My mother became very ill, and soon she knew that she was dying. Just before she died, she asked Elizabeth and me to go to her room. She held our hands and said:

'My children, I am very happy because you love each other, and because one day you will get married. Everyone in the family loves you, Elizabeth. Will you take my place in the family, my dear? I can die happy if you will look after them when I have gone.'

My mother died, and we were very sad, because we loved her dearly. Elizabeth was brave and helped us; her sweet smile gave us some happiness in the unhappy days after my mother's death.

The time came for me to go to university. I did not want to leave my sad family, but we all knew that I should go. It was hard to leave, too, because the parents of my good friend Henry Clerval would not let him go to university with me. And so I had to go alone.

On my first day at the university I met my teacher, Professor Waldman, who was one of the greatest scientists in the world. He gave a wonderful talk to all the students who were starting at the university. He ended his talk by saying: 'Some of you will become the great scientists of tomorrow. You must study hard and discover everything that you can. That is why God made you intelligent—to help other people.'

After the professor's talk, I thought very carefully. I remembered the storm when I was fifteen. I remembered how the lightning had destroyed the tree. I wanted to use electricity to help people, and I wanted to discover the secrets of life. I decided to work on these two things. I did not know then that my work would destroy me and the people that I loved.

I started work the next day. I worked very hard and soon Professor Waldman and I realized that I could learn to be a very good scientist.

The professor helped me very much, and other important scientists who were his friends helped me, too. I was interested in my work and I did not take one day's holiday during the next two years. I did not go home, and my letters to my family were very short.

After two years I had discovered many things and I built a scientific machine that was better than anything in the university. My machine would help me answer the most important question of all. How does life begin? Is it possible to put life into dead things? To answer these questions about life I had to learn first about death. I had to watch bodies from the moment when they died and the warm life left them. In the hospital and in the university, I watched the dying and the dead. Day after day, month after month, I followed death. It was a dark and terrible time.

Then one day, the answer came to me. Suddenly I was sure that I knew the secret of life. I knew that I could put life into a body that was not alive.

I worked harder and harder now. I slept for only a short time each night, and I did not eat much food. I wrote to my family less often. But they loved me and did not stop writing to me. They said they understood how busy I was. They did not want me to stop work to write or to see them. They would wait until I had more time. They hoped to see me very soon.

The professors realized that I was doing very important work, and so they gave me my own laboratory. There was a small flat above the laboratory, where I lived, and sometimes I stayed inside the building for a week and did not go out.

Above the laboratory I built a very tall mast. It was 150 metres high, and higher than the tallest building in the city. The mast could catch lightning and could send the electricity down to my machine in the laboratory. I had never forgotten the lightning that had destroyed the tree. There had been so much power in the electricity of that lightning. I believed I could use that electricity to give life to things that were dead.

I will say no more than that. The secret of my machine must die with me. I was a very clever scientist, but I did not realize then what a terrible mistake I was making.

---

die v. not live 死。

dying adj. 垂死的。

dearly adv. very much. 非常。

happy adj. glad. 高兴的。

unhappy adj. 不高兴的。

happiness n. 高兴。

university n. 大学。

go to university 上大学学习。

professor n. 教授。

intelligent adj. clever. 聪明的。

carefully adv. thinking of what one does, says, etc. 仔细地，认真地。

hospital n. place where people are nursed through their illness. 医院。

come to 使某人想到。

alive adj. not dead. 活着的。

laboratory n. the building where scientists work and study. 实验室，简写为lab。

flat n. 公寓套房。

power n. something strong that makes other things work. 力量。

mistake n. something not right. 错误。

make a mistake 犯错误。

第三章

在17年的生命历程中我都很幸福。后来第一件悲伤的事发生了。我母亲病得很厉害，不久她便知道自己将不久于人世。就在她去世之前，她把伊丽莎白和我叫到她的房间。她抓住我们的手说道：

“孩子们，你们彼此相爱并且将会结婚，我因此非常高兴。家里的每个人都很爱你，伊丽莎白。你愿意取代我在家中的位置吗，亲爱的？如果你在我走后能照顾他们，我将会走得很幸福。”

我母亲死了，我们都非常伤心，因为我们非常爱她。伊丽莎白很勇敢并帮着我们；她那甜美的微笑在母亲死后的那些不快的日子里给我们带来了一些快乐。

到了我该上大学的时候了。我不想离开我那悲伤的家，可我们都知道我应该去。离别也是很难的，因为我的好朋友克勒沃的父母不让他和我一起去上大学。这样我只能独自一人去了。

大学的第一天我遇到了我的老师沃得曼教授，他是世界上最伟大的科学家之一。他给我们所有开始大学生活的学生做了一次精彩的演讲。他在结束讲话时说：“你们中的一些人将成为明天的科学家。你们必须努力学习并且去揭示你们所能揭示的事物。这就是上帝为什么给了你们智慧——去帮助他人。”

教授演讲过后，我进行了非常认真的思考。我想起了我15岁时的那场暴风雨。我记得那次的闪电是如何摧毁了那棵树的。我想利用电去帮助人们，我还想去揭示生命的奥秘。我决心去从事这两项工作。我当时没有想到我的工作会毁了我还有我所爱的人们。

第二天我就开始了工作。我工作非常努力，我和沃得曼教授不久便意识到我可以通过学习成为一名出色的科学家。

教授帮了我很多的忙，那些是教授的朋友的、重要的科学家们也帮助过我。我对我的工作很感兴趣，在接下来的两年里我没有休过一天假。我没有回过家，给家里写的信也非常短。

两年后我发现了很多的事物并建造了一台比大学里的任何机器都好的科学机器。我的机器能帮助我回答最重要的问题。生命是如何开始的？可以把生命注入无生命的东西中去吗？要回答有关生命的这些问题我首先得了解死亡。我得从他们刚死、滚热的生命离开人体的那一刹那起进行观察。在医院里和大学里，我观察着垂死的人和已死的人。日复一日、月复一月，我都在跟踪死亡。那是黑暗和恐怖的日子。

后来有一天我得到了答案。我突然间确信自己懂得了生命的奥秘。我知道我能将生命注入一个无生命的身体中去。

现在我工作越来越努力。每天晚上我只睡很短的时间，吃的东西也很少。我给家里写的信更加少了。但是家里的人爱我，他们没有停止给我写信。他们说他们理解我有多忙。他们不想让我停止工作而去给他们写信或是去看望他们。他们愿意等到我有时间的时候再说。他们希望很快见到我。

教授们意识到我在从事一项重要的工作，因而给了我一间实验室。实验室的上面有一个小的套房，我就住在里面；有时候我一个星期都待在那座建筑物里不出去。

我在实验室的上方建起了一个很高的杆子。它有150米高，比全城最高的建筑物都要高。那个杆子能够“捕获”闪电并把电送到我实验室的机器上。我从未忘记摧毁那棵树的闪电。那次闪电中的电曾有那么大的力量。我相信我可以利用电给无生命的东西注以生命。

我不想再多说什么了。我的机器的秘密必须随我一起消亡。我是个很聪明的科学家，可我那时没有意识到我在犯多么可怕的错误。

Chapter 4

In my laboratory I made a body. I bought or stole all the pieces of human body that I needed, and slowly and carefully, I put them all together.

I did not let anybody enter my laboratory or my flat while I was doing this awful work. I was afraid to tell anybody my terrible secret.

I had wanted to make a beautiful man, but the face of the creature was horrible. Its skin was thin and yellow, and its eyes were as yellow as its skin. Its long black hair and white teeth were almost beautiful, but the rest of the face was very ugly.

Its legs and arms were the right shape, but they were huge. I had to use big pieces because it was too difficult to join small pieces together. My creature was two and a half metres tall.

For a year I had worked to make this creature, but now it looked terrible and frightening. I almost decided to destroy it. But I could not. I had to know if I could put life into it.

I joined the body to the wires from my machine. More wires joined the machine to the mast. I was sure that my machine could use electricity from lightning to give life to the body. I watched and waited. Two days later I saw dark clouds in the sky, and I knew that a storm was coming. At about one o'clock in the morning the lightning came. My mast began to do its work immediately, and the electricity from the lightning travelled down the mast to my machine. Would the machine work?

At first nothing happened. But after a few minutes I saw the creature's body begin to move. Slowly, terribly, the body came alive. Its arms and legs began to move, and slowly it sat up.

The dead body had been an ugly thing, but alive, it was much more horrible. Suddenly I wanted to escape from it. I ran out of the laboratory, and locked the door. I was filled with fear at what I had done.

For hours I walked up and down in my flat. At last I lay down on my bed, and fell asleep. But my sleep was full of terrible dreams, and I woke up suddenly. The horrible thing that I had created was standing by my bed. Its yellow eyes were looking at me; its mouth opened and it made strange sounds at me. On its yellow face there was an awful smile. One of its huge hands reached towards me...

Before it could touch me, I jumped off the bed and ran downstairs into the garden. I stayed there all night, but I could not think clearly. I was afraid. And when morning came, I went out into the town and began to walk about.

I did not notice where I was walking, but soon I came to the station. A train from Geneva had just arrived, and the passengers were leaving the station. One of them ran towards me when he saw me. It was my dear friend Henry Clerval.

He was very pleased to see me. He took my hand and shook it warmly.

'My dear Victor!' he said. 'What a lucky chance that you are here at the station. Your father, and Elizabeth and the others, are very worried about you, because you have not visited them for a long time. They ask me to make sure that you are well. And I have very good news. My father has agreed to let me study at the university, so we shall be able to spend a lot of time together.'

I was very happy to hear this news, and for a moment I forgot my fears. I took Henry back to my flat and asked him to wait outside while I went in to look. I was afraid that the creature was still there. But it had disappeared. At that time I did not think of other people, and what the creature could do to them. I took Henry into the flat and cooked a meal for us. But Henry noticed how thin I was, and that I was laughing too much and could not sit still.

Suddenly he said: 'My dear Victor, what is the matter with you? Are you ill? Has something awful happened?'

'Don't ask me that,' I cried. I put my hands over my eyes. I thought I could see the horrible creature there in front of me. I pointed wildly across the room, and shouted: 'He can tell you. Save me! Save me!' I tried to fight the creature, but there was nothing there. Then I fainted and fell to the floor.

Poor Henry! I do not know what he thought. He called a doctor and they put me to bed. I was very ill for two months, and Henry stayed and looked after me. His loving care saved me from death.

I wanted to go home and see my family as soon as possible. When I was well enough, I packed my clothes and books. All my luggage was ready, and I was feeling very happy when the postman arrived with some letters. One of the letters ended my short time of happiness.

---

steal (stole, stolen) v. take somebody else's things secretly. 偷。

skin n. 皮肤。

huge adj. very, very big 巨大的。

creature n. a living animal or person. 生物。

wire n. a long thin piece of metal; electricity travels through wires. 电线。

immediately adv. at once. 马上。

asleep adv. 睡着了。

fall asleep 睡着。

suddenly adv. at once. 突然。

awful adj. terrible. 可怕的。

passenger n. 乘客。

lucky adj. having good luck. 幸运的。

too much 太多，过分。

wildly adv. too excitedly. 狂野地，过分激动地，发疯地。

save... from...把……从……处挽救出来。

pack v. put things into a bag, box, etc. 包装，整理行装。

luggage n. 行李。

第四章

我在我的实验室中造了一个人体。我所需要的人体各部分均是我买来或偷来的，然后我缓慢而细心地把它们拼凑到了一起。

在干这项可怕的工作时，我没有让任何人进入我的实验室和我的住处。我不敢告诉任何人我那可怕的秘密。

我曾想造一个漂亮的男人，但这个家伙的脸非常可怕：皮肤又薄又黄，眼睛同皮肤一样黄。黑长的头发和白色的牙齿倒也漂亮，脸上的其余部分却很丑陋。

它的腿和胳膊的形状是对的，但它们太大了。因为拼接小块的人体太困难了，我只得用大块的去拼接。我创造的这个东西有2.5米高。

我曾为制造这个东西工作了一年时间，现在它却看上去恐怖吓人。我几乎要决定毁了它。但我做不到。我必须知道我是否能将生命植入其中。

我把那个身体同我机器上的那些电线连接起来。更多的电线再把机器和杆子连接起来。我确信我的机器可以用闪电给那个身体生命。我观察着、等待着。两天后我看到天上有了乌云，知道将有一场暴风雨来临。大约在凌晨1点钟闪电闪了一下。我的杆子立即开始工作，闪电通过杆子传到了我的机器上。机器会管用吗？

起先没有发生什么。但是几分钟过后我看见那个东西的躯体在动。那具躯体缓慢而怕人地变活了。他的胳膊和腿开始移动，而且他慢慢地坐了起来。

那个无生命的躯体本来就可怕，而现在变成活的就更加恐怖了。突然间我想逃开。我跑出实验室并且锁上了门。我对我所做的一切充满了恐惧。

有好几个小时我都在我的房间里走来走去。最后我躺倒在床上并睡着了。可是恶梦萦绕着我，我便猛然醒了过来。我所创造的那个可怕的东西正站在我的床边。他的黄色的眼睛正看着我。他的嘴张着并对我发出奇怪的声音。他的黄色的脸庞上露出可怕的笑容。他的一只大手伸向了我……

没等他碰到我，我便跳下床冲到了楼下的花园里。我整个晚上都待在那儿，只是思维已不清楚了。我很害怕。等到早上，我便走出花园到城里去并开始四处逛悠。

我没注意我在什么地方走，但不久便到了火车站。刚好从日内瓦来了一趟火车，乘客正走出车站。其中一位见到我后便朝我跑了过来。原来是我的好朋友亨利·克勒沃。

他见到我很高兴。他抓住我的手热情地握了起来。

“我亲爱的维克多！”他说道，“你在车站这儿真是巧极了。你父亲、伊丽莎白还有其他人都非常为你担心，因为你很久没有探望他们了。他们让我来看看你的身体是否还好。另外我还有个好消息。我父亲已同意让我上大学学习，这样我们就能有好多时间待在一起了。”

我听了这个消息后很高兴，并且有一阵儿都忘记了我的恐惧感。我把亨利带回我的公寓并让他在外面等着以便我能进去看一看。我害怕那个家伙还在那儿。但是他已经不见了。那时我没有想到过其他人以及那个家伙会对他们怎么样。我把亨利领进屋里并给我们做了顿吃的。然而亨利注意到了我有多么瘦削，我还笑得太多，也不能安静地坐着。

他突然说道：“我亲爱的维克多，你怎么啦？你生病了吗？发生了什么可怕的事情了吗？”

“别问我这个，”我喊道。我用手捂住眼睛。当时我想我能看见那个可怕的家伙正在我的面前。我发疯似地指向屋子，并且喊道：“他能告诉你。救救我！救救我！”我想去同那个家伙搏斗，但那儿什么也没有。然后我就晕过去，倒在了地板上。

可怜的亨利！我不知道他当时是怎么想的。他叫了个医生并且一起把我扶到了床上。我大病了两个月，亨利一直留下来照顾我。他那充满爱意的护理把我从死亡那儿救了回来。

我想尽快回家去见我的家人。在我恢复得足够强壮后，我便收拾起衣服和书籍。我的行李都已准备好了，但是正当我无比高兴时邮递员给我送来了几封信。其中的一封结束了我短暂的快乐时光。

Chapter 5

The letter was from my father in Geneva, and this is what he wrote:

My dear Victor,

I want you to know before you arrive home that an awful thing has happened. Your dear youngest brother, William, is dead. He was murdered. It happened last Thursday evening when Elizabeth and I and your two brothers, Ernest and William, went for a walk outside the city. William and Ernest were playing. William had hidden from Ernest, and Ernest asked Elizabeth and me to help find William. We all began to search for him, but we couldn' t find him. We searched all night. At five in the morning I found him. He was lying on the grass, white and still. I could see the marks of fingers on his neck—the murderer had strangled him.

Elizabeth had let him wear a gold chain of hers round his neck. On the chain was a very small picture of your mother. We all think that someone murdered William to steal the gold chain. Poor Elizabeth is terribly unhappy at William's death. She thinks he died because she let him wear the chain. Hurry home, my dear Victor. You are the only one who can help Elizabeth, and we all need you.

With all our love,

Your Father

Henry helped me to catch the train. The journey seemed very long, and it was late at night before the train reached Geneva. I decided to spend the night in a village outside the town and go home early in the morning. I wanted to see the place where William had died.

As I started my walk, a storm broke and lightning lit the sky. The police had put posts round the place where the murderer had strangled William, so I found it easily. I cried sadly as I stood there. My poor brother had been a kind and happy boy, and we had all loved him.

Again the lightning lit the sky, and I saw a huge figure standing in the rain. When I saw it, I knew at once what it was. It was the creature that I had made.

What was it doing there? But although I asked myself the question, I knew the answer. He had murdered my brother. I was sure that I was right.

I decided to try and catch him. But as I moved, he ran towards the mountains. He ran much faster than any man. He climbed the mountain easily, reached the top, and disappeared.

I stood there in the dark and the rain, and knew that I had created a monster. And he had murdered my brother.

---

murder v. kill. 谋杀，杀害。

murderer n. 凶手。

lie (lying; lay, lain) v. be at rest. 躺。

still adj. quiet, without movement or sound. 不动的，静止的。

strangle v. to kill someone by holding him very hard round the neck. 勒死。

catch the train 赶火车，上火车。

post n. upright piece of wood, metal, etc. to support or mark something. 柱，杆，竿。

create v. make something new. 创造。

monster n. a very large person or animal with a strange, frightening shape. 庞然大物，怪物。

第五章

信是我父亲从日内瓦写来的，下面就是他写的内容：

我亲爱的维克多：

在你到家之前我想让你知道所发生的一件可怕的事情。你亲爱的小弟弟威廉死了。他是被谋杀的。这件事发生在上个礼拜四，那时我和伊丽莎白以及你的两个弟弟欧内斯特和威廉正在城外散步。威廉同欧内斯特当时正玩耍。威廉藏了起来，不让欧内斯特找到，于是欧内斯特要我和伊丽莎白帮着找威廉。我们都找了起来，但没能找到他。我们找了一整夜。早晨5点钟时我找到他。他躺倒在草地上，脸色苍白，身子一动也不动我能看出他脖子上的手指印——是凶手勒死了他。

伊丽莎白曾让他把她的一根金链子戴在脖子上。链子上有一张非常小的、你妈妈的照片。我们都认为是有人为了偷取那条金链子而杀死了威廉。可怜的伊丽莎白对威廉的死非常伤心。她认为他的死是因为她让他戴了那条链子。赶快回家吧，我亲爱的维克多。只有你能帮助伊丽莎白，并且我们都需要你。

我们都爱你！

你的父亲

亨利帮我上了火车。旅途似乎非常漫长；火车到达日内瓦之前已经是深夜了。我决定在城外的一个村子里过夜，然后清晨再回家。我想看看威廉死去的地方。

在我开始步行时，暴发了一场暴风雨，闪电划亮了天空。警察已在威廉被凶手勒死的地方围上了木桩，这样我很容易地找到了那儿。我站在那儿伤心地哭泣着。我可怜的弟弟一向是个善良而快乐的孩子，并且我们都很爱他。

闪电又一次照亮了天空，我看见雨中站着一个巨大的人。当我看见时，我立马就知道那是谁了。那是我创造的那个家伙。

他在那儿干什么？尽管我在问自己这个问题，却已知道了答案。是他杀死了我的弟弟。我敢肯定我是对的。

我决心要抓住他。但在我走动时，他朝山上跑去了。他比任何人都跑得快。他轻松地爬着山，到了山顶并且消失不见了。

我在黑暗中站着并淋着雨，知道自己创造了一个怪物。是他杀死了我的弟弟。

Chapter 6

At first I decided to tell the police my story. But would they believe me? I had been very ill. When the police learnt about my illness, they would think the monster was just one of my bad dreams. I decided that I could not tell anybody.

I went home to my family and they were very pleased to see me. Then they told me that the police had found the murderer. Perhaps you will think that this was good news, but I have not told you who the police had arrested.

As I went into the house, I noticed that one person did not come to meet me. It was Justine, the young woman who looked after the children and who was like a sister to us. And it was Justine that the police had arrested.

A few days after the murder, the police had searched the house and had found the gold chain in Justine's coat pocket. Everyone in the family knew that Justine had not murdered William. I knew who the murderer was, but I could not tell anyone. We were sure that Justine would be free after the trial, because nobody could believe that she was a murderer. But we were wrong.

The trial did not go well for Justine. There were a number of strange facts that were difficult to explain, and the judge decided that she was the murderer. The punishment for murder was death. We argued and cried. We said she could not murder anyone. But nothing could change the judge's order.

So I got up early and went to the judge's house and told him about the monster. He did not believe me. He thought I was lying in order to save Justine's life.

In the prison Justine waited quietly for death. We spent many hours with her, and she spoke calmly and kindly to us. She was happy because we believed that she had not killed William. And she was almost looking forward to death, because then she would be with William and our dear mother in a place of peace.

Her love and gentleness added to my great unhappiness. I knew she was going to die because of me. I knew my brother had died because of me. I had brought nothing but sadness and misery to my family.

I took a boat and went out on Lake Geneva. Why didn't I end my life then? Two things stopped me. My father was old and another death would probably kill him. And I had to stay alive—to keep my family safe from the monster.

Fear for my family and hate for my monster were with me day and night. I became ill again, and Elizabeth's love could not help me. I needed to escape for a while—to leave my unhappiness behind me. So I went to walk alone in the Alps. I hoped the wild beauty of the mountains would help me.

Slowly I became calmer among the beautiful mountains. I learnt to sleep again, and for days I did not see anybody. Then one morning I saw a figure coming towards me faster than any man could go. It jumped easily over the rocks and I saw with horror the monster that I had created. On his face was a look of deep sadness, but also of evil. At first I could not speak because I hated him so much. But at last I said:

'You are an evil creature. I shall kill you if I can, because you have killed two people that I love.'

The monster's yellow eyes looked at me. 'I am the unhappiest creature in the world, but I shall fight for my life,' he said. 'I am bigger and stronger than you, but I will not start the fight. I shall always be gentle to you because you are my king and creator. You made me, and you should love me and be kind to me, like a father. William and Justine died because you did not love me. Why did you create me if you were not ready to love me?'

'We are enemies,' I said. 'Leave me now, or let us fight until one of us is dead. You are a murderer. How can I be kind to you?'

'You say I am a murderer,' the monster said, 'but you want to kill your own creature. Isn't that wrong, too? I ask you to do one thing for me—listen. Come with me to a warmer place, and listen to my story. Then you can decide.'

I thought carefully about what he had said. It was true that I had given him life but I had not given him love. I decided to go with him and listen to his story.

He took me to a mountain hut where he lit a fire. We sat down by the fire and he began to tell me his story.

---

learn about 获悉。

arrest v. seize by the police. 逮捕。

free adj. not be held as a prisoner any longer. 自由的。

trial n. 审判。

punishment n. suffering for wrongdoing. 惩罚。

argue v. quarrel. 争论。

lie v. not tell the truth. 撒谎；n. 谎。

look forward to waiting for something eagerly. 期待。

peace n. 和平，安宁。

misery n. suffering. 痛苦。

keep sb. safe from 使某人免遭……的危害。

the Alps 阿尔卑斯山脉（山名）。

evil n. 罪恶；adj. 罪恶的。

gentle adj. mild, not rough. 温和的。

creator n. 创造者，造物主。

第六章

起先我打算把我的故事告诉警察，但他们会相信我吗？我一直都生着病。如果警察了解到我的病情，他们会认为那个怪物只是我的一个恶梦而已。我决定不去告诉任何人。

我回到家里，家人都为见到我而高兴。接着他们告诉我说警察已找到了凶手。你也许会认为这是个好消息，但是我还没有告诉你警察抓的是谁。

在我进屋时，我注意到有个人没有来见我。那就是贾斯汀，就是曾照看孩子们并像姐妹一样对待我们的那个年轻女孩。而警察逮捕的就是贾斯汀。

在谋杀案发生了几天之后，警察搜查了房子并在贾斯汀的外衣口袋里找到了那条金链。家里人都知道贾斯汀没有杀害过威廉。我清楚凶手是谁，但是我不能告诉任何人。我们确信审判过后贾斯汀将会被释放的，因为没有人相信她是凶手。但是我们错了。

审判对贾斯汀不利。有许多难以解释的奇怪现象，但法官认定她就是凶手。谋杀的处罚乃是死刑。我们一边申辩一边哭喊着。我们说她不可能谋杀任何人。但没什么能改变法官的判决。

于是我一大早便起床到法官的家中并告诉他有关那个怪物的事情。他不相信我。他认为我是为了救贾斯汀而在撒谎。

贾斯汀在监狱里安静地等着死去。我们同她待了好几个小时，她从容而温和地同我们说话。她为我们相信不是她杀害了威廉而高兴。她几乎在期盼着死去，因为那样她就可以在一个安宁的地方同威廉和我们亲爱的妈妈在一起了。

她的爱心和温柔加重了我那巨大的痛苦。我知道她将因我而死去。我知道我弟弟已经因我而死。我给我家里带来的只有悲伤和苦难。

我乘船去了日内瓦湖。我那时为什么没有结束自己的生命呢？那是因为两件事情。我父亲已经年迈，再有人死很可能会要了他的命。并且我必须活着——以便我的家人免遭怪物的伤害。

对家人的担忧和对怪物的痛恨日夜牵扯着我。我再一次病倒了，连伊丽莎白的爱也帮不了我。我需要逃避一阵子——去将伤心抛诸脑后。因此我便独自一人去阿尔卑斯山散步。我希望群山的旷野之美能够帮助我。

在美丽的山峦中我慢慢地平静了些。我又学会了安心去睡，并且有好几天我都没有见任何人。后来的一天早晨我看见有个人朝我走来，比任何人走得都要快。在其轻松地跳过岩石之时，我便恐惧地看见了我所创造的那个怪物。他的脸上露出深深的悲伤，但也带着邪恶。起先我说不出话来，因为我太恨他了。但是最后我说道：

“你是个邪恶的东西。如果我做得到的话，我便会杀了你的，因为你已害死了我爱的两个人了。”

怪物的黄色的眼睛看着我。“我是世界上最不幸的人了，但是我得为我的生命而战斗。”他说道，“虽然我比你大，又比你强壮，但我不会挑起战斗的。我将永远温柔地对待你，因为你是我的国王和我的创造者。你既然造了我，那就应该爱我并善待我，就像一个父亲那样。威廉和贾斯汀的死是因为你不爱我。既然你没有打算爱我那又为什么要创造我呢？”

“我们是敌人。”我说，“马上给我离开，否则就让我们搏斗到我们中的一个死去为止。你是个杀人凶手，我怎么会待你好呢？”

“你说我是一个杀人凶手，”怪物说道，“然而你却要杀死你自己创造的生物。这不也是错误的吗？我请你为我做一件事——听着。跟我到一个暖和些的地方去并且听听我的故事。然后你就可以做出决定了。”

我认真地考虑了他所说的话。我给了他生命却没有给他爱，这是事实。我决定跟他走并听听他的故事。

他带我到了一间他已生了火的山间茅屋。我们围着火坐下后，他便开始讲起了他的故事。

Victor Frankenstein's Story Begins
维克多的故事开始了

Chapter 2

I was born in Switzerland, in the town of Geneva. My parents loved each other very much, and I learnt from the example of their love. I learnt that to love and to be patient are the most important things in the world.

My mother hoped to have a daughter after I was born, but for five years I was the only child. And then my mother found a sister for me. She was helping a family in which there were five children. They were very poor, and the children were thin and hungry. One of the children was a little girl, with golden hair and blue eyes. Her name was Elizabeth. My mother took the little girl into our family, and Elizabeth became the daughter that my mother had always wanted. As I grew older, my love for Elizabeth became stronger all the time.

Later my mother had two other sons, Ernest and William. A young woman called Justine came to live in the house to help my mother with the children. We loved her as much as she loved us.

The years passed happily, and we had everything that we needed. At school I met another very fine person. His name was Henry Clerval, and he was very clever. My family also liked him very much, so he was a welcome visitor to our house.

I studied very hard at school. I wanted to know the secrets of life, and, most of all, I wanted to know how to make living things. I read all the books that I could find. One day, something happened that added a new idea to the ideas that I already had. I was fifteen at the time, and we were on holiday in the mountains. There was a wild storm, and with it came the most frightening thunder and lightning that I had ever seen in my life. About twenty metres in front of our house was a great tree. Suddenly a huge fork of lightning hit the tree. After a few seconds, there was nothing left of it except a black piece of wood two metres high. The lightning had destroyed it.

I saw how strong electricity was. I began to read all the books that I could find about electricity and its terrible power.

---

Switzerland n. 瑞士（国名）。

Geneva n. 日内瓦，瑞士城市。

example n. 例子。

patient adj. showing patience. 有耐心的。

as... as 与……一样……。

secret n. sth. kept from others' knowing. 秘密；adj. 秘密的。

add v. 加。

frightening adj. causing fear. 吓人的。

thunder n. a very loud noise in the sky when there is a storm. 雷。

lightning n. 闪电。

fork n. 叉。

electricity n. 电。

第二章

我出生在瑞士的日内瓦城。我父母彼此相爱至深，而且我以他们的爱心为榜样。我懂得了去爱他人和富有耐心是世界上最重要的事情。

在生下我后，我母亲希望再生一个女儿，但在五年之中我都是唯一的孩子。后来我母亲给我找了一个妹妹。她那时在一个有五个孩子的家庭里帮忙。他们非常穷，孩子们都又瘦又饿。其中一个孩子是一个头发金黄、有一对蓝色眼睛的小女孩。她名叫伊丽莎白。我母亲把那个小女孩带到了我家，于是伊丽莎白便成了我母亲盼望已久的女儿。随着年龄的增长，我对伊丽莎白的爱与日俱增。

后来我母亲又生了两个儿子：欧内斯特和威廉。有个名叫贾斯汀的年轻女子来我家帮我母亲照看孩子们。我们像她爱我们一样地爱她。

岁月快乐地流逝着，我们拥有所需要的一切。在学校里我遇见了另外一个非常好的人，他的名字叫亨利·克勒沃，人非常聪明。我的家人也非常喜欢他，所以他是我们家受欢迎的客人。

我在学校学习很刻苦。我想要知道生命的奥秘，而且我最想知道的便是如何制造有生命的东西。我阅读了我能找到的一切书籍。有一天发生了一件事情，它给了我新的启发。我那时15岁，我们正在山中度假。那天有一场暴风雨，夹杂其间的是我平生见过的最为吓人的雷霆和闪电。在我们的房子前面约二十米处有一棵大树。突然间一个叉状闪电击中了大树。几秒钟之后，那棵大树便只剩下两米高的一块黑木头。闪电摧毁了它。

我看到了电的力量有多么大。我开始阅读我能找到的有关电及其可怕力量的一切书籍。

Chapter 3

For seventeen years my life was very happy. Then the first sad thing happened. My mother became very ill, and soon she knew that she was dying. Just before she died, she asked Elizabeth and me to go to her room. She held our hands and said:

'My children, I am very happy because you love each other, and because one day you will get married. Everyone in the family loves you, Elizabeth. Will you take my place in the family, my dear? I can die happy if you will look after them when I have gone.'

My mother died, and we were very sad, because we loved her dearly. Elizabeth was brave and helped us; her sweet smile gave us some happiness in the unhappy days after my mother's death.

The time came for me to go to university. I did not want to leave my sad family, but we all knew that I should go. It was hard to leave, too, because the parents of my good friend Henry Clerval would not let him go to university with me. And so I had to go alone.

On my first day at the university I met my teacher, Professor Waldman, who was one of the greatest scientists in the world. He gave a wonderful talk to all the students who were starting at the university. He ended his talk by saying: 'Some of you will become the great scientists of tomorrow. You must study hard and discover everything that you can. That is why God made you intelligent—to help other people.'

After the professor's talk, I thought very carefully. I remembered the storm when I was fifteen. I remembered how the lightning had destroyed the tree. I wanted to use electricity to help people, and I wanted to discover the secrets of life. I decided to work on these two things. I did not know then that my work would destroy me and the people that I loved.

I started work the next day. I worked very hard and soon Professor Waldman and I realized that I could learn to be a very good scientist.

The professor helped me very much, and other important scientists who were his friends helped me, too. I was interested in my work and I did not take one day's holiday during the next two years. I did not go home, and my letters to my family were very short.

After two years I had discovered many things and I built a scientific machine that was better than anything in the university. My machine would help me answer the most important question of all. How does life begin? Is it possible to put life into dead things? To answer these questions about life I had to learn first about death. I had to watch bodies from the moment when they died and the warm life left them. In the hospital and in the university, I watched the dying and the dead. Day after day, month after month, I followed death. It was a dark and terrible time.

Then one day, the answer came to me. Suddenly I was sure that I knew the secret of life. I knew that I could put life into a body that was not alive.

I worked harder and harder now. I slept for only a short time each night, and I did not eat much food. I wrote to my family less often. But they loved me and did not stop writing to me. They said they understood how busy I was. They did not want me to stop work to write or to see them. They would wait until I had more time. They hoped to see me very soon.

The professors realized that I was doing very important work, and so they gave me my own laboratory. There was a small flat above the laboratory, where I lived, and sometimes I stayed inside the building for a week and did not go out.

Above the laboratory I built a very tall mast. It was 150 metres high, and higher than the tallest building in the city. The mast could catch lightning and could send the electricity down to my machine in the laboratory. I had never forgotten the lightning that had destroyed the tree. There had been so much power in the electricity of that lightning. I believed I could use that electricity to give life to things that were dead.

I will say no more than that. The secret of my machine must die with me. I was a very clever scientist, but I did not realize then what a terrible mistake I was making.

---

die v. not live 死。

dying adj. 垂死的。

dearly adv. very much. 非常。

happy adj. glad. 高兴的。

unhappy adj. 不高兴的。

happiness n. 高兴。

university n. 大学。

go to university 上大学学习。

professor n. 教授。

intelligent adj. clever. 聪明的。

carefully adv. thinking of what one does, says, etc. 仔细地，认真地。

hospital n. place where people are nursed through their illness. 医院。

come to 使某人想到。

alive adj. not dead. 活着的。

laboratory n. the building where scientists work and study. 实验室，简写为lab。

flat n. 公寓套房。

power n. something strong that makes other things work. 力量。

mistake n. something not right. 错误。

make a mistake 犯错误。

第三章

在17年的生命历程中我都很幸福。后来第一件悲伤的事发生了。我母亲病得很厉害，不久她便知道自己将不久于人世。就在她去世之前，她把伊丽莎白和我叫到她的房间。她抓住我们的手说道：

“孩子们，你们彼此相爱并且将会结婚，我因此非常高兴。家里的每个人都很爱你，伊丽莎白。你愿意取代我在家中的位置吗，亲爱的？如果你在我走后能照顾他们，我将会走得很幸福。”

我母亲死了，我们都非常伤心，因为我们非常爱她。伊丽莎白很勇敢并帮着我们；她那甜美的微笑在母亲死后的那些不快的日子里给我们带来了一些快乐。

到了我该上大学的时候了。我不想离开我那悲伤的家，可我们都知道我应该去。离别也是很难的，因为我的好朋友克勒沃的父母不让他和我一起去上大学。这样我只能独自一人去了。

大学的第一天我遇到了我的老师沃得曼教授，他是世界上最伟大的科学家之一。他给我们所有开始大学生活的学生做了一次精彩的演讲。他在结束讲话时说：“你们中的一些人将成为明天的科学家。你们必须努力学习并且去揭示你们所能揭示的事物。这就是上帝为什么给了你们智慧——去帮助他人。”

教授演讲过后，我进行了非常认真的思考。我想起了我15岁时的那场暴风雨。我记得那次的闪电是如何摧毁了那棵树的。我想利用电去帮助人们，我还想去揭示生命的奥秘。我决心去从事这两项工作。我当时没有想到我的工作会毁了我还有我所爱的人们。

第二天我就开始了工作。我工作非常努力，我和沃得曼教授不久便意识到我可以通过学习成为一名出色的科学家。

教授帮了我很多的忙，那些是教授的朋友的、重要的科学家们也帮助过我。我对我的工作很感兴趣，在接下来的两年里我没有休过一天假。我没有回过家，给家里写的信也非常短。

两年后我发现了很多的事物并建造了一台比大学里的任何机器都好的科学机器。我的机器能帮助我回答最重要的问题。生命是如何开始的？可以把生命注入无生命的东西中去吗？要回答有关生命的这些问题我首先得了解死亡。我得从他们刚死、滚热的生命离开人体的那一刹那起进行观察。在医院里和大学里，我观察着垂死的人和已死的人。日复一日、月复一月，我都在跟踪死亡。那是黑暗和恐怖的日子。

后来有一天我得到了答案。我突然间确信自己懂得了生命的奥秘。我知道我能将生命注入一个无生命的身体中去。

现在我工作越来越努力。每天晚上我只睡很短的时间，吃的东西也很少。我给家里写的信更加少了。但是家里的人爱我，他们没有停止给我写信。他们说他们理解我有多忙。他们不想让我停止工作而去给他们写信或是去看望他们。他们愿意等到我有时间的时候再说。他们希望很快见到我。

教授们意识到我在从事一项重要的工作，因而给了我一间实验室。实验室的上面有一个小的套房，我就住在里面；有时候我一个星期都待在那座建筑物里不出去。

我在实验室的上方建起了一个很高的杆子。它有150米高，比全城最高的建筑物都要高。那个杆子能够“捕获”闪电并把电送到我实验室的机器上。我从未忘记摧毁那棵树的闪电。那次闪电中的电曾有那么大的力量。我相信我可以利用电给无生命的东西注以生命。

我不想再多说什么了。我的机器的秘密必须随我一起消亡。我是个很聪明的科学家，可我那时没有意识到我在犯多么可怕的错误。

Chapter 4

In my laboratory I made a body. I bought or stole all the pieces of human body that I needed, and slowly and carefully, I put them all together.

I did not let anybody enter my laboratory or my flat while I was doing this awful work. I was afraid to tell anybody my terrible secret.

I had wanted to make a beautiful man, but the face of the creature was horrible. Its skin was thin and yellow, and its eyes were as yellow as its skin. Its long black hair and white teeth were almost beautiful, but the rest of the face was very ugly.

Its legs and arms were the right shape, but they were huge. I had to use big pieces because it was too difficult to join small pieces together. My creature was two and a half metres tall.

For a year I had worked to make this creature, but now it looked terrible and frightening. I almost decided to destroy it. But I could not. I had to know if I could put life into it.

I joined the body to the wires from my machine. More wires joined the machine to the mast. I was sure that my machine could use electricity from lightning to give life to the body. I watched and waited. Two days later I saw dark clouds in the sky, and I knew that a storm was coming. At about one o'clock in the morning the lightning came. My mast began to do its work immediately, and the electricity from the lightning travelled down the mast to my machine. Would the machine work?

At first nothing happened. But after a few minutes I saw the creature's body begin to move. Slowly, terribly, the body came alive. Its arms and legs began to move, and slowly it sat up.

The dead body had been an ugly thing, but alive, it was much more horrible. Suddenly I wanted to escape from it. I ran out of the laboratory, and locked the door. I was filled with fear at what I had done.

For hours I walked up and down in my flat. At last I lay down on my bed, and fell asleep. But my sleep was full of terrible dreams, and I woke up suddenly. The horrible thing that I had created was standing by my bed. Its yellow eyes were looking at me; its mouth opened and it made strange sounds at me. On its yellow face there was an awful smile. One of its huge hands reached towards me...

Before it could touch me, I jumped off the bed and ran downstairs into the garden. I stayed there all night, but I could not think clearly. I was afraid. And when morning came, I went out into the town and began to walk about.

I did not notice where I was walking, but soon I came to the station. A train from Geneva had just arrived, and the passengers were leaving the station. One of them ran towards me when he saw me. It was my dear friend Henry Clerval.

He was very pleased to see me. He took my hand and shook it warmly.

'My dear Victor!' he said. 'What a lucky chance that you are here at the station. Your father, and Elizabeth and the others, are very worried about you, because you have not visited them for a long time. They ask me to make sure that you are well. And I have very good news. My father has agreed to let me study at the university, so we shall be able to spend a lot of time together.'

I was very happy to hear this news, and for a moment I forgot my fears. I took Henry back to my flat and asked him to wait outside while I went in to look. I was afraid that the creature was still there. But it had disappeared. At that time I did not think of other people, and what the creature could do to them. I took Henry into the flat and cooked a meal for us. But Henry noticed how thin I was, and that I was laughing too much and could not sit still.

Suddenly he said: 'My dear Victor, what is the matter with you? Are you ill? Has something awful happened?'

'Don't ask me that,' I cried. I put my hands over my eyes. I thought I could see the horrible creature there in front of me. I pointed wildly across the room, and shouted: 'He can tell you. Save me! Save me!' I tried to fight the creature, but there was nothing there. Then I fainted and fell to the floor.

Poor Henry! I do not know what he thought. He called a doctor and they put me to bed. I was very ill for two months, and Henry stayed and looked after me. His loving care saved me from death.

I wanted to go home and see my family as soon as possible. When I was well enough, I packed my clothes and books. All my luggage was ready, and I was feeling very happy when the postman arrived with some letters. One of the letters ended my short time of happiness.

---

steal (stole, stolen) v. take somebody else's things secretly. 偷。

skin n. 皮肤。

huge adj. very, very big 巨大的。

creature n. a living animal or person. 生物。

wire n. a long thin piece of metal; electricity travels through wires. 电线。

immediately adv. at once. 马上。

asleep adv. 睡着了。

fall asleep 睡着。

suddenly adv. at once. 突然。

awful adj. terrible. 可怕的。

passenger n. 乘客。

lucky adj. having good luck. 幸运的。

too much 太多，过分。

wildly adv. too excitedly. 狂野地，过分激动地，发疯地。

save... from...把……从……处挽救出来。

pack v. put things into a bag, box, etc. 包装，整理行装。

luggage n. 行李。

第四章

我在我的实验室中造了一个人体。我所需要的人体各部分均是我买来或偷来的，然后我缓慢而细心地把它们拼凑到了一起。

在干这项可怕的工作时，我没有让任何人进入我的实验室和我的住处。我不敢告诉任何人我那可怕的秘密。

我曾想造一个漂亮的男人，但这个家伙的脸非常可怕：皮肤又薄又黄，眼睛同皮肤一样黄。黑长的头发和白色的牙齿倒也漂亮，脸上的其余部分却很丑陋。

它的腿和胳膊的形状是对的，但它们太大了。因为拼接小块的人体太困难了，我只得用大块的去拼接。我创造的这个东西有2.5米高。

我曾为制造这个东西工作了一年时间，现在它却看上去恐怖吓人。我几乎要决定毁了它。但我做不到。我必须知道我是否能将生命植入其中。

我把那个身体同我机器上的那些电线连接起来。更多的电线再把机器和杆子连接起来。我确信我的机器可以用闪电给那个身体生命。我观察着、等待着。两天后我看到天上有了乌云，知道将有一场暴风雨来临。大约在凌晨1点钟闪电闪了一下。我的杆子立即开始工作，闪电通过杆子传到了我的机器上。机器会管用吗？

起先没有发生什么。但是几分钟过后我看见那个东西的躯体在动。那具躯体缓慢而怕人地变活了。他的胳膊和腿开始移动，而且他慢慢地坐了起来。

那个无生命的躯体本来就可怕，而现在变成活的就更加恐怖了。突然间我想逃开。我跑出实验室并且锁上了门。我对我所做的一切充满了恐惧。

有好几个小时我都在我的房间里走来走去。最后我躺倒在床上并睡着了。可是恶梦萦绕着我，我便猛然醒了过来。我所创造的那个可怕的东西正站在我的床边。他的黄色的眼睛正看着我。他的嘴张着并对我发出奇怪的声音。他的黄色的脸庞上露出可怕的笑容。他的一只大手伸向了我……

没等他碰到我，我便跳下床冲到了楼下的花园里。我整个晚上都待在那儿，只是思维已不清楚了。我很害怕。等到早上，我便走出花园到城里去并开始四处逛悠。

我没注意我在什么地方走，但不久便到了火车站。刚好从日内瓦来了一趟火车，乘客正走出车站。其中一位见到我后便朝我跑了过来。原来是我的好朋友亨利·克勒沃。

他见到我很高兴。他抓住我的手热情地握了起来。

“我亲爱的维克多！”他说道，“你在车站这儿真是巧极了。你父亲、伊丽莎白还有其他人都非常为你担心，因为你很久没有探望他们了。他们让我来看看你的身体是否还好。另外我还有个好消息。我父亲已同意让我上大学学习，这样我们就能有好多时间待在一起了。”

我听了这个消息后很高兴，并且有一阵儿都忘记了我的恐惧感。我把亨利带回我的公寓并让他在外面等着以便我能进去看一看。我害怕那个家伙还在那儿。但是他已经不见了。那时我没有想到过其他人以及那个家伙会对他们怎么样。我把亨利领进屋里并给我们做了顿吃的。然而亨利注意到了我有多么瘦削，我还笑得太多，也不能安静地坐着。

他突然说道：“我亲爱的维克多，你怎么啦？你生病了吗？发生了什么可怕的事情了吗？”

“别问我这个，”我喊道。我用手捂住眼睛。当时我想我能看见那个可怕的家伙正在我的面前。我发疯似地指向屋子，并且喊道：“他能告诉你。救救我！救救我！”我想去同那个家伙搏斗，但那儿什么也没有。然后我就晕过去，倒在了地板上。

可怜的亨利！我不知道他当时是怎么想的。他叫了个医生并且一起把我扶到了床上。我大病了两个月，亨利一直留下来照顾我。他那充满爱意的护理把我从死亡那儿救了回来。

我想尽快回家去见我的家人。在我恢复得足够强壮后，我便收拾起衣服和书籍。我的行李都已准备好了，但是正当我无比高兴时邮递员给我送来了几封信。其中的一封结束了我短暂的快乐时光。

Chapter 5

The letter was from my father in Geneva, and this is what he wrote:

My dear Victor,

I want you to know before you arrive home that an awful thing has happened. Your dear youngest brother, William, is dead. He was murdered. It happened last Thursday evening when Elizabeth and I and your two brothers, Ernest and William, went for a walk outside the city. William and Ernest were playing. William had hidden from Ernest, and Ernest asked Elizabeth and me to help find William. We all began to search for him, but we couldn' t find him. We searched all night. At five in the morning I found him. He was lying on the grass, white and still. I could see the marks of fingers on his neck—the murderer had strangled him.

Elizabeth had let him wear a gold chain of hers round his neck. On the chain was a very small picture of your mother. We all think that someone murdered William to steal the gold chain. Poor Elizabeth is terribly unhappy at William's death. She thinks he died because she let him wear the chain. Hurry home, my dear Victor. You are the only one who can help Elizabeth, and we all need you.

With all our love,

Your Father

Henry helped me to catch the train. The journey seemed very long, and it was late at night before the train reached Geneva. I decided to spend the night in a village outside the town and go home early in the morning. I wanted to see the place where William had died.

As I started my walk, a storm broke and lightning lit the sky. The police had put posts round the place where the murderer had strangled William, so I found it easily. I cried sadly as I stood there. My poor brother had been a kind and happy boy, and we had all loved him.

Again the lightning lit the sky, and I saw a huge figure standing in the rain. When I saw it, I knew at once what it was. It was the creature that I had made.

What was it doing there? But although I asked myself the question, I knew the answer. He had murdered my brother. I was sure that I was right.

I decided to try and catch him. But as I moved, he ran towards the mountains. He ran much faster than any man. He climbed the mountain easily, reached the top, and disappeared.

I stood there in the dark and the rain, and knew that I had created a monster. And he had murdered my brother.

---

murder v. kill. 谋杀，杀害。

murderer n. 凶手。

lie (lying; lay, lain) v. be at rest. 躺。

still adj. quiet, without movement or sound. 不动的，静止的。

strangle v. to kill someone by holding him very hard round the neck. 勒死。

catch the train 赶火车，上火车。

post n. upright piece of wood, metal, etc. to support or mark something. 柱，杆，竿。

create v. make something new. 创造。

monster n. a very large person or animal with a strange, frightening shape. 庞然大物，怪物。

第五章

信是我父亲从日内瓦写来的，下面就是他写的内容：

我亲爱的维克多：

在你到家之前我想让你知道所发生的一件可怕的事情。你亲爱的小弟弟威廉死了。他是被谋杀的。这件事发生在上个礼拜四，那时我和伊丽莎白以及你的两个弟弟欧内斯特和威廉正在城外散步。威廉同欧内斯特当时正玩耍。威廉藏了起来，不让欧内斯特找到，于是欧内斯特要我和伊丽莎白帮着找威廉。我们都找了起来，但没能找到他。我们找了一整夜。早晨5点钟时我找到他。他躺倒在草地上，脸色苍白，身子一动也不动我能看出他脖子上的手指印——是凶手勒死了他。

伊丽莎白曾让他把她的一根金链子戴在脖子上。链子上有一张非常小的、你妈妈的照片。我们都认为是有人为了偷取那条金链子而杀死了威廉。可怜的伊丽莎白对威廉的死非常伤心。她认为他的死是因为她让他戴了那条链子。赶快回家吧，我亲爱的维克多。只有你能帮助伊丽莎白，并且我们都需要你。

我们都爱你！

你的父亲

亨利帮我上了火车。旅途似乎非常漫长；火车到达日内瓦之前已经是深夜了。我决定在城外的一个村子里过夜，然后清晨再回家。我想看看威廉死去的地方。

在我开始步行时，暴发了一场暴风雨，闪电划亮了天空。警察已在威廉被凶手勒死的地方围上了木桩，这样我很容易地找到了那儿。我站在那儿伤心地哭泣着。我可怜的弟弟一向是个善良而快乐的孩子，并且我们都很爱他。

闪电又一次照亮了天空，我看见雨中站着一个巨大的人。当我看见时，我立马就知道那是谁了。那是我创造的那个家伙。

他在那儿干什么？尽管我在问自己这个问题，却已知道了答案。是他杀死了我的弟弟。我敢肯定我是对的。

我决心要抓住他。但在我走动时，他朝山上跑去了。他比任何人都跑得快。他轻松地爬着山，到了山顶并且消失不见了。

我在黑暗中站着并淋着雨，知道自己创造了一个怪物。是他杀死了我的弟弟。

Chapter 6

At first I decided to tell the police my story. But would they believe me? I had been very ill. When the police learnt about my illness, they would think the monster was just one of my bad dreams. I decided that I could not tell anybody.

I went home to my family and they were very pleased to see me. Then they told me that the police had found the murderer. Perhaps you will think that this was good news, but I have not told you who the police had arrested.

As I went into the house, I noticed that one person did not come to meet me. It was Justine, the young woman who looked after the children and who was like a sister to us. And it was Justine that the police had arrested.

A few days after the murder, the police had searched the house and had found the gold chain in Justine's coat pocket. Everyone in the family knew that Justine had not murdered William. I knew who the murderer was, but I could not tell anyone. We were sure that Justine would be free after the trial, because nobody could believe that she was a murderer. But we were wrong.

The trial did not go well for Justine. There were a number of strange facts that were difficult to explain, and the judge decided that she was the murderer. The punishment for murder was death. We argued and cried. We said she could not murder anyone. But nothing could change the judge's order.

So I got up early and went to the judge's house and told him about the monster. He did not believe me. He thought I was lying in order to save Justine's life.

In the prison Justine waited quietly for death. We spent many hours with her, and she spoke calmly and kindly to us. She was happy because we believed that she had not killed William. And she was almost looking forward to death, because then she would be with William and our dear mother in a place of peace.

Her love and gentleness added to my great unhappiness. I knew she was going to die because of me. I knew my brother had died because of me. I had brought nothing but sadness and misery to my family.

I took a boat and went out on Lake Geneva. Why didn't I end my life then? Two things stopped me. My father was old and another death would probably kill him. And I had to stay alive—to keep my family safe from the monster.

Fear for my family and hate for my monster were with me day and night. I became ill again, and Elizabeth's love could not help me. I needed to escape for a while—to leave my unhappiness behind me. So I went to walk alone in the Alps. I hoped the wild beauty of the mountains would help me.

Slowly I became calmer among the beautiful mountains. I learnt to sleep again, and for days I did not see anybody. Then one morning I saw a figure coming towards me faster than any man could go. It jumped easily over the rocks and I saw with horror the monster that I had created. On his face was a look of deep sadness, but also of evil. At first I could not speak because I hated him so much. But at last I said:

'You are an evil creature. I shall kill you if I can, because you have killed two people that I love.'

The monster's yellow eyes looked at me. 'I am the unhappiest creature in the world, but I shall fight for my life,' he said. 'I am bigger and stronger than you, but I will not start the fight. I shall always be gentle to you because you are my king and creator. You made me, and you should love me and be kind to me, like a father. William and Justine died because you did not love me. Why did you create me if you were not ready to love me?'

'We are enemies,' I said. 'Leave me now, or let us fight until one of us is dead. You are a murderer. How can I be kind to you?'

'You say I am a murderer,' the monster said, 'but you want to kill your own creature. Isn't that wrong, too? I ask you to do one thing for me—listen. Come with me to a warmer place, and listen to my story. Then you can decide.'

I thought carefully about what he had said. It was true that I had given him life but I had not given him love. I decided to go with him and listen to his story.

He took me to a mountain hut where he lit a fire. We sat down by the fire and he began to tell me his story.

---

learn about 获悉。

arrest v. seize by the police. 逮捕。

free adj. not be held as a prisoner any longer. 自由的。

trial n. 审判。

punishment n. suffering for wrongdoing. 惩罚。

argue v. quarrel. 争论。

lie v. not tell the truth. 撒谎；n. 谎。

look forward to waiting for something eagerly. 期待。

peace n. 和平，安宁。

misery n. suffering. 痛苦。

keep sb. safe from 使某人免遭……的危害。

the Alps 阿尔卑斯山脉（山名）。

evil n. 罪恶；adj. 罪恶的。

gentle adj. mild, not rough. 温和的。

creator n. 创造者，造物主。

第六章

起先我打算把我的故事告诉警察，但他们会相信我吗？我一直都生着病。如果警察了解到我的病情，他们会认为那个怪物只是我的一个恶梦而已。我决定不去告诉任何人。

我回到家里，家人都为见到我而高兴。接着他们告诉我说警察已找到了凶手。你也许会认为这是个好消息，但是我还没有告诉你警察抓的是谁。

在我进屋时，我注意到有个人没有来见我。那就是贾斯汀，就是曾照看孩子们并像姐妹一样对待我们的那个年轻女孩。而警察逮捕的就是贾斯汀。

在谋杀案发生了几天之后，警察搜查了房子并在贾斯汀的外衣口袋里找到了那条金链。家里人都知道贾斯汀没有杀害过威廉。我清楚凶手是谁，但是我不能告诉任何人。我们确信审判过后贾斯汀将会被释放的，因为没有人相信她是凶手。但是我们错了。

审判对贾斯汀不利。有许多难以解释的奇怪现象，但法官认定她就是凶手。谋杀的处罚乃是死刑。我们一边申辩一边哭喊着。我们说她不可能谋杀任何人。但没什么能改变法官的判决。

于是我一大早便起床到法官的家中并告诉他有关那个怪物的事情。他不相信我。他认为我是为了救贾斯汀而在撒谎。

贾斯汀在监狱里安静地等着死去。我们同她待了好几个小时，她从容而温和地同我们说话。她为我们相信不是她杀害了威廉而高兴。她几乎在期盼着死去，因为那样她就可以在一个安宁的地方同威廉和我们亲爱的妈妈在一起了。

她的爱心和温柔加重了我那巨大的痛苦。我知道她将因我而死去。我知道我弟弟已经因我而死。我给我家里带来的只有悲伤和苦难。

我乘船去了日内瓦湖。我那时为什么没有结束自己的生命呢？那是因为两件事情。我父亲已经年迈，再有人死很可能会要了他的命。并且我必须活着——以便我的家人免遭怪物的伤害。

对家人的担忧和对怪物的痛恨日夜牵扯着我。我再一次病倒了，连伊丽莎白的爱也帮不了我。我需要逃避一阵子——去将伤心抛诸脑后。因此我便独自一人去阿尔卑斯山散步。我希望群山的旷野之美能够帮助我。

在美丽的山峦中我慢慢地平静了些。我又学会了安心去睡，并且有好几天我都没有见任何人。后来的一天早晨我看见有个人朝我走来，比任何人走得都要快。在其轻松地跳过岩石之时，我便恐惧地看见了我所创造的那个怪物。他的脸上露出深深的悲伤，但也带着邪恶。起先我说不出话来，因为我太恨他了。但是最后我说道：

“你是个邪恶的东西。如果我做得到的话，我便会杀了你的，因为你已害死了我爱的两个人了。”

怪物的黄色的眼睛看着我。“我是世界上最不幸的人了，但是我得为我的生命而战斗。”他说道，“虽然我比你大，又比你强壮，但我不会挑起战斗的。我将永远温柔地对待你，因为你是我的国王和我的创造者。你既然造了我，那就应该爱我并善待我，就像一个父亲那样。威廉和贾斯汀的死是因为你不爱我。既然你没有打算爱我那又为什么要创造我呢？”

“我们是敌人。”我说，“马上给我离开，否则就让我们搏斗到我们中的一个死去为止。你是个杀人凶手，我怎么会待你好呢？”

“你说我是一个杀人凶手，”怪物说道，“然而你却要杀死你自己创造的生物。这不也是错误的吗？我请你为我做一件事——听着。跟我到一个暖和些的地方去并且听听我的故事。然后你就可以做出决定了。”

我认真地考虑了他所说的话。我给了他生命却没有给他爱，这是事实。我决定跟他走并听听他的故事。

他带我到了一间他已生了火的山间茅屋。我们围着火坐下后，他便开始讲起了他的故事。

Victor Frankenstein's Story Begins
维克多的故事开始了

Chapter 2

I was born in Switzerland, in the town of Geneva. My parents loved each other very much, and I learnt from the example of their love. I learnt that to love and to be patient are the most important things in the world.

My mother hoped to have a daughter after I was born, but for five years I was the only child. And then my mother found a sister for me. She was helping a family in which there were five children. They were very poor, and the children were thin and hungry. One of the children was a little girl, with golden hair and blue eyes. Her name was Elizabeth. My mother took the little girl into our family, and Elizabeth became the daughter that my mother had always wanted. As I grew older, my love for Elizabeth became stronger all the time.

Later my mother had two other sons, Ernest and William. A young woman called Justine came to live in the house to help my mother with the children. We loved her as much as she loved us.

The years passed happily, and we had everything that we needed. At school I met another very fine person. His name was Henry Clerval, and he was very clever. My family also liked him very much, so he was a welcome visitor to our house.

I studied very hard at school. I wanted to know the secrets of life, and, most of all, I wanted to know how to make living things. I read all the books that I could find. One day, something happened that added a new idea to the ideas that I already had. I was fifteen at the time, and we were on holiday in the mountains. There was a wild storm, and with it came the most frightening thunder and lightning that I had ever seen in my life. About twenty metres in front of our house was a great tree. Suddenly a huge fork of lightning hit the tree. After a few seconds, there was nothing left of it except a black piece of wood two metres high. The lightning had destroyed it.

I saw how strong electricity was. I began to read all the books that I could find about electricity and its terrible power.

---

Switzerland n. 瑞士（国名）。

Geneva n. 日内瓦，瑞士城市。

example n. 例子。

patient adj. showing patience. 有耐心的。

as... as 与……一样……。

secret n. sth. kept from others' knowing. 秘密；adj. 秘密的。

add v. 加。

frightening adj. causing fear. 吓人的。

thunder n. a very loud noise in the sky when there is a storm. 雷。

lightning n. 闪电。

fork n. 叉。

electricity n. 电。

第二章

我出生在瑞士的日内瓦城。我父母彼此相爱至深，而且我以他们的爱心为榜样。我懂得了去爱他人和富有耐心是世界上最重要的事情。

在生下我后，我母亲希望再生一个女儿，但在五年之中我都是唯一的孩子。后来我母亲给我找了一个妹妹。她那时在一个有五个孩子的家庭里帮忙。他们非常穷，孩子们都又瘦又饿。其中一个孩子是一个头发金黄、有一对蓝色眼睛的小女孩。她名叫伊丽莎白。我母亲把那个小女孩带到了我家，于是伊丽莎白便成了我母亲盼望已久的女儿。随着年龄的增长，我对伊丽莎白的爱与日俱增。

后来我母亲又生了两个儿子：欧内斯特和威廉。有个名叫贾斯汀的年轻女子来我家帮我母亲照看孩子们。我们像她爱我们一样地爱她。

岁月快乐地流逝着，我们拥有所需要的一切。在学校里我遇见了另外一个非常好的人，他的名字叫亨利·克勒沃，人非常聪明。我的家人也非常喜欢他，所以他是我们家受欢迎的客人。

我在学校学习很刻苦。我想要知道生命的奥秘，而且我最想知道的便是如何制造有生命的东西。我阅读了我能找到的一切书籍。有一天发生了一件事情，它给了我新的启发。我那时15岁，我们正在山中度假。那天有一场暴风雨，夹杂其间的是我平生见过的最为吓人的雷霆和闪电。在我们的房子前面约二十米处有一棵大树。突然间一个叉状闪电击中了大树。几秒钟之后，那棵大树便只剩下两米高的一块黑木头。闪电摧毁了它。

我看到了电的力量有多么大。我开始阅读我能找到的有关电及其可怕力量的一切书籍。

Chapter 3

For seventeen years my life was very happy. Then the first sad thing happened. My mother became very ill, and soon she knew that she was dying. Just before she died, she asked Elizabeth and me to go to her room. She held our hands and said:

'My children, I am very happy because you love each other, and because one day you will get married. Everyone in the family loves you, Elizabeth. Will you take my place in the family, my dear? I can die happy if you will look after them when I have gone.'

My mother died, and we were very sad, because we loved her dearly. Elizabeth was brave and helped us; her sweet smile gave us some happiness in the unhappy days after my mother's death.

The time came for me to go to university. I did not want to leave my sad family, but we all knew that I should go. It was hard to leave, too, because the parents of my good friend Henry Clerval would not let him go to university with me. And so I had to go alone.

On my first day at the university I met my teacher, Professor Waldman, who was one of the greatest scientists in the world. He gave a wonderful talk to all the students who were starting at the university. He ended his talk by saying: 'Some of you will become the great scientists of tomorrow. You must study hard and discover everything that you can. That is why God made you intelligent—to help other people.'

After the professor's talk, I thought very carefully. I remembered the storm when I was fifteen. I remembered how the lightning had destroyed the tree. I wanted to use electricity to help people, and I wanted to discover the secrets of life. I decided to work on these two things. I did not know then that my work would destroy me and the people that I loved.

I started work the next day. I worked very hard and soon Professor Waldman and I realized that I could learn to be a very good scientist.

The professor helped me very much, and other important scientists who were his friends helped me, too. I was interested in my work and I did not take one day's holiday during the next two years. I did not go home, and my letters to my family were very short.

After two years I had discovered many things and I built a scientific machine that was better than anything in the university. My machine would help me answer the most important question of all. How does life begin? Is it possible to put life into dead things? To answer these questions about life I had to learn first about death. I had to watch bodies from the moment when they died and the warm life left them. In the hospital and in the university, I watched the dying and the dead. Day after day, month after month, I followed death. It was a dark and terrible time.

Then one day, the answer came to me. Suddenly I was sure that I knew the secret of life. I knew that I could put life into a body that was not alive.

I worked harder and harder now. I slept for only a short time each night, and I did not eat much food. I wrote to my family less often. But they loved me and did not stop writing to me. They said they understood how busy I was. They did not want me to stop work to write or to see them. They would wait until I had more time. They hoped to see me very soon.

The professors realized that I was doing very important work, and so they gave me my own laboratory. There was a small flat above the laboratory, where I lived, and sometimes I stayed inside the building for a week and did not go out.

Above the laboratory I built a very tall mast. It was 150 metres high, and higher than the tallest building in the city. The mast could catch lightning and could send the electricity down to my machine in the laboratory. I had never forgotten the lightning that had destroyed the tree. There had been so much power in the electricity of that lightning. I believed I could use that electricity to give life to things that were dead.

I will say no more than that. The secret of my machine must die with me. I was a very clever scientist, but I did not realize then what a terrible mistake I was making.

---

die v. not live 死。

dying adj. 垂死的。

dearly adv. very much. 非常。

happy adj. glad. 高兴的。

unhappy adj. 不高兴的。

happiness n. 高兴。

university n. 大学。

go to university 上大学学习。

professor n. 教授。

intelligent adj. clever. 聪明的。

carefully adv. thinking of what one does, says, etc. 仔细地，认真地。

hospital n. place where people are nursed through their illness. 医院。

come to 使某人想到。

alive adj. not dead. 活着的。

laboratory n. the building where scientists work and study. 实验室，简写为lab。

flat n. 公寓套房。

power n. something strong that makes other things work. 力量。

mistake n. something not right. 错误。

make a mistake 犯错误。

第三章

在17年的生命历程中我都很幸福。后来第一件悲伤的事发生了。我母亲病得很厉害，不久她便知道自己将不久于人世。就在她去世之前，她把伊丽莎白和我叫到她的房间。她抓住我们的手说道：

“孩子们，你们彼此相爱并且将会结婚，我因此非常高兴。家里的每个人都很爱你，伊丽莎白。你愿意取代我在家中的位置吗，亲爱的？如果你在我走后能照顾他们，我将会走得很幸福。”

我母亲死了，我们都非常伤心，因为我们非常爱她。伊丽莎白很勇敢并帮着我们；她那甜美的微笑在母亲死后的那些不快的日子里给我们带来了一些快乐。

到了我该上大学的时候了。我不想离开我那悲伤的家，可我们都知道我应该去。离别也是很难的，因为我的好朋友克勒沃的父母不让他和我一起去上大学。这样我只能独自一人去了。

大学的第一天我遇到了我的老师沃得曼教授，他是世界上最伟大的科学家之一。他给我们所有开始大学生活的学生做了一次精彩的演讲。他在结束讲话时说：“你们中的一些人将成为明天的科学家。你们必须努力学习并且去揭示你们所能揭示的事物。这就是上帝为什么给了你们智慧——去帮助他人。”

教授演讲过后，我进行了非常认真的思考。我想起了我15岁时的那场暴风雨。我记得那次的闪电是如何摧毁了那棵树的。我想利用电去帮助人们，我还想去揭示生命的奥秘。我决心去从事这两项工作。我当时没有想到我的工作会毁了我还有我所爱的人们。

第二天我就开始了工作。我工作非常努力，我和沃得曼教授不久便意识到我可以通过学习成为一名出色的科学家。

教授帮了我很多的忙，那些是教授的朋友的、重要的科学家们也帮助过我。我对我的工作很感兴趣，在接下来的两年里我没有休过一天假。我没有回过家，给家里写的信也非常短。

两年后我发现了很多的事物并建造了一台比大学里的任何机器都好的科学机器。我的机器能帮助我回答最重要的问题。生命是如何开始的？可以把生命注入无生命的东西中去吗？要回答有关生命的这些问题我首先得了解死亡。我得从他们刚死、滚热的生命离开人体的那一刹那起进行观察。在医院里和大学里，我观察着垂死的人和已死的人。日复一日、月复一月，我都在跟踪死亡。那是黑暗和恐怖的日子。

后来有一天我得到了答案。我突然间确信自己懂得了生命的奥秘。我知道我能将生命注入一个无生命的身体中去。

现在我工作越来越努力。每天晚上我只睡很短的时间，吃的东西也很少。我给家里写的信更加少了。但是家里的人爱我，他们没有停止给我写信。他们说他们理解我有多忙。他们不想让我停止工作而去给他们写信或是去看望他们。他们愿意等到我有时间的时候再说。他们希望很快见到我。

教授们意识到我在从事一项重要的工作，因而给了我一间实验室。实验室的上面有一个小的套房，我就住在里面；有时候我一个星期都待在那座建筑物里不出去。

我在实验室的上方建起了一个很高的杆子。它有150米高，比全城最高的建筑物都要高。那个杆子能够“捕获”闪电并把电送到我实验室的机器上。我从未忘记摧毁那棵树的闪电。那次闪电中的电曾有那么大的力量。我相信我可以利用电给无生命的东西注以生命。

我不想再多说什么了。我的机器的秘密必须随我一起消亡。我是个很聪明的科学家，可我那时没有意识到我在犯多么可怕的错误。

Chapter 4

In my laboratory I made a body. I bought or stole all the pieces of human body that I needed, and slowly and carefully, I put them all together.

I did not let anybody enter my laboratory or my flat while I was doing this awful work. I was afraid to tell anybody my terrible secret.

I had wanted to make a beautiful man, but the face of the creature was horrible. Its skin was thin and yellow, and its eyes were as yellow as its skin. Its long black hair and white teeth were almost beautiful, but the rest of the face was very ugly.

Its legs and arms were the right shape, but they were huge. I had to use big pieces because it was too difficult to join small pieces together. My creature was two and a half metres tall.

For a year I had worked to make this creature, but now it looked terrible and frightening. I almost decided to destroy it. But I could not. I had to know if I could put life into it.

I joined the body to the wires from my machine. More wires joined the machine to the mast. I was sure that my machine could use electricity from lightning to give life to the body. I watched and waited. Two days later I saw dark clouds in the sky, and I knew that a storm was coming. At about one o'clock in the morning the lightning came. My mast began to do its work immediately, and the electricity from the lightning travelled down the mast to my machine. Would the machine work?

At first nothing happened. But after a few minutes I saw the creature's body begin to move. Slowly, terribly, the body came alive. Its arms and legs began to move, and slowly it sat up.

The dead body had been an ugly thing, but alive, it was much more horrible. Suddenly I wanted to escape from it. I ran out of the laboratory, and locked the door. I was filled with fear at what I had done.

For hours I walked up and down in my flat. At last I lay down on my bed, and fell asleep. But my sleep was full of terrible dreams, and I woke up suddenly. The horrible thing that I had created was standing by my bed. Its yellow eyes were looking at me; its mouth opened and it made strange sounds at me. On its yellow face there was an awful smile. One of its huge hands reached towards me...

Before it could touch me, I jumped off the bed and ran downstairs into the garden. I stayed there all night, but I could not think clearly. I was afraid. And when morning came, I went out into the town and began to walk about.

I did not notice where I was walking, but soon I came to the station. A train from Geneva had just arrived, and the passengers were leaving the station. One of them ran towards me when he saw me. It was my dear friend Henry Clerval.

He was very pleased to see me. He took my hand and shook it warmly.

'My dear Victor!' he said. 'What a lucky chance that you are here at the station. Your father, and Elizabeth and the others, are very worried about you, because you have not visited them for a long time. They ask me to make sure that you are well. And I have very good news. My father has agreed to let me study at the university, so we shall be able to spend a lot of time together.'

I was very happy to hear this news, and for a moment I forgot my fears. I took Henry back to my flat and asked him to wait outside while I went in to look. I was afraid that the creature was still there. But it had disappeared. At that time I did not think of other people, and what the creature could do to them. I took Henry into the flat and cooked a meal for us. But Henry noticed how thin I was, and that I was laughing too much and could not sit still.

Suddenly he said: 'My dear Victor, what is the matter with you? Are you ill? Has something awful happened?'

'Don't ask me that,' I cried. I put my hands over my eyes. I thought I could see the horrible creature there in front of me. I pointed wildly across the room, and shouted: 'He can tell you. Save me! Save me!' I tried to fight the creature, but there was nothing there. Then I fainted and fell to the floor.

Poor Henry! I do not know what he thought. He called a doctor and they put me to bed. I was very ill for two months, and Henry stayed and looked after me. His loving care saved me from death.

I wanted to go home and see my family as soon as possible. When I was well enough, I packed my clothes and books. All my luggage was ready, and I was feeling very happy when the postman arrived with some letters. One of the letters ended my short time of happiness.

---

steal (stole, stolen) v. take somebody else's things secretly. 偷。

skin n. 皮肤。

huge adj. very, very big 巨大的。

creature n. a living animal or person. 生物。

wire n. a long thin piece of metal; electricity travels through wires. 电线。

immediately adv. at once. 马上。

asleep adv. 睡着了。

fall asleep 睡着。

suddenly adv. at once. 突然。

awful adj. terrible. 可怕的。

passenger n. 乘客。

lucky adj. having good luck. 幸运的。

too much 太多，过分。

wildly adv. too excitedly. 狂野地，过分激动地，发疯地。

save... from...把……从……处挽救出来。

pack v. put things into a bag, box, etc. 包装，整理行装。

luggage n. 行李。

第四章

我在我的实验室中造了一个人体。我所需要的人体各部分均是我买来或偷来的，然后我缓慢而细心地把它们拼凑到了一起。

在干这项可怕的工作时，我没有让任何人进入我的实验室和我的住处。我不敢告诉任何人我那可怕的秘密。

我曾想造一个漂亮的男人，但这个家伙的脸非常可怕：皮肤又薄又黄，眼睛同皮肤一样黄。黑长的头发和白色的牙齿倒也漂亮，脸上的其余部分却很丑陋。

它的腿和胳膊的形状是对的，但它们太大了。因为拼接小块的人体太困难了，我只得用大块的去拼接。我创造的这个东西有2.5米高。

我曾为制造这个东西工作了一年时间，现在它却看上去恐怖吓人。我几乎要决定毁了它。但我做不到。我必须知道我是否能将生命植入其中。

我把那个身体同我机器上的那些电线连接起来。更多的电线再把机器和杆子连接起来。我确信我的机器可以用闪电给那个身体生命。我观察着、等待着。两天后我看到天上有了乌云，知道将有一场暴风雨来临。大约在凌晨1点钟闪电闪了一下。我的杆子立即开始工作，闪电通过杆子传到了我的机器上。机器会管用吗？

起先没有发生什么。但是几分钟过后我看见那个东西的躯体在动。那具躯体缓慢而怕人地变活了。他的胳膊和腿开始移动，而且他慢慢地坐了起来。

那个无生命的躯体本来就可怕，而现在变成活的就更加恐怖了。突然间我想逃开。我跑出实验室并且锁上了门。我对我所做的一切充满了恐惧。

有好几个小时我都在我的房间里走来走去。最后我躺倒在床上并睡着了。可是恶梦萦绕着我，我便猛然醒了过来。我所创造的那个可怕的东西正站在我的床边。他的黄色的眼睛正看着我。他的嘴张着并对我发出奇怪的声音。他的黄色的脸庞上露出可怕的笑容。他的一只大手伸向了我……

没等他碰到我，我便跳下床冲到了楼下的花园里。我整个晚上都待在那儿，只是思维已不清楚了。我很害怕。等到早上，我便走出花园到城里去并开始四处逛悠。

我没注意我在什么地方走，但不久便到了火车站。刚好从日内瓦来了一趟火车，乘客正走出车站。其中一位见到我后便朝我跑了过来。原来是我的好朋友亨利·克勒沃。

他见到我很高兴。他抓住我的手热情地握了起来。

“我亲爱的维克多！”他说道，“你在车站这儿真是巧极了。你父亲、伊丽莎白还有其他人都非常为你担心，因为你很久没有探望他们了。他们让我来看看你的身体是否还好。另外我还有个好消息。我父亲已同意让我上大学学习，这样我们就能有好多时间待在一起了。”

我听了这个消息后很高兴，并且有一阵儿都忘记了我的恐惧感。我把亨利带回我的公寓并让他在外面等着以便我能进去看一看。我害怕那个家伙还在那儿。但是他已经不见了。那时我没有想到过其他人以及那个家伙会对他们怎么样。我把亨利领进屋里并给我们做了顿吃的。然而亨利注意到了我有多么瘦削，我还笑得太多，也不能安静地坐着。

他突然说道：“我亲爱的维克多，你怎么啦？你生病了吗？发生了什么可怕的事情了吗？”

“别问我这个，”我喊道。我用手捂住眼睛。当时我想我能看见那个可怕的家伙正在我的面前。我发疯似地指向屋子，并且喊道：“他能告诉你。救救我！救救我！”我想去同那个家伙搏斗，但那儿什么也没有。然后我就晕过去，倒在了地板上。

可怜的亨利！我不知道他当时是怎么想的。他叫了个医生并且一起把我扶到了床上。我大病了两个月，亨利一直留下来照顾我。他那充满爱意的护理把我从死亡那儿救了回来。

我想尽快回家去见我的家人。在我恢复得足够强壮后，我便收拾起衣服和书籍。我的行李都已准备好了，但是正当我无比高兴时邮递员给我送来了几封信。其中的一封结束了我短暂的快乐时光。

Chapter 5

The letter was from my father in Geneva, and this is what he wrote:

My dear Victor,

I want you to know before you arrive home that an awful thing has happened. Your dear youngest brother, William, is dead. He was murdered. It happened last Thursday evening when Elizabeth and I and your two brothers, Ernest and William, went for a walk outside the city. William and Ernest were playing. William had hidden from Ernest, and Ernest asked Elizabeth and me to help find William. We all began to search for him, but we couldn' t find him. We searched all night. At five in the morning I found him. He was lying on the grass, white and still. I could see the marks of fingers on his neck—the murderer had strangled him.

Elizabeth had let him wear a gold chain of hers round his neck. On the chain was a very small picture of your mother. We all think that someone murdered William to steal the gold chain. Poor Elizabeth is terribly unhappy at William's death. She thinks he died because she let him wear the chain. Hurry home, my dear Victor. You are the only one who can help Elizabeth, and we all need you.

With all our love,

Your Father

Henry helped me to catch the train. The journey seemed very long, and it was late at night before the train reached Geneva. I decided to spend the night in a village outside the town and go home early in the morning. I wanted to see the place where William had died.

As I started my walk, a storm broke and lightning lit the sky. The police had put posts round the place where the murderer had strangled William, so I found it easily. I cried sadly as I stood there. My poor brother had been a kind and happy boy, and we had all loved him.

Again the lightning lit the sky, and I saw a huge figure standing in the rain. When I saw it, I knew at once what it was. It was the creature that I had made.

What was it doing there? But although I asked myself the question, I knew the answer. He had murdered my brother. I was sure that I was right.

I decided to try and catch him. But as I moved, he ran towards the mountains. He ran much faster than any man. He climbed the mountain easily, reached the top, and disappeared.

I stood there in the dark and the rain, and knew that I had created a monster. And he had murdered my brother.

---

murder v. kill. 谋杀，杀害。

murderer n. 凶手。

lie (lying; lay, lain) v. be at rest. 躺。

still adj. quiet, without movement or sound. 不动的，静止的。

strangle v. to kill someone by holding him very hard round the neck. 勒死。

catch the train 赶火车，上火车。

post n. upright piece of wood, metal, etc. to support or mark something. 柱，杆，竿。

create v. make something new. 创造。

monster n. a very large person or animal with a strange, frightening shape. 庞然大物，怪物。

第五章

信是我父亲从日内瓦写来的，下面就是他写的内容：

我亲爱的维克多：

在你到家之前我想让你知道所发生的一件可怕的事情。你亲爱的小弟弟威廉死了。他是被谋杀的。这件事发生在上个礼拜四，那时我和伊丽莎白以及你的两个弟弟欧内斯特和威廉正在城外散步。威廉同欧内斯特当时正玩耍。威廉藏了起来，不让欧内斯特找到，于是欧内斯特要我和伊丽莎白帮着找威廉。我们都找了起来，但没能找到他。我们找了一整夜。早晨5点钟时我找到他。他躺倒在草地上，脸色苍白，身子一动也不动我能看出他脖子上的手指印——是凶手勒死了他。

伊丽莎白曾让他把她的一根金链子戴在脖子上。链子上有一张非常小的、你妈妈的照片。我们都认为是有人为了偷取那条金链子而杀死了威廉。可怜的伊丽莎白对威廉的死非常伤心。她认为他的死是因为她让他戴了那条链子。赶快回家吧，我亲爱的维克多。只有你能帮助伊丽莎白，并且我们都需要你。

我们都爱你！

你的父亲

亨利帮我上了火车。旅途似乎非常漫长；火车到达日内瓦之前已经是深夜了。我决定在城外的一个村子里过夜，然后清晨再回家。我想看看威廉死去的地方。

在我开始步行时，暴发了一场暴风雨，闪电划亮了天空。警察已在威廉被凶手勒死的地方围上了木桩，这样我很容易地找到了那儿。我站在那儿伤心地哭泣着。我可怜的弟弟一向是个善良而快乐的孩子，并且我们都很爱他。

闪电又一次照亮了天空，我看见雨中站着一个巨大的人。当我看见时，我立马就知道那是谁了。那是我创造的那个家伙。

他在那儿干什么？尽管我在问自己这个问题，却已知道了答案。是他杀死了我的弟弟。我敢肯定我是对的。

我决心要抓住他。但在我走动时，他朝山上跑去了。他比任何人都跑得快。他轻松地爬着山，到了山顶并且消失不见了。

我在黑暗中站着并淋着雨，知道自己创造了一个怪物。是他杀死了我的弟弟。

Chapter 6

At first I decided to tell the police my story. But would they believe me? I had been very ill. When the police learnt about my illness, they would think the monster was just one of my bad dreams. I decided that I could not tell anybody.

I went home to my family and they were very pleased to see me. Then they told me that the police had found the murderer. Perhaps you will think that this was good news, but I have not told you who the police had arrested.

As I went into the house, I noticed that one person did not come to meet me. It was Justine, the young woman who looked after the children and who was like a sister to us. And it was Justine that the police had arrested.

A few days after the murder, the police had searched the house and had found the gold chain in Justine's coat pocket. Everyone in the family knew that Justine had not murdered William. I knew who the murderer was, but I could not tell anyone. We were sure that Justine would be free after the trial, because nobody could believe that she was a murderer. But we were wrong.

The trial did not go well for Justine. There were a number of strange facts that were difficult to explain, and the judge decided that she was the murderer. The punishment for murder was death. We argued and cried. We said she could not murder anyone. But nothing could change the judge's order.

So I got up early and went to the judge's house and told him about the monster. He did not believe me. He thought I was lying in order to save Justine's life.

In the prison Justine waited quietly for death. We spent many hours with her, and she spoke calmly and kindly to us. She was happy because we believed that she had not killed William. And she was almost looking forward to death, because then she would be with William and our dear mother in a place of peace.

Her love and gentleness added to my great unhappiness. I knew she was going to die because of me. I knew my brother had died because of me. I had brought nothing but sadness and misery to my family.

I took a boat and went out on Lake Geneva. Why didn't I end my life then? Two things stopped me. My father was old and another death would probably kill him. And I had to stay alive—to keep my family safe from the monster.

Fear for my family and hate for my monster were with me day and night. I became ill again, and Elizabeth's love could not help me. I needed to escape for a while—to leave my unhappiness behind me. So I went to walk alone in the Alps. I hoped the wild beauty of the mountains would help me.

Slowly I became calmer among the beautiful mountains. I learnt to sleep again, and for days I did not see anybody. Then one morning I saw a figure coming towards me faster than any man could go. It jumped easily over the rocks and I saw with horror the monster that I had created. On his face was a look of deep sadness, but also of evil. At first I could not speak because I hated him so much. But at last I said:

'You are an evil creature. I shall kill you if I can, because you have killed two people that I love.'

The monster's yellow eyes looked at me. 'I am the unhappiest creature in the world, but I shall fight for my life,' he said. 'I am bigger and stronger than you, but I will not start the fight. I shall always be gentle to you because you are my king and creator. You made me, and you should love me and be kind to me, like a father. William and Justine died because you did not love me. Why did you create me if you were not ready to love me?'

'We are enemies,' I said. 'Leave me now, or let us fight until one of us is dead. You are a murderer. How can I be kind to you?'

'You say I am a murderer,' the monster said, 'but you want to kill your own creature. Isn't that wrong, too? I ask you to do one thing for me—listen. Come with me to a warmer place, and listen to my story. Then you can decide.'

I thought carefully about what he had said. It was true that I had given him life but I had not given him love. I decided to go with him and listen to his story.

He took me to a mountain hut where he lit a fire. We sat down by the fire and he began to tell me his story.

---

learn about 获悉。

arrest v. seize by the police. 逮捕。

free adj. not be held as a prisoner any longer. 自由的。

trial n. 审判。

punishment n. suffering for wrongdoing. 惩罚。

argue v. quarrel. 争论。

lie v. not tell the truth. 撒谎；n. 谎。

look forward to waiting for something eagerly. 期待。

peace n. 和平，安宁。

misery n. suffering. 痛苦。

keep sb. safe from 使某人免遭……的危害。

the Alps 阿尔卑斯山脉（山名）。

evil n. 罪恶；adj. 罪恶的。

gentle adj. mild, not rough. 温和的。

creator n. 创造者，造物主。

第六章

起先我打算把我的故事告诉警察，但他们会相信我吗？我一直都生着病。如果警察了解到我的病情，他们会认为那个怪物只是我的一个恶梦而已。我决定不去告诉任何人。

我回到家里，家人都为见到我而高兴。接着他们告诉我说警察已找到了凶手。你也许会认为这是个好消息，但是我还没有告诉你警察抓的是谁。

在我进屋时，我注意到有个人没有来见我。那就是贾斯汀，就是曾照看孩子们并像姐妹一样对待我们的那个年轻女孩。而警察逮捕的就是贾斯汀。

在谋杀案发生了几天之后，警察搜查了房子并在贾斯汀的外衣口袋里找到了那条金链。家里人都知道贾斯汀没有杀害过威廉。我清楚凶手是谁，但是我不能告诉任何人。我们确信审判过后贾斯汀将会被释放的，因为没有人相信她是凶手。但是我们错了。

审判对贾斯汀不利。有许多难以解释的奇怪现象，但法官认定她就是凶手。谋杀的处罚乃是死刑。我们一边申辩一边哭喊着。我们说她不可能谋杀任何人。但没什么能改变法官的判决。

于是我一大早便起床到法官的家中并告诉他有关那个怪物的事情。他不相信我。他认为我是为了救贾斯汀而在撒谎。

贾斯汀在监狱里安静地等着死去。我们同她待了好几个小时，她从容而温和地同我们说话。她为我们相信不是她杀害了威廉而高兴。她几乎在期盼着死去，因为那样她就可以在一个安宁的地方同威廉和我们亲爱的妈妈在一起了。

她的爱心和温柔加重了我那巨大的痛苦。我知道她将因我而死去。我知道我弟弟已经因我而死。我给我家里带来的只有悲伤和苦难。

我乘船去了日内瓦湖。我那时为什么没有结束自己的生命呢？那是因为两件事情。我父亲已经年迈，再有人死很可能会要了他的命。并且我必须活着——以便我的家人免遭怪物的伤害。

对家人的担忧和对怪物的痛恨日夜牵扯着我。我再一次病倒了，连伊丽莎白的爱也帮不了我。我需要逃避一阵子——去将伤心抛诸脑后。因此我便独自一人去阿尔卑斯山散步。我希望群山的旷野之美能够帮助我。

在美丽的山峦中我慢慢地平静了些。我又学会了安心去睡，并且有好几天我都没有见任何人。后来的一天早晨我看见有个人朝我走来，比任何人走得都要快。在其轻松地跳过岩石之时，我便恐惧地看见了我所创造的那个怪物。他的脸上露出深深的悲伤，但也带着邪恶。起先我说不出话来，因为我太恨他了。但是最后我说道：

“你是个邪恶的东西。如果我做得到的话，我便会杀了你的，因为你已害死了我爱的两个人了。”

怪物的黄色的眼睛看着我。“我是世界上最不幸的人了，但是我得为我的生命而战斗。”他说道，“虽然我比你大，又比你强壮，但我不会挑起战斗的。我将永远温柔地对待你，因为你是我的国王和我的创造者。你既然造了我，那就应该爱我并善待我，就像一个父亲那样。威廉和贾斯汀的死是因为你不爱我。既然你没有打算爱我那又为什么要创造我呢？”

“我们是敌人。”我说，“马上给我离开，否则就让我们搏斗到我们中的一个死去为止。你是个杀人凶手，我怎么会待你好呢？”

“你说我是一个杀人凶手，”怪物说道，“然而你却要杀死你自己创造的生物。这不也是错误的吗？我请你为我做一件事——听着。跟我到一个暖和些的地方去并且听听我的故事。然后你就可以做出决定了。”

我认真地考虑了他所说的话。我给了他生命却没有给他爱，这是事实。我决定跟他走并听听他的故事。

他带我到了一间他已生了火的山间茅屋。我们围着火坐下后，他便开始讲起了他的故事。

Victor Frankenstein's Story Begins
维克多的故事开始了

Chapter 2

I was born in Switzerland, in the town of Geneva. My parents loved each other very much, and I learnt from the example of their love. I learnt that to love and to be patient are the most important things in the world.

My mother hoped to have a daughter after I was born, but for five years I was the only child. And then my mother found a sister for me. She was helping a family in which there were five children. They were very poor, and the children were thin and hungry. One of the children was a little girl, with golden hair and blue eyes. Her name was Elizabeth. My mother took the little girl into our family, and Elizabeth became the daughter that my mother had always wanted. As I grew older, my love for Elizabeth became stronger all the time.

Later my mother had two other sons, Ernest and William. A young woman called Justine came to live in the house to help my mother with the children. We loved her as much as she loved us.

The years passed happily, and we had everything that we needed. At school I met another very fine person. His name was Henry Clerval, and he was very clever. My family also liked him very much, so he was a welcome visitor to our house.

I studied very hard at school. I wanted to know the secrets of life, and, most of all, I wanted to know how to make living things. I read all the books that I could find. One day, something happened that added a new idea to the ideas that I already had. I was fifteen at the time, and we were on holiday in the mountains. There was a wild storm, and with it came the most frightening thunder and lightning that I had ever seen in my life. About twenty metres in front of our house was a great tree. Suddenly a huge fork of lightning hit the tree. After a few seconds, there was nothing left of it except a black piece of wood two metres high. The lightning had destroyed it.

I saw how strong electricity was. I began to read all the books that I could find about electricity and its terrible power.

---

Switzerland n. 瑞士（国名）。

Geneva n. 日内瓦，瑞士城市。

example n. 例子。

patient adj. showing patience. 有耐心的。

as... as 与……一样……。

secret n. sth. kept from others' knowing. 秘密；adj. 秘密的。

add v. 加。

frightening adj. causing fear. 吓人的。

thunder n. a very loud noise in the sky when there is a storm. 雷。

lightning n. 闪电。

fork n. 叉。

electricity n. 电。

第二章

我出生在瑞士的日内瓦城。我父母彼此相爱至深，而且我以他们的爱心为榜样。我懂得了去爱他人和富有耐心是世界上最重要的事情。

在生下我后，我母亲希望再生一个女儿，但在五年之中我都是唯一的孩子。后来我母亲给我找了一个妹妹。她那时在一个有五个孩子的家庭里帮忙。他们非常穷，孩子们都又瘦又饿。其中一个孩子是一个头发金黄、有一对蓝色眼睛的小女孩。她名叫伊丽莎白。我母亲把那个小女孩带到了我家，于是伊丽莎白便成了我母亲盼望已久的女儿。随着年龄的增长，我对伊丽莎白的爱与日俱增。

后来我母亲又生了两个儿子：欧内斯特和威廉。有个名叫贾斯汀的年轻女子来我家帮我母亲照看孩子们。我们像她爱我们一样地爱她。

岁月快乐地流逝着，我们拥有所需要的一切。在学校里我遇见了另外一个非常好的人，他的名字叫亨利·克勒沃，人非常聪明。我的家人也非常喜欢他，所以他是我们家受欢迎的客人。

我在学校学习很刻苦。我想要知道生命的奥秘，而且我最想知道的便是如何制造有生命的东西。我阅读了我能找到的一切书籍。有一天发生了一件事情，它给了我新的启发。我那时15岁，我们正在山中度假。那天有一场暴风雨，夹杂其间的是我平生见过的最为吓人的雷霆和闪电。在我们的房子前面约二十米处有一棵大树。突然间一个叉状闪电击中了大树。几秒钟之后，那棵大树便只剩下两米高的一块黑木头。闪电摧毁了它。

我看到了电的力量有多么大。我开始阅读我能找到的有关电及其可怕力量的一切书籍。

Chapter 3

For seventeen years my life was very happy. Then the first sad thing happened. My mother became very ill, and soon she knew that she was dying. Just before she died, she asked Elizabeth and me to go to her room. She held our hands and said:

'My children, I am very happy because you love each other, and because one day you will get married. Everyone in the family loves you, Elizabeth. Will you take my place in the family, my dear? I can die happy if you will look after them when I have gone.'

My mother died, and we were very sad, because we loved her dearly. Elizabeth was brave and helped us; her sweet smile gave us some happiness in the unhappy days after my mother's death.

The time came for me to go to university. I did not want to leave my sad family, but we all knew that I should go. It was hard to leave, too, because the parents of my good friend Henry Clerval would not let him go to university with me. And so I had to go alone.

On my first day at the university I met my teacher, Professor Waldman, who was one of the greatest scientists in the world. He gave a wonderful talk to all the students who were starting at the university. He ended his talk by saying: 'Some of you will become the great scientists of tomorrow. You must study hard and discover everything that you can. That is why God made you intelligent—to help other people.'

After the professor's talk, I thought very carefully. I remembered the storm when I was fifteen. I remembered how the lightning had destroyed the tree. I wanted to use electricity to help people, and I wanted to discover the secrets of life. I decided to work on these two things. I did not know then that my work would destroy me and the people that I loved.

I started work the next day. I worked very hard and soon Professor Waldman and I realized that I could learn to be a very good scientist.

The professor helped me very much, and other important scientists who were his friends helped me, too. I was interested in my work and I did not take one day's holiday during the next two years. I did not go home, and my letters to my family were very short.

After two years I had discovered many things and I built a scientific machine that was better than anything in the university. My machine would help me answer the most important question of all. How does life begin? Is it possible to put life into dead things? To answer these questions about life I had to learn first about death. I had to watch bodies from the moment when they died and the warm life left them. In the hospital and in the university, I watched the dying and the dead. Day after day, month after month, I followed death. It was a dark and terrible time.

Then one day, the answer came to me. Suddenly I was sure that I knew the secret of life. I knew that I could put life into a body that was not alive.

I worked harder and harder now. I slept for only a short time each night, and I did not eat much food. I wrote to my family less often. But they loved me and did not stop writing to me. They said they understood how busy I was. They did not want me to stop work to write or to see them. They would wait until I had more time. They hoped to see me very soon.

The professors realized that I was doing very important work, and so they gave me my own laboratory. There was a small flat above the laboratory, where I lived, and sometimes I stayed inside the building for a week and did not go out.

Above the laboratory I built a very tall mast. It was 150 metres high, and higher than the tallest building in the city. The mast could catch lightning and could send the electricity down to my machine in the laboratory. I had never forgotten the lightning that had destroyed the tree. There had been so much power in the electricity of that lightning. I believed I could use that electricity to give life to things that were dead.

I will say no more than that. The secret of my machine must die with me. I was a very clever scientist, but I did not realize then what a terrible mistake I was making.

---

die v. not live 死。

dying adj. 垂死的。

dearly adv. very much. 非常。

happy adj. glad. 高兴的。

unhappy adj. 不高兴的。

happiness n. 高兴。

university n. 大学。

go to university 上大学学习。

professor n. 教授。

intelligent adj. clever. 聪明的。

carefully adv. thinking of what one does, says, etc. 仔细地，认真地。

hospital n. place where people are nursed through their illness. 医院。

come to 使某人想到。

alive adj. not dead. 活着的。

laboratory n. the building where scientists work and study. 实验室，简写为lab。

flat n. 公寓套房。

power n. something strong that makes other things work. 力量。

mistake n. something not right. 错误。

make a mistake 犯错误。

第三章

在17年的生命历程中我都很幸福。后来第一件悲伤的事发生了。我母亲病得很厉害，不久她便知道自己将不久于人世。就在她去世之前，她把伊丽莎白和我叫到她的房间。她抓住我们的手说道：

“孩子们，你们彼此相爱并且将会结婚，我因此非常高兴。家里的每个人都很爱你，伊丽莎白。你愿意取代我在家中的位置吗，亲爱的？如果你在我走后能照顾他们，我将会走得很幸福。”

我母亲死了，我们都非常伤心，因为我们非常爱她。伊丽莎白很勇敢并帮着我们；她那甜美的微笑在母亲死后的那些不快的日子里给我们带来了一些快乐。

到了我该上大学的时候了。我不想离开我那悲伤的家，可我们都知道我应该去。离别也是很难的，因为我的好朋友克勒沃的父母不让他和我一起去上大学。这样我只能独自一人去了。

大学的第一天我遇到了我的老师沃得曼教授，他是世界上最伟大的科学家之一。他给我们所有开始大学生活的学生做了一次精彩的演讲。他在结束讲话时说：“你们中的一些人将成为明天的科学家。你们必须努力学习并且去揭示你们所能揭示的事物。这就是上帝为什么给了你们智慧——去帮助他人。”

教授演讲过后，我进行了非常认真的思考。我想起了我15岁时的那场暴风雨。我记得那次的闪电是如何摧毁了那棵树的。我想利用电去帮助人们，我还想去揭示生命的奥秘。我决心去从事这两项工作。我当时没有想到我的工作会毁了我还有我所爱的人们。

第二天我就开始了工作。我工作非常努力，我和沃得曼教授不久便意识到我可以通过学习成为一名出色的科学家。

教授帮了我很多的忙，那些是教授的朋友的、重要的科学家们也帮助过我。我对我的工作很感兴趣，在接下来的两年里我没有休过一天假。我没有回过家，给家里写的信也非常短。

两年后我发现了很多的事物并建造了一台比大学里的任何机器都好的科学机器。我的机器能帮助我回答最重要的问题。生命是如何开始的？可以把生命注入无生命的东西中去吗？要回答有关生命的这些问题我首先得了解死亡。我得从他们刚死、滚热的生命离开人体的那一刹那起进行观察。在医院里和大学里，我观察着垂死的人和已死的人。日复一日、月复一月，我都在跟踪死亡。那是黑暗和恐怖的日子。

后来有一天我得到了答案。我突然间确信自己懂得了生命的奥秘。我知道我能将生命注入一个无生命的身体中去。

现在我工作越来越努力。每天晚上我只睡很短的时间，吃的东西也很少。我给家里写的信更加少了。但是家里的人爱我，他们没有停止给我写信。他们说他们理解我有多忙。他们不想让我停止工作而去给他们写信或是去看望他们。他们愿意等到我有时间的时候再说。他们希望很快见到我。

教授们意识到我在从事一项重要的工作，因而给了我一间实验室。实验室的上面有一个小的套房，我就住在里面；有时候我一个星期都待在那座建筑物里不出去。

我在实验室的上方建起了一个很高的杆子。它有150米高，比全城最高的建筑物都要高。那个杆子能够“捕获”闪电并把电送到我实验室的机器上。我从未忘记摧毁那棵树的闪电。那次闪电中的电曾有那么大的力量。我相信我可以利用电给无生命的东西注以生命。

我不想再多说什么了。我的机器的秘密必须随我一起消亡。我是个很聪明的科学家，可我那时没有意识到我在犯多么可怕的错误。

Chapter 4

In my laboratory I made a body. I bought or stole all the pieces of human body that I needed, and slowly and carefully, I put them all together.

I did not let anybody enter my laboratory or my flat while I was doing this awful work. I was afraid to tell anybody my terrible secret.

I had wanted to make a beautiful man, but the face of the creature was horrible. Its skin was thin and yellow, and its eyes were as yellow as its skin. Its long black hair and white teeth were almost beautiful, but the rest of the face was very ugly.

Its legs and arms were the right shape, but they were huge. I had to use big pieces because it was too difficult to join small pieces together. My creature was two and a half metres tall.

For a year I had worked to make this creature, but now it looked terrible and frightening. I almost decided to destroy it. But I could not. I had to know if I could put life into it.

I joined the body to the wires from my machine. More wires joined the machine to the mast. I was sure that my machine could use electricity from lightning to give life to the body. I watched and waited. Two days later I saw dark clouds in the sky, and I knew that a storm was coming. At about one o'clock in the morning the lightning came. My mast began to do its work immediately, and the electricity from the lightning travelled down the mast to my machine. Would the machine work?

At first nothing happened. But after a few minutes I saw the creature's body begin to move. Slowly, terribly, the body came alive. Its arms and legs began to move, and slowly it sat up.

The dead body had been an ugly thing, but alive, it was much more horrible. Suddenly I wanted to escape from it. I ran out of the laboratory, and locked the door. I was filled with fear at what I had done.

For hours I walked up and down in my flat. At last I lay down on my bed, and fell asleep. But my sleep was full of terrible dreams, and I woke up suddenly. The horrible thing that I had created was standing by my bed. Its yellow eyes were looking at me; its mouth opened and it made strange sounds at me. On its yellow face there was an awful smile. One of its huge hands reached towards me...

Before it could touch me, I jumped off the bed and ran downstairs into the garden. I stayed there all night, but I could not think clearly. I was afraid. And when morning came, I went out into the town and began to walk about.

I did not notice where I was walking, but soon I came to the station. A train from Geneva had just arrived, and the passengers were leaving the station. One of them ran towards me when he saw me. It was my dear friend Henry Clerval.

He was very pleased to see me. He took my hand and shook it warmly.

'My dear Victor!' he said. 'What a lucky chance that you are here at the station. Your father, and Elizabeth and the others, are very worried about you, because you have not visited them for a long time. They ask me to make sure that you are well. And I have very good news. My father has agreed to let me study at the university, so we shall be able to spend a lot of time together.'

I was very happy to hear this news, and for a moment I forgot my fears. I took Henry back to my flat and asked him to wait outside while I went in to look. I was afraid that the creature was still there. But it had disappeared. At that time I did not think of other people, and what the creature could do to them. I took Henry into the flat and cooked a meal for us. But Henry noticed how thin I was, and that I was laughing too much and could not sit still.

Suddenly he said: 'My dear Victor, what is the matter with you? Are you ill? Has something awful happened?'

'Don't ask me that,' I cried. I put my hands over my eyes. I thought I could see the horrible creature there in front of me. I pointed wildly across the room, and shouted: 'He can tell you. Save me! Save me!' I tried to fight the creature, but there was nothing there. Then I fainted and fell to the floor.

Poor Henry! I do not know what he thought. He called a doctor and they put me to bed. I was very ill for two months, and Henry stayed and looked after me. His loving care saved me from death.

I wanted to go home and see my family as soon as possible. When I was well enough, I packed my clothes and books. All my luggage was ready, and I was feeling very happy when the postman arrived with some letters. One of the letters ended my short time of happiness.

---

steal (stole, stolen) v. take somebody else's things secretly. 偷。

skin n. 皮肤。

huge adj. very, very big 巨大的。

creature n. a living animal or person. 生物。

wire n. a long thin piece of metal; electricity travels through wires. 电线。

immediately adv. at once. 马上。

asleep adv. 睡着了。

fall asleep 睡着。

suddenly adv. at once. 突然。

awful adj. terrible. 可怕的。

passenger n. 乘客。

lucky adj. having good luck. 幸运的。

too much 太多，过分。

wildly adv. too excitedly. 狂野地，过分激动地，发疯地。

save... from...把……从……处挽救出来。

pack v. put things into a bag, box, etc. 包装，整理行装。

luggage n. 行李。

第四章

我在我的实验室中造了一个人体。我所需要的人体各部分均是我买来或偷来的，然后我缓慢而细心地把它们拼凑到了一起。

在干这项可怕的工作时，我没有让任何人进入我的实验室和我的住处。我不敢告诉任何人我那可怕的秘密。

我曾想造一个漂亮的男人，但这个家伙的脸非常可怕：皮肤又薄又黄，眼睛同皮肤一样黄。黑长的头发和白色的牙齿倒也漂亮，脸上的其余部分却很丑陋。

它的腿和胳膊的形状是对的，但它们太大了。因为拼接小块的人体太困难了，我只得用大块的去拼接。我创造的这个东西有2.5米高。

我曾为制造这个东西工作了一年时间，现在它却看上去恐怖吓人。我几乎要决定毁了它。但我做不到。我必须知道我是否能将生命植入其中。

我把那个身体同我机器上的那些电线连接起来。更多的电线再把机器和杆子连接起来。我确信我的机器可以用闪电给那个身体生命。我观察着、等待着。两天后我看到天上有了乌云，知道将有一场暴风雨来临。大约在凌晨1点钟闪电闪了一下。我的杆子立即开始工作，闪电通过杆子传到了我的机器上。机器会管用吗？

起先没有发生什么。但是几分钟过后我看见那个东西的躯体在动。那具躯体缓慢而怕人地变活了。他的胳膊和腿开始移动，而且他慢慢地坐了起来。

那个无生命的躯体本来就可怕，而现在变成活的就更加恐怖了。突然间我想逃开。我跑出实验室并且锁上了门。我对我所做的一切充满了恐惧。

有好几个小时我都在我的房间里走来走去。最后我躺倒在床上并睡着了。可是恶梦萦绕着我，我便猛然醒了过来。我所创造的那个可怕的东西正站在我的床边。他的黄色的眼睛正看着我。他的嘴张着并对我发出奇怪的声音。他的黄色的脸庞上露出可怕的笑容。他的一只大手伸向了我……

没等他碰到我，我便跳下床冲到了楼下的花园里。我整个晚上都待在那儿，只是思维已不清楚了。我很害怕。等到早上，我便走出花园到城里去并开始四处逛悠。

我没注意我在什么地方走，但不久便到了火车站。刚好从日内瓦来了一趟火车，乘客正走出车站。其中一位见到我后便朝我跑了过来。原来是我的好朋友亨利·克勒沃。

他见到我很高兴。他抓住我的手热情地握了起来。

“我亲爱的维克多！”他说道，“你在车站这儿真是巧极了。你父亲、伊丽莎白还有其他人都非常为你担心，因为你很久没有探望他们了。他们让我来看看你的身体是否还好。另外我还有个好消息。我父亲已同意让我上大学学习，这样我们就能有好多时间待在一起了。”

我听了这个消息后很高兴，并且有一阵儿都忘记了我的恐惧感。我把亨利带回我的公寓并让他在外面等着以便我能进去看一看。我害怕那个家伙还在那儿。但是他已经不见了。那时我没有想到过其他人以及那个家伙会对他们怎么样。我把亨利领进屋里并给我们做了顿吃的。然而亨利注意到了我有多么瘦削，我还笑得太多，也不能安静地坐着。

他突然说道：“我亲爱的维克多，你怎么啦？你生病了吗？发生了什么可怕的事情了吗？”

“别问我这个，”我喊道。我用手捂住眼睛。当时我想我能看见那个可怕的家伙正在我的面前。我发疯似地指向屋子，并且喊道：“他能告诉你。救救我！救救我！”我想去同那个家伙搏斗，但那儿什么也没有。然后我就晕过去，倒在了地板上。

可怜的亨利！我不知道他当时是怎么想的。他叫了个医生并且一起把我扶到了床上。我大病了两个月，亨利一直留下来照顾我。他那充满爱意的护理把我从死亡那儿救了回来。

我想尽快回家去见我的家人。在我恢复得足够强壮后，我便收拾起衣服和书籍。我的行李都已准备好了，但是正当我无比高兴时邮递员给我送来了几封信。其中的一封结束了我短暂的快乐时光。

Chapter 5

The letter was from my father in Geneva, and this is what he wrote:

My dear Victor,

I want you to know before you arrive home that an awful thing has happened. Your dear youngest brother, William, is dead. He was murdered. It happened last Thursday evening when Elizabeth and I and your two brothers, Ernest and William, went for a walk outside the city. William and Ernest were playing. William had hidden from Ernest, and Ernest asked Elizabeth and me to help find William. We all began to search for him, but we couldn' t find him. We searched all night. At five in the morning I found him. He was lying on the grass, white and still. I could see the marks of fingers on his neck—the murderer had strangled him.

Elizabeth had let him wear a gold chain of hers round his neck. On the chain was a very small picture of your mother. We all think that someone murdered William to steal the gold chain. Poor Elizabeth is terribly unhappy at William's death. She thinks he died because she let him wear the chain. Hurry home, my dear Victor. You are the only one who can help Elizabeth, and we all need you.

With all our love,

Your Father

Henry helped me to catch the train. The journey seemed very long, and it was late at night before the train reached Geneva. I decided to spend the night in a village outside the town and go home early in the morning. I wanted to see the place where William had died.

As I started my walk, a storm broke and lightning lit the sky. The police had put posts round the place where the murderer had strangled William, so I found it easily. I cried sadly as I stood there. My poor brother had been a kind and happy boy, and we had all loved him.

Again the lightning lit the sky, and I saw a huge figure standing in the rain. When I saw it, I knew at once what it was. It was the creature that I had made.

What was it doing there? But although I asked myself the question, I knew the answer. He had murdered my brother. I was sure that I was right.

I decided to try and catch him. But as I moved, he ran towards the mountains. He ran much faster than any man. He climbed the mountain easily, reached the top, and disappeared.

I stood there in the dark and the rain, and knew that I had created a monster. And he had murdered my brother.

---

murder v. kill. 谋杀，杀害。

murderer n. 凶手。

lie (lying; lay, lain) v. be at rest. 躺。

still adj. quiet, without movement or sound. 不动的，静止的。

strangle v. to kill someone by holding him very hard round the neck. 勒死。

catch the train 赶火车，上火车。

post n. upright piece of wood, metal, etc. to support or mark something. 柱，杆，竿。

create v. make something new. 创造。

monster n. a very large person or animal with a strange, frightening shape. 庞然大物，怪物。

第五章

信是我父亲从日内瓦写来的，下面就是他写的内容：

我亲爱的维克多：

在你到家之前我想让你知道所发生的一件可怕的事情。你亲爱的小弟弟威廉死了。他是被谋杀的。这件事发生在上个礼拜四，那时我和伊丽莎白以及你的两个弟弟欧内斯特和威廉正在城外散步。威廉同欧内斯特当时正玩耍。威廉藏了起来，不让欧内斯特找到，于是欧内斯特要我和伊丽莎白帮着找威廉。我们都找了起来，但没能找到他。我们找了一整夜。早晨5点钟时我找到他。他躺倒在草地上，脸色苍白，身子一动也不动我能看出他脖子上的手指印——是凶手勒死了他。

伊丽莎白曾让他把她的一根金链子戴在脖子上。链子上有一张非常小的、你妈妈的照片。我们都认为是有人为了偷取那条金链子而杀死了威廉。可怜的伊丽莎白对威廉的死非常伤心。她认为他的死是因为她让他戴了那条链子。赶快回家吧，我亲爱的维克多。只有你能帮助伊丽莎白，并且我们都需要你。

我们都爱你！

你的父亲

亨利帮我上了火车。旅途似乎非常漫长；火车到达日内瓦之前已经是深夜了。我决定在城外的一个村子里过夜，然后清晨再回家。我想看看威廉死去的地方。

在我开始步行时，暴发了一场暴风雨，闪电划亮了天空。警察已在威廉被凶手勒死的地方围上了木桩，这样我很容易地找到了那儿。我站在那儿伤心地哭泣着。我可怜的弟弟一向是个善良而快乐的孩子，并且我们都很爱他。

闪电又一次照亮了天空，我看见雨中站着一个巨大的人。当我看见时，我立马就知道那是谁了。那是我创造的那个家伙。

他在那儿干什么？尽管我在问自己这个问题，却已知道了答案。是他杀死了我的弟弟。我敢肯定我是对的。

我决心要抓住他。但在我走动时，他朝山上跑去了。他比任何人都跑得快。他轻松地爬着山，到了山顶并且消失不见了。

我在黑暗中站着并淋着雨，知道自己创造了一个怪物。是他杀死了我的弟弟。

Chapter 6

At first I decided to tell the police my story. But would they believe me? I had been very ill. When the police learnt about my illness, they would think the monster was just one of my bad dreams. I decided that I could not tell anybody.

I went home to my family and they were very pleased to see me. Then they told me that the police had found the murderer. Perhaps you will think that this was good news, but I have not told you who the police had arrested.

As I went into the house, I noticed that one person did not come to meet me. It was Justine, the young woman who looked after the children and who was like a sister to us. And it was Justine that the police had arrested.

A few days after the murder, the police had searched the house and had found the gold chain in Justine's coat pocket. Everyone in the family knew that Justine had not murdered William. I knew who the murderer was, but I could not tell anyone. We were sure that Justine would be free after the trial, because nobody could believe that she was a murderer. But we were wrong.

The trial did not go well for Justine. There were a number of strange facts that were difficult to explain, and the judge decided that she was the murderer. The punishment for murder was death. We argued and cried. We said she could not murder anyone. But nothing could change the judge's order.

So I got up early and went to the judge's house and told him about the monster. He did not believe me. He thought I was lying in order to save Justine's life.

In the prison Justine waited quietly for death. We spent many hours with her, and she spoke calmly and kindly to us. She was happy because we believed that she had not killed William. And she was almost looking forward to death, because then she would be with William and our dear mother in a place of peace.

Her love and gentleness added to my great unhappiness. I knew she was going to die because of me. I knew my brother had died because of me. I had brought nothing but sadness and misery to my family.

I took a boat and went out on Lake Geneva. Why didn't I end my life then? Two things stopped me. My father was old and another death would probably kill him. And I had to stay alive—to keep my family safe from the monster.

Fear for my family and hate for my monster were with me day and night. I became ill again, and Elizabeth's love could not help me. I needed to escape for a while—to leave my unhappiness behind me. So I went to walk alone in the Alps. I hoped the wild beauty of the mountains would help me.

Slowly I became calmer among the beautiful mountains. I learnt to sleep again, and for days I did not see anybody. Then one morning I saw a figure coming towards me faster than any man could go. It jumped easily over the rocks and I saw with horror the monster that I had created. On his face was a look of deep sadness, but also of evil. At first I could not speak because I hated him so much. But at last I said:

'You are an evil creature. I shall kill you if I can, because you have killed two people that I love.'

The monster's yellow eyes looked at me. 'I am the unhappiest creature in the world, but I shall fight for my life,' he said. 'I am bigger and stronger than you, but I will not start the fight. I shall always be gentle to you because you are my king and creator. You made me, and you should love me and be kind to me, like a father. William and Justine died because you did not love me. Why did you create me if you were not ready to love me?'

'We are enemies,' I said. 'Leave me now, or let us fight until one of us is dead. You are a murderer. How can I be kind to you?'

'You say I am a murderer,' the monster said, 'but you want to kill your own creature. Isn't that wrong, too? I ask you to do one thing for me—listen. Come with me to a warmer place, and listen to my story. Then you can decide.'

I thought carefully about what he had said. It was true that I had given him life but I had not given him love. I decided to go with him and listen to his story.

He took me to a mountain hut where he lit a fire. We sat down by the fire and he began to tell me his story.

---

learn about 获悉。

arrest v. seize by the police. 逮捕。

free adj. not be held as a prisoner any longer. 自由的。

trial n. 审判。

punishment n. suffering for wrongdoing. 惩罚。

argue v. quarrel. 争论。

lie v. not tell the truth. 撒谎；n. 谎。

look forward to waiting for something eagerly. 期待。

peace n. 和平，安宁。

misery n. suffering. 痛苦。

keep sb. safe from 使某人免遭……的危害。

the Alps 阿尔卑斯山脉（山名）。

evil n. 罪恶；adj. 罪恶的。

gentle adj. mild, not rough. 温和的。

creator n. 创造者，造物主。

第六章

起先我打算把我的故事告诉警察，但他们会相信我吗？我一直都生着病。如果警察了解到我的病情，他们会认为那个怪物只是我的一个恶梦而已。我决定不去告诉任何人。

我回到家里，家人都为见到我而高兴。接着他们告诉我说警察已找到了凶手。你也许会认为这是个好消息，但是我还没有告诉你警察抓的是谁。

在我进屋时，我注意到有个人没有来见我。那就是贾斯汀，就是曾照看孩子们并像姐妹一样对待我们的那个年轻女孩。而警察逮捕的就是贾斯汀。

在谋杀案发生了几天之后，警察搜查了房子并在贾斯汀的外衣口袋里找到了那条金链。家里人都知道贾斯汀没有杀害过威廉。我清楚凶手是谁，但是我不能告诉任何人。我们确信审判过后贾斯汀将会被释放的，因为没有人相信她是凶手。但是我们错了。

审判对贾斯汀不利。有许多难以解释的奇怪现象，但法官认定她就是凶手。谋杀的处罚乃是死刑。我们一边申辩一边哭喊着。我们说她不可能谋杀任何人。但没什么能改变法官的判决。

于是我一大早便起床到法官的家中并告诉他有关那个怪物的事情。他不相信我。他认为我是为了救贾斯汀而在撒谎。

贾斯汀在监狱里安静地等着死去。我们同她待了好几个小时，她从容而温和地同我们说话。她为我们相信不是她杀害了威廉而高兴。她几乎在期盼着死去，因为那样她就可以在一个安宁的地方同威廉和我们亲爱的妈妈在一起了。

她的爱心和温柔加重了我那巨大的痛苦。我知道她将因我而死去。我知道我弟弟已经因我而死。我给我家里带来的只有悲伤和苦难。

我乘船去了日内瓦湖。我那时为什么没有结束自己的生命呢？那是因为两件事情。我父亲已经年迈，再有人死很可能会要了他的命。并且我必须活着——以便我的家人免遭怪物的伤害。

对家人的担忧和对怪物的痛恨日夜牵扯着我。我再一次病倒了，连伊丽莎白的爱也帮不了我。我需要逃避一阵子——去将伤心抛诸脑后。因此我便独自一人去阿尔卑斯山散步。我希望群山的旷野之美能够帮助我。

在美丽的山峦中我慢慢地平静了些。我又学会了安心去睡，并且有好几天我都没有见任何人。后来的一天早晨我看见有个人朝我走来，比任何人走得都要快。在其轻松地跳过岩石之时，我便恐惧地看见了我所创造的那个怪物。他的脸上露出深深的悲伤，但也带着邪恶。起先我说不出话来，因为我太恨他了。但是最后我说道：

“你是个邪恶的东西。如果我做得到的话，我便会杀了你的，因为你已害死了我爱的两个人了。”

怪物的黄色的眼睛看着我。“我是世界上最不幸的人了，但是我得为我的生命而战斗。”他说道，“虽然我比你大，又比你强壮，但我不会挑起战斗的。我将永远温柔地对待你，因为你是我的国王和我的创造者。你既然造了我，那就应该爱我并善待我，就像一个父亲那样。威廉和贾斯汀的死是因为你不爱我。既然你没有打算爱我那又为什么要创造我呢？”

“我们是敌人。”我说，“马上给我离开，否则就让我们搏斗到我们中的一个死去为止。你是个杀人凶手，我怎么会待你好呢？”

“你说我是一个杀人凶手，”怪物说道，“然而你却要杀死你自己创造的生物。这不也是错误的吗？我请你为我做一件事——听着。跟我到一个暖和些的地方去并且听听我的故事。然后你就可以做出决定了。”

我认真地考虑了他所说的话。我给了他生命却没有给他爱，这是事实。我决定跟他走并听听他的故事。

他带我到了一间他已生了火的山间茅屋。我们围着火坐下后，他便开始讲起了他的故事。

Victor Frankenstein's Story Begins
维克多的故事开始了

Chapter 2

I was born in Switzerland, in the town of Geneva. My parents loved each other very much, and I learnt from the example of their love. I learnt that to love and to be patient are the most important things in the world.

My mother hoped to have a daughter after I was born, but for five years I was the only child. And then my mother found a sister for me. She was helping a family in which there were five children. They were very poor, and the children were thin and hungry. One of the children was a little girl, with golden hair and blue eyes. Her name was Elizabeth. My mother took the little girl into our family, and Elizabeth became the daughter that my mother had always wanted. As I grew older, my love for Elizabeth became stronger all the time.

Later my mother had two other sons, Ernest and William. A young woman called Justine came to live in the house to help my mother with the children. We loved her as much as she loved us.

The years passed happily, and we had everything that we needed. At school I met another very fine person. His name was Henry Clerval, and he was very clever. My family also liked him very much, so he was a welcome visitor to our house.

I studied very hard at school. I wanted to know the secrets of life, and, most of all, I wanted to know how to make living things. I read all the books that I could find. One day, something happened that added a new idea to the ideas that I already had. I was fifteen at the time, and we were on holiday in the mountains. There was a wild storm, and with it came the most frightening thunder and lightning that I had ever seen in my life. About twenty metres in front of our house was a great tree. Suddenly a huge fork of lightning hit the tree. After a few seconds, there was nothing left of it except a black piece of wood two metres high. The lightning had destroyed it.

I saw how strong electricity was. I began to read all the books that I could find about electricity and its terrible power.

---

Switzerland n. 瑞士（国名）。

Geneva n. 日内瓦，瑞士城市。

example n. 例子。

patient adj. showing patience. 有耐心的。

as... as 与……一样……。

secret n. sth. kept from others' knowing. 秘密；adj. 秘密的。

add v. 加。

frightening adj. causing fear. 吓人的。

thunder n. a very loud noise in the sky when there is a storm. 雷。

lightning n. 闪电。

fork n. 叉。

electricity n. 电。

第二章

我出生在瑞士的日内瓦城。我父母彼此相爱至深，而且我以他们的爱心为榜样。我懂得了去爱他人和富有耐心是世界上最重要的事情。

在生下我后，我母亲希望再生一个女儿，但在五年之中我都是唯一的孩子。后来我母亲给我找了一个妹妹。她那时在一个有五个孩子的家庭里帮忙。他们非常穷，孩子们都又瘦又饿。其中一个孩子是一个头发金黄、有一对蓝色眼睛的小女孩。她名叫伊丽莎白。我母亲把那个小女孩带到了我家，于是伊丽莎白便成了我母亲盼望已久的女儿。随着年龄的增长，我对伊丽莎白的爱与日俱增。

后来我母亲又生了两个儿子：欧内斯特和威廉。有个名叫贾斯汀的年轻女子来我家帮我母亲照看孩子们。我们像她爱我们一样地爱她。

岁月快乐地流逝着，我们拥有所需要的一切。在学校里我遇见了另外一个非常好的人，他的名字叫亨利·克勒沃，人非常聪明。我的家人也非常喜欢他，所以他是我们家受欢迎的客人。

我在学校学习很刻苦。我想要知道生命的奥秘，而且我最想知道的便是如何制造有生命的东西。我阅读了我能找到的一切书籍。有一天发生了一件事情，它给了我新的启发。我那时15岁，我们正在山中度假。那天有一场暴风雨，夹杂其间的是我平生见过的最为吓人的雷霆和闪电。在我们的房子前面约二十米处有一棵大树。突然间一个叉状闪电击中了大树。几秒钟之后，那棵大树便只剩下两米高的一块黑木头。闪电摧毁了它。

我看到了电的力量有多么大。我开始阅读我能找到的有关电及其可怕力量的一切书籍。

Chapter 3

For seventeen years my life was very happy. Then the first sad thing happened. My mother became very ill, and soon she knew that she was dying. Just before she died, she asked Elizabeth and me to go to her room. She held our hands and said:

'My children, I am very happy because you love each other, and because one day you will get married. Everyone in the family loves you, Elizabeth. Will you take my place in the family, my dear? I can die happy if you will look after them when I have gone.'

My mother died, and we were very sad, because we loved her dearly. Elizabeth was brave and helped us; her sweet smile gave us some happiness in the unhappy days after my mother's death.

The time came for me to go to university. I did not want to leave my sad family, but we all knew that I should go. It was hard to leave, too, because the parents of my good friend Henry Clerval would not let him go to university with me. And so I had to go alone.

On my first day at the university I met my teacher, Professor Waldman, who was one of the greatest scientists in the world. He gave a wonderful talk to all the students who were starting at the university. He ended his talk by saying: 'Some of you will become the great scientists of tomorrow. You must study hard and discover everything that you can. That is why God made you intelligent—to help other people.'

After the professor's talk, I thought very carefully. I remembered the storm when I was fifteen. I remembered how the lightning had destroyed the tree. I wanted to use electricity to help people, and I wanted to discover the secrets of life. I decided to work on these two things. I did not know then that my work would destroy me and the people that I loved.

I started work the next day. I worked very hard and soon Professor Waldman and I realized that I could learn to be a very good scientist.

The professor helped me very much, and other important scientists who were his friends helped me, too. I was interested in my work and I did not take one day's holiday during the next two years. I did not go home, and my letters to my family were very short.

After two years I had discovered many things and I built a scientific machine that was better than anything in the university. My machine would help me answer the most important question of all. How does life begin? Is it possible to put life into dead things? To answer these questions about life I had to learn first about death. I had to watch bodies from the moment when they died and the warm life left them. In the hospital and in the university, I watched the dying and the dead. Day after day, month after month, I followed death. It was a dark and terrible time.

Then one day, the answer came to me. Suddenly I was sure that I knew the secret of life. I knew that I could put life into a body that was not alive.

I worked harder and harder now. I slept for only a short time each night, and I did not eat much food. I wrote to my family less often. But they loved me and did not stop writing to me. They said they understood how busy I was. They did not want me to stop work to write or to see them. They would wait until I had more time. They hoped to see me very soon.

The professors realized that I was doing very important work, and so they gave me my own laboratory. There was a small flat above the laboratory, where I lived, and sometimes I stayed inside the building for a week and did not go out.

Above the laboratory I built a very tall mast. It was 150 metres high, and higher than the tallest building in the city. The mast could catch lightning and could send the electricity down to my machine in the laboratory. I had never forgotten the lightning that had destroyed the tree. There had been so much power in the electricity of that lightning. I believed I could use that electricity to give life to things that were dead.

I will say no more than that. The secret of my machine must die with me. I was a very clever scientist, but I did not realize then what a terrible mistake I was making.

---

die v. not live 死。

dying adj. 垂死的。

dearly adv. very much. 非常。

happy adj. glad. 高兴的。

unhappy adj. 不高兴的。

happiness n. 高兴。

university n. 大学。

go to university 上大学学习。

professor n. 教授。

intelligent adj. clever. 聪明的。

carefully adv. thinking of what one does, says, etc. 仔细地，认真地。

hospital n. place where people are nursed through their illness. 医院。

come to 使某人想到。

alive adj. not dead. 活着的。

laboratory n. the building where scientists work and study. 实验室，简写为lab。

flat n. 公寓套房。

power n. something strong that makes other things work. 力量。

mistake n. something not right. 错误。

make a mistake 犯错误。

第三章

在17年的生命历程中我都很幸福。后来第一件悲伤的事发生了。我母亲病得很厉害，不久她便知道自己将不久于人世。就在她去世之前，她把伊丽莎白和我叫到她的房间。她抓住我们的手说道：

“孩子们，你们彼此相爱并且将会结婚，我因此非常高兴。家里的每个人都很爱你，伊丽莎白。你愿意取代我在家中的位置吗，亲爱的？如果你在我走后能照顾他们，我将会走得很幸福。”

我母亲死了，我们都非常伤心，因为我们非常爱她。伊丽莎白很勇敢并帮着我们；她那甜美的微笑在母亲死后的那些不快的日子里给我们带来了一些快乐。

到了我该上大学的时候了。我不想离开我那悲伤的家，可我们都知道我应该去。离别也是很难的，因为我的好朋友克勒沃的父母不让他和我一起去上大学。这样我只能独自一人去了。

大学的第一天我遇到了我的老师沃得曼教授，他是世界上最伟大的科学家之一。他给我们所有开始大学生活的学生做了一次精彩的演讲。他在结束讲话时说：“你们中的一些人将成为明天的科学家。你们必须努力学习并且去揭示你们所能揭示的事物。这就是上帝为什么给了你们智慧——去帮助他人。”

教授演讲过后，我进行了非常认真的思考。我想起了我15岁时的那场暴风雨。我记得那次的闪电是如何摧毁了那棵树的。我想利用电去帮助人们，我还想去揭示生命的奥秘。我决心去从事这两项工作。我当时没有想到我的工作会毁了我还有我所爱的人们。

第二天我就开始了工作。我工作非常努力，我和沃得曼教授不久便意识到我可以通过学习成为一名出色的科学家。

教授帮了我很多的忙，那些是教授的朋友的、重要的科学家们也帮助过我。我对我的工作很感兴趣，在接下来的两年里我没有休过一天假。我没有回过家，给家里写的信也非常短。

两年后我发现了很多的事物并建造了一台比大学里的任何机器都好的科学机器。我的机器能帮助我回答最重要的问题。生命是如何开始的？可以把生命注入无生命的东西中去吗？要回答有关生命的这些问题我首先得了解死亡。我得从他们刚死、滚热的生命离开人体的那一刹那起进行观察。在医院里和大学里，我观察着垂死的人和已死的人。日复一日、月复一月，我都在跟踪死亡。那是黑暗和恐怖的日子。

后来有一天我得到了答案。我突然间确信自己懂得了生命的奥秘。我知道我能将生命注入一个无生命的身体中去。

现在我工作越来越努力。每天晚上我只睡很短的时间，吃的东西也很少。我给家里写的信更加少了。但是家里的人爱我，他们没有停止给我写信。他们说他们理解我有多忙。他们不想让我停止工作而去给他们写信或是去看望他们。他们愿意等到我有时间的时候再说。他们希望很快见到我。

教授们意识到我在从事一项重要的工作，因而给了我一间实验室。实验室的上面有一个小的套房，我就住在里面；有时候我一个星期都待在那座建筑物里不出去。

我在实验室的上方建起了一个很高的杆子。它有150米高，比全城最高的建筑物都要高。那个杆子能够“捕获”闪电并把电送到我实验室的机器上。我从未忘记摧毁那棵树的闪电。那次闪电中的电曾有那么大的力量。我相信我可以利用电给无生命的东西注以生命。

我不想再多说什么了。我的机器的秘密必须随我一起消亡。我是个很聪明的科学家，可我那时没有意识到我在犯多么可怕的错误。

Chapter 4

In my laboratory I made a body. I bought or stole all the pieces of human body that I needed, and slowly and carefully, I put them all together.

I did not let anybody enter my laboratory or my flat while I was doing this awful work. I was afraid to tell anybody my terrible secret.

I had wanted to make a beautiful man, but the face of the creature was horrible. Its skin was thin and yellow, and its eyes were as yellow as its skin. Its long black hair and white teeth were almost beautiful, but the rest of the face was very ugly.

Its legs and arms were the right shape, but they were huge. I had to use big pieces because it was too difficult to join small pieces together. My creature was two and a half metres tall.

For a year I had worked to make this creature, but now it looked terrible and frightening. I almost decided to destroy it. But I could not. I had to know if I could put life into it.

I joined the body to the wires from my machine. More wires joined the machine to the mast. I was sure that my machine could use electricity from lightning to give life to the body. I watched and waited. Two days later I saw dark clouds in the sky, and I knew that a storm was coming. At about one o'clock in the morning the lightning came. My mast began to do its work immediately, and the electricity from the lightning travelled down the mast to my machine. Would the machine work?

At first nothing happened. But after a few minutes I saw the creature's body begin to move. Slowly, terribly, the body came alive. Its arms and legs began to move, and slowly it sat up.

The dead body had been an ugly thing, but alive, it was much more horrible. Suddenly I wanted to escape from it. I ran out of the laboratory, and locked the door. I was filled with fear at what I had done.

For hours I walked up and down in my flat. At last I lay down on my bed, and fell asleep. But my sleep was full of terrible dreams, and I woke up suddenly. The horrible thing that I had created was standing by my bed. Its yellow eyes were looking at me; its mouth opened and it made strange sounds at me. On its yellow face there was an awful smile. One of its huge hands reached towards me...

Before it could touch me, I jumped off the bed and ran downstairs into the garden. I stayed there all night, but I could not think clearly. I was afraid. And when morning came, I went out into the town and began to walk about.

I did not notice where I was walking, but soon I came to the station. A train from Geneva had just arrived, and the passengers were leaving the station. One of them ran towards me when he saw me. It was my dear friend Henry Clerval.

He was very pleased to see me. He took my hand and shook it warmly.

'My dear Victor!' he said. 'What a lucky chance that you are here at the station. Your father, and Elizabeth and the others, are very worried about you, because you have not visited them for a long time. They ask me to make sure that you are well. And I have very good news. My father has agreed to let me study at the university, so we shall be able to spend a lot of time together.'

I was very happy to hear this news, and for a moment I forgot my fears. I took Henry back to my flat and asked him to wait outside while I went in to look. I was afraid that the creature was still there. But it had disappeared. At that time I did not think of other people, and what the creature could do to them. I took Henry into the flat and cooked a meal for us. But Henry noticed how thin I was, and that I was laughing too much and could not sit still.

Suddenly he said: 'My dear Victor, what is the matter with you? Are you ill? Has something awful happened?'

'Don't ask me that,' I cried. I put my hands over my eyes. I thought I could see the horrible creature there in front of me. I pointed wildly across the room, and shouted: 'He can tell you. Save me! Save me!' I tried to fight the creature, but there was nothing there. Then I fainted and fell to the floor.

Poor Henry! I do not know what he thought. He called a doctor and they put me to bed. I was very ill for two months, and Henry stayed and looked after me. His loving care saved me from death.

I wanted to go home and see my family as soon as possible. When I was well enough, I packed my clothes and books. All my luggage was ready, and I was feeling very happy when the postman arrived with some letters. One of the letters ended my short time of happiness.

---

steal (stole, stolen) v. take somebody else's things secretly. 偷。

skin n. 皮肤。

huge adj. very, very big 巨大的。

creature n. a living animal or person. 生物。

wire n. a long thin piece of metal; electricity travels through wires. 电线。

immediately adv. at once. 马上。

asleep adv. 睡着了。

fall asleep 睡着。

suddenly adv. at once. 突然。

awful adj. terrible. 可怕的。

passenger n. 乘客。

lucky adj. having good luck. 幸运的。

too much 太多，过分。

wildly adv. too excitedly. 狂野地，过分激动地，发疯地。

save... from...把……从……处挽救出来。

pack v. put things into a bag, box, etc. 包装，整理行装。

luggage n. 行李。

第四章

我在我的实验室中造了一个人体。我所需要的人体各部分均是我买来或偷来的，然后我缓慢而细心地把它们拼凑到了一起。

在干这项可怕的工作时，我没有让任何人进入我的实验室和我的住处。我不敢告诉任何人我那可怕的秘密。

我曾想造一个漂亮的男人，但这个家伙的脸非常可怕：皮肤又薄又黄，眼睛同皮肤一样黄。黑长的头发和白色的牙齿倒也漂亮，脸上的其余部分却很丑陋。

它的腿和胳膊的形状是对的，但它们太大了。因为拼接小块的人体太困难了，我只得用大块的去拼接。我创造的这个东西有2.5米高。

我曾为制造这个东西工作了一年时间，现在它却看上去恐怖吓人。我几乎要决定毁了它。但我做不到。我必须知道我是否能将生命植入其中。

我把那个身体同我机器上的那些电线连接起来。更多的电线再把机器和杆子连接起来。我确信我的机器可以用闪电给那个身体生命。我观察着、等待着。两天后我看到天上有了乌云，知道将有一场暴风雨来临。大约在凌晨1点钟闪电闪了一下。我的杆子立即开始工作，闪电通过杆子传到了我的机器上。机器会管用吗？

起先没有发生什么。但是几分钟过后我看见那个东西的躯体在动。那具躯体缓慢而怕人地变活了。他的胳膊和腿开始移动，而且他慢慢地坐了起来。

那个无生命的躯体本来就可怕，而现在变成活的就更加恐怖了。突然间我想逃开。我跑出实验室并且锁上了门。我对我所做的一切充满了恐惧。

有好几个小时我都在我的房间里走来走去。最后我躺倒在床上并睡着了。可是恶梦萦绕着我，我便猛然醒了过来。我所创造的那个可怕的东西正站在我的床边。他的黄色的眼睛正看着我。他的嘴张着并对我发出奇怪的声音。他的黄色的脸庞上露出可怕的笑容。他的一只大手伸向了我……

没等他碰到我，我便跳下床冲到了楼下的花园里。我整个晚上都待在那儿，只是思维已不清楚了。我很害怕。等到早上，我便走出花园到城里去并开始四处逛悠。

我没注意我在什么地方走，但不久便到了火车站。刚好从日内瓦来了一趟火车，乘客正走出车站。其中一位见到我后便朝我跑了过来。原来是我的好朋友亨利·克勒沃。

他见到我很高兴。他抓住我的手热情地握了起来。

“我亲爱的维克多！”他说道，“你在车站这儿真是巧极了。你父亲、伊丽莎白还有其他人都非常为你担心，因为你很久没有探望他们了。他们让我来看看你的身体是否还好。另外我还有个好消息。我父亲已同意让我上大学学习，这样我们就能有好多时间待在一起了。”

我听了这个消息后很高兴，并且有一阵儿都忘记了我的恐惧感。我把亨利带回我的公寓并让他在外面等着以便我能进去看一看。我害怕那个家伙还在那儿。但是他已经不见了。那时我没有想到过其他人以及那个家伙会对他们怎么样。我把亨利领进屋里并给我们做了顿吃的。然而亨利注意到了我有多么瘦削，我还笑得太多，也不能安静地坐着。

他突然说道：“我亲爱的维克多，你怎么啦？你生病了吗？发生了什么可怕的事情了吗？”

“别问我这个，”我喊道。我用手捂住眼睛。当时我想我能看见那个可怕的家伙正在我的面前。我发疯似地指向屋子，并且喊道：“他能告诉你。救救我！救救我！”我想去同那个家伙搏斗，但那儿什么也没有。然后我就晕过去，倒在了地板上。

可怜的亨利！我不知道他当时是怎么想的。他叫了个医生并且一起把我扶到了床上。我大病了两个月，亨利一直留下来照顾我。他那充满爱意的护理把我从死亡那儿救了回来。

我想尽快回家去见我的家人。在我恢复得足够强壮后，我便收拾起衣服和书籍。我的行李都已准备好了，但是正当我无比高兴时邮递员给我送来了几封信。其中的一封结束了我短暂的快乐时光。

Chapter 5

The letter was from my father in Geneva, and this is what he wrote:

My dear Victor,

I want you to know before you arrive home that an awful thing has happened. Your dear youngest brother, William, is dead. He was murdered. It happened last Thursday evening when Elizabeth and I and your two brothers, Ernest and William, went for a walk outside the city. William and Ernest were playing. William had hidden from Ernest, and Ernest asked Elizabeth and me to help find William. We all began to search for him, but we couldn' t find him. We searched all night. At five in the morning I found him. He was lying on the grass, white and still. I could see the marks of fingers on his neck—the murderer had strangled him.

Elizabeth had let him wear a gold chain of hers round his neck. On the chain was a very small picture of your mother. We all think that someone murdered William to steal the gold chain. Poor Elizabeth is terribly unhappy at William's death. She thinks he died because she let him wear the chain. Hurry home, my dear Victor. You are the only one who can help Elizabeth, and we all need you.

With all our love,

Your Father

Henry helped me to catch the train. The journey seemed very long, and it was late at night before the train reached Geneva. I decided to spend the night in a village outside the town and go home early in the morning. I wanted to see the place where William had died.

As I started my walk, a storm broke and lightning lit the sky. The police had put posts round the place where the murderer had strangled William, so I found it easily. I cried sadly as I stood there. My poor brother had been a kind and happy boy, and we had all loved him.

Again the lightning lit the sky, and I saw a huge figure standing in the rain. When I saw it, I knew at once what it was. It was the creature that I had made.

What was it doing there? But although I asked myself the question, I knew the answer. He had murdered my brother. I was sure that I was right.

I decided to try and catch him. But as I moved, he ran towards the mountains. He ran much faster than any man. He climbed the mountain easily, reached the top, and disappeared.

I stood there in the dark and the rain, and knew that I had created a monster. And he had murdered my brother.

---

murder v. kill. 谋杀，杀害。

murderer n. 凶手。

lie (lying; lay, lain) v. be at rest. 躺。

still adj. quiet, without movement or sound. 不动的，静止的。

strangle v. to kill someone by holding him very hard round the neck. 勒死。

catch the train 赶火车，上火车。

post n. upright piece of wood, metal, etc. to support or mark something. 柱，杆，竿。

create v. make something new. 创造。

monster n. a very large person or animal with a strange, frightening shape. 庞然大物，怪物。

第五章

信是我父亲从日内瓦写来的，下面就是他写的内容：

我亲爱的维克多：

在你到家之前我想让你知道所发生的一件可怕的事情。你亲爱的小弟弟威廉死了。他是被谋杀的。这件事发生在上个礼拜四，那时我和伊丽莎白以及你的两个弟弟欧内斯特和威廉正在城外散步。威廉同欧内斯特当时正玩耍。威廉藏了起来，不让欧内斯特找到，于是欧内斯特要我和伊丽莎白帮着找威廉。我们都找了起来，但没能找到他。我们找了一整夜。早晨5点钟时我找到他。他躺倒在草地上，脸色苍白，身子一动也不动我能看出他脖子上的手指印——是凶手勒死了他。

伊丽莎白曾让他把她的一根金链子戴在脖子上。链子上有一张非常小的、你妈妈的照片。我们都认为是有人为了偷取那条金链子而杀死了威廉。可怜的伊丽莎白对威廉的死非常伤心。她认为他的死是因为她让他戴了那条链子。赶快回家吧，我亲爱的维克多。只有你能帮助伊丽莎白，并且我们都需要你。

我们都爱你！

你的父亲

亨利帮我上了火车。旅途似乎非常漫长；火车到达日内瓦之前已经是深夜了。我决定在城外的一个村子里过夜，然后清晨再回家。我想看看威廉死去的地方。

在我开始步行时，暴发了一场暴风雨，闪电划亮了天空。警察已在威廉被凶手勒死的地方围上了木桩，这样我很容易地找到了那儿。我站在那儿伤心地哭泣着。我可怜的弟弟一向是个善良而快乐的孩子，并且我们都很爱他。

闪电又一次照亮了天空，我看见雨中站着一个巨大的人。当我看见时，我立马就知道那是谁了。那是我创造的那个家伙。

他在那儿干什么？尽管我在问自己这个问题，却已知道了答案。是他杀死了我的弟弟。我敢肯定我是对的。

我决心要抓住他。但在我走动时，他朝山上跑去了。他比任何人都跑得快。他轻松地爬着山，到了山顶并且消失不见了。

我在黑暗中站着并淋着雨，知道自己创造了一个怪物。是他杀死了我的弟弟。

Chapter 6

At first I decided to tell the police my story. But would they believe me? I had been very ill. When the police learnt about my illness, they would think the monster was just one of my bad dreams. I decided that I could not tell anybody.

I went home to my family and they were very pleased to see me. Then they told me that the police had found the murderer. Perhaps you will think that this was good news, but I have not told you who the police had arrested.

As I went into the house, I noticed that one person did not come to meet me. It was Justine, the young woman who looked after the children and who was like a sister to us. And it was Justine that the police had arrested.

A few days after the murder, the police had searched the house and had found the gold chain in Justine's coat pocket. Everyone in the family knew that Justine had not murdered William. I knew who the murderer was, but I could not tell anyone. We were sure that Justine would be free after the trial, because nobody could believe that she was a murderer. But we were wrong.

The trial did not go well for Justine. There were a number of strange facts that were difficult to explain, and the judge decided that she was the murderer. The punishment for murder was death. We argued and cried. We said she could not murder anyone. But nothing could change the judge's order.

So I got up early and went to the judge's house and told him about the monster. He did not believe me. He thought I was lying in order to save Justine's life.

In the prison Justine waited quietly for death. We spent many hours with her, and she spoke calmly and kindly to us. She was happy because we believed that she had not killed William. And she was almost looking forward to death, because then she would be with William and our dear mother in a place of peace.

Her love and gentleness added to my great unhappiness. I knew she was going to die because of me. I knew my brother had died because of me. I had brought nothing but sadness and misery to my family.

I took a boat and went out on Lake Geneva. Why didn't I end my life then? Two things stopped me. My father was old and another death would probably kill him. And I had to stay alive—to keep my family safe from the monster.

Fear for my family and hate for my monster were with me day and night. I became ill again, and Elizabeth's love could not help me. I needed to escape for a while—to leave my unhappiness behind me. So I went to walk alone in the Alps. I hoped the wild beauty of the mountains would help me.

Slowly I became calmer among the beautiful mountains. I learnt to sleep again, and for days I did not see anybody. Then one morning I saw a figure coming towards me faster than any man could go. It jumped easily over the rocks and I saw with horror the monster that I had created. On his face was a look of deep sadness, but also of evil. At first I could not speak because I hated him so much. But at last I said:

'You are an evil creature. I shall kill you if I can, because you have killed two people that I love.'

The monster's yellow eyes looked at me. 'I am the unhappiest creature in the world, but I shall fight for my life,' he said. 'I am bigger and stronger than you, but I will not start the fight. I shall always be gentle to you because you are my king and creator. You made me, and you should love me and be kind to me, like a father. William and Justine died because you did not love me. Why did you create me if you were not ready to love me?'

'We are enemies,' I said. 'Leave me now, or let us fight until one of us is dead. You are a murderer. How can I be kind to you?'

'You say I am a murderer,' the monster said, 'but you want to kill your own creature. Isn't that wrong, too? I ask you to do one thing for me—listen. Come with me to a warmer place, and listen to my story. Then you can decide.'

I thought carefully about what he had said. It was true that I had given him life but I had not given him love. I decided to go with him and listen to his story.

He took me to a mountain hut where he lit a fire. We sat down by the fire and he began to tell me his story.

---

learn about 获悉。

arrest v. seize by the police. 逮捕。

free adj. not be held as a prisoner any longer. 自由的。

trial n. 审判。

punishment n. suffering for wrongdoing. 惩罚。

argue v. quarrel. 争论。

lie v. not tell the truth. 撒谎；n. 谎。

look forward to waiting for something eagerly. 期待。

peace n. 和平，安宁。

misery n. suffering. 痛苦。

keep sb. safe from 使某人免遭……的危害。

the Alps 阿尔卑斯山脉（山名）。

evil n. 罪恶；adj. 罪恶的。

gentle adj. mild, not rough. 温和的。

creator n. 创造者，造物主。

第六章

起先我打算把我的故事告诉警察，但他们会相信我吗？我一直都生着病。如果警察了解到我的病情，他们会认为那个怪物只是我的一个恶梦而已。我决定不去告诉任何人。

我回到家里，家人都为见到我而高兴。接着他们告诉我说警察已找到了凶手。你也许会认为这是个好消息，但是我还没有告诉你警察抓的是谁。

在我进屋时，我注意到有个人没有来见我。那就是贾斯汀，就是曾照看孩子们并像姐妹一样对待我们的那个年轻女孩。而警察逮捕的就是贾斯汀。

在谋杀案发生了几天之后，警察搜查了房子并在贾斯汀的外衣口袋里找到了那条金链。家里人都知道贾斯汀没有杀害过威廉。我清楚凶手是谁，但是我不能告诉任何人。我们确信审判过后贾斯汀将会被释放的，因为没有人相信她是凶手。但是我们错了。

审判对贾斯汀不利。有许多难以解释的奇怪现象，但法官认定她就是凶手。谋杀的处罚乃是死刑。我们一边申辩一边哭喊着。我们说她不可能谋杀任何人。但没什么能改变法官的判决。

于是我一大早便起床到法官的家中并告诉他有关那个怪物的事情。他不相信我。他认为我是为了救贾斯汀而在撒谎。

贾斯汀在监狱里安静地等着死去。我们同她待了好几个小时，她从容而温和地同我们说话。她为我们相信不是她杀害了威廉而高兴。她几乎在期盼着死去，因为那样她就可以在一个安宁的地方同威廉和我们亲爱的妈妈在一起了。

她的爱心和温柔加重了我那巨大的痛苦。我知道她将因我而死去。我知道我弟弟已经因我而死。我给我家里带来的只有悲伤和苦难。

我乘船去了日内瓦湖。我那时为什么没有结束自己的生命呢？那是因为两件事情。我父亲已经年迈，再有人死很可能会要了他的命。并且我必须活着——以便我的家人免遭怪物的伤害。

对家人的担忧和对怪物的痛恨日夜牵扯着我。我再一次病倒了，连伊丽莎白的爱也帮不了我。我需要逃避一阵子——去将伤心抛诸脑后。因此我便独自一人去阿尔卑斯山散步。我希望群山的旷野之美能够帮助我。

在美丽的山峦中我慢慢地平静了些。我又学会了安心去睡，并且有好几天我都没有见任何人。后来的一天早晨我看见有个人朝我走来，比任何人走得都要快。在其轻松地跳过岩石之时，我便恐惧地看见了我所创造的那个怪物。他的脸上露出深深的悲伤，但也带着邪恶。起先我说不出话来，因为我太恨他了。但是最后我说道：

“你是个邪恶的东西。如果我做得到的话，我便会杀了你的，因为你已害死了我爱的两个人了。”

怪物的黄色的眼睛看着我。“我是世界上最不幸的人了，但是我得为我的生命而战斗。”他说道，“虽然我比你大，又比你强壮，但我不会挑起战斗的。我将永远温柔地对待你，因为你是我的国王和我的创造者。你既然造了我，那就应该爱我并善待我，就像一个父亲那样。威廉和贾斯汀的死是因为你不爱我。既然你没有打算爱我那又为什么要创造我呢？”

“我们是敌人。”我说，“马上给我离开，否则就让我们搏斗到我们中的一个死去为止。你是个杀人凶手，我怎么会待你好呢？”

“你说我是一个杀人凶手，”怪物说道，“然而你却要杀死你自己创造的生物。这不也是错误的吗？我请你为我做一件事——听着。跟我到一个暖和些的地方去并且听听我的故事。然后你就可以做出决定了。”

我认真地考虑了他所说的话。我给了他生命却没有给他爱，这是事实。我决定跟他走并听听他的故事。

他带我到了一间他已生了火的山间茅屋。我们围着火坐下后，他便开始讲起了他的故事。

Victor Frankenstein's Story Begins
维克多的故事开始了

Chapter 2

I was born in Switzerland, in the town of Geneva. My parents loved each other very much, and I learnt from the example of their love. I learnt that to love and to be patient are the most important things in the world.

My mother hoped to have a daughter after I was born, but for five years I was the only child. And then my mother found a sister for me. She was helping a family in which there were five children. They were very poor, and the children were thin and hungry. One of the children was a little girl, with golden hair and blue eyes. Her name was Elizabeth. My mother took the little girl into our family, and Elizabeth became the daughter that my mother had always wanted. As I grew older, my love for Elizabeth became stronger all the time.

Later my mother had two other sons, Ernest and William. A young woman called Justine came to live in the house to help my mother with the children. We loved her as much as she loved us.

The years passed happily, and we had everything that we needed. At school I met another very fine person. His name was Henry Clerval, and he was very clever. My family also liked him very much, so he was a welcome visitor to our house.

I studied very hard at school. I wanted to know the secrets of life, and, most of all, I wanted to know how to make living things. I read all the books that I could find. One day, something happened that added a new idea to the ideas that I already had. I was fifteen at the time, and we were on holiday in the mountains. There was a wild storm, and with it came the most frightening thunder and lightning that I had ever seen in my life. About twenty metres in front of our house was a great tree. Suddenly a huge fork of lightning hit the tree. After a few seconds, there was nothing left of it except a black piece of wood two metres high. The lightning had destroyed it.

I saw how strong electricity was. I began to read all the books that I could find about electricity and its terrible power.

---

Switzerland n. 瑞士（国名）。

Geneva n. 日内瓦，瑞士城市。

example n. 例子。

patient adj. showing patience. 有耐心的。

as... as 与……一样……。

secret n. sth. kept from others' knowing. 秘密；adj. 秘密的。

add v. 加。

frightening adj. causing fear. 吓人的。

thunder n. a very loud noise in the sky when there is a storm. 雷。

lightning n. 闪电。

fork n. 叉。

electricity n. 电。

第二章

我出生在瑞士的日内瓦城。我父母彼此相爱至深，而且我以他们的爱心为榜样。我懂得了去爱他人和富有耐心是世界上最重要的事情。

在生下我后，我母亲希望再生一个女儿，但在五年之中我都是唯一的孩子。后来我母亲给我找了一个妹妹。她那时在一个有五个孩子的家庭里帮忙。他们非常穷，孩子们都又瘦又饿。其中一个孩子是一个头发金黄、有一对蓝色眼睛的小女孩。她名叫伊丽莎白。我母亲把那个小女孩带到了我家，于是伊丽莎白便成了我母亲盼望已久的女儿。随着年龄的增长，我对伊丽莎白的爱与日俱增。

后来我母亲又生了两个儿子：欧内斯特和威廉。有个名叫贾斯汀的年轻女子来我家帮我母亲照看孩子们。我们像她爱我们一样地爱她。

岁月快乐地流逝着，我们拥有所需要的一切。在学校里我遇见了另外一个非常好的人，他的名字叫亨利·克勒沃，人非常聪明。我的家人也非常喜欢他，所以他是我们家受欢迎的客人。

我在学校学习很刻苦。我想要知道生命的奥秘，而且我最想知道的便是如何制造有生命的东西。我阅读了我能找到的一切书籍。有一天发生了一件事情，它给了我新的启发。我那时15岁，我们正在山中度假。那天有一场暴风雨，夹杂其间的是我平生见过的最为吓人的雷霆和闪电。在我们的房子前面约二十米处有一棵大树。突然间一个叉状闪电击中了大树。几秒钟之后，那棵大树便只剩下两米高的一块黑木头。闪电摧毁了它。

我看到了电的力量有多么大。我开始阅读我能找到的有关电及其可怕力量的一切书籍。

Chapter 3

For seventeen years my life was very happy. Then the first sad thing happened. My mother became very ill, and soon she knew that she was dying. Just before she died, she asked Elizabeth and me to go to her room. She held our hands and said:

'My children, I am very happy because you love each other, and because one day you will get married. Everyone in the family loves you, Elizabeth. Will you take my place in the family, my dear? I can die happy if you will look after them when I have gone.'

My mother died, and we were very sad, because we loved her dearly. Elizabeth was brave and helped us; her sweet smile gave us some happiness in the unhappy days after my mother's death.

The time came for me to go to university. I did not want to leave my sad family, but we all knew that I should go. It was hard to leave, too, because the parents of my good friend Henry Clerval would not let him go to university with me. And so I had to go alone.

On my first day at the university I met my teacher, Professor Waldman, who was one of the greatest scientists in the world. He gave a wonderful talk to all the students who were starting at the university. He ended his talk by saying: 'Some of you will become the great scientists of tomorrow. You must study hard and discover everything that you can. That is why God made you intelligent—to help other people.'

After the professor's talk, I thought very carefully. I remembered the storm when I was fifteen. I remembered how the lightning had destroyed the tree. I wanted to use electricity to help people, and I wanted to discover the secrets of life. I decided to work on these two things. I did not know then that my work would destroy me and the people that I loved.

I started work the next day. I worked very hard and soon Professor Waldman and I realized that I could learn to be a very good scientist.

The professor helped me very much, and other important scientists who were his friends helped me, too. I was interested in my work and I did not take one day's holiday during the next two years. I did not go home, and my letters to my family were very short.

After two years I had discovered many things and I built a scientific machine that was better than anything in the university. My machine would help me answer the most important question of all. How does life begin? Is it possible to put life into dead things? To answer these questions about life I had to learn first about death. I had to watch bodies from the moment when they died and the warm life left them. In the hospital and in the university, I watched the dying and the dead. Day after day, month after month, I followed death. It was a dark and terrible time.

Then one day, the answer came to me. Suddenly I was sure that I knew the secret of life. I knew that I could put life into a body that was not alive.

I worked harder and harder now. I slept for only a short time each night, and I did not eat much food. I wrote to my family less often. But they loved me and did not stop writing to me. They said they understood how busy I was. They did not want me to stop work to write or to see them. They would wait until I had more time. They hoped to see me very soon.

The professors realized that I was doing very important work, and so they gave me my own laboratory. There was a small flat above the laboratory, where I lived, and sometimes I stayed inside the building for a week and did not go out.

Above the laboratory I built a very tall mast. It was 150 metres high, and higher than the tallest building in the city. The mast could catch lightning and could send the electricity down to my machine in the laboratory. I had never forgotten the lightning that had destroyed the tree. There had been so much power in the electricity of that lightning. I believed I could use that electricity to give life to things that were dead.

I will say no more than that. The secret of my machine must die with me. I was a very clever scientist, but I did not realize then what a terrible mistake I was making.

---

die v. not live 死。

dying adj. 垂死的。

dearly adv. very much. 非常。

happy adj. glad. 高兴的。

unhappy adj. 不高兴的。

happiness n. 高兴。

university n. 大学。

go to university 上大学学习。

professor n. 教授。

intelligent adj. clever. 聪明的。

carefully adv. thinking of what one does, says, etc. 仔细地，认真地。

hospital n. place where people are nursed through their illness. 医院。

come to 使某人想到。

alive adj. not dead. 活着的。

laboratory n. the building where scientists work and study. 实验室，简写为lab。

flat n. 公寓套房。

power n. something strong that makes other things work. 力量。

mistake n. something not right. 错误。

make a mistake 犯错误。

第三章

在17年的生命历程中我都很幸福。后来第一件悲伤的事发生了。我母亲病得很厉害，不久她便知道自己将不久于人世。就在她去世之前，她把伊丽莎白和我叫到她的房间。她抓住我们的手说道：

“孩子们，你们彼此相爱并且将会结婚，我因此非常高兴。家里的每个人都很爱你，伊丽莎白。你愿意取代我在家中的位置吗，亲爱的？如果你在我走后能照顾他们，我将会走得很幸福。”

我母亲死了，我们都非常伤心，因为我们非常爱她。伊丽莎白很勇敢并帮着我们；她那甜美的微笑在母亲死后的那些不快的日子里给我们带来了一些快乐。

到了我该上大学的时候了。我不想离开我那悲伤的家，可我们都知道我应该去。离别也是很难的，因为我的好朋友克勒沃的父母不让他和我一起去上大学。这样我只能独自一人去了。

大学的第一天我遇到了我的老师沃得曼教授，他是世界上最伟大的科学家之一。他给我们所有开始大学生活的学生做了一次精彩的演讲。他在结束讲话时说：“你们中的一些人将成为明天的科学家。你们必须努力学习并且去揭示你们所能揭示的事物。这就是上帝为什么给了你们智慧——去帮助他人。”

教授演讲过后，我进行了非常认真的思考。我想起了我15岁时的那场暴风雨。我记得那次的闪电是如何摧毁了那棵树的。我想利用电去帮助人们，我还想去揭示生命的奥秘。我决心去从事这两项工作。我当时没有想到我的工作会毁了我还有我所爱的人们。

第二天我就开始了工作。我工作非常努力，我和沃得曼教授不久便意识到我可以通过学习成为一名出色的科学家。

教授帮了我很多的忙，那些是教授的朋友的、重要的科学家们也帮助过我。我对我的工作很感兴趣，在接下来的两年里我没有休过一天假。我没有回过家，给家里写的信也非常短。

两年后我发现了很多的事物并建造了一台比大学里的任何机器都好的科学机器。我的机器能帮助我回答最重要的问题。生命是如何开始的？可以把生命注入无生命的东西中去吗？要回答有关生命的这些问题我首先得了解死亡。我得从他们刚死、滚热的生命离开人体的那一刹那起进行观察。在医院里和大学里，我观察着垂死的人和已死的人。日复一日、月复一月，我都在跟踪死亡。那是黑暗和恐怖的日子。

后来有一天我得到了答案。我突然间确信自己懂得了生命的奥秘。我知道我能将生命注入一个无生命的身体中去。

现在我工作越来越努力。每天晚上我只睡很短的时间，吃的东西也很少。我给家里写的信更加少了。但是家里的人爱我，他们没有停止给我写信。他们说他们理解我有多忙。他们不想让我停止工作而去给他们写信或是去看望他们。他们愿意等到我有时间的时候再说。他们希望很快见到我。

教授们意识到我在从事一项重要的工作，因而给了我一间实验室。实验室的上面有一个小的套房，我就住在里面；有时候我一个星期都待在那座建筑物里不出去。

我在实验室的上方建起了一个很高的杆子。它有150米高，比全城最高的建筑物都要高。那个杆子能够“捕获”闪电并把电送到我实验室的机器上。我从未忘记摧毁那棵树的闪电。那次闪电中的电曾有那么大的力量。我相信我可以利用电给无生命的东西注以生命。

我不想再多说什么了。我的机器的秘密必须随我一起消亡。我是个很聪明的科学家，可我那时没有意识到我在犯多么可怕的错误。

Chapter 4

In my laboratory I made a body. I bought or stole all the pieces of human body that I needed, and slowly and carefully, I put them all together.

I did not let anybody enter my laboratory or my flat while I was doing this awful work. I was afraid to tell anybody my terrible secret.

I had wanted to make a beautiful man, but the face of the creature was horrible. Its skin was thin and yellow, and its eyes were as yellow as its skin. Its long black hair and white teeth were almost beautiful, but the rest of the face was very ugly.

Its legs and arms were the right shape, but they were huge. I had to use big pieces because it was too difficult to join small pieces together. My creature was two and a half metres tall.

For a year I had worked to make this creature, but now it looked terrible and frightening. I almost decided to destroy it. But I could not. I had to know if I could put life into it.

I joined the body to the wires from my machine. More wires joined the machine to the mast. I was sure that my machine could use electricity from lightning to give life to the body. I watched and waited. Two days later I saw dark clouds in the sky, and I knew that a storm was coming. At about one o'clock in the morning the lightning came. My mast began to do its work immediately, and the electricity from the lightning travelled down the mast to my machine. Would the machine work?

At first nothing happened. But after a few minutes I saw the creature's body begin to move. Slowly, terribly, the body came alive. Its arms and legs began to move, and slowly it sat up.

The dead body had been an ugly thing, but alive, it was much more horrible. Suddenly I wanted to escape from it. I ran out of the laboratory, and locked the door. I was filled with fear at what I had done.

For hours I walked up and down in my flat. At last I lay down on my bed, and fell asleep. But my sleep was full of terrible dreams, and I woke up suddenly. The horrible thing that I had created was standing by my bed. Its yellow eyes were looking at me; its mouth opened and it made strange sounds at me. On its yellow face there was an awful smile. One of its huge hands reached towards me...

Before it could touch me, I jumped off the bed and ran downstairs into the garden. I stayed there all night, but I could not think clearly. I was afraid. And when morning came, I went out into the town and began to walk about.

I did not notice where I was walking, but soon I came to the station. A train from Geneva had just arrived, and the passengers were leaving the station. One of them ran towards me when he saw me. It was my dear friend Henry Clerval.

He was very pleased to see me. He took my hand and shook it warmly.

'My dear Victor!' he said. 'What a lucky chance that you are here at the station. Your father, and Elizabeth and the others, are very worried about you, because you have not visited them for a long time. They ask me to make sure that you are well. And I have very good news. My father has agreed to let me study at the university, so we shall be able to spend a lot of time together.'

I was very happy to hear this news, and for a moment I forgot my fears. I took Henry back to my flat and asked him to wait outside while I went in to look. I was afraid that the creature was still there. But it had disappeared. At that time I did not think of other people, and what the creature could do to them. I took Henry into the flat and cooked a meal for us. But Henry noticed how thin I was, and that I was laughing too much and could not sit still.

Suddenly he said: 'My dear Victor, what is the matter with you? Are you ill? Has something awful happened?'

'Don't ask me that,' I cried. I put my hands over my eyes. I thought I could see the horrible creature there in front of me. I pointed wildly across the room, and shouted: 'He can tell you. Save me! Save me!' I tried to fight the creature, but there was nothing there. Then I fainted and fell to the floor.

Poor Henry! I do not know what he thought. He called a doctor and they put me to bed. I was very ill for two months, and Henry stayed and looked after me. His loving care saved me from death.

I wanted to go home and see my family as soon as possible. When I was well enough, I packed my clothes and books. All my luggage was ready, and I was feeling very happy when the postman arrived with some letters. One of the letters ended my short time of happiness.

---

steal (stole, stolen) v. take somebody else's things secretly. 偷。

skin n. 皮肤。

huge adj. very, very big 巨大的。

creature n. a living animal or person. 生物。

wire n. a long thin piece of metal; electricity travels through wires. 电线。

immediately adv. at once. 马上。

asleep adv. 睡着了。

fall asleep 睡着。

suddenly adv. at once. 突然。

awful adj. terrible. 可怕的。

passenger n. 乘客。

lucky adj. having good luck. 幸运的。

too much 太多，过分。

wildly adv. too excitedly. 狂野地，过分激动地，发疯地。

save... from...把……从……处挽救出来。

pack v. put things into a bag, box, etc. 包装，整理行装。

luggage n. 行李。

第四章

我在我的实验室中造了一个人体。我所需要的人体各部分均是我买来或偷来的，然后我缓慢而细心地把它们拼凑到了一起。

在干这项可怕的工作时，我没有让任何人进入我的实验室和我的住处。我不敢告诉任何人我那可怕的秘密。

我曾想造一个漂亮的男人，但这个家伙的脸非常可怕：皮肤又薄又黄，眼睛同皮肤一样黄。黑长的头发和白色的牙齿倒也漂亮，脸上的其余部分却很丑陋。

它的腿和胳膊的形状是对的，但它们太大了。因为拼接小块的人体太困难了，我只得用大块的去拼接。我创造的这个东西有2.5米高。

我曾为制造这个东西工作了一年时间，现在它却看上去恐怖吓人。我几乎要决定毁了它。但我做不到。我必须知道我是否能将生命植入其中。

我把那个身体同我机器上的那些电线连接起来。更多的电线再把机器和杆子连接起来。我确信我的机器可以用闪电给那个身体生命。我观察着、等待着。两天后我看到天上有了乌云，知道将有一场暴风雨来临。大约在凌晨1点钟闪电闪了一下。我的杆子立即开始工作，闪电通过杆子传到了我的机器上。机器会管用吗？

起先没有发生什么。但是几分钟过后我看见那个东西的躯体在动。那具躯体缓慢而怕人地变活了。他的胳膊和腿开始移动，而且他慢慢地坐了起来。

那个无生命的躯体本来就可怕，而现在变成活的就更加恐怖了。突然间我想逃开。我跑出实验室并且锁上了门。我对我所做的一切充满了恐惧。

有好几个小时我都在我的房间里走来走去。最后我躺倒在床上并睡着了。可是恶梦萦绕着我，我便猛然醒了过来。我所创造的那个可怕的东西正站在我的床边。他的黄色的眼睛正看着我。他的嘴张着并对我发出奇怪的声音。他的黄色的脸庞上露出可怕的笑容。他的一只大手伸向了我……

没等他碰到我，我便跳下床冲到了楼下的花园里。我整个晚上都待在那儿，只是思维已不清楚了。我很害怕。等到早上，我便走出花园到城里去并开始四处逛悠。

我没注意我在什么地方走，但不久便到了火车站。刚好从日内瓦来了一趟火车，乘客正走出车站。其中一位见到我后便朝我跑了过来。原来是我的好朋友亨利·克勒沃。

他见到我很高兴。他抓住我的手热情地握了起来。

“我亲爱的维克多！”他说道，“你在车站这儿真是巧极了。你父亲、伊丽莎白还有其他人都非常为你担心，因为你很久没有探望他们了。他们让我来看看你的身体是否还好。另外我还有个好消息。我父亲已同意让我上大学学习，这样我们就能有好多时间待在一起了。”

我听了这个消息后很高兴，并且有一阵儿都忘记了我的恐惧感。我把亨利带回我的公寓并让他在外面等着以便我能进去看一看。我害怕那个家伙还在那儿。但是他已经不见了。那时我没有想到过其他人以及那个家伙会对他们怎么样。我把亨利领进屋里并给我们做了顿吃的。然而亨利注意到了我有多么瘦削，我还笑得太多，也不能安静地坐着。

他突然说道：“我亲爱的维克多，你怎么啦？你生病了吗？发生了什么可怕的事情了吗？”

“别问我这个，”我喊道。我用手捂住眼睛。当时我想我能看见那个可怕的家伙正在我的面前。我发疯似地指向屋子，并且喊道：“他能告诉你。救救我！救救我！”我想去同那个家伙搏斗，但那儿什么也没有。然后我就晕过去，倒在了地板上。

可怜的亨利！我不知道他当时是怎么想的。他叫了个医生并且一起把我扶到了床上。我大病了两个月，亨利一直留下来照顾我。他那充满爱意的护理把我从死亡那儿救了回来。

我想尽快回家去见我的家人。在我恢复得足够强壮后，我便收拾起衣服和书籍。我的行李都已准备好了，但是正当我无比高兴时邮递员给我送来了几封信。其中的一封结束了我短暂的快乐时光。

Chapter 5

The letter was from my father in Geneva, and this is what he wrote:

My dear Victor,

I want you to know before you arrive home that an awful thing has happened. Your dear youngest brother, William, is dead. He was murdered. It happened last Thursday evening when Elizabeth and I and your two brothers, Ernest and William, went for a walk outside the city. William and Ernest were playing. William had hidden from Ernest, and Ernest asked Elizabeth and me to help find William. We all began to search for him, but we couldn' t find him. We searched all night. At five in the morning I found him. He was lying on the grass, white and still. I could see the marks of fingers on his neck—the murderer had strangled him.

Elizabeth had let him wear a gold chain of hers round his neck. On the chain was a very small picture of your mother. We all think that someone murdered William to steal the gold chain. Poor Elizabeth is terribly unhappy at William's death. She thinks he died because she let him wear the chain. Hurry home, my dear Victor. You are the only one who can help Elizabeth, and we all need you.

With all our love,

Your Father

Henry helped me to catch the train. The journey seemed very long, and it was late at night before the train reached Geneva. I decided to spend the night in a village outside the town and go home early in the morning. I wanted to see the place where William had died.

As I started my walk, a storm broke and lightning lit the sky. The police had put posts round the place where the murderer had strangled William, so I found it easily. I cried sadly as I stood there. My poor brother had been a kind and happy boy, and we had all loved him.

Again the lightning lit the sky, and I saw a huge figure standing in the rain. When I saw it, I knew at once what it was. It was the creature that I had made.

What was it doing there? But although I asked myself the question, I knew the answer. He had murdered my brother. I was sure that I was right.

I decided to try and catch him. But as I moved, he ran towards the mountains. He ran much faster than any man. He climbed the mountain easily, reached the top, and disappeared.

I stood there in the dark and the rain, and knew that I had created a monster. And he had murdered my brother.

---

murder v. kill. 谋杀，杀害。

murderer n. 凶手。

lie (lying; lay, lain) v. be at rest. 躺。

still adj. quiet, without movement or sound. 不动的，静止的。

strangle v. to kill someone by holding him very hard round the neck. 勒死。

catch the train 赶火车，上火车。

post n. upright piece of wood, metal, etc. to support or mark something. 柱，杆，竿。

create v. make something new. 创造。

monster n. a very large person or animal with a strange, frightening shape. 庞然大物，怪物。

第五章

信是我父亲从日内瓦写来的，下面就是他写的内容：

我亲爱的维克多：

在你到家之前我想让你知道所发生的一件可怕的事情。你亲爱的小弟弟威廉死了。他是被谋杀的。这件事发生在上个礼拜四，那时我和伊丽莎白以及你的两个弟弟欧内斯特和威廉正在城外散步。威廉同欧内斯特当时正玩耍。威廉藏了起来，不让欧内斯特找到，于是欧内斯特要我和伊丽莎白帮着找威廉。我们都找了起来，但没能找到他。我们找了一整夜。早晨5点钟时我找到他。他躺倒在草地上，脸色苍白，身子一动也不动我能看出他脖子上的手指印——是凶手勒死了他。

伊丽莎白曾让他把她的一根金链子戴在脖子上。链子上有一张非常小的、你妈妈的照片。我们都认为是有人为了偷取那条金链子而杀死了威廉。可怜的伊丽莎白对威廉的死非常伤心。她认为他的死是因为她让他戴了那条链子。赶快回家吧，我亲爱的维克多。只有你能帮助伊丽莎白，并且我们都需要你。

我们都爱你！

你的父亲

亨利帮我上了火车。旅途似乎非常漫长；火车到达日内瓦之前已经是深夜了。我决定在城外的一个村子里过夜，然后清晨再回家。我想看看威廉死去的地方。

在我开始步行时，暴发了一场暴风雨，闪电划亮了天空。警察已在威廉被凶手勒死的地方围上了木桩，这样我很容易地找到了那儿。我站在那儿伤心地哭泣着。我可怜的弟弟一向是个善良而快乐的孩子，并且我们都很爱他。

闪电又一次照亮了天空，我看见雨中站着一个巨大的人。当我看见时，我立马就知道那是谁了。那是我创造的那个家伙。

他在那儿干什么？尽管我在问自己这个问题，却已知道了答案。是他杀死了我的弟弟。我敢肯定我是对的。

我决心要抓住他。但在我走动时，他朝山上跑去了。他比任何人都跑得快。他轻松地爬着山，到了山顶并且消失不见了。

我在黑暗中站着并淋着雨，知道自己创造了一个怪物。是他杀死了我的弟弟。

Chapter 6

At first I decided to tell the police my story. But would they believe me? I had been very ill. When the police learnt about my illness, they would think the monster was just one of my bad dreams. I decided that I could not tell anybody.

I went home to my family and they were very pleased to see me. Then they told me that the police had found the murderer. Perhaps you will think that this was good news, but I have not told you who the police had arrested.

As I went into the house, I noticed that one person did not come to meet me. It was Justine, the young woman who looked after the children and who was like a sister to us. And it was Justine that the police had arrested.

A few days after the murder, the police had searched the house and had found the gold chain in Justine's coat pocket. Everyone in the family knew that Justine had not murdered William. I knew who the murderer was, but I could not tell anyone. We were sure that Justine would be free after the trial, because nobody could believe that she was a murderer. But we were wrong.

The trial did not go well for Justine. There were a number of strange facts that were difficult to explain, and the judge decided that she was the murderer. The punishment for murder was death. We argued and cried. We said she could not murder anyone. But nothing could change the judge's order.

So I got up early and went to the judge's house and told him about the monster. He did not believe me. He thought I was lying in order to save Justine's life.

In the prison Justine waited quietly for death. We spent many hours with her, and she spoke calmly and kindly to us. She was happy because we believed that she had not killed William. And she was almost looking forward to death, because then she would be with William and our dear mother in a place of peace.

Her love and gentleness added to my great unhappiness. I knew she was going to die because of me. I knew my brother had died because of me. I had brought nothing but sadness and misery to my family.

I took a boat and went out on Lake Geneva. Why didn't I end my life then? Two things stopped me. My father was old and another death would probably kill him. And I had to stay alive—to keep my family safe from the monster.

Fear for my family and hate for my monster were with me day and night. I became ill again, and Elizabeth's love could not help me. I needed to escape for a while—to leave my unhappiness behind me. So I went to walk alone in the Alps. I hoped the wild beauty of the mountains would help me.

Slowly I became calmer among the beautiful mountains. I learnt to sleep again, and for days I did not see anybody. Then one morning I saw a figure coming towards me faster than any man could go. It jumped easily over the rocks and I saw with horror the monster that I had created. On his face was a look of deep sadness, but also of evil. At first I could not speak because I hated him so much. But at last I said:

'You are an evil creature. I shall kill you if I can, because you have killed two people that I love.'

The monster's yellow eyes looked at me. 'I am the unhappiest creature in the world, but I shall fight for my life,' he said. 'I am bigger and stronger than you, but I will not start the fight. I shall always be gentle to you because you are my king and creator. You made me, and you should love me and be kind to me, like a father. William and Justine died because you did not love me. Why did you create me if you were not ready to love me?'

'We are enemies,' I said. 'Leave me now, or let us fight until one of us is dead. You are a murderer. How can I be kind to you?'

'You say I am a murderer,' the monster said, 'but you want to kill your own creature. Isn't that wrong, too? I ask you to do one thing for me—listen. Come with me to a warmer place, and listen to my story. Then you can decide.'

I thought carefully about what he had said. It was true that I had given him life but I had not given him love. I decided to go with him and listen to his story.

He took me to a mountain hut where he lit a fire. We sat down by the fire and he began to tell me his story.

---

learn about 获悉。

arrest v. seize by the police. 逮捕。

free adj. not be held as a prisoner any longer. 自由的。

trial n. 审判。

punishment n. suffering for wrongdoing. 惩罚。

argue v. quarrel. 争论。

lie v. not tell the truth. 撒谎；n. 谎。

look forward to waiting for something eagerly. 期待。

peace n. 和平，安宁。

misery n. suffering. 痛苦。

keep sb. safe from 使某人免遭……的危害。

the Alps 阿尔卑斯山脉（山名）。

evil n. 罪恶；adj. 罪恶的。

gentle adj. mild, not rough. 温和的。

creator n. 创造者，造物主。

第六章

起先我打算把我的故事告诉警察，但他们会相信我吗？我一直都生着病。如果警察了解到我的病情，他们会认为那个怪物只是我的一个恶梦而已。我决定不去告诉任何人。

我回到家里，家人都为见到我而高兴。接着他们告诉我说警察已找到了凶手。你也许会认为这是个好消息，但是我还没有告诉你警察抓的是谁。

在我进屋时，我注意到有个人没有来见我。那就是贾斯汀，就是曾照看孩子们并像姐妹一样对待我们的那个年轻女孩。而警察逮捕的就是贾斯汀。

在谋杀案发生了几天之后，警察搜查了房子并在贾斯汀的外衣口袋里找到了那条金链。家里人都知道贾斯汀没有杀害过威廉。我清楚凶手是谁，但是我不能告诉任何人。我们确信审判过后贾斯汀将会被释放的，因为没有人相信她是凶手。但是我们错了。

审判对贾斯汀不利。有许多难以解释的奇怪现象，但法官认定她就是凶手。谋杀的处罚乃是死刑。我们一边申辩一边哭喊着。我们说她不可能谋杀任何人。但没什么能改变法官的判决。

于是我一大早便起床到法官的家中并告诉他有关那个怪物的事情。他不相信我。他认为我是为了救贾斯汀而在撒谎。

贾斯汀在监狱里安静地等着死去。我们同她待了好几个小时，她从容而温和地同我们说话。她为我们相信不是她杀害了威廉而高兴。她几乎在期盼着死去，因为那样她就可以在一个安宁的地方同威廉和我们亲爱的妈妈在一起了。

她的爱心和温柔加重了我那巨大的痛苦。我知道她将因我而死去。我知道我弟弟已经因我而死。我给我家里带来的只有悲伤和苦难。

我乘船去了日内瓦湖。我那时为什么没有结束自己的生命呢？那是因为两件事情。我父亲已经年迈，再有人死很可能会要了他的命。并且我必须活着——以便我的家人免遭怪物的伤害。

对家人的担忧和对怪物的痛恨日夜牵扯着我。我再一次病倒了，连伊丽莎白的爱也帮不了我。我需要逃避一阵子——去将伤心抛诸脑后。因此我便独自一人去阿尔卑斯山散步。我希望群山的旷野之美能够帮助我。

在美丽的山峦中我慢慢地平静了些。我又学会了安心去睡，并且有好几天我都没有见任何人。后来的一天早晨我看见有个人朝我走来，比任何人走得都要快。在其轻松地跳过岩石之时，我便恐惧地看见了我所创造的那个怪物。他的脸上露出深深的悲伤，但也带着邪恶。起先我说不出话来，因为我太恨他了。但是最后我说道：

“你是个邪恶的东西。如果我做得到的话，我便会杀了你的，因为你已害死了我爱的两个人了。”

怪物的黄色的眼睛看着我。“我是世界上最不幸的人了，但是我得为我的生命而战斗。”他说道，“虽然我比你大，又比你强壮，但我不会挑起战斗的。我将永远温柔地对待你，因为你是我的国王和我的创造者。你既然造了我，那就应该爱我并善待我，就像一个父亲那样。威廉和贾斯汀的死是因为你不爱我。既然你没有打算爱我那又为什么要创造我呢？”

“我们是敌人。”我说，“马上给我离开，否则就让我们搏斗到我们中的一个死去为止。你是个杀人凶手，我怎么会待你好呢？”

“你说我是一个杀人凶手，”怪物说道，“然而你却要杀死你自己创造的生物。这不也是错误的吗？我请你为我做一件事——听着。跟我到一个暖和些的地方去并且听听我的故事。然后你就可以做出决定了。”

我认真地考虑了他所说的话。我给了他生命却没有给他爱，这是事实。我决定跟他走并听听他的故事。

他带我到了一间他已生了火的山间茅屋。我们围着火坐下后，他便开始讲起了他的故事。

Victor Frankenstein's Story Begins
维克多的故事开始了

Chapter 2

I was born in Switzerland, in the town of Geneva. My parents loved each other very much, and I learnt from the example of their love. I learnt that to love and to be patient are the most important things in the world.

My mother hoped to have a daughter after I was born, but for five years I was the only child. And then my mother found a sister for me. She was helping a family in which there were five children. They were very poor, and the children were thin and hungry. One of the children was a little girl, with golden hair and blue eyes. Her name was Elizabeth. My mother took the little girl into our family, and Elizabeth became the daughter that my mother had always wanted. As I grew older, my love for Elizabeth became stronger all the time.

Later my mother had two other sons, Ernest and William. A young woman called Justine came to live in the house to help my mother with the children. We loved her as much as she loved us.

The years passed happily, and we had everything that we needed. At school I met another very fine person. His name was Henry Clerval, and he was very clever. My family also liked him very much, so he was a welcome visitor to our house.

I studied very hard at school. I wanted to know the secrets of life, and, most of all, I wanted to know how to make living things. I read all the books that I could find. One day, something happened that added a new idea to the ideas that I already had. I was fifteen at the time, and we were on holiday in the mountains. There was a wild storm, and with it came the most frightening thunder and lightning that I had ever seen in my life. About twenty metres in front of our house was a great tree. Suddenly a huge fork of lightning hit the tree. After a few seconds, there was nothing left of it except a black piece of wood two metres high. The lightning had destroyed it.

I saw how strong electricity was. I began to read all the books that I could find about electricity and its terrible power.

---

Switzerland n. 瑞士（国名）。

Geneva n. 日内瓦，瑞士城市。

example n. 例子。

patient adj. showing patience. 有耐心的。

as... as 与……一样……。

secret n. sth. kept from others' knowing. 秘密；adj. 秘密的。

add v. 加。

frightening adj. causing fear. 吓人的。

thunder n. a very loud noise in the sky when there is a storm. 雷。

lightning n. 闪电。

fork n. 叉。

electricity n. 电。

第二章

我出生在瑞士的日内瓦城。我父母彼此相爱至深，而且我以他们的爱心为榜样。我懂得了去爱他人和富有耐心是世界上最重要的事情。

在生下我后，我母亲希望再生一个女儿，但在五年之中我都是唯一的孩子。后来我母亲给我找了一个妹妹。她那时在一个有五个孩子的家庭里帮忙。他们非常穷，孩子们都又瘦又饿。其中一个孩子是一个头发金黄、有一对蓝色眼睛的小女孩。她名叫伊丽莎白。我母亲把那个小女孩带到了我家，于是伊丽莎白便成了我母亲盼望已久的女儿。随着年龄的增长，我对伊丽莎白的爱与日俱增。

后来我母亲又生了两个儿子：欧内斯特和威廉。有个名叫贾斯汀的年轻女子来我家帮我母亲照看孩子们。我们像她爱我们一样地爱她。

岁月快乐地流逝着，我们拥有所需要的一切。在学校里我遇见了另外一个非常好的人，他的名字叫亨利·克勒沃，人非常聪明。我的家人也非常喜欢他，所以他是我们家受欢迎的客人。

我在学校学习很刻苦。我想要知道生命的奥秘，而且我最想知道的便是如何制造有生命的东西。我阅读了我能找到的一切书籍。有一天发生了一件事情，它给了我新的启发。我那时15岁，我们正在山中度假。那天有一场暴风雨，夹杂其间的是我平生见过的最为吓人的雷霆和闪电。在我们的房子前面约二十米处有一棵大树。突然间一个叉状闪电击中了大树。几秒钟之后，那棵大树便只剩下两米高的一块黑木头。闪电摧毁了它。

我看到了电的力量有多么大。我开始阅读我能找到的有关电及其可怕力量的一切书籍。

Chapter 3

For seventeen years my life was very happy. Then the first sad thing happened. My mother became very ill, and soon she knew that she was dying. Just before she died, she asked Elizabeth and me to go to her room. She held our hands and said:

'My children, I am very happy because you love each other, and because one day you will get married. Everyone in the family loves you, Elizabeth. Will you take my place in the family, my dear? I can die happy if you will look after them when I have gone.'

My mother died, and we were very sad, because we loved her dearly. Elizabeth was brave and helped us; her sweet smile gave us some happiness in the unhappy days after my mother's death.

The time came for me to go to university. I did not want to leave my sad family, but we all knew that I should go. It was hard to leave, too, because the parents of my good friend Henry Clerval would not let him go to university with me. And so I had to go alone.

On my first day at the university I met my teacher, Professor Waldman, who was one of the greatest scientists in the world. He gave a wonderful talk to all the students who were starting at the university. He ended his talk by saying: 'Some of you will become the great scientists of tomorrow. You must study hard and discover everything that you can. That is why God made you intelligent—to help other people.'

After the professor's talk, I thought very carefully. I remembered the storm when I was fifteen. I remembered how the lightning had destroyed the tree. I wanted to use electricity to help people, and I wanted to discover the secrets of life. I decided to work on these two things. I did not know then that my work would destroy me and the people that I loved.

I started work the next day. I worked very hard and soon Professor Waldman and I realized that I could learn to be a very good scientist.

The professor helped me very much, and other important scientists who were his friends helped me, too. I was interested in my work and I did not take one day's holiday during the next two years. I did not go home, and my letters to my family were very short.

After two years I had discovered many things and I built a scientific machine that was better than anything in the university. My machine would help me answer the most important question of all. How does life begin? Is it possible to put life into dead things? To answer these questions about life I had to learn first about death. I had to watch bodies from the moment when they died and the warm life left them. In the hospital and in the university, I watched the dying and the dead. Day after day, month after month, I followed death. It was a dark and terrible time.

Then one day, the answer came to me. Suddenly I was sure that I knew the secret of life. I knew that I could put life into a body that was not alive.

I worked harder and harder now. I slept for only a short time each night, and I did not eat much food. I wrote to my family less often. But they loved me and did not stop writing to me. They said they understood how busy I was. They did not want me to stop work to write or to see them. They would wait until I had more time. They hoped to see me very soon.

The professors realized that I was doing very important work, and so they gave me my own laboratory. There was a small flat above the laboratory, where I lived, and sometimes I stayed inside the building for a week and did not go out.

Above the laboratory I built a very tall mast. It was 150 metres high, and higher than the tallest building in the city. The mast could catch lightning and could send the electricity down to my machine in the laboratory. I had never forgotten the lightning that had destroyed the tree. There had been so much power in the electricity of that lightning. I believed I could use that electricity to give life to things that were dead.

I will say no more than that. The secret of my machine must die with me. I was a very clever scientist, but I did not realize then what a terrible mistake I was making.

---

die v. not live 死。

dying adj. 垂死的。

dearly adv. very much. 非常。

happy adj. glad. 高兴的。

unhappy adj. 不高兴的。

happiness n. 高兴。

university n. 大学。

go to university 上大学学习。

professor n. 教授。

intelligent adj. clever. 聪明的。

carefully adv. thinking of what one does, says, etc. 仔细地，认真地。

hospital n. place where people are nursed through their illness. 医院。

come to 使某人想到。

alive adj. not dead. 活着的。

laboratory n. the building where scientists work and study. 实验室，简写为lab。

flat n. 公寓套房。

power n. something strong that makes other things work. 力量。

mistake n. something not right. 错误。

make a mistake 犯错误。

第三章

在17年的生命历程中我都很幸福。后来第一件悲伤的事发生了。我母亲病得很厉害，不久她便知道自己将不久于人世。就在她去世之前，她把伊丽莎白和我叫到她的房间。她抓住我们的手说道：

“孩子们，你们彼此相爱并且将会结婚，我因此非常高兴。家里的每个人都很爱你，伊丽莎白。你愿意取代我在家中的位置吗，亲爱的？如果你在我走后能照顾他们，我将会走得很幸福。”

我母亲死了，我们都非常伤心，因为我们非常爱她。伊丽莎白很勇敢并帮着我们；她那甜美的微笑在母亲死后的那些不快的日子里给我们带来了一些快乐。

到了我该上大学的时候了。我不想离开我那悲伤的家，可我们都知道我应该去。离别也是很难的，因为我的好朋友克勒沃的父母不让他和我一起去上大学。这样我只能独自一人去了。

大学的第一天我遇到了我的老师沃得曼教授，他是世界上最伟大的科学家之一。他给我们所有开始大学生活的学生做了一次精彩的演讲。他在结束讲话时说：“你们中的一些人将成为明天的科学家。你们必须努力学习并且去揭示你们所能揭示的事物。这就是上帝为什么给了你们智慧——去帮助他人。”

教授演讲过后，我进行了非常认真的思考。我想起了我15岁时的那场暴风雨。我记得那次的闪电是如何摧毁了那棵树的。我想利用电去帮助人们，我还想去揭示生命的奥秘。我决心去从事这两项工作。我当时没有想到我的工作会毁了我还有我所爱的人们。

第二天我就开始了工作。我工作非常努力，我和沃得曼教授不久便意识到我可以通过学习成为一名出色的科学家。

教授帮了我很多的忙，那些是教授的朋友的、重要的科学家们也帮助过我。我对我的工作很感兴趣，在接下来的两年里我没有休过一天假。我没有回过家，给家里写的信也非常短。

两年后我发现了很多的事物并建造了一台比大学里的任何机器都好的科学机器。我的机器能帮助我回答最重要的问题。生命是如何开始的？可以把生命注入无生命的东西中去吗？要回答有关生命的这些问题我首先得了解死亡。我得从他们刚死、滚热的生命离开人体的那一刹那起进行观察。在医院里和大学里，我观察着垂死的人和已死的人。日复一日、月复一月，我都在跟踪死亡。那是黑暗和恐怖的日子。

后来有一天我得到了答案。我突然间确信自己懂得了生命的奥秘。我知道我能将生命注入一个无生命的身体中去。

现在我工作越来越努力。每天晚上我只睡很短的时间，吃的东西也很少。我给家里写的信更加少了。但是家里的人爱我，他们没有停止给我写信。他们说他们理解我有多忙。他们不想让我停止工作而去给他们写信或是去看望他们。他们愿意等到我有时间的时候再说。他们希望很快见到我。

教授们意识到我在从事一项重要的工作，因而给了我一间实验室。实验室的上面有一个小的套房，我就住在里面；有时候我一个星期都待在那座建筑物里不出去。

我在实验室的上方建起了一个很高的杆子。它有150米高，比全城最高的建筑物都要高。那个杆子能够“捕获”闪电并把电送到我实验室的机器上。我从未忘记摧毁那棵树的闪电。那次闪电中的电曾有那么大的力量。我相信我可以利用电给无生命的东西注以生命。

我不想再多说什么了。我的机器的秘密必须随我一起消亡。我是个很聪明的科学家，可我那时没有意识到我在犯多么可怕的错误。

Chapter 4

In my laboratory I made a body. I bought or stole all the pieces of human body that I needed, and slowly and carefully, I put them all together.

I did not let anybody enter my laboratory or my flat while I was doing this awful work. I was afraid to tell anybody my terrible secret.

I had wanted to make a beautiful man, but the face of the creature was horrible. Its skin was thin and yellow, and its eyes were as yellow as its skin. Its long black hair and white teeth were almost beautiful, but the rest of the face was very ugly.

Its legs and arms were the right shape, but they were huge. I had to use big pieces because it was too difficult to join small pieces together. My creature was two and a half metres tall.

For a year I had worked to make this creature, but now it looked terrible and frightening. I almost decided to destroy it. But I could not. I had to know if I could put life into it.

I joined the body to the wires from my machine. More wires joined the machine to the mast. I was sure that my machine could use electricity from lightning to give life to the body. I watched and waited. Two days later I saw dark clouds in the sky, and I knew that a storm was coming. At about one o'clock in the morning the lightning came. My mast began to do its work immediately, and the electricity from the lightning travelled down the mast to my machine. Would the machine work?

At first nothing happened. But after a few minutes I saw the creature's body begin to move. Slowly, terribly, the body came alive. Its arms and legs began to move, and slowly it sat up.

The dead body had been an ugly thing, but alive, it was much more horrible. Suddenly I wanted to escape from it. I ran out of the laboratory, and locked the door. I was filled with fear at what I had done.

For hours I walked up and down in my flat. At last I lay down on my bed, and fell asleep. But my sleep was full of terrible dreams, and I woke up suddenly. The horrible thing that I had created was standing by my bed. Its yellow eyes were looking at me; its mouth opened and it made strange sounds at me. On its yellow face there was an awful smile. One of its huge hands reached towards me...

Before it could touch me, I jumped off the bed and ran downstairs into the garden. I stayed there all night, but I could not think clearly. I was afraid. And when morning came, I went out into the town and began to walk about.

I did not notice where I was walking, but soon I came to the station. A train from Geneva had just arrived, and the passengers were leaving the station. One of them ran towards me when he saw me. It was my dear friend Henry Clerval.

He was very pleased to see me. He took my hand and shook it warmly.

'My dear Victor!' he said. 'What a lucky chance that you are here at the station. Your father, and Elizabeth and the others, are very worried about you, because you have not visited them for a long time. They ask me to make sure that you are well. And I have very good news. My father has agreed to let me study at the university, so we shall be able to spend a lot of time together.'

I was very happy to hear this news, and for a moment I forgot my fears. I took Henry back to my flat and asked him to wait outside while I went in to look. I was afraid that the creature was still there. But it had disappeared. At that time I did not think of other people, and what the creature could do to them. I took Henry into the flat and cooked a meal for us. But Henry noticed how thin I was, and that I was laughing too much and could not sit still.

Suddenly he said: 'My dear Victor, what is the matter with you? Are you ill? Has something awful happened?'

'Don't ask me that,' I cried. I put my hands over my eyes. I thought I could see the horrible creature there in front of me. I pointed wildly across the room, and shouted: 'He can tell you. Save me! Save me!' I tried to fight the creature, but there was nothing there. Then I fainted and fell to the floor.

Poor Henry! I do not know what he thought. He called a doctor and they put me to bed. I was very ill for two months, and Henry stayed and looked after me. His loving care saved me from death.

I wanted to go home and see my family as soon as possible. When I was well enough, I packed my clothes and books. All my luggage was ready, and I was feeling very happy when the postman arrived with some letters. One of the letters ended my short time of happiness.

---

steal (stole, stolen) v. take somebody else's things secretly. 偷。

skin n. 皮肤。

huge adj. very, very big 巨大的。

creature n. a living animal or person. 生物。

wire n. a long thin piece of metal; electricity travels through wires. 电线。

immediately adv. at once. 马上。

asleep adv. 睡着了。

fall asleep 睡着。

suddenly adv. at once. 突然。

awful adj. terrible. 可怕的。

passenger n. 乘客。

lucky adj. having good luck. 幸运的。

too much 太多，过分。

wildly adv. too excitedly. 狂野地，过分激动地，发疯地。

save... from...把……从……处挽救出来。

pack v. put things into a bag, box, etc. 包装，整理行装。

luggage n. 行李。

第四章

我在我的实验室中造了一个人体。我所需要的人体各部分均是我买来或偷来的，然后我缓慢而细心地把它们拼凑到了一起。

在干这项可怕的工作时，我没有让任何人进入我的实验室和我的住处。我不敢告诉任何人我那可怕的秘密。

我曾想造一个漂亮的男人，但这个家伙的脸非常可怕：皮肤又薄又黄，眼睛同皮肤一样黄。黑长的头发和白色的牙齿倒也漂亮，脸上的其余部分却很丑陋。

它的腿和胳膊的形状是对的，但它们太大了。因为拼接小块的人体太困难了，我只得用大块的去拼接。我创造的这个东西有2.5米高。

我曾为制造这个东西工作了一年时间，现在它却看上去恐怖吓人。我几乎要决定毁了它。但我做不到。我必须知道我是否能将生命植入其中。

我把那个身体同我机器上的那些电线连接起来。更多的电线再把机器和杆子连接起来。我确信我的机器可以用闪电给那个身体生命。我观察着、等待着。两天后我看到天上有了乌云，知道将有一场暴风雨来临。大约在凌晨1点钟闪电闪了一下。我的杆子立即开始工作，闪电通过杆子传到了我的机器上。机器会管用吗？

起先没有发生什么。但是几分钟过后我看见那个东西的躯体在动。那具躯体缓慢而怕人地变活了。他的胳膊和腿开始移动，而且他慢慢地坐了起来。

那个无生命的躯体本来就可怕，而现在变成活的就更加恐怖了。突然间我想逃开。我跑出实验室并且锁上了门。我对我所做的一切充满了恐惧。

有好几个小时我都在我的房间里走来走去。最后我躺倒在床上并睡着了。可是恶梦萦绕着我，我便猛然醒了过来。我所创造的那个可怕的东西正站在我的床边。他的黄色的眼睛正看着我。他的嘴张着并对我发出奇怪的声音。他的黄色的脸庞上露出可怕的笑容。他的一只大手伸向了我……

没等他碰到我，我便跳下床冲到了楼下的花园里。我整个晚上都待在那儿，只是思维已不清楚了。我很害怕。等到早上，我便走出花园到城里去并开始四处逛悠。

我没注意我在什么地方走，但不久便到了火车站。刚好从日内瓦来了一趟火车，乘客正走出车站。其中一位见到我后便朝我跑了过来。原来是我的好朋友亨利·克勒沃。

他见到我很高兴。他抓住我的手热情地握了起来。

“我亲爱的维克多！”他说道，“你在车站这儿真是巧极了。你父亲、伊丽莎白还有其他人都非常为你担心，因为你很久没有探望他们了。他们让我来看看你的身体是否还好。另外我还有个好消息。我父亲已同意让我上大学学习，这样我们就能有好多时间待在一起了。”

我听了这个消息后很高兴，并且有一阵儿都忘记了我的恐惧感。我把亨利带回我的公寓并让他在外面等着以便我能进去看一看。我害怕那个家伙还在那儿。但是他已经不见了。那时我没有想到过其他人以及那个家伙会对他们怎么样。我把亨利领进屋里并给我们做了顿吃的。然而亨利注意到了我有多么瘦削，我还笑得太多，也不能安静地坐着。

他突然说道：“我亲爱的维克多，你怎么啦？你生病了吗？发生了什么可怕的事情了吗？”

“别问我这个，”我喊道。我用手捂住眼睛。当时我想我能看见那个可怕的家伙正在我的面前。我发疯似地指向屋子，并且喊道：“他能告诉你。救救我！救救我！”我想去同那个家伙搏斗，但那儿什么也没有。然后我就晕过去，倒在了地板上。

可怜的亨利！我不知道他当时是怎么想的。他叫了个医生并且一起把我扶到了床上。我大病了两个月，亨利一直留下来照顾我。他那充满爱意的护理把我从死亡那儿救了回来。

我想尽快回家去见我的家人。在我恢复得足够强壮后，我便收拾起衣服和书籍。我的行李都已准备好了，但是正当我无比高兴时邮递员给我送来了几封信。其中的一封结束了我短暂的快乐时光。

Chapter 5

The letter was from my father in Geneva, and this is what he wrote:

My dear Victor,

I want you to know before you arrive home that an awful thing has happened. Your dear youngest brother, William, is dead. He was murdered. It happened last Thursday evening when Elizabeth and I and your two brothers, Ernest and William, went for a walk outside the city. William and Ernest were playing. William had hidden from Ernest, and Ernest asked Elizabeth and me to help find William. We all began to search for him, but we couldn' t find him. We searched all night. At five in the morning I found him. He was lying on the grass, white and still. I could see the marks of fingers on his neck—the murderer had strangled him.

Elizabeth had let him wear a gold chain of hers round his neck. On the chain was a very small picture of your mother. We all think that someone murdered William to steal the gold chain. Poor Elizabeth is terribly unhappy at William's death. She thinks he died because she let him wear the chain. Hurry home, my dear Victor. You are the only one who can help Elizabeth, and we all need you.

With all our love,

Your Father

Henry helped me to catch the train. The journey seemed very long, and it was late at night before the train reached Geneva. I decided to spend the night in a village outside the town and go home early in the morning. I wanted to see the place where William had died.

As I started my walk, a storm broke and lightning lit the sky. The police had put posts round the place where the murderer had strangled William, so I found it easily. I cried sadly as I stood there. My poor brother had been a kind and happy boy, and we had all loved him.

Again the lightning lit the sky, and I saw a huge figure standing in the rain. When I saw it, I knew at once what it was. It was the creature that I had made.

What was it doing there? But although I asked myself the question, I knew the answer. He had murdered my brother. I was sure that I was right.

I decided to try and catch him. But as I moved, he ran towards the mountains. He ran much faster than any man. He climbed the mountain easily, reached the top, and disappeared.

I stood there in the dark and the rain, and knew that I had created a monster. And he had murdered my brother.

---

murder v. kill. 谋杀，杀害。

murderer n. 凶手。

lie (lying; lay, lain) v. be at rest. 躺。

still adj. quiet, without movement or sound. 不动的，静止的。

strangle v. to kill someone by holding him very hard round the neck. 勒死。

catch the train 赶火车，上火车。

post n. upright piece of wood, metal, etc. to support or mark something. 柱，杆，竿。

create v. make something new. 创造。

monster n. a very large person or animal with a strange, frightening shape. 庞然大物，怪物。

第五章

信是我父亲从日内瓦写来的，下面就是他写的内容：

我亲爱的维克多：

在你到家之前我想让你知道所发生的一件可怕的事情。你亲爱的小弟弟威廉死了。他是被谋杀的。这件事发生在上个礼拜四，那时我和伊丽莎白以及你的两个弟弟欧内斯特和威廉正在城外散步。威廉同欧内斯特当时正玩耍。威廉藏了起来，不让欧内斯特找到，于是欧内斯特要我和伊丽莎白帮着找威廉。我们都找了起来，但没能找到他。我们找了一整夜。早晨5点钟时我找到他。他躺倒在草地上，脸色苍白，身子一动也不动我能看出他脖子上的手指印——是凶手勒死了他。

伊丽莎白曾让他把她的一根金链子戴在脖子上。链子上有一张非常小的、你妈妈的照片。我们都认为是有人为了偷取那条金链子而杀死了威廉。可怜的伊丽莎白对威廉的死非常伤心。她认为他的死是因为她让他戴了那条链子。赶快回家吧，我亲爱的维克多。只有你能帮助伊丽莎白，并且我们都需要你。

我们都爱你！

你的父亲

亨利帮我上了火车。旅途似乎非常漫长；火车到达日内瓦之前已经是深夜了。我决定在城外的一个村子里过夜，然后清晨再回家。我想看看威廉死去的地方。

在我开始步行时，暴发了一场暴风雨，闪电划亮了天空。警察已在威廉被凶手勒死的地方围上了木桩，这样我很容易地找到了那儿。我站在那儿伤心地哭泣着。我可怜的弟弟一向是个善良而快乐的孩子，并且我们都很爱他。

闪电又一次照亮了天空，我看见雨中站着一个巨大的人。当我看见时，我立马就知道那是谁了。那是我创造的那个家伙。

他在那儿干什么？尽管我在问自己这个问题，却已知道了答案。是他杀死了我的弟弟。我敢肯定我是对的。

我决心要抓住他。但在我走动时，他朝山上跑去了。他比任何人都跑得快。他轻松地爬着山，到了山顶并且消失不见了。

我在黑暗中站着并淋着雨，知道自己创造了一个怪物。是他杀死了我的弟弟。

Chapter 6

At first I decided to tell the police my story. But would they believe me? I had been very ill. When the police learnt about my illness, they would think the monster was just one of my bad dreams. I decided that I could not tell anybody.

I went home to my family and they were very pleased to see me. Then they told me that the police had found the murderer. Perhaps you will think that this was good news, but I have not told you who the police had arrested.

As I went into the house, I noticed that one person did not come to meet me. It was Justine, the young woman who looked after the children and who was like a sister to us. And it was Justine that the police had arrested.

A few days after the murder, the police had searched the house and had found the gold chain in Justine's coat pocket. Everyone in the family knew that Justine had not murdered William. I knew who the murderer was, but I could not tell anyone. We were sure that Justine would be free after the trial, because nobody could believe that she was a murderer. But we were wrong.

The trial did not go well for Justine. There were a number of strange facts that were difficult to explain, and the judge decided that she was the murderer. The punishment for murder was death. We argued and cried. We said she could not murder anyone. But nothing could change the judge's order.

So I got up early and went to the judge's house and told him about the monster. He did not believe me. He thought I was lying in order to save Justine's life.

In the prison Justine waited quietly for death. We spent many hours with her, and she spoke calmly and kindly to us. She was happy because we believed that she had not killed William. And she was almost looking forward to death, because then she would be with William and our dear mother in a place of peace.

Her love and gentleness added to my great unhappiness. I knew she was going to die because of me. I knew my brother had died because of me. I had brought nothing but sadness and misery to my family.

I took a boat and went out on Lake Geneva. Why didn't I end my life then? Two things stopped me. My father was old and another death would probably kill him. And I had to stay alive—to keep my family safe from the monster.

Fear for my family and hate for my monster were with me day and night. I became ill again, and Elizabeth's love could not help me. I needed to escape for a while—to leave my unhappiness behind me. So I went to walk alone in the Alps. I hoped the wild beauty of the mountains would help me.

Slowly I became calmer among the beautiful mountains. I learnt to sleep again, and for days I did not see anybody. Then one morning I saw a figure coming towards me faster than any man could go. It jumped easily over the rocks and I saw with horror the monster that I had created. On his face was a look of deep sadness, but also of evil. At first I could not speak because I hated him so much. But at last I said:

'You are an evil creature. I shall kill you if I can, because you have killed two people that I love.'

The monster's yellow eyes looked at me. 'I am the unhappiest creature in the world, but I shall fight for my life,' he said. 'I am bigger and stronger than you, but I will not start the fight. I shall always be gentle to you because you are my king and creator. You made me, and you should love me and be kind to me, like a father. William and Justine died because you did not love me. Why did you create me if you were not ready to love me?'

'We are enemies,' I said. 'Leave me now, or let us fight until one of us is dead. You are a murderer. How can I be kind to you?'

'You say I am a murderer,' the monster said, 'but you want to kill your own creature. Isn't that wrong, too? I ask you to do one thing for me—listen. Come with me to a warmer place, and listen to my story. Then you can decide.'

I thought carefully about what he had said. It was true that I had given him life but I had not given him love. I decided to go with him and listen to his story.

He took me to a mountain hut where he lit a fire. We sat down by the fire and he began to tell me his story.

---

learn about 获悉。

arrest v. seize by the police. 逮捕。

free adj. not be held as a prisoner any longer. 自由的。

trial n. 审判。

punishment n. suffering for wrongdoing. 惩罚。

argue v. quarrel. 争论。

lie v. not tell the truth. 撒谎；n. 谎。

look forward to waiting for something eagerly. 期待。

peace n. 和平，安宁。

misery n. suffering. 痛苦。

keep sb. safe from 使某人免遭……的危害。

the Alps 阿尔卑斯山脉（山名）。

evil n. 罪恶；adj. 罪恶的。

gentle adj. mild, not rough. 温和的。

creator n. 创造者，造物主。

第六章

起先我打算把我的故事告诉警察，但他们会相信我吗？我一直都生着病。如果警察了解到我的病情，他们会认为那个怪物只是我的一个恶梦而已。我决定不去告诉任何人。

我回到家里，家人都为见到我而高兴。接着他们告诉我说警察已找到了凶手。你也许会认为这是个好消息，但是我还没有告诉你警察抓的是谁。

在我进屋时，我注意到有个人没有来见我。那就是贾斯汀，就是曾照看孩子们并像姐妹一样对待我们的那个年轻女孩。而警察逮捕的就是贾斯汀。

在谋杀案发生了几天之后，警察搜查了房子并在贾斯汀的外衣口袋里找到了那条金链。家里人都知道贾斯汀没有杀害过威廉。我清楚凶手是谁，但是我不能告诉任何人。我们确信审判过后贾斯汀将会被释放的，因为没有人相信她是凶手。但是我们错了。

审判对贾斯汀不利。有许多难以解释的奇怪现象，但法官认定她就是凶手。谋杀的处罚乃是死刑。我们一边申辩一边哭喊着。我们说她不可能谋杀任何人。但没什么能改变法官的判决。

于是我一大早便起床到法官的家中并告诉他有关那个怪物的事情。他不相信我。他认为我是为了救贾斯汀而在撒谎。

贾斯汀在监狱里安静地等着死去。我们同她待了好几个小时，她从容而温和地同我们说话。她为我们相信不是她杀害了威廉而高兴。她几乎在期盼着死去，因为那样她就可以在一个安宁的地方同威廉和我们亲爱的妈妈在一起了。

她的爱心和温柔加重了我那巨大的痛苦。我知道她将因我而死去。我知道我弟弟已经因我而死。我给我家里带来的只有悲伤和苦难。

我乘船去了日内瓦湖。我那时为什么没有结束自己的生命呢？那是因为两件事情。我父亲已经年迈，再有人死很可能会要了他的命。并且我必须活着——以便我的家人免遭怪物的伤害。

对家人的担忧和对怪物的痛恨日夜牵扯着我。我再一次病倒了，连伊丽莎白的爱也帮不了我。我需要逃避一阵子——去将伤心抛诸脑后。因此我便独自一人去阿尔卑斯山散步。我希望群山的旷野之美能够帮助我。

在美丽的山峦中我慢慢地平静了些。我又学会了安心去睡，并且有好几天我都没有见任何人。后来的一天早晨我看见有个人朝我走来，比任何人走得都要快。在其轻松地跳过岩石之时，我便恐惧地看见了我所创造的那个怪物。他的脸上露出深深的悲伤，但也带着邪恶。起先我说不出话来，因为我太恨他了。但是最后我说道：

“你是个邪恶的东西。如果我做得到的话，我便会杀了你的，因为你已害死了我爱的两个人了。”

怪物的黄色的眼睛看着我。“我是世界上最不幸的人了，但是我得为我的生命而战斗。”他说道，“虽然我比你大，又比你强壮，但我不会挑起战斗的。我将永远温柔地对待你，因为你是我的国王和我的创造者。你既然造了我，那就应该爱我并善待我，就像一个父亲那样。威廉和贾斯汀的死是因为你不爱我。既然你没有打算爱我那又为什么要创造我呢？”

“我们是敌人。”我说，“马上给我离开，否则就让我们搏斗到我们中的一个死去为止。你是个杀人凶手，我怎么会待你好呢？”

“你说我是一个杀人凶手，”怪物说道，“然而你却要杀死你自己创造的生物。这不也是错误的吗？我请你为我做一件事——听着。跟我到一个暖和些的地方去并且听听我的故事。然后你就可以做出决定了。”

我认真地考虑了他所说的话。我给了他生命却没有给他爱，这是事实。我决定跟他走并听听他的故事。

他带我到了一间他已生了火的山间茅屋。我们围着火坐下后，他便开始讲起了他的故事。

Victor Frankenstein's Story Begins
维克多的故事开始了

Chapter 2

I was born in Switzerland, in the town of Geneva. My parents loved each other very much, and I learnt from the example of their love. I learnt that to love and to be patient are the most important things in the world.

My mother hoped to have a daughter after I was born, but for five years I was the only child. And then my mother found a sister for me. She was helping a family in which there were five children. They were very poor, and the children were thin and hungry. One of the children was a little girl, with golden hair and blue eyes. Her name was Elizabeth. My mother took the little girl into our family, and Elizabeth became the daughter that my mother had always wanted. As I grew older, my love for Elizabeth became stronger all the time.

Later my mother had two other sons, Ernest and William. A young woman called Justine came to live in the house to help my mother with the children. We loved her as much as she loved us.

The years passed happily, and we had everything that we needed. At school I met another very fine person. His name was Henry Clerval, and he was very clever. My family also liked him very much, so he was a welcome visitor to our house.

I studied very hard at school. I wanted to know the secrets of life, and, most of all, I wanted to know how to make living things. I read all the books that I could find. One day, something happened that added a new idea to the ideas that I already had. I was fifteen at the time, and we were on holiday in the mountains. There was a wild storm, and with it came the most frightening thunder and lightning that I had ever seen in my life. About twenty metres in front of our house was a great tree. Suddenly a huge fork of lightning hit the tree. After a few seconds, there was nothing left of it except a black piece of wood two metres high. The lightning had destroyed it.

I saw how strong electricity was. I began to read all the books that I could find about electricity and its terrible power.

---

Switzerland n. 瑞士（国名）。

Geneva n. 日内瓦，瑞士城市。

example n. 例子。

patient adj. showing patience. 有耐心的。

as... as 与……一样……。

secret n. sth. kept from others' knowing. 秘密；adj. 秘密的。

add v. 加。

frightening adj. causing fear. 吓人的。

thunder n. a very loud noise in the sky when there is a storm. 雷。

lightning n. 闪电。

fork n. 叉。

electricity n. 电。

第二章

我出生在瑞士的日内瓦城。我父母彼此相爱至深，而且我以他们的爱心为榜样。我懂得了去爱他人和富有耐心是世界上最重要的事情。

在生下我后，我母亲希望再生一个女儿，但在五年之中我都是唯一的孩子。后来我母亲给我找了一个妹妹。她那时在一个有五个孩子的家庭里帮忙。他们非常穷，孩子们都又瘦又饿。其中一个孩子是一个头发金黄、有一对蓝色眼睛的小女孩。她名叫伊丽莎白。我母亲把那个小女孩带到了我家，于是伊丽莎白便成了我母亲盼望已久的女儿。随着年龄的增长，我对伊丽莎白的爱与日俱增。

后来我母亲又生了两个儿子：欧内斯特和威廉。有个名叫贾斯汀的年轻女子来我家帮我母亲照看孩子们。我们像她爱我们一样地爱她。

岁月快乐地流逝着，我们拥有所需要的一切。在学校里我遇见了另外一个非常好的人，他的名字叫亨利·克勒沃，人非常聪明。我的家人也非常喜欢他，所以他是我们家受欢迎的客人。

我在学校学习很刻苦。我想要知道生命的奥秘，而且我最想知道的便是如何制造有生命的东西。我阅读了我能找到的一切书籍。有一天发生了一件事情，它给了我新的启发。我那时15岁，我们正在山中度假。那天有一场暴风雨，夹杂其间的是我平生见过的最为吓人的雷霆和闪电。在我们的房子前面约二十米处有一棵大树。突然间一个叉状闪电击中了大树。几秒钟之后，那棵大树便只剩下两米高的一块黑木头。闪电摧毁了它。

我看到了电的力量有多么大。我开始阅读我能找到的有关电及其可怕力量的一切书籍。

Chapter 3

For seventeen years my life was very happy. Then the first sad thing happened. My mother became very ill, and soon she knew that she was dying. Just before she died, she asked Elizabeth and me to go to her room. She held our hands and said:

'My children, I am very happy because you love each other, and because one day you will get married. Everyone in the family loves you, Elizabeth. Will you take my place in the family, my dear? I can die happy if you will look after them when I have gone.'

My mother died, and we were very sad, because we loved her dearly. Elizabeth was brave and helped us; her sweet smile gave us some happiness in the unhappy days after my mother's death.

The time came for me to go to university. I did not want to leave my sad family, but we all knew that I should go. It was hard to leave, too, because the parents of my good friend Henry Clerval would not let him go to university with me. And so I had to go alone.

On my first day at the university I met my teacher, Professor Waldman, who was one of the greatest scientists in the world. He gave a wonderful talk to all the students who were starting at the university. He ended his talk by saying: 'Some of you will become the great scientists of tomorrow. You must study hard and discover everything that you can. That is why God made you intelligent—to help other people.'

After the professor's talk, I thought very carefully. I remembered the storm when I was fifteen. I remembered how the lightning had destroyed the tree. I wanted to use electricity to help people, and I wanted to discover the secrets of life. I decided to work on these two things. I did not know then that my work would destroy me and the people that I loved.

I started work the next day. I worked very hard and soon Professor Waldman and I realized that I could learn to be a very good scientist.

The professor helped me very much, and other important scientists who were his friends helped me, too. I was interested in my work and I did not take one day's holiday during the next two years. I did not go home, and my letters to my family were very short.

After two years I had discovered many things and I built a scientific machine that was better than anything in the university. My machine would help me answer the most important question of all. How does life begin? Is it possible to put life into dead things? To answer these questions about life I had to learn first about death. I had to watch bodies from the moment when they died and the warm life left them. In the hospital and in the university, I watched the dying and the dead. Day after day, month after month, I followed death. It was a dark and terrible time.

Then one day, the answer came to me. Suddenly I was sure that I knew the secret of life. I knew that I could put life into a body that was not alive.

I worked harder and harder now. I slept for only a short time each night, and I did not eat much food. I wrote to my family less often. But they loved me and did not stop writing to me. They said they understood how busy I was. They did not want me to stop work to write or to see them. They would wait until I had more time. They hoped to see me very soon.

The professors realized that I was doing very important work, and so they gave me my own laboratory. There was a small flat above the laboratory, where I lived, and sometimes I stayed inside the building for a week and did not go out.

Above the laboratory I built a very tall mast. It was 150 metres high, and higher than the tallest building in the city. The mast could catch lightning and could send the electricity down to my machine in the laboratory. I had never forgotten the lightning that had destroyed the tree. There had been so much power in the electricity of that lightning. I believed I could use that electricity to give life to things that were dead.

I will say no more than that. The secret of my machine must die with me. I was a very clever scientist, but I did not realize then what a terrible mistake I was making.

---

die v. not live 死。

dying adj. 垂死的。

dearly adv. very much. 非常。

happy adj. glad. 高兴的。

unhappy adj. 不高兴的。

happiness n. 高兴。

university n. 大学。

go to university 上大学学习。

professor n. 教授。

intelligent adj. clever. 聪明的。

carefully adv. thinking of what one does, says, etc. 仔细地，认真地。

hospital n. place where people are nursed through their illness. 医院。

come to 使某人想到。

alive adj. not dead. 活着的。

laboratory n. the building where scientists work and study. 实验室，简写为lab。

flat n. 公寓套房。

power n. something strong that makes other things work. 力量。

mistake n. something not right. 错误。

make a mistake 犯错误。

第三章

在17年的生命历程中我都很幸福。后来第一件悲伤的事发生了。我母亲病得很厉害，不久她便知道自己将不久于人世。就在她去世之前，她把伊丽莎白和我叫到她的房间。她抓住我们的手说道：

“孩子们，你们彼此相爱并且将会结婚，我因此非常高兴。家里的每个人都很爱你，伊丽莎白。你愿意取代我在家中的位置吗，亲爱的？如果你在我走后能照顾他们，我将会走得很幸福。”

我母亲死了，我们都非常伤心，因为我们非常爱她。伊丽莎白很勇敢并帮着我们；她那甜美的微笑在母亲死后的那些不快的日子里给我们带来了一些快乐。

到了我该上大学的时候了。我不想离开我那悲伤的家，可我们都知道我应该去。离别也是很难的，因为我的好朋友克勒沃的父母不让他和我一起去上大学。这样我只能独自一人去了。

大学的第一天我遇到了我的老师沃得曼教授，他是世界上最伟大的科学家之一。他给我们所有开始大学生活的学生做了一次精彩的演讲。他在结束讲话时说：“你们中的一些人将成为明天的科学家。你们必须努力学习并且去揭示你们所能揭示的事物。这就是上帝为什么给了你们智慧——去帮助他人。”

教授演讲过后，我进行了非常认真的思考。我想起了我15岁时的那场暴风雨。我记得那次的闪电是如何摧毁了那棵树的。我想利用电去帮助人们，我还想去揭示生命的奥秘。我决心去从事这两项工作。我当时没有想到我的工作会毁了我还有我所爱的人们。

第二天我就开始了工作。我工作非常努力，我和沃得曼教授不久便意识到我可以通过学习成为一名出色的科学家。

教授帮了我很多的忙，那些是教授的朋友的、重要的科学家们也帮助过我。我对我的工作很感兴趣，在接下来的两年里我没有休过一天假。我没有回过家，给家里写的信也非常短。

两年后我发现了很多的事物并建造了一台比大学里的任何机器都好的科学机器。我的机器能帮助我回答最重要的问题。生命是如何开始的？可以把生命注入无生命的东西中去吗？要回答有关生命的这些问题我首先得了解死亡。我得从他们刚死、滚热的生命离开人体的那一刹那起进行观察。在医院里和大学里，我观察着垂死的人和已死的人。日复一日、月复一月，我都在跟踪死亡。那是黑暗和恐怖的日子。

后来有一天我得到了答案。我突然间确信自己懂得了生命的奥秘。我知道我能将生命注入一个无生命的身体中去。

现在我工作越来越努力。每天晚上我只睡很短的时间，吃的东西也很少。我给家里写的信更加少了。但是家里的人爱我，他们没有停止给我写信。他们说他们理解我有多忙。他们不想让我停止工作而去给他们写信或是去看望他们。他们愿意等到我有时间的时候再说。他们希望很快见到我。

教授们意识到我在从事一项重要的工作，因而给了我一间实验室。实验室的上面有一个小的套房，我就住在里面；有时候我一个星期都待在那座建筑物里不出去。

我在实验室的上方建起了一个很高的杆子。它有150米高，比全城最高的建筑物都要高。那个杆子能够“捕获”闪电并把电送到我实验室的机器上。我从未忘记摧毁那棵树的闪电。那次闪电中的电曾有那么大的力量。我相信我可以利用电给无生命的东西注以生命。

我不想再多说什么了。我的机器的秘密必须随我一起消亡。我是个很聪明的科学家，可我那时没有意识到我在犯多么可怕的错误。

Chapter 4

In my laboratory I made a body. I bought or stole all the pieces of human body that I needed, and slowly and carefully, I put them all together.

I did not let anybody enter my laboratory or my flat while I was doing this awful work. I was afraid to tell anybody my terrible secret.

I had wanted to make a beautiful man, but the face of the creature was horrible. Its skin was thin and yellow, and its eyes were as yellow as its skin. Its long black hair and white teeth were almost beautiful, but the rest of the face was very ugly.

Its legs and arms were the right shape, but they were huge. I had to use big pieces because it was too difficult to join small pieces together. My creature was two and a half metres tall.

For a year I had worked to make this creature, but now it looked terrible and frightening. I almost decided to destroy it. But I could not. I had to know if I could put life into it.

I joined the body to the wires from my machine. More wires joined the machine to the mast. I was sure that my machine could use electricity from lightning to give life to the body. I watched and waited. Two days later I saw dark clouds in the sky, and I knew that a storm was coming. At about one o'clock in the morning the lightning came. My mast began to do its work immediately, and the electricity from the lightning travelled down the mast to my machine. Would the machine work?

At first nothing happened. But after a few minutes I saw the creature's body begin to move. Slowly, terribly, the body came alive. Its arms and legs began to move, and slowly it sat up.

The dead body had been an ugly thing, but alive, it was much more horrible. Suddenly I wanted to escape from it. I ran out of the laboratory, and locked the door. I was filled with fear at what I had done.

For hours I walked up and down in my flat. At last I lay down on my bed, and fell asleep. But my sleep was full of terrible dreams, and I woke up suddenly. The horrible thing that I had created was standing by my bed. Its yellow eyes were looking at me; its mouth opened and it made strange sounds at me. On its yellow face there was an awful smile. One of its huge hands reached towards me...

Before it could touch me, I jumped off the bed and ran downstairs into the garden. I stayed there all night, but I could not think clearly. I was afraid. And when morning came, I went out into the town and began to walk about.

I did not notice where I was walking, but soon I came to the station. A train from Geneva had just arrived, and the passengers were leaving the station. One of them ran towards me when he saw me. It was my dear friend Henry Clerval.

He was very pleased to see me. He took my hand and shook it warmly.

'My dear Victor!' he said. 'What a lucky chance that you are here at the station. Your father, and Elizabeth and the others, are very worried about you, because you have not visited them for a long time. They ask me to make sure that you are well. And I have very good news. My father has agreed to let me study at the university, so we shall be able to spend a lot of time together.'

I was very happy to hear this news, and for a moment I forgot my fears. I took Henry back to my flat and asked him to wait outside while I went in to look. I was afraid that the creature was still there. But it had disappeared. At that time I did not think of other people, and what the creature could do to them. I took Henry into the flat and cooked a meal for us. But Henry noticed how thin I was, and that I was laughing too much and could not sit still.

Suddenly he said: 'My dear Victor, what is the matter with you? Are you ill? Has something awful happened?'

'Don't ask me that,' I cried. I put my hands over my eyes. I thought I could see the horrible creature there in front of me. I pointed wildly across the room, and shouted: 'He can tell you. Save me! Save me!' I tried to fight the creature, but there was nothing there. Then I fainted and fell to the floor.

Poor Henry! I do not know what he thought. He called a doctor and they put me to bed. I was very ill for two months, and Henry stayed and looked after me. His loving care saved me from death.

I wanted to go home and see my family as soon as possible. When I was well enough, I packed my clothes and books. All my luggage was ready, and I was feeling very happy when the postman arrived with some letters. One of the letters ended my short time of happiness.

---

steal (stole, stolen) v. take somebody else's things secretly. 偷。

skin n. 皮肤。

huge adj. very, very big 巨大的。

creature n. a living animal or person. 生物。

wire n. a long thin piece of metal; electricity travels through wires. 电线。

immediately adv. at once. 马上。

asleep adv. 睡着了。

fall asleep 睡着。

suddenly adv. at once. 突然。

awful adj. terrible. 可怕的。

passenger n. 乘客。

lucky adj. having good luck. 幸运的。

too much 太多，过分。

wildly adv. too excitedly. 狂野地，过分激动地，发疯地。

save... from...把……从……处挽救出来。

pack v. put things into a bag, box, etc. 包装，整理行装。

luggage n. 行李。

第四章

我在我的实验室中造了一个人体。我所需要的人体各部分均是我买来或偷来的，然后我缓慢而细心地把它们拼凑到了一起。

在干这项可怕的工作时，我没有让任何人进入我的实验室和我的住处。我不敢告诉任何人我那可怕的秘密。

我曾想造一个漂亮的男人，但这个家伙的脸非常可怕：皮肤又薄又黄，眼睛同皮肤一样黄。黑长的头发和白色的牙齿倒也漂亮，脸上的其余部分却很丑陋。

它的腿和胳膊的形状是对的，但它们太大了。因为拼接小块的人体太困难了，我只得用大块的去拼接。我创造的这个东西有2.5米高。

我曾为制造这个东西工作了一年时间，现在它却看上去恐怖吓人。我几乎要决定毁了它。但我做不到。我必须知道我是否能将生命植入其中。

我把那个身体同我机器上的那些电线连接起来。更多的电线再把机器和杆子连接起来。我确信我的机器可以用闪电给那个身体生命。我观察着、等待着。两天后我看到天上有了乌云，知道将有一场暴风雨来临。大约在凌晨1点钟闪电闪了一下。我的杆子立即开始工作，闪电通过杆子传到了我的机器上。机器会管用吗？

起先没有发生什么。但是几分钟过后我看见那个东西的躯体在动。那具躯体缓慢而怕人地变活了。他的胳膊和腿开始移动，而且他慢慢地坐了起来。

那个无生命的躯体本来就可怕，而现在变成活的就更加恐怖了。突然间我想逃开。我跑出实验室并且锁上了门。我对我所做的一切充满了恐惧。

有好几个小时我都在我的房间里走来走去。最后我躺倒在床上并睡着了。可是恶梦萦绕着我，我便猛然醒了过来。我所创造的那个可怕的东西正站在我的床边。他的黄色的眼睛正看着我。他的嘴张着并对我发出奇怪的声音。他的黄色的脸庞上露出可怕的笑容。他的一只大手伸向了我……

没等他碰到我，我便跳下床冲到了楼下的花园里。我整个晚上都待在那儿，只是思维已不清楚了。我很害怕。等到早上，我便走出花园到城里去并开始四处逛悠。

我没注意我在什么地方走，但不久便到了火车站。刚好从日内瓦来了一趟火车，乘客正走出车站。其中一位见到我后便朝我跑了过来。原来是我的好朋友亨利·克勒沃。

他见到我很高兴。他抓住我的手热情地握了起来。

“我亲爱的维克多！”他说道，“你在车站这儿真是巧极了。你父亲、伊丽莎白还有其他人都非常为你担心，因为你很久没有探望他们了。他们让我来看看你的身体是否还好。另外我还有个好消息。我父亲已同意让我上大学学习，这样我们就能有好多时间待在一起了。”

我听了这个消息后很高兴，并且有一阵儿都忘记了我的恐惧感。我把亨利带回我的公寓并让他在外面等着以便我能进去看一看。我害怕那个家伙还在那儿。但是他已经不见了。那时我没有想到过其他人以及那个家伙会对他们怎么样。我把亨利领进屋里并给我们做了顿吃的。然而亨利注意到了我有多么瘦削，我还笑得太多，也不能安静地坐着。

他突然说道：“我亲爱的维克多，你怎么啦？你生病了吗？发生了什么可怕的事情了吗？”

“别问我这个，”我喊道。我用手捂住眼睛。当时我想我能看见那个可怕的家伙正在我的面前。我发疯似地指向屋子，并且喊道：“他能告诉你。救救我！救救我！”我想去同那个家伙搏斗，但那儿什么也没有。然后我就晕过去，倒在了地板上。

可怜的亨利！我不知道他当时是怎么想的。他叫了个医生并且一起把我扶到了床上。我大病了两个月，亨利一直留下来照顾我。他那充满爱意的护理把我从死亡那儿救了回来。

我想尽快回家去见我的家人。在我恢复得足够强壮后，我便收拾起衣服和书籍。我的行李都已准备好了，但是正当我无比高兴时邮递员给我送来了几封信。其中的一封结束了我短暂的快乐时光。

Chapter 5

The letter was from my father in Geneva, and this is what he wrote:

My dear Victor,

I want you to know before you arrive home that an awful thing has happened. Your dear youngest brother, William, is dead. He was murdered. It happened last Thursday evening when Elizabeth and I and your two brothers, Ernest and William, went for a walk outside the city. William and Ernest were playing. William had hidden from Ernest, and Ernest asked Elizabeth and me to help find William. We all began to search for him, but we couldn' t find him. We searched all night. At five in the morning I found him. He was lying on the grass, white and still. I could see the marks of fingers on his neck—the murderer had strangled him.

Elizabeth had let him wear a gold chain of hers round his neck. On the chain was a very small picture of your mother. We all think that someone murdered William to steal the gold chain. Poor Elizabeth is terribly unhappy at William's death. She thinks he died because she let him wear the chain. Hurry home, my dear Victor. You are the only one who can help Elizabeth, and we all need you.

With all our love,

Your Father

Henry helped me to catch the train. The journey seemed very long, and it was late at night before the train reached Geneva. I decided to spend the night in a village outside the town and go home early in the morning. I wanted to see the place where William had died.

As I started my walk, a storm broke and lightning lit the sky. The police had put posts round the place where the murderer had strangled William, so I found it easily. I cried sadly as I stood there. My poor brother had been a kind and happy boy, and we had all loved him.

Again the lightning lit the sky, and I saw a huge figure standing in the rain. When I saw it, I knew at once what it was. It was the creature that I had made.

What was it doing there? But although I asked myself the question, I knew the answer. He had murdered my brother. I was sure that I was right.

I decided to try and catch him. But as I moved, he ran towards the mountains. He ran much faster than any man. He climbed the mountain easily, reached the top, and disappeared.

I stood there in the dark and the rain, and knew that I had created a monster. And he had murdered my brother.

---

murder v. kill. 谋杀，杀害。

murderer n. 凶手。

lie (lying; lay, lain) v. be at rest. 躺。

still adj. quiet, without movement or sound. 不动的，静止的。

strangle v. to kill someone by holding him very hard round the neck. 勒死。

catch the train 赶火车，上火车。

post n. upright piece of wood, metal, etc. to support or mark something. 柱，杆，竿。

create v. make something new. 创造。

monster n. a very large person or animal with a strange, frightening shape. 庞然大物，怪物。

第五章

信是我父亲从日内瓦写来的，下面就是他写的内容：

我亲爱的维克多：

在你到家之前我想让你知道所发生的一件可怕的事情。你亲爱的小弟弟威廉死了。他是被谋杀的。这件事发生在上个礼拜四，那时我和伊丽莎白以及你的两个弟弟欧内斯特和威廉正在城外散步。威廉同欧内斯特当时正玩耍。威廉藏了起来，不让欧内斯特找到，于是欧内斯特要我和伊丽莎白帮着找威廉。我们都找了起来，但没能找到他。我们找了一整夜。早晨5点钟时我找到他。他躺倒在草地上，脸色苍白，身子一动也不动我能看出他脖子上的手指印——是凶手勒死了他。

伊丽莎白曾让他把她的一根金链子戴在脖子上。链子上有一张非常小的、你妈妈的照片。我们都认为是有人为了偷取那条金链子而杀死了威廉。可怜的伊丽莎白对威廉的死非常伤心。她认为他的死是因为她让他戴了那条链子。赶快回家吧，我亲爱的维克多。只有你能帮助伊丽莎白，并且我们都需要你。

我们都爱你！

你的父亲

亨利帮我上了火车。旅途似乎非常漫长；火车到达日内瓦之前已经是深夜了。我决定在城外的一个村子里过夜，然后清晨再回家。我想看看威廉死去的地方。

在我开始步行时，暴发了一场暴风雨，闪电划亮了天空。警察已在威廉被凶手勒死的地方围上了木桩，这样我很容易地找到了那儿。我站在那儿伤心地哭泣着。我可怜的弟弟一向是个善良而快乐的孩子，并且我们都很爱他。

闪电又一次照亮了天空，我看见雨中站着一个巨大的人。当我看见时，我立马就知道那是谁了。那是我创造的那个家伙。

他在那儿干什么？尽管我在问自己这个问题，却已知道了答案。是他杀死了我的弟弟。我敢肯定我是对的。

我决心要抓住他。但在我走动时，他朝山上跑去了。他比任何人都跑得快。他轻松地爬着山，到了山顶并且消失不见了。

我在黑暗中站着并淋着雨，知道自己创造了一个怪物。是他杀死了我的弟弟。

Chapter 6

At first I decided to tell the police my story. But would they believe me? I had been very ill. When the police learnt about my illness, they would think the monster was just one of my bad dreams. I decided that I could not tell anybody.

I went home to my family and they were very pleased to see me. Then they told me that the police had found the murderer. Perhaps you will think that this was good news, but I have not told you who the police had arrested.

As I went into the house, I noticed that one person did not come to meet me. It was Justine, the young woman who looked after the children and who was like a sister to us. And it was Justine that the police had arrested.

A few days after the murder, the police had searched the house and had found the gold chain in Justine's coat pocket. Everyone in the family knew that Justine had not murdered William. I knew who the murderer was, but I could not tell anyone. We were sure that Justine would be free after the trial, because nobody could believe that she was a murderer. But we were wrong.

The trial did not go well for Justine. There were a number of strange facts that were difficult to explain, and the judge decided that she was the murderer. The punishment for murder was death. We argued and cried. We said she could not murder anyone. But nothing could change the judge's order.

So I got up early and went to the judge's house and told him about the monster. He did not believe me. He thought I was lying in order to save Justine's life.

In the prison Justine waited quietly for death. We spent many hours with her, and she spoke calmly and kindly to us. She was happy because we believed that she had not killed William. And she was almost looking forward to death, because then she would be with William and our dear mother in a place of peace.

Her love and gentleness added to my great unhappiness. I knew she was going to die because of me. I knew my brother had died because of me. I had brought nothing but sadness and misery to my family.

I took a boat and went out on Lake Geneva. Why didn't I end my life then? Two things stopped me. My father was old and another death would probably kill him. And I had to stay alive—to keep my family safe from the monster.

Fear for my family and hate for my monster were with me day and night. I became ill again, and Elizabeth's love could not help me. I needed to escape for a while—to leave my unhappiness behind me. So I went to walk alone in the Alps. I hoped the wild beauty of the mountains would help me.

Slowly I became calmer among the beautiful mountains. I learnt to sleep again, and for days I did not see anybody. Then one morning I saw a figure coming towards me faster than any man could go. It jumped easily over the rocks and I saw with horror the monster that I had created. On his face was a look of deep sadness, but also of evil. At first I could not speak because I hated him so much. But at last I said:

'You are an evil creature. I shall kill you if I can, because you have killed two people that I love.'

The monster's yellow eyes looked at me. 'I am the unhappiest creature in the world, but I shall fight for my life,' he said. 'I am bigger and stronger than you, but I will not start the fight. I shall always be gentle to you because you are my king and creator. You made me, and you should love me and be kind to me, like a father. William and Justine died because you did not love me. Why did you create me if you were not ready to love me?'

'We are enemies,' I said. 'Leave me now, or let us fight until one of us is dead. You are a murderer. How can I be kind to you?'

'You say I am a murderer,' the monster said, 'but you want to kill your own creature. Isn't that wrong, too? I ask you to do one thing for me—listen. Come with me to a warmer place, and listen to my story. Then you can decide.'

I thought carefully about what he had said. It was true that I had given him life but I had not given him love. I decided to go with him and listen to his story.

He took me to a mountain hut where he lit a fire. We sat down by the fire and he began to tell me his story.

---

learn about 获悉。

arrest v. seize by the police. 逮捕。

free adj. not be held as a prisoner any longer. 自由的。

trial n. 审判。

punishment n. suffering for wrongdoing. 惩罚。

argue v. quarrel. 争论。

lie v. not tell the truth. 撒谎；n. 谎。

look forward to waiting for something eagerly. 期待。

peace n. 和平，安宁。

misery n. suffering. 痛苦。

keep sb. safe from 使某人免遭……的危害。

the Alps 阿尔卑斯山脉（山名）。

evil n. 罪恶；adj. 罪恶的。

gentle adj. mild, not rough. 温和的。

creator n. 创造者，造物主。

第六章

起先我打算把我的故事告诉警察，但他们会相信我吗？我一直都生着病。如果警察了解到我的病情，他们会认为那个怪物只是我的一个恶梦而已。我决定不去告诉任何人。

我回到家里，家人都为见到我而高兴。接着他们告诉我说警察已找到了凶手。你也许会认为这是个好消息，但是我还没有告诉你警察抓的是谁。

在我进屋时，我注意到有个人没有来见我。那就是贾斯汀，就是曾照看孩子们并像姐妹一样对待我们的那个年轻女孩。而警察逮捕的就是贾斯汀。

在谋杀案发生了几天之后，警察搜查了房子并在贾斯汀的外衣口袋里找到了那条金链。家里人都知道贾斯汀没有杀害过威廉。我清楚凶手是谁，但是我不能告诉任何人。我们确信审判过后贾斯汀将会被释放的，因为没有人相信她是凶手。但是我们错了。

审判对贾斯汀不利。有许多难以解释的奇怪现象，但法官认定她就是凶手。谋杀的处罚乃是死刑。我们一边申辩一边哭喊着。我们说她不可能谋杀任何人。但没什么能改变法官的判决。

于是我一大早便起床到法官的家中并告诉他有关那个怪物的事情。他不相信我。他认为我是为了救贾斯汀而在撒谎。

贾斯汀在监狱里安静地等着死去。我们同她待了好几个小时，她从容而温和地同我们说话。她为我们相信不是她杀害了威廉而高兴。她几乎在期盼着死去，因为那样她就可以在一个安宁的地方同威廉和我们亲爱的妈妈在一起了。

她的爱心和温柔加重了我那巨大的痛苦。我知道她将因我而死去。我知道我弟弟已经因我而死。我给我家里带来的只有悲伤和苦难。

我乘船去了日内瓦湖。我那时为什么没有结束自己的生命呢？那是因为两件事情。我父亲已经年迈，再有人死很可能会要了他的命。并且我必须活着——以便我的家人免遭怪物的伤害。

对家人的担忧和对怪物的痛恨日夜牵扯着我。我再一次病倒了，连伊丽莎白的爱也帮不了我。我需要逃避一阵子——去将伤心抛诸脑后。因此我便独自一人去阿尔卑斯山散步。我希望群山的旷野之美能够帮助我。

在美丽的山峦中我慢慢地平静了些。我又学会了安心去睡，并且有好几天我都没有见任何人。后来的一天早晨我看见有个人朝我走来，比任何人走得都要快。在其轻松地跳过岩石之时，我便恐惧地看见了我所创造的那个怪物。他的脸上露出深深的悲伤，但也带着邪恶。起先我说不出话来，因为我太恨他了。但是最后我说道：

“你是个邪恶的东西。如果我做得到的话，我便会杀了你的，因为你已害死了我爱的两个人了。”

怪物的黄色的眼睛看着我。“我是世界上最不幸的人了，但是我得为我的生命而战斗。”他说道，“虽然我比你大，又比你强壮，但我不会挑起战斗的。我将永远温柔地对待你，因为你是我的国王和我的创造者。你既然造了我，那就应该爱我并善待我，就像一个父亲那样。威廉和贾斯汀的死是因为你不爱我。既然你没有打算爱我那又为什么要创造我呢？”

“我们是敌人。”我说，“马上给我离开，否则就让我们搏斗到我们中的一个死去为止。你是个杀人凶手，我怎么会待你好呢？”

“你说我是一个杀人凶手，”怪物说道，“然而你却要杀死你自己创造的生物。这不也是错误的吗？我请你为我做一件事——听着。跟我到一个暖和些的地方去并且听听我的故事。然后你就可以做出决定了。”

我认真地考虑了他所说的话。我给了他生命却没有给他爱，这是事实。我决定跟他走并听听他的故事。

他带我到了一间他已生了火的山间茅屋。我们围着火坐下后，他便开始讲起了他的故事。

Victor Frankenstein's Story Begins
维克多的故事开始了

Chapter 2

I was born in Switzerland, in the town of Geneva. My parents loved each other very much, and I learnt from the example of their love. I learnt that to love and to be patient are the most important things in the world.

My mother hoped to have a daughter after I was born, but for five years I was the only child. And then my mother found a sister for me. She was helping a family in which there were five children. They were very poor, and the children were thin and hungry. One of the children was a little girl, with golden hair and blue eyes. Her name was Elizabeth. My mother took the little girl into our family, and Elizabeth became the daughter that my mother had always wanted. As I grew older, my love for Elizabeth became stronger all the time.

Later my mother had two other sons, Ernest and William. A young woman called Justine came to live in the house to help my mother with the children. We loved her as much as she loved us.

The years passed happily, and we had everything that we needed. At school I met another very fine person. His name was Henry Clerval, and he was very clever. My family also liked him very much, so he was a welcome visitor to our house.

I studied very hard at school. I wanted to know the secrets of life, and, most of all, I wanted to know how to make living things. I read all the books that I could find. One day, something happened that added a new idea to the ideas that I already had. I was fifteen at the time, and we were on holiday in the mountains. There was a wild storm, and with it came the most frightening thunder and lightning that I had ever seen in my life. About twenty metres in front of our house was a great tree. Suddenly a huge fork of lightning hit the tree. After a few seconds, there was nothing left of it except a black piece of wood two metres high. The lightning had destroyed it.

I saw how strong electricity was. I began to read all the books that I could find about electricity and its terrible power.

---

Switzerland n. 瑞士（国名）。

Geneva n. 日内瓦，瑞士城市。

example n. 例子。

patient adj. showing patience. 有耐心的。

as... as 与……一样……。

secret n. sth. kept from others' knowing. 秘密；adj. 秘密的。

add v. 加。

frightening adj. causing fear. 吓人的。

thunder n. a very loud noise in the sky when there is a storm. 雷。

lightning n. 闪电。

fork n. 叉。

electricity n. 电。

第二章

我出生在瑞士的日内瓦城。我父母彼此相爱至深，而且我以他们的爱心为榜样。我懂得了去爱他人和富有耐心是世界上最重要的事情。

在生下我后，我母亲希望再生一个女儿，但在五年之中我都是唯一的孩子。后来我母亲给我找了一个妹妹。她那时在一个有五个孩子的家庭里帮忙。他们非常穷，孩子们都又瘦又饿。其中一个孩子是一个头发金黄、有一对蓝色眼睛的小女孩。她名叫伊丽莎白。我母亲把那个小女孩带到了我家，于是伊丽莎白便成了我母亲盼望已久的女儿。随着年龄的增长，我对伊丽莎白的爱与日俱增。

后来我母亲又生了两个儿子：欧内斯特和威廉。有个名叫贾斯汀的年轻女子来我家帮我母亲照看孩子们。我们像她爱我们一样地爱她。

岁月快乐地流逝着，我们拥有所需要的一切。在学校里我遇见了另外一个非常好的人，他的名字叫亨利·克勒沃，人非常聪明。我的家人也非常喜欢他，所以他是我们家受欢迎的客人。

我在学校学习很刻苦。我想要知道生命的奥秘，而且我最想知道的便是如何制造有生命的东西。我阅读了我能找到的一切书籍。有一天发生了一件事情，它给了我新的启发。我那时15岁，我们正在山中度假。那天有一场暴风雨，夹杂其间的是我平生见过的最为吓人的雷霆和闪电。在我们的房子前面约二十米处有一棵大树。突然间一个叉状闪电击中了大树。几秒钟之后，那棵大树便只剩下两米高的一块黑木头。闪电摧毁了它。

我看到了电的力量有多么大。我开始阅读我能找到的有关电及其可怕力量的一切书籍。

Chapter 3

For seventeen years my life was very happy. Then the first sad thing happened. My mother became very ill, and soon she knew that she was dying. Just before she died, she asked Elizabeth and me to go to her room. She held our hands and said:

'My children, I am very happy because you love each other, and because one day you will get married. Everyone in the family loves you, Elizabeth. Will you take my place in the family, my dear? I can die happy if you will look after them when I have gone.'

My mother died, and we were very sad, because we loved her dearly. Elizabeth was brave and helped us; her sweet smile gave us some happiness in the unhappy days after my mother's death.

The time came for me to go to university. I did not want to leave my sad family, but we all knew that I should go. It was hard to leave, too, because the parents of my good friend Henry Clerval would not let him go to university with me. And so I had to go alone.

On my first day at the university I met my teacher, Professor Waldman, who was one of the greatest scientists in the world. He gave a wonderful talk to all the students who were starting at the university. He ended his talk by saying: 'Some of you will become the great scientists of tomorrow. You must study hard and discover everything that you can. That is why God made you intelligent—to help other people.'

After the professor's talk, I thought very carefully. I remembered the storm when I was fifteen. I remembered how the lightning had destroyed the tree. I wanted to use electricity to help people, and I wanted to discover the secrets of life. I decided to work on these two things. I did not know then that my work would destroy me and the people that I loved.

I started work the next day. I worked very hard and soon Professor Waldman and I realized that I could learn to be a very good scientist.

The professor helped me very much, and other important scientists who were his friends helped me, too. I was interested in my work and I did not take one day's holiday during the next two years. I did not go home, and my letters to my family were very short.

After two years I had discovered many things and I built a scientific machine that was better than anything in the university. My machine would help me answer the most important question of all. How does life begin? Is it possible to put life into dead things? To answer these questions about life I had to learn first about death. I had to watch bodies from the moment when they died and the warm life left them. In the hospital and in the university, I watched the dying and the dead. Day after day, month after month, I followed death. It was a dark and terrible time.

Then one day, the answer came to me. Suddenly I was sure that I knew the secret of life. I knew that I could put life into a body that was not alive.

I worked harder and harder now. I slept for only a short time each night, and I did not eat much food. I wrote to my family less often. But they loved me and did not stop writing to me. They said they understood how busy I was. They did not want me to stop work to write or to see them. They would wait until I had more time. They hoped to see me very soon.

The professors realized that I was doing very important work, and so they gave me my own laboratory. There was a small flat above the laboratory, where I lived, and sometimes I stayed inside the building for a week and did not go out.

Above the laboratory I built a very tall mast. It was 150 metres high, and higher than the tallest building in the city. The mast could catch lightning and could send the electricity down to my machine in the laboratory. I had never forgotten the lightning that had destroyed the tree. There had been so much power in the electricity of that lightning. I believed I could use that electricity to give life to things that were dead.

I will say no more than that. The secret of my machine must die with me. I was a very clever scientist, but I did not realize then what a terrible mistake I was making.

---

die v. not live 死。

dying adj. 垂死的。

dearly adv. very much. 非常。

happy adj. glad. 高兴的。

unhappy adj. 不高兴的。

happiness n. 高兴。

university n. 大学。

go to university 上大学学习。

professor n. 教授。

intelligent adj. clever. 聪明的。

carefully adv. thinking of what one does, says, etc. 仔细地，认真地。

hospital n. place where people are nursed through their illness. 医院。

come to 使某人想到。

alive adj. not dead. 活着的。

laboratory n. the building where scientists work and study. 实验室，简写为lab。

flat n. 公寓套房。

power n. something strong that makes other things work. 力量。

mistake n. something not right. 错误。

make a mistake 犯错误。

第三章

在17年的生命历程中我都很幸福。后来第一件悲伤的事发生了。我母亲病得很厉害，不久她便知道自己将不久于人世。就在她去世之前，她把伊丽莎白和我叫到她的房间。她抓住我们的手说道：

“孩子们，你们彼此相爱并且将会结婚，我因此非常高兴。家里的每个人都很爱你，伊丽莎白。你愿意取代我在家中的位置吗，亲爱的？如果你在我走后能照顾他们，我将会走得很幸福。”

我母亲死了，我们都非常伤心，因为我们非常爱她。伊丽莎白很勇敢并帮着我们；她那甜美的微笑在母亲死后的那些不快的日子里给我们带来了一些快乐。

到了我该上大学的时候了。我不想离开我那悲伤的家，可我们都知道我应该去。离别也是很难的，因为我的好朋友克勒沃的父母不让他和我一起去上大学。这样我只能独自一人去了。

大学的第一天我遇到了我的老师沃得曼教授，他是世界上最伟大的科学家之一。他给我们所有开始大学生活的学生做了一次精彩的演讲。他在结束讲话时说：“你们中的一些人将成为明天的科学家。你们必须努力学习并且去揭示你们所能揭示的事物。这就是上帝为什么给了你们智慧——去帮助他人。”

教授演讲过后，我进行了非常认真的思考。我想起了我15岁时的那场暴风雨。我记得那次的闪电是如何摧毁了那棵树的。我想利用电去帮助人们，我还想去揭示生命的奥秘。我决心去从事这两项工作。我当时没有想到我的工作会毁了我还有我所爱的人们。

第二天我就开始了工作。我工作非常努力，我和沃得曼教授不久便意识到我可以通过学习成为一名出色的科学家。

教授帮了我很多的忙，那些是教授的朋友的、重要的科学家们也帮助过我。我对我的工作很感兴趣，在接下来的两年里我没有休过一天假。我没有回过家，给家里写的信也非常短。

两年后我发现了很多的事物并建造了一台比大学里的任何机器都好的科学机器。我的机器能帮助我回答最重要的问题。生命是如何开始的？可以把生命注入无生命的东西中去吗？要回答有关生命的这些问题我首先得了解死亡。我得从他们刚死、滚热的生命离开人体的那一刹那起进行观察。在医院里和大学里，我观察着垂死的人和已死的人。日复一日、月复一月，我都在跟踪死亡。那是黑暗和恐怖的日子。

后来有一天我得到了答案。我突然间确信自己懂得了生命的奥秘。我知道我能将生命注入一个无生命的身体中去。

现在我工作越来越努力。每天晚上我只睡很短的时间，吃的东西也很少。我给家里写的信更加少了。但是家里的人爱我，他们没有停止给我写信。他们说他们理解我有多忙。他们不想让我停止工作而去给他们写信或是去看望他们。他们愿意等到我有时间的时候再说。他们希望很快见到我。

教授们意识到我在从事一项重要的工作，因而给了我一间实验室。实验室的上面有一个小的套房，我就住在里面；有时候我一个星期都待在那座建筑物里不出去。

我在实验室的上方建起了一个很高的杆子。它有150米高，比全城最高的建筑物都要高。那个杆子能够“捕获”闪电并把电送到我实验室的机器上。我从未忘记摧毁那棵树的闪电。那次闪电中的电曾有那么大的力量。我相信我可以利用电给无生命的东西注以生命。

我不想再多说什么了。我的机器的秘密必须随我一起消亡。我是个很聪明的科学家，可我那时没有意识到我在犯多么可怕的错误。

Chapter 4

In my laboratory I made a body. I bought or stole all the pieces of human body that I needed, and slowly and carefully, I put them all together.

I did not let anybody enter my laboratory or my flat while I was doing this awful work. I was afraid to tell anybody my terrible secret.

I had wanted to make a beautiful man, but the face of the creature was horrible. Its skin was thin and yellow, and its eyes were as yellow as its skin. Its long black hair and white teeth were almost beautiful, but the rest of the face was very ugly.

Its legs and arms were the right shape, but they were huge. I had to use big pieces because it was too difficult to join small pieces together. My creature was two and a half metres tall.

For a year I had worked to make this creature, but now it looked terrible and frightening. I almost decided to destroy it. But I could not. I had to know if I could put life into it.

I joined the body to the wires from my machine. More wires joined the machine to the mast. I was sure that my machine could use electricity from lightning to give life to the body. I watched and waited. Two days later I saw dark clouds in the sky, and I knew that a storm was coming. At about one o'clock in the morning the lightning came. My mast began to do its work immediately, and the electricity from the lightning travelled down the mast to my machine. Would the machine work?

At first nothing happened. But after a few minutes I saw the creature's body begin to move. Slowly, terribly, the body came alive. Its arms and legs began to move, and slowly it sat up.

The dead body had been an ugly thing, but alive, it was much more horrible. Suddenly I wanted to escape from it. I ran out of the laboratory, and locked the door. I was filled with fear at what I had done.

For hours I walked up and down in my flat. At last I lay down on my bed, and fell asleep. But my sleep was full of terrible dreams, and I woke up suddenly. The horrible thing that I had created was standing by my bed. Its yellow eyes were looking at me; its mouth opened and it made strange sounds at me. On its yellow face there was an awful smile. One of its huge hands reached towards me...

Before it could touch me, I jumped off the bed and ran downstairs into the garden. I stayed there all night, but I could not think clearly. I was afraid. And when morning came, I went out into the town and began to walk about.

I did not notice where I was walking, but soon I came to the station. A train from Geneva had just arrived, and the passengers were leaving the station. One of them ran towards me when he saw me. It was my dear friend Henry Clerval.

He was very pleased to see me. He took my hand and shook it warmly.

'My dear Victor!' he said. 'What a lucky chance that you are here at the station. Your father, and Elizabeth and the others, are very worried about you, because you have not visited them for a long time. They ask me to make sure that you are well. And I have very good news. My father has agreed to let me study at the university, so we shall be able to spend a lot of time together.'

I was very happy to hear this news, and for a moment I forgot my fears. I took Henry back to my flat and asked him to wait outside while I went in to look. I was afraid that the creature was still there. But it had disappeared. At that time I did not think of other people, and what the creature could do to them. I took Henry into the flat and cooked a meal for us. But Henry noticed how thin I was, and that I was laughing too much and could not sit still.

Suddenly he said: 'My dear Victor, what is the matter with you? Are you ill? Has something awful happened?'

'Don't ask me that,' I cried. I put my hands over my eyes. I thought I could see the horrible creature there in front of me. I pointed wildly across the room, and shouted: 'He can tell you. Save me! Save me!' I tried to fight the creature, but there was nothing there. Then I fainted and fell to the floor.

Poor Henry! I do not know what he thought. He called a doctor and they put me to bed. I was very ill for two months, and Henry stayed and looked after me. His loving care saved me from death.

I wanted to go home and see my family as soon as possible. When I was well enough, I packed my clothes and books. All my luggage was ready, and I was feeling very happy when the postman arrived with some letters. One of the letters ended my short time of happiness.

---

steal (stole, stolen) v. take somebody else's things secretly. 偷。

skin n. 皮肤。

huge adj. very, very big 巨大的。

creature n. a living animal or person. 生物。

wire n. a long thin piece of metal; electricity travels through wires. 电线。

immediately adv. at once. 马上。

asleep adv. 睡着了。

fall asleep 睡着。

suddenly adv. at once. 突然。

awful adj. terrible. 可怕的。

passenger n. 乘客。

lucky adj. having good luck. 幸运的。

too much 太多，过分。

wildly adv. too excitedly. 狂野地，过分激动地，发疯地。

save... from...把……从……处挽救出来。

pack v. put things into a bag, box, etc. 包装，整理行装。

luggage n. 行李。

第四章

我在我的实验室中造了一个人体。我所需要的人体各部分均是我买来或偷来的，然后我缓慢而细心地把它们拼凑到了一起。

在干这项可怕的工作时，我没有让任何人进入我的实验室和我的住处。我不敢告诉任何人我那可怕的秘密。

我曾想造一个漂亮的男人，但这个家伙的脸非常可怕：皮肤又薄又黄，眼睛同皮肤一样黄。黑长的头发和白色的牙齿倒也漂亮，脸上的其余部分却很丑陋。

它的腿和胳膊的形状是对的，但它们太大了。因为拼接小块的人体太困难了，我只得用大块的去拼接。我创造的这个东西有2.5米高。

我曾为制造这个东西工作了一年时间，现在它却看上去恐怖吓人。我几乎要决定毁了它。但我做不到。我必须知道我是否能将生命植入其中。

我把那个身体同我机器上的那些电线连接起来。更多的电线再把机器和杆子连接起来。我确信我的机器可以用闪电给那个身体生命。我观察着、等待着。两天后我看到天上有了乌云，知道将有一场暴风雨来临。大约在凌晨1点钟闪电闪了一下。我的杆子立即开始工作，闪电通过杆子传到了我的机器上。机器会管用吗？

起先没有发生什么。但是几分钟过后我看见那个东西的躯体在动。那具躯体缓慢而怕人地变活了。他的胳膊和腿开始移动，而且他慢慢地坐了起来。

那个无生命的躯体本来就可怕，而现在变成活的就更加恐怖了。突然间我想逃开。我跑出实验室并且锁上了门。我对我所做的一切充满了恐惧。

有好几个小时我都在我的房间里走来走去。最后我躺倒在床上并睡着了。可是恶梦萦绕着我，我便猛然醒了过来。我所创造的那个可怕的东西正站在我的床边。他的黄色的眼睛正看着我。他的嘴张着并对我发出奇怪的声音。他的黄色的脸庞上露出可怕的笑容。他的一只大手伸向了我……

没等他碰到我，我便跳下床冲到了楼下的花园里。我整个晚上都待在那儿，只是思维已不清楚了。我很害怕。等到早上，我便走出花园到城里去并开始四处逛悠。

我没注意我在什么地方走，但不久便到了火车站。刚好从日内瓦来了一趟火车，乘客正走出车站。其中一位见到我后便朝我跑了过来。原来是我的好朋友亨利·克勒沃。

他见到我很高兴。他抓住我的手热情地握了起来。

“我亲爱的维克多！”他说道，“你在车站这儿真是巧极了。你父亲、伊丽莎白还有其他人都非常为你担心，因为你很久没有探望他们了。他们让我来看看你的身体是否还好。另外我还有个好消息。我父亲已同意让我上大学学习，这样我们就能有好多时间待在一起了。”

我听了这个消息后很高兴，并且有一阵儿都忘记了我的恐惧感。我把亨利带回我的公寓并让他在外面等着以便我能进去看一看。我害怕那个家伙还在那儿。但是他已经不见了。那时我没有想到过其他人以及那个家伙会对他们怎么样。我把亨利领进屋里并给我们做了顿吃的。然而亨利注意到了我有多么瘦削，我还笑得太多，也不能安静地坐着。

他突然说道：“我亲爱的维克多，你怎么啦？你生病了吗？发生了什么可怕的事情了吗？”

“别问我这个，”我喊道。我用手捂住眼睛。当时我想我能看见那个可怕的家伙正在我的面前。我发疯似地指向屋子，并且喊道：“他能告诉你。救救我！救救我！”我想去同那个家伙搏斗，但那儿什么也没有。然后我就晕过去，倒在了地板上。

可怜的亨利！我不知道他当时是怎么想的。他叫了个医生并且一起把我扶到了床上。我大病了两个月，亨利一直留下来照顾我。他那充满爱意的护理把我从死亡那儿救了回来。

我想尽快回家去见我的家人。在我恢复得足够强壮后，我便收拾起衣服和书籍。我的行李都已准备好了，但是正当我无比高兴时邮递员给我送来了几封信。其中的一封结束了我短暂的快乐时光。

Chapter 5

The letter was from my father in Geneva, and this is what he wrote:

My dear Victor,

I want you to know before you arrive home that an awful thing has happened. Your dear youngest brother, William, is dead. He was murdered. It happened last Thursday evening when Elizabeth and I and your two brothers, Ernest and William, went for a walk outside the city. William and Ernest were playing. William had hidden from Ernest, and Ernest asked Elizabeth and me to help find William. We all began to search for him, but we couldn' t find him. We searched all night. At five in the morning I found him. He was lying on the grass, white and still. I could see the marks of fingers on his neck—the murderer had strangled him.

Elizabeth had let him wear a gold chain of hers round his neck. On the chain was a very small picture of your mother. We all think that someone murdered William to steal the gold chain. Poor Elizabeth is terribly unhappy at William's death. She thinks he died because she let him wear the chain. Hurry home, my dear Victor. You are the only one who can help Elizabeth, and we all need you.

With all our love,

Your Father

Henry helped me to catch the train. The journey seemed very long, and it was late at night before the train reached Geneva. I decided to spend the night in a village outside the town and go home early in the morning. I wanted to see the place where William had died.

As I started my walk, a storm broke and lightning lit the sky. The police had put posts round the place where the murderer had strangled William, so I found it easily. I cried sadly as I stood there. My poor brother had been a kind and happy boy, and we had all loved him.

Again the lightning lit the sky, and I saw a huge figure standing in the rain. When I saw it, I knew at once what it was. It was the creature that I had made.

What was it doing there? But although I asked myself the question, I knew the answer. He had murdered my brother. I was sure that I was right.

I decided to try and catch him. But as I moved, he ran towards the mountains. He ran much faster than any man. He climbed the mountain easily, reached the top, and disappeared.

I stood there in the dark and the rain, and knew that I had created a monster. And he had murdered my brother.

---

murder v. kill. 谋杀，杀害。

murderer n. 凶手。

lie (lying; lay, lain) v. be at rest. 躺。

still adj. quiet, without movement or sound. 不动的，静止的。

strangle v. to kill someone by holding him very hard round the neck. 勒死。

catch the train 赶火车，上火车。

post n. upright piece of wood, metal, etc. to support or mark something. 柱，杆，竿。

create v. make something new. 创造。

monster n. a very large person or animal with a strange, frightening shape. 庞然大物，怪物。

第五章

信是我父亲从日内瓦写来的，下面就是他写的内容：

我亲爱的维克多：

在你到家之前我想让你知道所发生的一件可怕的事情。你亲爱的小弟弟威廉死了。他是被谋杀的。这件事发生在上个礼拜四，那时我和伊丽莎白以及你的两个弟弟欧内斯特和威廉正在城外散步。威廉同欧内斯特当时正玩耍。威廉藏了起来，不让欧内斯特找到，于是欧内斯特要我和伊丽莎白帮着找威廉。我们都找了起来，但没能找到他。我们找了一整夜。早晨5点钟时我找到他。他躺倒在草地上，脸色苍白，身子一动也不动我能看出他脖子上的手指印——是凶手勒死了他。

伊丽莎白曾让他把她的一根金链子戴在脖子上。链子上有一张非常小的、你妈妈的照片。我们都认为是有人为了偷取那条金链子而杀死了威廉。可怜的伊丽莎白对威廉的死非常伤心。她认为他的死是因为她让他戴了那条链子。赶快回家吧，我亲爱的维克多。只有你能帮助伊丽莎白，并且我们都需要你。

我们都爱你！

你的父亲

亨利帮我上了火车。旅途似乎非常漫长；火车到达日内瓦之前已经是深夜了。我决定在城外的一个村子里过夜，然后清晨再回家。我想看看威廉死去的地方。

在我开始步行时，暴发了一场暴风雨，闪电划亮了天空。警察已在威廉被凶手勒死的地方围上了木桩，这样我很容易地找到了那儿。我站在那儿伤心地哭泣着。我可怜的弟弟一向是个善良而快乐的孩子，并且我们都很爱他。

闪电又一次照亮了天空，我看见雨中站着一个巨大的人。当我看见时，我立马就知道那是谁了。那是我创造的那个家伙。

他在那儿干什么？尽管我在问自己这个问题，却已知道了答案。是他杀死了我的弟弟。我敢肯定我是对的。

我决心要抓住他。但在我走动时，他朝山上跑去了。他比任何人都跑得快。他轻松地爬着山，到了山顶并且消失不见了。

我在黑暗中站着并淋着雨，知道自己创造了一个怪物。是他杀死了我的弟弟。

Chapter 6

At first I decided to tell the police my story. But would they believe me? I had been very ill. When the police learnt about my illness, they would think the monster was just one of my bad dreams. I decided that I could not tell anybody.

I went home to my family and they were very pleased to see me. Then they told me that the police had found the murderer. Perhaps you will think that this was good news, but I have not told you who the police had arrested.

As I went into the house, I noticed that one person did not come to meet me. It was Justine, the young woman who looked after the children and who was like a sister to us. And it was Justine that the police had arrested.

A few days after the murder, the police had searched the house and had found the gold chain in Justine's coat pocket. Everyone in the family knew that Justine had not murdered William. I knew who the murderer was, but I could not tell anyone. We were sure that Justine would be free after the trial, because nobody could believe that she was a murderer. But we were wrong.

The trial did not go well for Justine. There were a number of strange facts that were difficult to explain, and the judge decided that she was the murderer. The punishment for murder was death. We argued and cried. We said she could not murder anyone. But nothing could change the judge's order.

So I got up early and went to the judge's house and told him about the monster. He did not believe me. He thought I was lying in order to save Justine's life.

In the prison Justine waited quietly for death. We spent many hours with her, and she spoke calmly and kindly to us. She was happy because we believed that she had not killed William. And she was almost looking forward to death, because then she would be with William and our dear mother in a place of peace.

Her love and gentleness added to my great unhappiness. I knew she was going to die because of me. I knew my brother had died because of me. I had brought nothing but sadness and misery to my family.

I took a boat and went out on Lake Geneva. Why didn't I end my life then? Two things stopped me. My father was old and another death would probably kill him. And I had to stay alive—to keep my family safe from the monster.

Fear for my family and hate for my monster were with me day and night. I became ill again, and Elizabeth's love could not help me. I needed to escape for a while—to leave my unhappiness behind me. So I went to walk alone in the Alps. I hoped the wild beauty of the mountains would help me.

Slowly I became calmer among the beautiful mountains. I learnt to sleep again, and for days I did not see anybody. Then one morning I saw a figure coming towards me faster than any man could go. It jumped easily over the rocks and I saw with horror the monster that I had created. On his face was a look of deep sadness, but also of evil. At first I could not speak because I hated him so much. But at last I said:

'You are an evil creature. I shall kill you if I can, because you have killed two people that I love.'

The monster's yellow eyes looked at me. 'I am the unhappiest creature in the world, but I shall fight for my life,' he said. 'I am bigger and stronger than you, but I will not start the fight. I shall always be gentle to you because you are my king and creator. You made me, and you should love me and be kind to me, like a father. William and Justine died because you did not love me. Why did you create me if you were not ready to love me?'

'We are enemies,' I said. 'Leave me now, or let us fight until one of us is dead. You are a murderer. How can I be kind to you?'

'You say I am a murderer,' the monster said, 'but you want to kill your own creature. Isn't that wrong, too? I ask you to do one thing for me—listen. Come with me to a warmer place, and listen to my story. Then you can decide.'

I thought carefully about what he had said. It was true that I had given him life but I had not given him love. I decided to go with him and listen to his story.

He took me to a mountain hut where he lit a fire. We sat down by the fire and he began to tell me his story.

---

learn about 获悉。

arrest v. seize by the police. 逮捕。

free adj. not be held as a prisoner any longer. 自由的。

trial n. 审判。

punishment n. suffering for wrongdoing. 惩罚。

argue v. quarrel. 争论。

lie v. not tell the truth. 撒谎；n. 谎。

look forward to waiting for something eagerly. 期待。

peace n. 和平，安宁。

misery n. suffering. 痛苦。

keep sb. safe from 使某人免遭……的危害。

the Alps 阿尔卑斯山脉（山名）。

evil n. 罪恶；adj. 罪恶的。

gentle adj. mild, not rough. 温和的。

creator n. 创造者，造物主。

第六章

起先我打算把我的故事告诉警察，但他们会相信我吗？我一直都生着病。如果警察了解到我的病情，他们会认为那个怪物只是我的一个恶梦而已。我决定不去告诉任何人。

我回到家里，家人都为见到我而高兴。接着他们告诉我说警察已找到了凶手。你也许会认为这是个好消息，但是我还没有告诉你警察抓的是谁。

在我进屋时，我注意到有个人没有来见我。那就是贾斯汀，就是曾照看孩子们并像姐妹一样对待我们的那个年轻女孩。而警察逮捕的就是贾斯汀。

在谋杀案发生了几天之后，警察搜查了房子并在贾斯汀的外衣口袋里找到了那条金链。家里人都知道贾斯汀没有杀害过威廉。我清楚凶手是谁，但是我不能告诉任何人。我们确信审判过后贾斯汀将会被释放的，因为没有人相信她是凶手。但是我们错了。

审判对贾斯汀不利。有许多难以解释的奇怪现象，但法官认定她就是凶手。谋杀的处罚乃是死刑。我们一边申辩一边哭喊着。我们说她不可能谋杀任何人。但没什么能改变法官的判决。

于是我一大早便起床到法官的家中并告诉他有关那个怪物的事情。他不相信我。他认为我是为了救贾斯汀而在撒谎。

贾斯汀在监狱里安静地等着死去。我们同她待了好几个小时，她从容而温和地同我们说话。她为我们相信不是她杀害了威廉而高兴。她几乎在期盼着死去，因为那样她就可以在一个安宁的地方同威廉和我们亲爱的妈妈在一起了。

她的爱心和温柔加重了我那巨大的痛苦。我知道她将因我而死去。我知道我弟弟已经因我而死。我给我家里带来的只有悲伤和苦难。

我乘船去了日内瓦湖。我那时为什么没有结束自己的生命呢？那是因为两件事情。我父亲已经年迈，再有人死很可能会要了他的命。并且我必须活着——以便我的家人免遭怪物的伤害。

对家人的担忧和对怪物的痛恨日夜牵扯着我。我再一次病倒了，连伊丽莎白的爱也帮不了我。我需要逃避一阵子——去将伤心抛诸脑后。因此我便独自一人去阿尔卑斯山散步。我希望群山的旷野之美能够帮助我。

在美丽的山峦中我慢慢地平静了些。我又学会了安心去睡，并且有好几天我都没有见任何人。后来的一天早晨我看见有个人朝我走来，比任何人走得都要快。在其轻松地跳过岩石之时，我便恐惧地看见了我所创造的那个怪物。他的脸上露出深深的悲伤，但也带着邪恶。起先我说不出话来，因为我太恨他了。但是最后我说道：

“你是个邪恶的东西。如果我做得到的话，我便会杀了你的，因为你已害死了我爱的两个人了。”

怪物的黄色的眼睛看着我。“我是世界上最不幸的人了，但是我得为我的生命而战斗。”他说道，“虽然我比你大，又比你强壮，但我不会挑起战斗的。我将永远温柔地对待你，因为你是我的国王和我的创造者。你既然造了我，那就应该爱我并善待我，就像一个父亲那样。威廉和贾斯汀的死是因为你不爱我。既然你没有打算爱我那又为什么要创造我呢？”

“我们是敌人。”我说，“马上给我离开，否则就让我们搏斗到我们中的一个死去为止。你是个杀人凶手，我怎么会待你好呢？”

“你说我是一个杀人凶手，”怪物说道，“然而你却要杀死你自己创造的生物。这不也是错误的吗？我请你为我做一件事——听着。跟我到一个暖和些的地方去并且听听我的故事。然后你就可以做出决定了。”

我认真地考虑了他所说的话。我给了他生命却没有给他爱，这是事实。我决定跟他走并听听他的故事。

他带我到了一间他已生了火的山间茅屋。我们围着火坐下后，他便开始讲起了他的故事。

The Monster's Story
怪物的故事

Chapter 7

After I had left the laboratory, I escaped into the country outside the town. I soon felt hungry and thirsty, and my first food was fruit which I found on some trees near a river. I drank from the river and then lay down and went to sleep.

At first my eyes and ears did not work very well, but after a while I began to see and hear clearly.

One day, snow began to fall. Of course, I had never walked in snow before, and I found that it made my feet very cold. I realized that I needed food and a place to get warm. Soon I saw a small hut where an old man was cooking his breakfast over a fire. When the old man saw me, he shouted loudly and ran away as fast as he could. I did not understand what the man was doing, but I wanted to be near the fire. So I sat down in the warm, and ate the man's breakfast. Then I walked across empty fields for some hours until I reached a village. I went into one of the houses, but there were children inside. They began to scream when they saw me, and their mother fainted. The whole village came to see what was the trouble. Some of the people ran away when they saw me, but the others shouted and threw stones at me. They wanted to kill me. I was badly hurt, but I escaped and ran into the open country.

Later, I found an empty hut, which was built against the wall of a small house. I was afraid to go into the house after what had happened in the village, so I hid in the hut. There I was safe, and could escape from the cold, and hide from people who wished to hurt me.

And then I found that there was a small hole in the wall between the hut and the house. Through this hole I could see in to the room next to the hut. Three people lived in the house a beautiful girl, an old man, and a young man.

Day after day I watched the three people. I saw how kind they were to each other. I wanted so much to go into the house and be with them, but I knew I must stay in the hut. I could not forget how the village people had hurt me when I tried to go into the house there.

Each night, after the people in the house had gone to bed, I stole some of their food for myself. But soon I realized that the old man was blind. And I realized too that often the three of them did not have enough to eat. I saw the two young people put extra food on the blind man's plate, although they were hungry themselves.

When I saw that, I stopped stealing their food. Their life was already hard enough, so I went back to the wild fruit in the woods. I tried to help them in other ways, too. During the night I cut firewood for them, and added it secretly to the wood which the young man had cut during the day. I was very happy to see how much this pleased the young man.

After a while I began to understand some of the noises that the people made to each other. The first words that I under stood were words like 'fire', and 'bread'. I also learnt that the three people called each other by names. The girl was Agatha, the young man was Felix, and the old man was called Father. I tried to make the noises that they made, and slowly I began to speak.

The two young people were very beautiful. One day I saw my own face in the water of the river. It was a terrible face. I understood why people were frightened, why they shouted and threw stones. I knew then that I could not let these beautiful people see me. They would be frightened by my horrible face and body.

Summer was coming, and I continued to watch and learn. I also continued to help the two people and their father, and did many jobs for them in the night. They were always surprised in the morning when they saw what I had done. I heard them talk about the 'good creature' who did these 'wonderful' things.

But the family were often sad, and I wished I could make them happy. I looked forward to the time when I could speak well enough to talk to them. And I was happy because I was sure I would soon have three good friends.

---

thirsty adj. in need of some water. 干渴的。

fruit n. 水果。

hut n. small, roughly made house. 小屋。

faint v. fall down suddenly. 晕倒。

badly adv. by much. 大大地。

open adj. out of doors. 户外的，空旷的。

against prep. 与动词连用，表示接触。

escape from run away from. 躲开。

next to 邻近。

day after day 日复一日。

extra adj. additional. 额外的。

hard adj. not easy. 艰苦的。

firewood n. 柴火。

please v. make... happy. 取悦，使……高兴。

call... by name 叫某人的名字。

look oneself in the water. 在水中照镜子。

第七章

我离开实验室后，便逃到了城外的乡间。不久我便感到又饥又渴；我的第一顿食物是我在河边的树上找到的果子。我喝了河里的水，然后躺倒睡着了。

开始时我的眼睛和耳朵不大灵便，但过了一会儿我就能看清楚、听明白了。

有一天，天下起了雪。当然，我以前从未在雪中走过，我发现它让我的双脚感觉非常冷。我意识到我需要食物和住处取暖。我很快便看到了一个小茅舍，里面有个老人正在火上做早饭。当那个老人看到我时，他大声喊叫了起来并以自己最快的速度跑开了。我不明白这个老人在干什么，但是我想靠近火堆。于是我暖暖和和地坐下并吃了这个人做的早餐。然后我在空旷的田野中走了好几个小时，直到到了一个村庄。我走进了其中的一家房子，可是里面有几个孩子。他们见到我后便尖叫起来，他们的母亲也晕倒了。全村的人都来看发生了什么事情。有些人见到我后便跑开了，但另外一些人则喊叫起来并朝我扔石头。他们想要杀死我。我伤得很重，可还是逃脱了并跑进了旷野之中。

后来，我找到了一个空茅屋。它是靠着一个小屋子的一堵墙而建起来的。在那个村子里发生了那桩事之后，我不敢进屋，因而便藏在茅屋中。我在那儿是安全的，并且可以避寒，还可以逃避那些想要伤害我的人。

接着我发现在茅屋和那房屋之间的墙之间有一个洞。通过这个洞我可以看见茅屋隔壁的房间。有三个人住在那个屋子里——一个漂亮的女孩，一个老人，还有一个年轻人。

我一天天地观察着这三个人。我看到他们之间是多么亲密。我非常想进屋去加入他们的行列，但我清楚我必须待在茅屋里。我想走进那个屋子时总忘不了村民们是怎么伤害我的。

每天晚上，在屋子里的那三个人睡下之后，我便把他们的食物偷来给自己吃。然而不久我就意识到那个老人是个瞎子。并且我还意识到那三个人常常食不裹腹。我见到那两个年轻人常给那个老盲人的盘子里多放些食物，尽管他们自己在挨饿。

看到这些后，我就不再偷他们的食物了。他们的生活已经够艰苦的了，于是我便重新靠树林里的野果为生。我还尽力想一些其他办法帮助他们。晚上我为他们砍柴火，还暗中把它们添在那个年轻小伙子白天砍的柴火中。我很高兴看到这能如此取悦于那个年轻人。

不久我开始懂得了那些人彼此之间发出的一些声音了。我最初理解的单词是像“火”还有“面包”这样的词。我还了解到那三个人彼此之间称呼的名字。那个女孩叫“阿加莎”，那个小伙子叫“菲力克斯”，而那老人则叫“父亲”。我努力去发他们发出的声音，于是慢慢地开始说话了。

那两个年轻人很漂亮。有一天我从河中看见我自己的脸。那是张可怕的脸。我明白了人们为什么会害怕、为什么会喊叫并扔石头的原因。那时我才知道我不能让这些漂亮的人们看见我，他们会因为我那可怕的脸和身体而惊恐的。

夏天临近了，我在继续观察和学习。我也在继续帮助那两个人和他们的父亲，并且在晚上给他们干很多活儿。他们早上看到我所做的事情后总是感到很惊奇。我听到他们谈论那个做了这些“好”事的“好人”。

可是这家人经常闷闷不乐。我希望我能让他们高兴。我期盼着我能学会说话而同他们交谈的那一时刻。我也很高兴，因为我确信不久我便会有三个好朋友了。

Chapter 8

One day in summer a lady on horseback rode up to the house and knocked on the door. She had dark hair, and was very beautiful. The family were all very pleased to see her. I soon learnt that her name was Sophie.

She could not speak the family's language, and each evening Felix taught her some words. This was a very great help to me, because I was able to learn the meaning of many words that I had not been able to understand before. Felix taught Sophie from books about what had happened in the world in the past. So I learnt about the Greeks and Romans, and about Christ, and about the first white men in America and the sad story of the Indians. I could not understand why men who knew all about good and evil could hate and kill each other.

I learnt other things too. I learnt that people think it is very important to have money and to come from a good family. I learnt of the love between mother and father and child. And I realized that I had no family. The more I learnt, the more I thought, and the more unhappy I became.

Soon I discovered who Sophie was. The two families had met in France after Sophie and her father arrived there from Turkey, their own country. Sophie's father was put in prison by the French, but Felix and his father helped him to escape and leave France. When the French discovered this, Felix and his family lost all their lands and money, and had to leave France for ever. Now I knew why they were so sad, and why they were poor.

But that was not all. Sophie and Felix loved each other, and Sophie's father had promised that they could marry. Then, when he learnt that Felix had lost all his money, he broke his promise. But Sophie loved Felix very much, so she took some money and escaped from her father to search for Felix.

I had learnt to love these good people and I could not wait another day to introduce myself. I decided to speak first to the father, because he was blind, and would not be frightened by my terrible face and body.

One day the three young people went for a walk while the old man rested. When they had gone, I went to the door of the house and knocked on it.

The old man told me to enter, and to sit down.

'Thank you,' I said. 'I am a traveller, and I'm tired and sad. I have no family or friends. The people that I want to have as my friends have never seen me. If they don't take me into their home, I shall be alone in the world.'

'Don't be so sad,' the old man said. 'You will find that the hearts of men are full of love. If these friends are good people, they will welcome you.'

'They are kind, and the best people in the world,' I said. 'But when they meet me, they may not see a kind creature who has helped them. Instead they may see a monster, and they will hate me.'

'That mustn't happen,' the old man said. 'My family and I have had our difficult times, and we'll help you.'

'You are a very good man,' I said, 'and if you help me, I shall be able to live with my friends and enjoy their love.'

At that moment I heard the young people returning from their walk. I caught the old man's hand, and cried, 'Now is the time! Save me and help me! You and your family are the friends that I am talking about.'

Then the door opened, and in came Felix, Sophie, and Agatha. Their faces were filled with horror and fear when they saw me. Agatha fainted, and Sophie ran out of the house. Felix ran forward and pulled me away from his father. He threw me to the ground and hit me again and again with his heavy stick. I did not lift a hand against him. I did not want to hurt him—or any of them. My heart was heavy, and all hope left me. I ran out of the house and later returned silently to my hut. Nobody saw me.

---

ride v. sit on the horse back, bicycle, etc. 骑。

Greek n. 希腊人；adj. 希腊的。

Roman n. 罗马人；adj. 罗马的。

Christ n.（基督教）救世主，基督。

Turkey n. 土耳其（国名）。

lands n. 土地，地产。

break one's promise 不信守诺言。

introduce oneself 做自我介绍。

time n. 大好时机。

stick n. 棍，棒。

lift a hand against sb. 举手打某人。

第八章

夏季的一天，一位女士骑马跑到了那所房子并敲了敲门。她有一头黑发，人很漂亮。那家人见到她都很高兴。我不久了解到她的名字叫苏菲。

她不会说那个家庭的语言，菲力克斯每个晚上都要教她几个单词。这对我大有帮助，因为我可以知道以前我不懂的许多单词的意思。菲力克斯照着课本教给苏菲这个世界上过去发生的事情。于是我了解到了希腊人和罗马人，还有基督，还有关于美洲的第一批白人及印第安人的悲惨故事。我不能明白那些明白善恶的人们为什么要互相仇恨和残杀。

我也了解到了别的事情。我了解到人们认为有钱和好的家庭出身是非常重要的。我了解到了父母及孩子之间的爱。并且我意识到我是没有家庭的。我了解得越多便想得越多，从而也越伤心。

不久我便知道了苏菲是什么人。在苏菲和她父亲当初从他们的祖国土耳其到达法国后，他们两家便相识了。苏菲的父亲被法国人投进了监狱，但菲力克斯和他父亲帮他逃离了法国。法国人发现了这件事情之后，菲力克斯和他家便失去了所有的土地和钱财，还得永久地离开法国。现在我明白了他们为什么那样悲伤以及他们为什么贫穷。

但是这还不是全部真相。苏菲和菲力克斯彼此相爱，苏菲的父亲也曾答应他们可以结婚的。后来，在他了解到菲力克斯已失去了所有的钱财后便背弃了自己的诺言。然而苏菲非常爱菲力克斯，于是她便拿了些钱从父亲那儿逃开来找菲力克斯。

我已经学会去爱这些好人并再也忍不住要去介绍我自己了。我决定先和那个父亲谈谈，因为他是瞎子，不会被我那恐怖的面容和身体吓倒。

一天，那三个年轻人出去散步而老人（在家）休息。他们走后，我便走到房屋的门前并敲响了它。

老人让我进去并坐下。

“谢谢您，”我说道。“我是个旅行者，我又疲惫又伤心。我没有家庭或朋友。我想和他们交朋友的那些人从未见过我。如果他们不接受我、把我纳为其家庭的一员的话，我就会孤独于世的。”

“不要这样悲伤。”那个老人说道，“你会发现人们的心中都充满了爱。如果这些朋友是好人，他们就会欢迎你的。”

“他们很善良，是世界上最好的人，”我说道，“可是当他们遇见我时，他们就看不出我是一个曾帮助过他们的善良的人了。相反，他们会看到一个怪物，并且他们会恨我。”

“不会这样的。”老人说道，“我和我的家人曾度过艰苦的日子，我们会帮助你的。”

“你真是个好人。”我说道，“如果你肯帮助我，那么我就能够同我的朋友们生活在一起并享受他们的爱了。”

就在那时，我听到那些年轻人散步归来。我抓住老人的手并哭喊道：“现在正是时候！救救我，帮帮我！你和你的家人就是我所谈论的朋友们。”

接着门开了，菲力克斯、苏菲还有阿加莎走了进来。他们看到我时脸上都充满了恐惧的神色。阿加莎晕了过去，苏菲还跑出了屋子。菲力克斯跑上前来，把我从他父亲手中拽开。他把我摔倒在地并用沉重的棍棒不停地打我。我没有还手。我不想伤着他——或者他们中的任何人。我的心情很沉重，所有的希望都破灭了。我跑出了屋子并在晚些时候悄悄地返回到我的茅屋中。没人看到我。

Chapter 9

I sat in my dark hut, and felt both angry and sad. One half of me wanted to hurt the people who had hurt me. The other half of me still loved them. In the end I decided to try to speak to the old man again. I fell into an unhappy sleep, but when I woke in the morning, the family had gone. They had left the house during the night.

I knew the name of only one other person. Although I had seen you, Frankenstein, for only a few moments, I knew that I belonged to you. When I had left your house, I had picked up a small bag. There was a book in the bag, and I could now read it. From it I learnt my creator's name and address. You had made me, but why had you not looked after me, and saved me from this pain and unhappiness? I decided to go to Geneva, to find you.

One day as I was travelling, I saw a young girl running along the side of a river. Suddenly she fell into the water. I jumped into the river, fought against the fast-moving water, and brought her back to land. While I was doing this, the girl's father, who was looking for her, reached us. He was carrying a gun, and when he saw me, he fired. The bullet hit my arm and broke it. I fell to the ground in great pain, and the man and the girl ran into the woods as fast as they could, and left me.

The bullet was deep in my arm, and I lost a lot of blood. After some days my arm began to get better, but I became sadder and angrier than before. I had saved the girl's life, and how did they thank me? With a bullet in the arm! I began to realize that there was no happiness for me in life. Hate grew stronger in me every day. Hate for you, my creator, who had made me.

Two months later, I reached Geneva. That evening I hid among some trees outside the town, and went to sleep. But I woke when a little boy ran into my hiding place. I thought I would catch the child and make him my friend before he was old enough to be frightened of my terrible face. I caught the little boy, but when the child saw me, he covered his eyes with his hands and screamed loudly.

'Let me go, you monster,' the child shouted. 'Let me go, or I will tell my father, Mr Frankenstein. He will call the police, and they'll punish you.'

'Frankenstein!' I shouted. 'You belong to my enemy, the man that I want to hurt.'

The child fought and screamed, and I put my hand round his neck to stop him shouting. In a moment, the child lay dead at my feet. I looked down at his body, and was pleased with what I had done. I knew that the death of this child would hurt you, Victor Frankenstein, my creator.

Then I saw something bright round the child's neck. It was a gold chain, and on the end of it was a picture of a very beautiful woman. I knew that a beautiful woman would never smile at me, and I wanted to run into Geneva and kill as many people as I could. But I stopped myself, and went to look for another hiding place. Soon I found a hut, which seemed to be empty, but when I entered I saw a pretty young woman asleep on the floor. I hated her because she was pretty. So I put the gold chain into one of her pockets, and then, before she could wake up, I ran away. I knew the police would think that she had killed the little boy.

---

still adv. even to this time. 尚，还，依旧。

in the end at last, finally. 最后。

address n. where a person may be found and where letters, etc. may be sent to 地址。

land n. 陆地，岸；v. 着陆。

bullet n. piece of metal (to be) fired from a gun. 子弹。

be frightened of be afraid of. 害怕。

punish v. cause sb. to suffer for his wrongdoing. 惩罚。

look down at sth./sb. 俯视某物／某人。

be pleased with be glad at. 为……高兴。

bright adj. shining. 明亮的。

chain n. 链子。

as many as sb. can 尽量多地。

wake up not sleep any more, be awake. 醒来。

第九章

我坐在黑暗的小茅屋里，感到既愤怒又悲伤。我一方面想去伤害那些伤害过我的人，另一方面却又仍然爱着他们。最后我决定再去试着同那个老人谈一谈。我躺倒后伤心地睡着了，在早上醒来时却发现那家人已经走了。他们是在夜里离开的。

我当时只知道另外一个人的名字。弗兰肯斯坦，尽管当时我只见到你一会儿工夫，但我知道我是属于你的。在我离开你的房子时，我曾捡起过一个小包。包里有一本书，现在我能读懂它了。我从中了解到创造我的人的姓名和地址。你造了我，但为什么你没有照料我并把我从这样的痛苦和伤心之中拯救出来呢？我决心去日内瓦找你。

一天，在旅行时，我看见有个小女孩正沿着河边跑。她突然掉到了水里。我跳到水里同激流搏斗，把她带到了岸上。在我做这件事时，女孩的父亲来到了我们身边，他正在寻找她。他带着一把枪，在看到我后便开了枪。子弹打中了我的胳膊并打断了它。我带着巨大的疼痛倒在了地上，而那个男人和那个女孩则以最快的速度跑进了树林，把我撇在了一边。

子弹在我的胳膊中打得很深，我失了很多血。几天后我的胳膊开始好起来，但我比以前更伤心、更愤怒了。我救了那个女孩的命，他们是怎么感谢我的呢？用一颗子弹射进我的胳膊里！我开始认识到我的生命中没有幸福可言。我心中的仇恨一天比一天强烈。这仇恨是针对你、我的创造者的。

两个月后，我到了日内瓦。那天晚上我躲到城外的几棵树中间并且睡着了。但是在我醒来时有个小孩跑到了我躲藏的地方。我想我可以抓住那个小孩以便在他长大到害怕我那令人恐怖的脸之前同他交个朋友。我抓住了那个小男孩，但当那个孩子看到我时，他用双手捂住了脸并大声尖叫了起来。

“放开我，你这个怪物。”那个孩子嚷道，“放开我，不然我就要告诉我父亲弗兰肯斯坦先生了。他会叫警察来，而且他们会惩罚你的。”

“弗兰肯斯坦！”我大喊道，“你属于我的敌人，我想要伤害的那个男人。”

那个小孩一边搏斗一边叫喊，我于是用手卡住他的脖子以阻止他叫喊。过了一会儿，那个孩子便倒在我的脚下死了。我俯视着他的尸体，对我所做的事感到高兴。我知道这个孩子的死会伤害你，维克多·弗兰肯斯坦，我的创造者。

后来我看见孩子的脖子上有个亮闪闪的东西。那是一条金链，它的末端有一张非常漂亮的女人的照片。我知道漂亮女人是绝不会朝我微笑的，于是便想跑到日内瓦去尽量多杀死几个人。然而我阻止了自己的行动，并去找别的躲藏之处。不久我发现了一个茅屋，它似乎是空的；但当我进去后便见到一个年轻漂亮的女人在地板上熟睡。我恨她就因为她漂亮。于是我把那条金链放到了她的一个口袋中，然后在她醒来之前跑开了。我知道警察会认为是她杀死了那个小男孩的。

The Monster's Story
怪物的故事

Chapter 7

After I had left the laboratory, I escaped into the country outside the town. I soon felt hungry and thirsty, and my first food was fruit which I found on some trees near a river. I drank from the river and then lay down and went to sleep.

At first my eyes and ears did not work very well, but after a while I began to see and hear clearly.

One day, snow began to fall. Of course, I had never walked in snow before, and I found that it made my feet very cold. I realized that I needed food and a place to get warm. Soon I saw a small hut where an old man was cooking his breakfast over a fire. When the old man saw me, he shouted loudly and ran away as fast as he could. I did not understand what the man was doing, but I wanted to be near the fire. So I sat down in the warm, and ate the man's breakfast. Then I walked across empty fields for some hours until I reached a village. I went into one of the houses, but there were children inside. They began to scream when they saw me, and their mother fainted. The whole village came to see what was the trouble. Some of the people ran away when they saw me, but the others shouted and threw stones at me. They wanted to kill me. I was badly hurt, but I escaped and ran into the open country.

Later, I found an empty hut, which was built against the wall of a small house. I was afraid to go into the house after what had happened in the village, so I hid in the hut. There I was safe, and could escape from the cold, and hide from people who wished to hurt me.

And then I found that there was a small hole in the wall between the hut and the house. Through this hole I could see in to the room next to the hut. Three people lived in the house a beautiful girl, an old man, and a young man.

Day after day I watched the three people. I saw how kind they were to each other. I wanted so much to go into the house and be with them, but I knew I must stay in the hut. I could not forget how the village people had hurt me when I tried to go into the house there.

Each night, after the people in the house had gone to bed, I stole some of their food for myself. But soon I realized that the old man was blind. And I realized too that often the three of them did not have enough to eat. I saw the two young people put extra food on the blind man's plate, although they were hungry themselves.

When I saw that, I stopped stealing their food. Their life was already hard enough, so I went back to the wild fruit in the woods. I tried to help them in other ways, too. During the night I cut firewood for them, and added it secretly to the wood which the young man had cut during the day. I was very happy to see how much this pleased the young man.

After a while I began to understand some of the noises that the people made to each other. The first words that I under stood were words like 'fire', and 'bread'. I also learnt that the three people called each other by names. The girl was Agatha, the young man was Felix, and the old man was called Father. I tried to make the noises that they made, and slowly I began to speak.

The two young people were very beautiful. One day I saw my own face in the water of the river. It was a terrible face. I understood why people were frightened, why they shouted and threw stones. I knew then that I could not let these beautiful people see me. They would be frightened by my horrible face and body.

Summer was coming, and I continued to watch and learn. I also continued to help the two people and their father, and did many jobs for them in the night. They were always surprised in the morning when they saw what I had done. I heard them talk about the 'good creature' who did these 'wonderful' things.

But the family were often sad, and I wished I could make them happy. I looked forward to the time when I could speak well enough to talk to them. And I was happy because I was sure I would soon have three good friends.

---

thirsty adj. in need of some water. 干渴的。

fruit n. 水果。

hut n. small, roughly made house. 小屋。

faint v. fall down suddenly. 晕倒。

badly adv. by much. 大大地。

open adj. out of doors. 户外的，空旷的。

against prep. 与动词连用，表示接触。

escape from run away from. 躲开。

next to 邻近。

day after day 日复一日。

extra adj. additional. 额外的。

hard adj. not easy. 艰苦的。

firewood n. 柴火。

please v. make... happy. 取悦，使……高兴。

call... by name 叫某人的名字。

look oneself in the water. 在水中照镜子。

第七章

我离开实验室后，便逃到了城外的乡间。不久我便感到又饥又渴；我的第一顿食物是我在河边的树上找到的果子。我喝了河里的水，然后躺倒睡着了。

开始时我的眼睛和耳朵不大灵便，但过了一会儿我就能看清楚、听明白了。

有一天，天下起了雪。当然，我以前从未在雪中走过，我发现它让我的双脚感觉非常冷。我意识到我需要食物和住处取暖。我很快便看到了一个小茅舍，里面有个老人正在火上做早饭。当那个老人看到我时，他大声喊叫了起来并以自己最快的速度跑开了。我不明白这个老人在干什么，但是我想靠近火堆。于是我暖暖和和地坐下并吃了这个人做的早餐。然后我在空旷的田野中走了好几个小时，直到到了一个村庄。我走进了其中的一家房子，可是里面有几个孩子。他们见到我后便尖叫起来，他们的母亲也晕倒了。全村的人都来看发生了什么事情。有些人见到我后便跑开了，但另外一些人则喊叫起来并朝我扔石头。他们想要杀死我。我伤得很重，可还是逃脱了并跑进了旷野之中。

后来，我找到了一个空茅屋。它是靠着一个小屋子的一堵墙而建起来的。在那个村子里发生了那桩事之后，我不敢进屋，因而便藏在茅屋中。我在那儿是安全的，并且可以避寒，还可以逃避那些想要伤害我的人。

接着我发现在茅屋和那房屋之间的墙之间有一个洞。通过这个洞我可以看见茅屋隔壁的房间。有三个人住在那个屋子里——一个漂亮的女孩，一个老人，还有一个年轻人。

我一天天地观察着这三个人。我看到他们之间是多么亲密。我非常想进屋去加入他们的行列，但我清楚我必须待在茅屋里。我想走进那个屋子时总忘不了村民们是怎么伤害我的。

每天晚上，在屋子里的那三个人睡下之后，我便把他们的食物偷来给自己吃。然而不久我就意识到那个老人是个瞎子。并且我还意识到那三个人常常食不裹腹。我见到那两个年轻人常给那个老盲人的盘子里多放些食物，尽管他们自己在挨饿。

看到这些后，我就不再偷他们的食物了。他们的生活已经够艰苦的了，于是我便重新靠树林里的野果为生。我还尽力想一些其他办法帮助他们。晚上我为他们砍柴火，还暗中把它们添在那个年轻小伙子白天砍的柴火中。我很高兴看到这能如此取悦于那个年轻人。

不久我开始懂得了那些人彼此之间发出的一些声音了。我最初理解的单词是像“火”还有“面包”这样的词。我还了解到那三个人彼此之间称呼的名字。那个女孩叫“阿加莎”，那个小伙子叫“菲力克斯”，而那老人则叫“父亲”。我努力去发他们发出的声音，于是慢慢地开始说话了。

那两个年轻人很漂亮。有一天我从河中看见我自己的脸。那是张可怕的脸。我明白了人们为什么会害怕、为什么会喊叫并扔石头的原因。那时我才知道我不能让这些漂亮的人们看见我，他们会因为我那可怕的脸和身体而惊恐的。

夏天临近了，我在继续观察和学习。我也在继续帮助那两个人和他们的父亲，并且在晚上给他们干很多活儿。他们早上看到我所做的事情后总是感到很惊奇。我听到他们谈论那个做了这些“好”事的“好人”。

可是这家人经常闷闷不乐。我希望我能让他们高兴。我期盼着我能学会说话而同他们交谈的那一时刻。我也很高兴，因为我确信不久我便会有三个好朋友了。

Chapter 8

One day in summer a lady on horseback rode up to the house and knocked on the door. She had dark hair, and was very beautiful. The family were all very pleased to see her. I soon learnt that her name was Sophie.

She could not speak the family's language, and each evening Felix taught her some words. This was a very great help to me, because I was able to learn the meaning of many words that I had not been able to understand before. Felix taught Sophie from books about what had happened in the world in the past. So I learnt about the Greeks and Romans, and about Christ, and about the first white men in America and the sad story of the Indians. I could not understand why men who knew all about good and evil could hate and kill each other.

I learnt other things too. I learnt that people think it is very important to have money and to come from a good family. I learnt of the love between mother and father and child. And I realized that I had no family. The more I learnt, the more I thought, and the more unhappy I became.

Soon I discovered who Sophie was. The two families had met in France after Sophie and her father arrived there from Turkey, their own country. Sophie's father was put in prison by the French, but Felix and his father helped him to escape and leave France. When the French discovered this, Felix and his family lost all their lands and money, and had to leave France for ever. Now I knew why they were so sad, and why they were poor.

But that was not all. Sophie and Felix loved each other, and Sophie's father had promised that they could marry. Then, when he learnt that Felix had lost all his money, he broke his promise. But Sophie loved Felix very much, so she took some money and escaped from her father to search for Felix.

I had learnt to love these good people and I could not wait another day to introduce myself. I decided to speak first to the father, because he was blind, and would not be frightened by my terrible face and body.

One day the three young people went for a walk while the old man rested. When they had gone, I went to the door of the house and knocked on it.

The old man told me to enter, and to sit down.

'Thank you,' I said. 'I am a traveller, and I'm tired and sad. I have no family or friends. The people that I want to have as my friends have never seen me. If they don't take me into their home, I shall be alone in the world.'

'Don't be so sad,' the old man said. 'You will find that the hearts of men are full of love. If these friends are good people, they will welcome you.'

'They are kind, and the best people in the world,' I said. 'But when they meet me, they may not see a kind creature who has helped them. Instead they may see a monster, and they will hate me.'

'That mustn't happen,' the old man said. 'My family and I have had our difficult times, and we'll help you.'

'You are a very good man,' I said, 'and if you help me, I shall be able to live with my friends and enjoy their love.'

At that moment I heard the young people returning from their walk. I caught the old man's hand, and cried, 'Now is the time! Save me and help me! You and your family are the friends that I am talking about.'

Then the door opened, and in came Felix, Sophie, and Agatha. Their faces were filled with horror and fear when they saw me. Agatha fainted, and Sophie ran out of the house. Felix ran forward and pulled me away from his father. He threw me to the ground and hit me again and again with his heavy stick. I did not lift a hand against him. I did not want to hurt him—or any of them. My heart was heavy, and all hope left me. I ran out of the house and later returned silently to my hut. Nobody saw me.

---

ride v. sit on the horse back, bicycle, etc. 骑。

Greek n. 希腊人；adj. 希腊的。

Roman n. 罗马人；adj. 罗马的。

Christ n.（基督教）救世主，基督。

Turkey n. 土耳其（国名）。

lands n. 土地，地产。

break one's promise 不信守诺言。

introduce oneself 做自我介绍。

time n. 大好时机。

stick n. 棍，棒。

lift a hand against sb. 举手打某人。

第八章

夏季的一天，一位女士骑马跑到了那所房子并敲了敲门。她有一头黑发，人很漂亮。那家人见到她都很高兴。我不久了解到她的名字叫苏菲。

她不会说那个家庭的语言，菲力克斯每个晚上都要教她几个单词。这对我大有帮助，因为我可以知道以前我不懂的许多单词的意思。菲力克斯照着课本教给苏菲这个世界上过去发生的事情。于是我了解到了希腊人和罗马人，还有基督，还有关于美洲的第一批白人及印第安人的悲惨故事。我不能明白那些明白善恶的人们为什么要互相仇恨和残杀。

我也了解到了别的事情。我了解到人们认为有钱和好的家庭出身是非常重要的。我了解到了父母及孩子之间的爱。并且我意识到我是没有家庭的。我了解得越多便想得越多，从而也越伤心。

不久我便知道了苏菲是什么人。在苏菲和她父亲当初从他们的祖国土耳其到达法国后，他们两家便相识了。苏菲的父亲被法国人投进了监狱，但菲力克斯和他父亲帮他逃离了法国。法国人发现了这件事情之后，菲力克斯和他家便失去了所有的土地和钱财，还得永久地离开法国。现在我明白了他们为什么那样悲伤以及他们为什么贫穷。

但是这还不是全部真相。苏菲和菲力克斯彼此相爱，苏菲的父亲也曾答应他们可以结婚的。后来，在他了解到菲力克斯已失去了所有的钱财后便背弃了自己的诺言。然而苏菲非常爱菲力克斯，于是她便拿了些钱从父亲那儿逃开来找菲力克斯。

我已经学会去爱这些好人并再也忍不住要去介绍我自己了。我决定先和那个父亲谈谈，因为他是瞎子，不会被我那恐怖的面容和身体吓倒。

一天，那三个年轻人出去散步而老人（在家）休息。他们走后，我便走到房屋的门前并敲响了它。

老人让我进去并坐下。

“谢谢您，”我说道。“我是个旅行者，我又疲惫又伤心。我没有家庭或朋友。我想和他们交朋友的那些人从未见过我。如果他们不接受我、把我纳为其家庭的一员的话，我就会孤独于世的。”

“不要这样悲伤。”那个老人说道，“你会发现人们的心中都充满了爱。如果这些朋友是好人，他们就会欢迎你的。”

“他们很善良，是世界上最好的人，”我说道，“可是当他们遇见我时，他们就看不出我是一个曾帮助过他们的善良的人了。相反，他们会看到一个怪物，并且他们会恨我。”

“不会这样的。”老人说道，“我和我的家人曾度过艰苦的日子，我们会帮助你的。”

“你真是个好人。”我说道，“如果你肯帮助我，那么我就能够同我的朋友们生活在一起并享受他们的爱了。”

就在那时，我听到那些年轻人散步归来。我抓住老人的手并哭喊道：“现在正是时候！救救我，帮帮我！你和你的家人就是我所谈论的朋友们。”

接着门开了，菲力克斯、苏菲还有阿加莎走了进来。他们看到我时脸上都充满了恐惧的神色。阿加莎晕了过去，苏菲还跑出了屋子。菲力克斯跑上前来，把我从他父亲手中拽开。他把我摔倒在地并用沉重的棍棒不停地打我。我没有还手。我不想伤着他——或者他们中的任何人。我的心情很沉重，所有的希望都破灭了。我跑出了屋子并在晚些时候悄悄地返回到我的茅屋中。没人看到我。

Chapter 9

I sat in my dark hut, and felt both angry and sad. One half of me wanted to hurt the people who had hurt me. The other half of me still loved them. In the end I decided to try to speak to the old man again. I fell into an unhappy sleep, but when I woke in the morning, the family had gone. They had left the house during the night.

I knew the name of only one other person. Although I had seen you, Frankenstein, for only a few moments, I knew that I belonged to you. When I had left your house, I had picked up a small bag. There was a book in the bag, and I could now read it. From it I learnt my creator's name and address. You had made me, but why had you not looked after me, and saved me from this pain and unhappiness? I decided to go to Geneva, to find you.

One day as I was travelling, I saw a young girl running along the side of a river. Suddenly she fell into the water. I jumped into the river, fought against the fast-moving water, and brought her back to land. While I was doing this, the girl's father, who was looking for her, reached us. He was carrying a gun, and when he saw me, he fired. The bullet hit my arm and broke it. I fell to the ground in great pain, and the man and the girl ran into the woods as fast as they could, and left me.

The bullet was deep in my arm, and I lost a lot of blood. After some days my arm began to get better, but I became sadder and angrier than before. I had saved the girl's life, and how did they thank me? With a bullet in the arm! I began to realize that there was no happiness for me in life. Hate grew stronger in me every day. Hate for you, my creator, who had made me.

Two months later, I reached Geneva. That evening I hid among some trees outside the town, and went to sleep. But I woke when a little boy ran into my hiding place. I thought I would catch the child and make him my friend before he was old enough to be frightened of my terrible face. I caught the little boy, but when the child saw me, he covered his eyes with his hands and screamed loudly.

'Let me go, you monster,' the child shouted. 'Let me go, or I will tell my father, Mr Frankenstein. He will call the police, and they'll punish you.'

'Frankenstein!' I shouted. 'You belong to my enemy, the man that I want to hurt.'

The child fought and screamed, and I put my hand round his neck to stop him shouting. In a moment, the child lay dead at my feet. I looked down at his body, and was pleased with what I had done. I knew that the death of this child would hurt you, Victor Frankenstein, my creator.

Then I saw something bright round the child's neck. It was a gold chain, and on the end of it was a picture of a very beautiful woman. I knew that a beautiful woman would never smile at me, and I wanted to run into Geneva and kill as many people as I could. But I stopped myself, and went to look for another hiding place. Soon I found a hut, which seemed to be empty, but when I entered I saw a pretty young woman asleep on the floor. I hated her because she was pretty. So I put the gold chain into one of her pockets, and then, before she could wake up, I ran away. I knew the police would think that she had killed the little boy.

---

still adv. even to this time. 尚，还，依旧。

in the end at last, finally. 最后。

address n. where a person may be found and where letters, etc. may be sent to 地址。

land n. 陆地，岸；v. 着陆。

bullet n. piece of metal (to be) fired from a gun. 子弹。

be frightened of be afraid of. 害怕。

punish v. cause sb. to suffer for his wrongdoing. 惩罚。

look down at sth./sb. 俯视某物／某人。

be pleased with be glad at. 为……高兴。

bright adj. shining. 明亮的。

chain n. 链子。

as many as sb. can 尽量多地。

wake up not sleep any more, be awake. 醒来。

第九章

我坐在黑暗的小茅屋里，感到既愤怒又悲伤。我一方面想去伤害那些伤害过我的人，另一方面却又仍然爱着他们。最后我决定再去试着同那个老人谈一谈。我躺倒后伤心地睡着了，在早上醒来时却发现那家人已经走了。他们是在夜里离开的。

我当时只知道另外一个人的名字。弗兰肯斯坦，尽管当时我只见到你一会儿工夫，但我知道我是属于你的。在我离开你的房子时，我曾捡起过一个小包。包里有一本书，现在我能读懂它了。我从中了解到创造我的人的姓名和地址。你造了我，但为什么你没有照料我并把我从这样的痛苦和伤心之中拯救出来呢？我决心去日内瓦找你。

一天，在旅行时，我看见有个小女孩正沿着河边跑。她突然掉到了水里。我跳到水里同激流搏斗，把她带到了岸上。在我做这件事时，女孩的父亲来到了我们身边，他正在寻找她。他带着一把枪，在看到我后便开了枪。子弹打中了我的胳膊并打断了它。我带着巨大的疼痛倒在了地上，而那个男人和那个女孩则以最快的速度跑进了树林，把我撇在了一边。

子弹在我的胳膊中打得很深，我失了很多血。几天后我的胳膊开始好起来，但我比以前更伤心、更愤怒了。我救了那个女孩的命，他们是怎么感谢我的呢？用一颗子弹射进我的胳膊里！我开始认识到我的生命中没有幸福可言。我心中的仇恨一天比一天强烈。这仇恨是针对你、我的创造者的。

两个月后，我到了日内瓦。那天晚上我躲到城外的几棵树中间并且睡着了。但是在我醒来时有个小孩跑到了我躲藏的地方。我想我可以抓住那个小孩以便在他长大到害怕我那令人恐怖的脸之前同他交个朋友。我抓住了那个小男孩，但当那个孩子看到我时，他用双手捂住了脸并大声尖叫了起来。

“放开我，你这个怪物。”那个孩子嚷道，“放开我，不然我就要告诉我父亲弗兰肯斯坦先生了。他会叫警察来，而且他们会惩罚你的。”

“弗兰肯斯坦！”我大喊道，“你属于我的敌人，我想要伤害的那个男人。”

那个小孩一边搏斗一边叫喊，我于是用手卡住他的脖子以阻止他叫喊。过了一会儿，那个孩子便倒在我的脚下死了。我俯视着他的尸体，对我所做的事感到高兴。我知道这个孩子的死会伤害你，维克多·弗兰肯斯坦，我的创造者。

后来我看见孩子的脖子上有个亮闪闪的东西。那是一条金链，它的末端有一张非常漂亮的女人的照片。我知道漂亮女人是绝不会朝我微笑的，于是便想跑到日内瓦去尽量多杀死几个人。然而我阻止了自己的行动，并去找别的躲藏之处。不久我发现了一个茅屋，它似乎是空的；但当我进去后便见到一个年轻漂亮的女人在地板上熟睡。我恨她就因为她漂亮。于是我把那条金链放到了她的一个口袋中，然后在她醒来之前跑开了。我知道警察会认为是她杀死了那个小男孩的。

The Monster's Story
怪物的故事

Chapter 7

After I had left the laboratory, I escaped into the country outside the town. I soon felt hungry and thirsty, and my first food was fruit which I found on some trees near a river. I drank from the river and then lay down and went to sleep.

At first my eyes and ears did not work very well, but after a while I began to see and hear clearly.

One day, snow began to fall. Of course, I had never walked in snow before, and I found that it made my feet very cold. I realized that I needed food and a place to get warm. Soon I saw a small hut where an old man was cooking his breakfast over a fire. When the old man saw me, he shouted loudly and ran away as fast as he could. I did not understand what the man was doing, but I wanted to be near the fire. So I sat down in the warm, and ate the man's breakfast. Then I walked across empty fields for some hours until I reached a village. I went into one of the houses, but there were children inside. They began to scream when they saw me, and their mother fainted. The whole village came to see what was the trouble. Some of the people ran away when they saw me, but the others shouted and threw stones at me. They wanted to kill me. I was badly hurt, but I escaped and ran into the open country.

Later, I found an empty hut, which was built against the wall of a small house. I was afraid to go into the house after what had happened in the village, so I hid in the hut. There I was safe, and could escape from the cold, and hide from people who wished to hurt me.

And then I found that there was a small hole in the wall between the hut and the house. Through this hole I could see in to the room next to the hut. Three people lived in the house a beautiful girl, an old man, and a young man.

Day after day I watched the three people. I saw how kind they were to each other. I wanted so much to go into the house and be with them, but I knew I must stay in the hut. I could not forget how the village people had hurt me when I tried to go into the house there.

Each night, after the people in the house had gone to bed, I stole some of their food for myself. But soon I realized that the old man was blind. And I realized too that often the three of them did not have enough to eat. I saw the two young people put extra food on the blind man's plate, although they were hungry themselves.

When I saw that, I stopped stealing their food. Their life was already hard enough, so I went back to the wild fruit in the woods. I tried to help them in other ways, too. During the night I cut firewood for them, and added it secretly to the wood which the young man had cut during the day. I was very happy to see how much this pleased the young man.

After a while I began to understand some of the noises that the people made to each other. The first words that I under stood were words like 'fire', and 'bread'. I also learnt that the three people called each other by names. The girl was Agatha, the young man was Felix, and the old man was called Father. I tried to make the noises that they made, and slowly I began to speak.

The two young people were very beautiful. One day I saw my own face in the water of the river. It was a terrible face. I understood why people were frightened, why they shouted and threw stones. I knew then that I could not let these beautiful people see me. They would be frightened by my horrible face and body.

Summer was coming, and I continued to watch and learn. I also continued to help the two people and their father, and did many jobs for them in the night. They were always surprised in the morning when they saw what I had done. I heard them talk about the 'good creature' who did these 'wonderful' things.

But the family were often sad, and I wished I could make them happy. I looked forward to the time when I could speak well enough to talk to them. And I was happy because I was sure I would soon have three good friends.

---

thirsty adj. in need of some water. 干渴的。

fruit n. 水果。

hut n. small, roughly made house. 小屋。

faint v. fall down suddenly. 晕倒。

badly adv. by much. 大大地。

open adj. out of doors. 户外的，空旷的。

against prep. 与动词连用，表示接触。

escape from run away from. 躲开。

next to 邻近。

day after day 日复一日。

extra adj. additional. 额外的。

hard adj. not easy. 艰苦的。

firewood n. 柴火。

please v. make... happy. 取悦，使……高兴。

call... by name 叫某人的名字。

look oneself in the water. 在水中照镜子。

第七章

我离开实验室后，便逃到了城外的乡间。不久我便感到又饥又渴；我的第一顿食物是我在河边的树上找到的果子。我喝了河里的水，然后躺倒睡着了。

开始时我的眼睛和耳朵不大灵便，但过了一会儿我就能看清楚、听明白了。

有一天，天下起了雪。当然，我以前从未在雪中走过，我发现它让我的双脚感觉非常冷。我意识到我需要食物和住处取暖。我很快便看到了一个小茅舍，里面有个老人正在火上做早饭。当那个老人看到我时，他大声喊叫了起来并以自己最快的速度跑开了。我不明白这个老人在干什么，但是我想靠近火堆。于是我暖暖和和地坐下并吃了这个人做的早餐。然后我在空旷的田野中走了好几个小时，直到到了一个村庄。我走进了其中的一家房子，可是里面有几个孩子。他们见到我后便尖叫起来，他们的母亲也晕倒了。全村的人都来看发生了什么事情。有些人见到我后便跑开了，但另外一些人则喊叫起来并朝我扔石头。他们想要杀死我。我伤得很重，可还是逃脱了并跑进了旷野之中。

后来，我找到了一个空茅屋。它是靠着一个小屋子的一堵墙而建起来的。在那个村子里发生了那桩事之后，我不敢进屋，因而便藏在茅屋中。我在那儿是安全的，并且可以避寒，还可以逃避那些想要伤害我的人。

接着我发现在茅屋和那房屋之间的墙之间有一个洞。通过这个洞我可以看见茅屋隔壁的房间。有三个人住在那个屋子里——一个漂亮的女孩，一个老人，还有一个年轻人。

我一天天地观察着这三个人。我看到他们之间是多么亲密。我非常想进屋去加入他们的行列，但我清楚我必须待在茅屋里。我想走进那个屋子时总忘不了村民们是怎么伤害我的。

每天晚上，在屋子里的那三个人睡下之后，我便把他们的食物偷来给自己吃。然而不久我就意识到那个老人是个瞎子。并且我还意识到那三个人常常食不裹腹。我见到那两个年轻人常给那个老盲人的盘子里多放些食物，尽管他们自己在挨饿。

看到这些后，我就不再偷他们的食物了。他们的生活已经够艰苦的了，于是我便重新靠树林里的野果为生。我还尽力想一些其他办法帮助他们。晚上我为他们砍柴火，还暗中把它们添在那个年轻小伙子白天砍的柴火中。我很高兴看到这能如此取悦于那个年轻人。

不久我开始懂得了那些人彼此之间发出的一些声音了。我最初理解的单词是像“火”还有“面包”这样的词。我还了解到那三个人彼此之间称呼的名字。那个女孩叫“阿加莎”，那个小伙子叫“菲力克斯”，而那老人则叫“父亲”。我努力去发他们发出的声音，于是慢慢地开始说话了。

那两个年轻人很漂亮。有一天我从河中看见我自己的脸。那是张可怕的脸。我明白了人们为什么会害怕、为什么会喊叫并扔石头的原因。那时我才知道我不能让这些漂亮的人们看见我，他们会因为我那可怕的脸和身体而惊恐的。

夏天临近了，我在继续观察和学习。我也在继续帮助那两个人和他们的父亲，并且在晚上给他们干很多活儿。他们早上看到我所做的事情后总是感到很惊奇。我听到他们谈论那个做了这些“好”事的“好人”。

可是这家人经常闷闷不乐。我希望我能让他们高兴。我期盼着我能学会说话而同他们交谈的那一时刻。我也很高兴，因为我确信不久我便会有三个好朋友了。

Chapter 8

One day in summer a lady on horseback rode up to the house and knocked on the door. She had dark hair, and was very beautiful. The family were all very pleased to see her. I soon learnt that her name was Sophie.

She could not speak the family's language, and each evening Felix taught her some words. This was a very great help to me, because I was able to learn the meaning of many words that I had not been able to understand before. Felix taught Sophie from books about what had happened in the world in the past. So I learnt about the Greeks and Romans, and about Christ, and about the first white men in America and the sad story of the Indians. I could not understand why men who knew all about good and evil could hate and kill each other.

I learnt other things too. I learnt that people think it is very important to have money and to come from a good family. I learnt of the love between mother and father and child. And I realized that I had no family. The more I learnt, the more I thought, and the more unhappy I became.

Soon I discovered who Sophie was. The two families had met in France after Sophie and her father arrived there from Turkey, their own country. Sophie's father was put in prison by the French, but Felix and his father helped him to escape and leave France. When the French discovered this, Felix and his family lost all their lands and money, and had to leave France for ever. Now I knew why they were so sad, and why they were poor.

But that was not all. Sophie and Felix loved each other, and Sophie's father had promised that they could marry. Then, when he learnt that Felix had lost all his money, he broke his promise. But Sophie loved Felix very much, so she took some money and escaped from her father to search for Felix.

I had learnt to love these good people and I could not wait another day to introduce myself. I decided to speak first to the father, because he was blind, and would not be frightened by my terrible face and body.

One day the three young people went for a walk while the old man rested. When they had gone, I went to the door of the house and knocked on it.

The old man told me to enter, and to sit down.

'Thank you,' I said. 'I am a traveller, and I'm tired and sad. I have no family or friends. The people that I want to have as my friends have never seen me. If they don't take me into their home, I shall be alone in the world.'

'Don't be so sad,' the old man said. 'You will find that the hearts of men are full of love. If these friends are good people, they will welcome you.'

'They are kind, and the best people in the world,' I said. 'But when they meet me, they may not see a kind creature who has helped them. Instead they may see a monster, and they will hate me.'

'That mustn't happen,' the old man said. 'My family and I have had our difficult times, and we'll help you.'

'You are a very good man,' I said, 'and if you help me, I shall be able to live with my friends and enjoy their love.'

At that moment I heard the young people returning from their walk. I caught the old man's hand, and cried, 'Now is the time! Save me and help me! You and your family are the friends that I am talking about.'

Then the door opened, and in came Felix, Sophie, and Agatha. Their faces were filled with horror and fear when they saw me. Agatha fainted, and Sophie ran out of the house. Felix ran forward and pulled me away from his father. He threw me to the ground and hit me again and again with his heavy stick. I did not lift a hand against him. I did not want to hurt him—or any of them. My heart was heavy, and all hope left me. I ran out of the house and later returned silently to my hut. Nobody saw me.

---

ride v. sit on the horse back, bicycle, etc. 骑。

Greek n. 希腊人；adj. 希腊的。

Roman n. 罗马人；adj. 罗马的。

Christ n.（基督教）救世主，基督。

Turkey n. 土耳其（国名）。

lands n. 土地，地产。

break one's promise 不信守诺言。

introduce oneself 做自我介绍。

time n. 大好时机。

stick n. 棍，棒。

lift a hand against sb. 举手打某人。

第八章

夏季的一天，一位女士骑马跑到了那所房子并敲了敲门。她有一头黑发，人很漂亮。那家人见到她都很高兴。我不久了解到她的名字叫苏菲。

她不会说那个家庭的语言，菲力克斯每个晚上都要教她几个单词。这对我大有帮助，因为我可以知道以前我不懂的许多单词的意思。菲力克斯照着课本教给苏菲这个世界上过去发生的事情。于是我了解到了希腊人和罗马人，还有基督，还有关于美洲的第一批白人及印第安人的悲惨故事。我不能明白那些明白善恶的人们为什么要互相仇恨和残杀。

我也了解到了别的事情。我了解到人们认为有钱和好的家庭出身是非常重要的。我了解到了父母及孩子之间的爱。并且我意识到我是没有家庭的。我了解得越多便想得越多，从而也越伤心。

不久我便知道了苏菲是什么人。在苏菲和她父亲当初从他们的祖国土耳其到达法国后，他们两家便相识了。苏菲的父亲被法国人投进了监狱，但菲力克斯和他父亲帮他逃离了法国。法国人发现了这件事情之后，菲力克斯和他家便失去了所有的土地和钱财，还得永久地离开法国。现在我明白了他们为什么那样悲伤以及他们为什么贫穷。

但是这还不是全部真相。苏菲和菲力克斯彼此相爱，苏菲的父亲也曾答应他们可以结婚的。后来，在他了解到菲力克斯已失去了所有的钱财后便背弃了自己的诺言。然而苏菲非常爱菲力克斯，于是她便拿了些钱从父亲那儿逃开来找菲力克斯。

我已经学会去爱这些好人并再也忍不住要去介绍我自己了。我决定先和那个父亲谈谈，因为他是瞎子，不会被我那恐怖的面容和身体吓倒。

一天，那三个年轻人出去散步而老人（在家）休息。他们走后，我便走到房屋的门前并敲响了它。

老人让我进去并坐下。

“谢谢您，”我说道。“我是个旅行者，我又疲惫又伤心。我没有家庭或朋友。我想和他们交朋友的那些人从未见过我。如果他们不接受我、把我纳为其家庭的一员的话，我就会孤独于世的。”

“不要这样悲伤。”那个老人说道，“你会发现人们的心中都充满了爱。如果这些朋友是好人，他们就会欢迎你的。”

“他们很善良，是世界上最好的人，”我说道，“可是当他们遇见我时，他们就看不出我是一个曾帮助过他们的善良的人了。相反，他们会看到一个怪物，并且他们会恨我。”

“不会这样的。”老人说道，“我和我的家人曾度过艰苦的日子，我们会帮助你的。”

“你真是个好人。”我说道，“如果你肯帮助我，那么我就能够同我的朋友们生活在一起并享受他们的爱了。”

就在那时，我听到那些年轻人散步归来。我抓住老人的手并哭喊道：“现在正是时候！救救我，帮帮我！你和你的家人就是我所谈论的朋友们。”

接着门开了，菲力克斯、苏菲还有阿加莎走了进来。他们看到我时脸上都充满了恐惧的神色。阿加莎晕了过去，苏菲还跑出了屋子。菲力克斯跑上前来，把我从他父亲手中拽开。他把我摔倒在地并用沉重的棍棒不停地打我。我没有还手。我不想伤着他——或者他们中的任何人。我的心情很沉重，所有的希望都破灭了。我跑出了屋子并在晚些时候悄悄地返回到我的茅屋中。没人看到我。

Chapter 9

I sat in my dark hut, and felt both angry and sad. One half of me wanted to hurt the people who had hurt me. The other half of me still loved them. In the end I decided to try to speak to the old man again. I fell into an unhappy sleep, but when I woke in the morning, the family had gone. They had left the house during the night.

I knew the name of only one other person. Although I had seen you, Frankenstein, for only a few moments, I knew that I belonged to you. When I had left your house, I had picked up a small bag. There was a book in the bag, and I could now read it. From it I learnt my creator's name and address. You had made me, but why had you not looked after me, and saved me from this pain and unhappiness? I decided to go to Geneva, to find you.

One day as I was travelling, I saw a young girl running along the side of a river. Suddenly she fell into the water. I jumped into the river, fought against the fast-moving water, and brought her back to land. While I was doing this, the girl's father, who was looking for her, reached us. He was carrying a gun, and when he saw me, he fired. The bullet hit my arm and broke it. I fell to the ground in great pain, and the man and the girl ran into the woods as fast as they could, and left me.

The bullet was deep in my arm, and I lost a lot of blood. After some days my arm began to get better, but I became sadder and angrier than before. I had saved the girl's life, and how did they thank me? With a bullet in the arm! I began to realize that there was no happiness for me in life. Hate grew stronger in me every day. Hate for you, my creator, who had made me.

Two months later, I reached Geneva. That evening I hid among some trees outside the town, and went to sleep. But I woke when a little boy ran into my hiding place. I thought I would catch the child and make him my friend before he was old enough to be frightened of my terrible face. I caught the little boy, but when the child saw me, he covered his eyes with his hands and screamed loudly.

'Let me go, you monster,' the child shouted. 'Let me go, or I will tell my father, Mr Frankenstein. He will call the police, and they'll punish you.'

'Frankenstein!' I shouted. 'You belong to my enemy, the man that I want to hurt.'

The child fought and screamed, and I put my hand round his neck to stop him shouting. In a moment, the child lay dead at my feet. I looked down at his body, and was pleased with what I had done. I knew that the death of this child would hurt you, Victor Frankenstein, my creator.

Then I saw something bright round the child's neck. It was a gold chain, and on the end of it was a picture of a very beautiful woman. I knew that a beautiful woman would never smile at me, and I wanted to run into Geneva and kill as many people as I could. But I stopped myself, and went to look for another hiding place. Soon I found a hut, which seemed to be empty, but when I entered I saw a pretty young woman asleep on the floor. I hated her because she was pretty. So I put the gold chain into one of her pockets, and then, before she could wake up, I ran away. I knew the police would think that she had killed the little boy.

---

still adv. even to this time. 尚，还，依旧。

in the end at last, finally. 最后。

address n. where a person may be found and where letters, etc. may be sent to 地址。

land n. 陆地，岸；v. 着陆。

bullet n. piece of metal (to be) fired from a gun. 子弹。

be frightened of be afraid of. 害怕。

punish v. cause sb. to suffer for his wrongdoing. 惩罚。

look down at sth./sb. 俯视某物／某人。

be pleased with be glad at. 为……高兴。

bright adj. shining. 明亮的。

chain n. 链子。

as many as sb. can 尽量多地。

wake up not sleep any more, be awake. 醒来。

第九章

我坐在黑暗的小茅屋里，感到既愤怒又悲伤。我一方面想去伤害那些伤害过我的人，另一方面却又仍然爱着他们。最后我决定再去试着同那个老人谈一谈。我躺倒后伤心地睡着了，在早上醒来时却发现那家人已经走了。他们是在夜里离开的。

我当时只知道另外一个人的名字。弗兰肯斯坦，尽管当时我只见到你一会儿工夫，但我知道我是属于你的。在我离开你的房子时，我曾捡起过一个小包。包里有一本书，现在我能读懂它了。我从中了解到创造我的人的姓名和地址。你造了我，但为什么你没有照料我并把我从这样的痛苦和伤心之中拯救出来呢？我决心去日内瓦找你。

一天，在旅行时，我看见有个小女孩正沿着河边跑。她突然掉到了水里。我跳到水里同激流搏斗，把她带到了岸上。在我做这件事时，女孩的父亲来到了我们身边，他正在寻找她。他带着一把枪，在看到我后便开了枪。子弹打中了我的胳膊并打断了它。我带着巨大的疼痛倒在了地上，而那个男人和那个女孩则以最快的速度跑进了树林，把我撇在了一边。

子弹在我的胳膊中打得很深，我失了很多血。几天后我的胳膊开始好起来，但我比以前更伤心、更愤怒了。我救了那个女孩的命，他们是怎么感谢我的呢？用一颗子弹射进我的胳膊里！我开始认识到我的生命中没有幸福可言。我心中的仇恨一天比一天强烈。这仇恨是针对你、我的创造者的。

两个月后，我到了日内瓦。那天晚上我躲到城外的几棵树中间并且睡着了。但是在我醒来时有个小孩跑到了我躲藏的地方。我想我可以抓住那个小孩以便在他长大到害怕我那令人恐怖的脸之前同他交个朋友。我抓住了那个小男孩，但当那个孩子看到我时，他用双手捂住了脸并大声尖叫了起来。

“放开我，你这个怪物。”那个孩子嚷道，“放开我，不然我就要告诉我父亲弗兰肯斯坦先生了。他会叫警察来，而且他们会惩罚你的。”

“弗兰肯斯坦！”我大喊道，“你属于我的敌人，我想要伤害的那个男人。”

那个小孩一边搏斗一边叫喊，我于是用手卡住他的脖子以阻止他叫喊。过了一会儿，那个孩子便倒在我的脚下死了。我俯视着他的尸体，对我所做的事感到高兴。我知道这个孩子的死会伤害你，维克多·弗兰肯斯坦，我的创造者。

后来我看见孩子的脖子上有个亮闪闪的东西。那是一条金链，它的末端有一张非常漂亮的女人的照片。我知道漂亮女人是绝不会朝我微笑的，于是便想跑到日内瓦去尽量多杀死几个人。然而我阻止了自己的行动，并去找别的躲藏之处。不久我发现了一个茅屋，它似乎是空的；但当我进去后便见到一个年轻漂亮的女人在地板上熟睡。我恨她就因为她漂亮。于是我把那条金链放到了她的一个口袋中，然后在她醒来之前跑开了。我知道警察会认为是她杀死了那个小男孩的。

The Monster's Story
怪物的故事

Chapter 7

After I had left the laboratory, I escaped into the country outside the town. I soon felt hungry and thirsty, and my first food was fruit which I found on some trees near a river. I drank from the river and then lay down and went to sleep.

At first my eyes and ears did not work very well, but after a while I began to see and hear clearly.

One day, snow began to fall. Of course, I had never walked in snow before, and I found that it made my feet very cold. I realized that I needed food and a place to get warm. Soon I saw a small hut where an old man was cooking his breakfast over a fire. When the old man saw me, he shouted loudly and ran away as fast as he could. I did not understand what the man was doing, but I wanted to be near the fire. So I sat down in the warm, and ate the man's breakfast. Then I walked across empty fields for some hours until I reached a village. I went into one of the houses, but there were children inside. They began to scream when they saw me, and their mother fainted. The whole village came to see what was the trouble. Some of the people ran away when they saw me, but the others shouted and threw stones at me. They wanted to kill me. I was badly hurt, but I escaped and ran into the open country.

Later, I found an empty hut, which was built against the wall of a small house. I was afraid to go into the house after what had happened in the village, so I hid in the hut. There I was safe, and could escape from the cold, and hide from people who wished to hurt me.

And then I found that there was a small hole in the wall between the hut and the house. Through this hole I could see in to the room next to the hut. Three people lived in the house a beautiful girl, an old man, and a young man.

Day after day I watched the three people. I saw how kind they were to each other. I wanted so much to go into the house and be with them, but I knew I must stay in the hut. I could not forget how the village people had hurt me when I tried to go into the house there.

Each night, after the people in the house had gone to bed, I stole some of their food for myself. But soon I realized that the old man was blind. And I realized too that often the three of them did not have enough to eat. I saw the two young people put extra food on the blind man's plate, although they were hungry themselves.

When I saw that, I stopped stealing their food. Their life was already hard enough, so I went back to the wild fruit in the woods. I tried to help them in other ways, too. During the night I cut firewood for them, and added it secretly to the wood which the young man had cut during the day. I was very happy to see how much this pleased the young man.

After a while I began to understand some of the noises that the people made to each other. The first words that I under stood were words like 'fire', and 'bread'. I also learnt that the three people called each other by names. The girl was Agatha, the young man was Felix, and the old man was called Father. I tried to make the noises that they made, and slowly I began to speak.

The two young people were very beautiful. One day I saw my own face in the water of the river. It was a terrible face. I understood why people were frightened, why they shouted and threw stones. I knew then that I could not let these beautiful people see me. They would be frightened by my horrible face and body.

Summer was coming, and I continued to watch and learn. I also continued to help the two people and their father, and did many jobs for them in the night. They were always surprised in the morning when they saw what I had done. I heard them talk about the 'good creature' who did these 'wonderful' things.

But the family were often sad, and I wished I could make them happy. I looked forward to the time when I could speak well enough to talk to them. And I was happy because I was sure I would soon have three good friends.

---

thirsty adj. in need of some water. 干渴的。

fruit n. 水果。

hut n. small, roughly made house. 小屋。

faint v. fall down suddenly. 晕倒。

badly adv. by much. 大大地。

open adj. out of doors. 户外的，空旷的。

against prep. 与动词连用，表示接触。

escape from run away from. 躲开。

next to 邻近。

day after day 日复一日。

extra adj. additional. 额外的。

hard adj. not easy. 艰苦的。

firewood n. 柴火。

please v. make... happy. 取悦，使……高兴。

call... by name 叫某人的名字。

look oneself in the water. 在水中照镜子。

第七章

我离开实验室后，便逃到了城外的乡间。不久我便感到又饥又渴；我的第一顿食物是我在河边的树上找到的果子。我喝了河里的水，然后躺倒睡着了。

开始时我的眼睛和耳朵不大灵便，但过了一会儿我就能看清楚、听明白了。

有一天，天下起了雪。当然，我以前从未在雪中走过，我发现它让我的双脚感觉非常冷。我意识到我需要食物和住处取暖。我很快便看到了一个小茅舍，里面有个老人正在火上做早饭。当那个老人看到我时，他大声喊叫了起来并以自己最快的速度跑开了。我不明白这个老人在干什么，但是我想靠近火堆。于是我暖暖和和地坐下并吃了这个人做的早餐。然后我在空旷的田野中走了好几个小时，直到到了一个村庄。我走进了其中的一家房子，可是里面有几个孩子。他们见到我后便尖叫起来，他们的母亲也晕倒了。全村的人都来看发生了什么事情。有些人见到我后便跑开了，但另外一些人则喊叫起来并朝我扔石头。他们想要杀死我。我伤得很重，可还是逃脱了并跑进了旷野之中。

后来，我找到了一个空茅屋。它是靠着一个小屋子的一堵墙而建起来的。在那个村子里发生了那桩事之后，我不敢进屋，因而便藏在茅屋中。我在那儿是安全的，并且可以避寒，还可以逃避那些想要伤害我的人。

接着我发现在茅屋和那房屋之间的墙之间有一个洞。通过这个洞我可以看见茅屋隔壁的房间。有三个人住在那个屋子里——一个漂亮的女孩，一个老人，还有一个年轻人。

我一天天地观察着这三个人。我看到他们之间是多么亲密。我非常想进屋去加入他们的行列，但我清楚我必须待在茅屋里。我想走进那个屋子时总忘不了村民们是怎么伤害我的。

每天晚上，在屋子里的那三个人睡下之后，我便把他们的食物偷来给自己吃。然而不久我就意识到那个老人是个瞎子。并且我还意识到那三个人常常食不裹腹。我见到那两个年轻人常给那个老盲人的盘子里多放些食物，尽管他们自己在挨饿。

看到这些后，我就不再偷他们的食物了。他们的生活已经够艰苦的了，于是我便重新靠树林里的野果为生。我还尽力想一些其他办法帮助他们。晚上我为他们砍柴火，还暗中把它们添在那个年轻小伙子白天砍的柴火中。我很高兴看到这能如此取悦于那个年轻人。

不久我开始懂得了那些人彼此之间发出的一些声音了。我最初理解的单词是像“火”还有“面包”这样的词。我还了解到那三个人彼此之间称呼的名字。那个女孩叫“阿加莎”，那个小伙子叫“菲力克斯”，而那老人则叫“父亲”。我努力去发他们发出的声音，于是慢慢地开始说话了。

那两个年轻人很漂亮。有一天我从河中看见我自己的脸。那是张可怕的脸。我明白了人们为什么会害怕、为什么会喊叫并扔石头的原因。那时我才知道我不能让这些漂亮的人们看见我，他们会因为我那可怕的脸和身体而惊恐的。

夏天临近了，我在继续观察和学习。我也在继续帮助那两个人和他们的父亲，并且在晚上给他们干很多活儿。他们早上看到我所做的事情后总是感到很惊奇。我听到他们谈论那个做了这些“好”事的“好人”。

可是这家人经常闷闷不乐。我希望我能让他们高兴。我期盼着我能学会说话而同他们交谈的那一时刻。我也很高兴，因为我确信不久我便会有三个好朋友了。

Chapter 8

One day in summer a lady on horseback rode up to the house and knocked on the door. She had dark hair, and was very beautiful. The family were all very pleased to see her. I soon learnt that her name was Sophie.

She could not speak the family's language, and each evening Felix taught her some words. This was a very great help to me, because I was able to learn the meaning of many words that I had not been able to understand before. Felix taught Sophie from books about what had happened in the world in the past. So I learnt about the Greeks and Romans, and about Christ, and about the first white men in America and the sad story of the Indians. I could not understand why men who knew all about good and evil could hate and kill each other.

I learnt other things too. I learnt that people think it is very important to have money and to come from a good family. I learnt of the love between mother and father and child. And I realized that I had no family. The more I learnt, the more I thought, and the more unhappy I became.

Soon I discovered who Sophie was. The two families had met in France after Sophie and her father arrived there from Turkey, their own country. Sophie's father was put in prison by the French, but Felix and his father helped him to escape and leave France. When the French discovered this, Felix and his family lost all their lands and money, and had to leave France for ever. Now I knew why they were so sad, and why they were poor.

But that was not all. Sophie and Felix loved each other, and Sophie's father had promised that they could marry. Then, when he learnt that Felix had lost all his money, he broke his promise. But Sophie loved Felix very much, so she took some money and escaped from her father to search for Felix.

I had learnt to love these good people and I could not wait another day to introduce myself. I decided to speak first to the father, because he was blind, and would not be frightened by my terrible face and body.

One day the three young people went for a walk while the old man rested. When they had gone, I went to the door of the house and knocked on it.

The old man told me to enter, and to sit down.

'Thank you,' I said. 'I am a traveller, and I'm tired and sad. I have no family or friends. The people that I want to have as my friends have never seen me. If they don't take me into their home, I shall be alone in the world.'

'Don't be so sad,' the old man said. 'You will find that the hearts of men are full of love. If these friends are good people, they will welcome you.'

'They are kind, and the best people in the world,' I said. 'But when they meet me, they may not see a kind creature who has helped them. Instead they may see a monster, and they will hate me.'

'That mustn't happen,' the old man said. 'My family and I have had our difficult times, and we'll help you.'

'You are a very good man,' I said, 'and if you help me, I shall be able to live with my friends and enjoy their love.'

At that moment I heard the young people returning from their walk. I caught the old man's hand, and cried, 'Now is the time! Save me and help me! You and your family are the friends that I am talking about.'

Then the door opened, and in came Felix, Sophie, and Agatha. Their faces were filled with horror and fear when they saw me. Agatha fainted, and Sophie ran out of the house. Felix ran forward and pulled me away from his father. He threw me to the ground and hit me again and again with his heavy stick. I did not lift a hand against him. I did not want to hurt him—or any of them. My heart was heavy, and all hope left me. I ran out of the house and later returned silently to my hut. Nobody saw me.

---

ride v. sit on the horse back, bicycle, etc. 骑。

Greek n. 希腊人；adj. 希腊的。

Roman n. 罗马人；adj. 罗马的。

Christ n.（基督教）救世主，基督。

Turkey n. 土耳其（国名）。

lands n. 土地，地产。

break one's promise 不信守诺言。

introduce oneself 做自我介绍。

time n. 大好时机。

stick n. 棍，棒。

lift a hand against sb. 举手打某人。

第八章

夏季的一天，一位女士骑马跑到了那所房子并敲了敲门。她有一头黑发，人很漂亮。那家人见到她都很高兴。我不久了解到她的名字叫苏菲。

她不会说那个家庭的语言，菲力克斯每个晚上都要教她几个单词。这对我大有帮助，因为我可以知道以前我不懂的许多单词的意思。菲力克斯照着课本教给苏菲这个世界上过去发生的事情。于是我了解到了希腊人和罗马人，还有基督，还有关于美洲的第一批白人及印第安人的悲惨故事。我不能明白那些明白善恶的人们为什么要互相仇恨和残杀。

我也了解到了别的事情。我了解到人们认为有钱和好的家庭出身是非常重要的。我了解到了父母及孩子之间的爱。并且我意识到我是没有家庭的。我了解得越多便想得越多，从而也越伤心。

不久我便知道了苏菲是什么人。在苏菲和她父亲当初从他们的祖国土耳其到达法国后，他们两家便相识了。苏菲的父亲被法国人投进了监狱，但菲力克斯和他父亲帮他逃离了法国。法国人发现了这件事情之后，菲力克斯和他家便失去了所有的土地和钱财，还得永久地离开法国。现在我明白了他们为什么那样悲伤以及他们为什么贫穷。

但是这还不是全部真相。苏菲和菲力克斯彼此相爱，苏菲的父亲也曾答应他们可以结婚的。后来，在他了解到菲力克斯已失去了所有的钱财后便背弃了自己的诺言。然而苏菲非常爱菲力克斯，于是她便拿了些钱从父亲那儿逃开来找菲力克斯。

我已经学会去爱这些好人并再也忍不住要去介绍我自己了。我决定先和那个父亲谈谈，因为他是瞎子，不会被我那恐怖的面容和身体吓倒。

一天，那三个年轻人出去散步而老人（在家）休息。他们走后，我便走到房屋的门前并敲响了它。

老人让我进去并坐下。

“谢谢您，”我说道。“我是个旅行者，我又疲惫又伤心。我没有家庭或朋友。我想和他们交朋友的那些人从未见过我。如果他们不接受我、把我纳为其家庭的一员的话，我就会孤独于世的。”

“不要这样悲伤。”那个老人说道，“你会发现人们的心中都充满了爱。如果这些朋友是好人，他们就会欢迎你的。”

“他们很善良，是世界上最好的人，”我说道，“可是当他们遇见我时，他们就看不出我是一个曾帮助过他们的善良的人了。相反，他们会看到一个怪物，并且他们会恨我。”

“不会这样的。”老人说道，“我和我的家人曾度过艰苦的日子，我们会帮助你的。”

“你真是个好人。”我说道，“如果你肯帮助我，那么我就能够同我的朋友们生活在一起并享受他们的爱了。”

就在那时，我听到那些年轻人散步归来。我抓住老人的手并哭喊道：“现在正是时候！救救我，帮帮我！你和你的家人就是我所谈论的朋友们。”

接着门开了，菲力克斯、苏菲还有阿加莎走了进来。他们看到我时脸上都充满了恐惧的神色。阿加莎晕了过去，苏菲还跑出了屋子。菲力克斯跑上前来，把我从他父亲手中拽开。他把我摔倒在地并用沉重的棍棒不停地打我。我没有还手。我不想伤着他——或者他们中的任何人。我的心情很沉重，所有的希望都破灭了。我跑出了屋子并在晚些时候悄悄地返回到我的茅屋中。没人看到我。

Chapter 9

I sat in my dark hut, and felt both angry and sad. One half of me wanted to hurt the people who had hurt me. The other half of me still loved them. In the end I decided to try to speak to the old man again. I fell into an unhappy sleep, but when I woke in the morning, the family had gone. They had left the house during the night.

I knew the name of only one other person. Although I had seen you, Frankenstein, for only a few moments, I knew that I belonged to you. When I had left your house, I had picked up a small bag. There was a book in the bag, and I could now read it. From it I learnt my creator's name and address. You had made me, but why had you not looked after me, and saved me from this pain and unhappiness? I decided to go to Geneva, to find you.

One day as I was travelling, I saw a young girl running along the side of a river. Suddenly she fell into the water. I jumped into the river, fought against the fast-moving water, and brought her back to land. While I was doing this, the girl's father, who was looking for her, reached us. He was carrying a gun, and when he saw me, he fired. The bullet hit my arm and broke it. I fell to the ground in great pain, and the man and the girl ran into the woods as fast as they could, and left me.

The bullet was deep in my arm, and I lost a lot of blood. After some days my arm began to get better, but I became sadder and angrier than before. I had saved the girl's life, and how did they thank me? With a bullet in the arm! I began to realize that there was no happiness for me in life. Hate grew stronger in me every day. Hate for you, my creator, who had made me.

Two months later, I reached Geneva. That evening I hid among some trees outside the town, and went to sleep. But I woke when a little boy ran into my hiding place. I thought I would catch the child and make him my friend before he was old enough to be frightened of my terrible face. I caught the little boy, but when the child saw me, he covered his eyes with his hands and screamed loudly.

'Let me go, you monster,' the child shouted. 'Let me go, or I will tell my father, Mr Frankenstein. He will call the police, and they'll punish you.'

'Frankenstein!' I shouted. 'You belong to my enemy, the man that I want to hurt.'

The child fought and screamed, and I put my hand round his neck to stop him shouting. In a moment, the child lay dead at my feet. I looked down at his body, and was pleased with what I had done. I knew that the death of this child would hurt you, Victor Frankenstein, my creator.

Then I saw something bright round the child's neck. It was a gold chain, and on the end of it was a picture of a very beautiful woman. I knew that a beautiful woman would never smile at me, and I wanted to run into Geneva and kill as many people as I could. But I stopped myself, and went to look for another hiding place. Soon I found a hut, which seemed to be empty, but when I entered I saw a pretty young woman asleep on the floor. I hated her because she was pretty. So I put the gold chain into one of her pockets, and then, before she could wake up, I ran away. I knew the police would think that she had killed the little boy.

---

still adv. even to this time. 尚，还，依旧。

in the end at last, finally. 最后。

address n. where a person may be found and where letters, etc. may be sent to 地址。

land n. 陆地，岸；v. 着陆。

bullet n. piece of metal (to be) fired from a gun. 子弹。

be frightened of be afraid of. 害怕。

punish v. cause sb. to suffer for his wrongdoing. 惩罚。

look down at sth./sb. 俯视某物／某人。

be pleased with be glad at. 为……高兴。

bright adj. shining. 明亮的。

chain n. 链子。

as many as sb. can 尽量多地。

wake up not sleep any more, be awake. 醒来。

第九章

我坐在黑暗的小茅屋里，感到既愤怒又悲伤。我一方面想去伤害那些伤害过我的人，另一方面却又仍然爱着他们。最后我决定再去试着同那个老人谈一谈。我躺倒后伤心地睡着了，在早上醒来时却发现那家人已经走了。他们是在夜里离开的。

我当时只知道另外一个人的名字。弗兰肯斯坦，尽管当时我只见到你一会儿工夫，但我知道我是属于你的。在我离开你的房子时，我曾捡起过一个小包。包里有一本书，现在我能读懂它了。我从中了解到创造我的人的姓名和地址。你造了我，但为什么你没有照料我并把我从这样的痛苦和伤心之中拯救出来呢？我决心去日内瓦找你。

一天，在旅行时，我看见有个小女孩正沿着河边跑。她突然掉到了水里。我跳到水里同激流搏斗，把她带到了岸上。在我做这件事时，女孩的父亲来到了我们身边，他正在寻找她。他带着一把枪，在看到我后便开了枪。子弹打中了我的胳膊并打断了它。我带着巨大的疼痛倒在了地上，而那个男人和那个女孩则以最快的速度跑进了树林，把我撇在了一边。

子弹在我的胳膊中打得很深，我失了很多血。几天后我的胳膊开始好起来，但我比以前更伤心、更愤怒了。我救了那个女孩的命，他们是怎么感谢我的呢？用一颗子弹射进我的胳膊里！我开始认识到我的生命中没有幸福可言。我心中的仇恨一天比一天强烈。这仇恨是针对你、我的创造者的。

两个月后，我到了日内瓦。那天晚上我躲到城外的几棵树中间并且睡着了。但是在我醒来时有个小孩跑到了我躲藏的地方。我想我可以抓住那个小孩以便在他长大到害怕我那令人恐怖的脸之前同他交个朋友。我抓住了那个小男孩，但当那个孩子看到我时，他用双手捂住了脸并大声尖叫了起来。

“放开我，你这个怪物。”那个孩子嚷道，“放开我，不然我就要告诉我父亲弗兰肯斯坦先生了。他会叫警察来，而且他们会惩罚你的。”

“弗兰肯斯坦！”我大喊道，“你属于我的敌人，我想要伤害的那个男人。”

那个小孩一边搏斗一边叫喊，我于是用手卡住他的脖子以阻止他叫喊。过了一会儿，那个孩子便倒在我的脚下死了。我俯视着他的尸体，对我所做的事感到高兴。我知道这个孩子的死会伤害你，维克多·弗兰肯斯坦，我的创造者。

后来我看见孩子的脖子上有个亮闪闪的东西。那是一条金链，它的末端有一张非常漂亮的女人的照片。我知道漂亮女人是绝不会朝我微笑的，于是便想跑到日内瓦去尽量多杀死几个人。然而我阻止了自己的行动，并去找别的躲藏之处。不久我发现了一个茅屋，它似乎是空的；但当我进去后便见到一个年轻漂亮的女人在地板上熟睡。我恨她就因为她漂亮。于是我把那条金链放到了她的一个口袋中，然后在她醒来之前跑开了。我知道警察会认为是她杀死了那个小男孩的。

The Monster's Story
怪物的故事

Chapter 7

After I had left the laboratory, I escaped into the country outside the town. I soon felt hungry and thirsty, and my first food was fruit which I found on some trees near a river. I drank from the river and then lay down and went to sleep.

At first my eyes and ears did not work very well, but after a while I began to see and hear clearly.

One day, snow began to fall. Of course, I had never walked in snow before, and I found that it made my feet very cold. I realized that I needed food and a place to get warm. Soon I saw a small hut where an old man was cooking his breakfast over a fire. When the old man saw me, he shouted loudly and ran away as fast as he could. I did not understand what the man was doing, but I wanted to be near the fire. So I sat down in the warm, and ate the man's breakfast. Then I walked across empty fields for some hours until I reached a village. I went into one of the houses, but there were children inside. They began to scream when they saw me, and their mother fainted. The whole village came to see what was the trouble. Some of the people ran away when they saw me, but the others shouted and threw stones at me. They wanted to kill me. I was badly hurt, but I escaped and ran into the open country.

Later, I found an empty hut, which was built against the wall of a small house. I was afraid to go into the house after what had happened in the village, so I hid in the hut. There I was safe, and could escape from the cold, and hide from people who wished to hurt me.

And then I found that there was a small hole in the wall between the hut and the house. Through this hole I could see in to the room next to the hut. Three people lived in the house a beautiful girl, an old man, and a young man.

Day after day I watched the three people. I saw how kind they were to each other. I wanted so much to go into the house and be with them, but I knew I must stay in the hut. I could not forget how the village people had hurt me when I tried to go into the house there.

Each night, after the people in the house had gone to bed, I stole some of their food for myself. But soon I realized that the old man was blind. And I realized too that often the three of them did not have enough to eat. I saw the two young people put extra food on the blind man's plate, although they were hungry themselves.

When I saw that, I stopped stealing their food. Their life was already hard enough, so I went back to the wild fruit in the woods. I tried to help them in other ways, too. During the night I cut firewood for them, and added it secretly to the wood which the young man had cut during the day. I was very happy to see how much this pleased the young man.

After a while I began to understand some of the noises that the people made to each other. The first words that I under stood were words like 'fire', and 'bread'. I also learnt that the three people called each other by names. The girl was Agatha, the young man was Felix, and the old man was called Father. I tried to make the noises that they made, and slowly I began to speak.

The two young people were very beautiful. One day I saw my own face in the water of the river. It was a terrible face. I understood why people were frightened, why they shouted and threw stones. I knew then that I could not let these beautiful people see me. They would be frightened by my horrible face and body.

Summer was coming, and I continued to watch and learn. I also continued to help the two people and their father, and did many jobs for them in the night. They were always surprised in the morning when they saw what I had done. I heard them talk about the 'good creature' who did these 'wonderful' things.

But the family were often sad, and I wished I could make them happy. I looked forward to the time when I could speak well enough to talk to them. And I was happy because I was sure I would soon have three good friends.

---

thirsty adj. in need of some water. 干渴的。

fruit n. 水果。

hut n. small, roughly made house. 小屋。

faint v. fall down suddenly. 晕倒。

badly adv. by much. 大大地。

open adj. out of doors. 户外的，空旷的。

against prep. 与动词连用，表示接触。

escape from run away from. 躲开。

next to 邻近。

day after day 日复一日。

extra adj. additional. 额外的。

hard adj. not easy. 艰苦的。

firewood n. 柴火。

please v. make... happy. 取悦，使……高兴。

call... by name 叫某人的名字。

look oneself in the water. 在水中照镜子。

第七章

我离开实验室后，便逃到了城外的乡间。不久我便感到又饥又渴；我的第一顿食物是我在河边的树上找到的果子。我喝了河里的水，然后躺倒睡着了。

开始时我的眼睛和耳朵不大灵便，但过了一会儿我就能看清楚、听明白了。

有一天，天下起了雪。当然，我以前从未在雪中走过，我发现它让我的双脚感觉非常冷。我意识到我需要食物和住处取暖。我很快便看到了一个小茅舍，里面有个老人正在火上做早饭。当那个老人看到我时，他大声喊叫了起来并以自己最快的速度跑开了。我不明白这个老人在干什么，但是我想靠近火堆。于是我暖暖和和地坐下并吃了这个人做的早餐。然后我在空旷的田野中走了好几个小时，直到到了一个村庄。我走进了其中的一家房子，可是里面有几个孩子。他们见到我后便尖叫起来，他们的母亲也晕倒了。全村的人都来看发生了什么事情。有些人见到我后便跑开了，但另外一些人则喊叫起来并朝我扔石头。他们想要杀死我。我伤得很重，可还是逃脱了并跑进了旷野之中。

后来，我找到了一个空茅屋。它是靠着一个小屋子的一堵墙而建起来的。在那个村子里发生了那桩事之后，我不敢进屋，因而便藏在茅屋中。我在那儿是安全的，并且可以避寒，还可以逃避那些想要伤害我的人。

接着我发现在茅屋和那房屋之间的墙之间有一个洞。通过这个洞我可以看见茅屋隔壁的房间。有三个人住在那个屋子里——一个漂亮的女孩，一个老人，还有一个年轻人。

我一天天地观察着这三个人。我看到他们之间是多么亲密。我非常想进屋去加入他们的行列，但我清楚我必须待在茅屋里。我想走进那个屋子时总忘不了村民们是怎么伤害我的。

每天晚上，在屋子里的那三个人睡下之后，我便把他们的食物偷来给自己吃。然而不久我就意识到那个老人是个瞎子。并且我还意识到那三个人常常食不裹腹。我见到那两个年轻人常给那个老盲人的盘子里多放些食物，尽管他们自己在挨饿。

看到这些后，我就不再偷他们的食物了。他们的生活已经够艰苦的了，于是我便重新靠树林里的野果为生。我还尽力想一些其他办法帮助他们。晚上我为他们砍柴火，还暗中把它们添在那个年轻小伙子白天砍的柴火中。我很高兴看到这能如此取悦于那个年轻人。

不久我开始懂得了那些人彼此之间发出的一些声音了。我最初理解的单词是像“火”还有“面包”这样的词。我还了解到那三个人彼此之间称呼的名字。那个女孩叫“阿加莎”，那个小伙子叫“菲力克斯”，而那老人则叫“父亲”。我努力去发他们发出的声音，于是慢慢地开始说话了。

那两个年轻人很漂亮。有一天我从河中看见我自己的脸。那是张可怕的脸。我明白了人们为什么会害怕、为什么会喊叫并扔石头的原因。那时我才知道我不能让这些漂亮的人们看见我，他们会因为我那可怕的脸和身体而惊恐的。

夏天临近了，我在继续观察和学习。我也在继续帮助那两个人和他们的父亲，并且在晚上给他们干很多活儿。他们早上看到我所做的事情后总是感到很惊奇。我听到他们谈论那个做了这些“好”事的“好人”。

可是这家人经常闷闷不乐。我希望我能让他们高兴。我期盼着我能学会说话而同他们交谈的那一时刻。我也很高兴，因为我确信不久我便会有三个好朋友了。

Chapter 8

One day in summer a lady on horseback rode up to the house and knocked on the door. She had dark hair, and was very beautiful. The family were all very pleased to see her. I soon learnt that her name was Sophie.

She could not speak the family's language, and each evening Felix taught her some words. This was a very great help to me, because I was able to learn the meaning of many words that I had not been able to understand before. Felix taught Sophie from books about what had happened in the world in the past. So I learnt about the Greeks and Romans, and about Christ, and about the first white men in America and the sad story of the Indians. I could not understand why men who knew all about good and evil could hate and kill each other.

I learnt other things too. I learnt that people think it is very important to have money and to come from a good family. I learnt of the love between mother and father and child. And I realized that I had no family. The more I learnt, the more I thought, and the more unhappy I became.

Soon I discovered who Sophie was. The two families had met in France after Sophie and her father arrived there from Turkey, their own country. Sophie's father was put in prison by the French, but Felix and his father helped him to escape and leave France. When the French discovered this, Felix and his family lost all their lands and money, and had to leave France for ever. Now I knew why they were so sad, and why they were poor.

But that was not all. Sophie and Felix loved each other, and Sophie's father had promised that they could marry. Then, when he learnt that Felix had lost all his money, he broke his promise. But Sophie loved Felix very much, so she took some money and escaped from her father to search for Felix.

I had learnt to love these good people and I could not wait another day to introduce myself. I decided to speak first to the father, because he was blind, and would not be frightened by my terrible face and body.

One day the three young people went for a walk while the old man rested. When they had gone, I went to the door of the house and knocked on it.

The old man told me to enter, and to sit down.

'Thank you,' I said. 'I am a traveller, and I'm tired and sad. I have no family or friends. The people that I want to have as my friends have never seen me. If they don't take me into their home, I shall be alone in the world.'

'Don't be so sad,' the old man said. 'You will find that the hearts of men are full of love. If these friends are good people, they will welcome you.'

'They are kind, and the best people in the world,' I said. 'But when they meet me, they may not see a kind creature who has helped them. Instead they may see a monster, and they will hate me.'

'That mustn't happen,' the old man said. 'My family and I have had our difficult times, and we'll help you.'

'You are a very good man,' I said, 'and if you help me, I shall be able to live with my friends and enjoy their love.'

At that moment I heard the young people returning from their walk. I caught the old man's hand, and cried, 'Now is the time! Save me and help me! You and your family are the friends that I am talking about.'

Then the door opened, and in came Felix, Sophie, and Agatha. Their faces were filled with horror and fear when they saw me. Agatha fainted, and Sophie ran out of the house. Felix ran forward and pulled me away from his father. He threw me to the ground and hit me again and again with his heavy stick. I did not lift a hand against him. I did not want to hurt him—or any of them. My heart was heavy, and all hope left me. I ran out of the house and later returned silently to my hut. Nobody saw me.

---

ride v. sit on the horse back, bicycle, etc. 骑。

Greek n. 希腊人；adj. 希腊的。

Roman n. 罗马人；adj. 罗马的。

Christ n.（基督教）救世主，基督。

Turkey n. 土耳其（国名）。

lands n. 土地，地产。

break one's promise 不信守诺言。

introduce oneself 做自我介绍。

time n. 大好时机。

stick n. 棍，棒。

lift a hand against sb. 举手打某人。

第八章

夏季的一天，一位女士骑马跑到了那所房子并敲了敲门。她有一头黑发，人很漂亮。那家人见到她都很高兴。我不久了解到她的名字叫苏菲。

她不会说那个家庭的语言，菲力克斯每个晚上都要教她几个单词。这对我大有帮助，因为我可以知道以前我不懂的许多单词的意思。菲力克斯照着课本教给苏菲这个世界上过去发生的事情。于是我了解到了希腊人和罗马人，还有基督，还有关于美洲的第一批白人及印第安人的悲惨故事。我不能明白那些明白善恶的人们为什么要互相仇恨和残杀。

我也了解到了别的事情。我了解到人们认为有钱和好的家庭出身是非常重要的。我了解到了父母及孩子之间的爱。并且我意识到我是没有家庭的。我了解得越多便想得越多，从而也越伤心。

不久我便知道了苏菲是什么人。在苏菲和她父亲当初从他们的祖国土耳其到达法国后，他们两家便相识了。苏菲的父亲被法国人投进了监狱，但菲力克斯和他父亲帮他逃离了法国。法国人发现了这件事情之后，菲力克斯和他家便失去了所有的土地和钱财，还得永久地离开法国。现在我明白了他们为什么那样悲伤以及他们为什么贫穷。

但是这还不是全部真相。苏菲和菲力克斯彼此相爱，苏菲的父亲也曾答应他们可以结婚的。后来，在他了解到菲力克斯已失去了所有的钱财后便背弃了自己的诺言。然而苏菲非常爱菲力克斯，于是她便拿了些钱从父亲那儿逃开来找菲力克斯。

我已经学会去爱这些好人并再也忍不住要去介绍我自己了。我决定先和那个父亲谈谈，因为他是瞎子，不会被我那恐怖的面容和身体吓倒。

一天，那三个年轻人出去散步而老人（在家）休息。他们走后，我便走到房屋的门前并敲响了它。

老人让我进去并坐下。

“谢谢您，”我说道。“我是个旅行者，我又疲惫又伤心。我没有家庭或朋友。我想和他们交朋友的那些人从未见过我。如果他们不接受我、把我纳为其家庭的一员的话，我就会孤独于世的。”

“不要这样悲伤。”那个老人说道，“你会发现人们的心中都充满了爱。如果这些朋友是好人，他们就会欢迎你的。”

“他们很善良，是世界上最好的人，”我说道，“可是当他们遇见我时，他们就看不出我是一个曾帮助过他们的善良的人了。相反，他们会看到一个怪物，并且他们会恨我。”

“不会这样的。”老人说道，“我和我的家人曾度过艰苦的日子，我们会帮助你的。”

“你真是个好人。”我说道，“如果你肯帮助我，那么我就能够同我的朋友们生活在一起并享受他们的爱了。”

就在那时，我听到那些年轻人散步归来。我抓住老人的手并哭喊道：“现在正是时候！救救我，帮帮我！你和你的家人就是我所谈论的朋友们。”

接着门开了，菲力克斯、苏菲还有阿加莎走了进来。他们看到我时脸上都充满了恐惧的神色。阿加莎晕了过去，苏菲还跑出了屋子。菲力克斯跑上前来，把我从他父亲手中拽开。他把我摔倒在地并用沉重的棍棒不停地打我。我没有还手。我不想伤着他——或者他们中的任何人。我的心情很沉重，所有的希望都破灭了。我跑出了屋子并在晚些时候悄悄地返回到我的茅屋中。没人看到我。

Chapter 9

I sat in my dark hut, and felt both angry and sad. One half of me wanted to hurt the people who had hurt me. The other half of me still loved them. In the end I decided to try to speak to the old man again. I fell into an unhappy sleep, but when I woke in the morning, the family had gone. They had left the house during the night.

I knew the name of only one other person. Although I had seen you, Frankenstein, for only a few moments, I knew that I belonged to you. When I had left your house, I had picked up a small bag. There was a book in the bag, and I could now read it. From it I learnt my creator's name and address. You had made me, but why had you not looked after me, and saved me from this pain and unhappiness? I decided to go to Geneva, to find you.

One day as I was travelling, I saw a young girl running along the side of a river. Suddenly she fell into the water. I jumped into the river, fought against the fast-moving water, and brought her back to land. While I was doing this, the girl's father, who was looking for her, reached us. He was carrying a gun, and when he saw me, he fired. The bullet hit my arm and broke it. I fell to the ground in great pain, and the man and the girl ran into the woods as fast as they could, and left me.

The bullet was deep in my arm, and I lost a lot of blood. After some days my arm began to get better, but I became sadder and angrier than before. I had saved the girl's life, and how did they thank me? With a bullet in the arm! I began to realize that there was no happiness for me in life. Hate grew stronger in me every day. Hate for you, my creator, who had made me.

Two months later, I reached Geneva. That evening I hid among some trees outside the town, and went to sleep. But I woke when a little boy ran into my hiding place. I thought I would catch the child and make him my friend before he was old enough to be frightened of my terrible face. I caught the little boy, but when the child saw me, he covered his eyes with his hands and screamed loudly.

'Let me go, you monster,' the child shouted. 'Let me go, or I will tell my father, Mr Frankenstein. He will call the police, and they'll punish you.'

'Frankenstein!' I shouted. 'You belong to my enemy, the man that I want to hurt.'

The child fought and screamed, and I put my hand round his neck to stop him shouting. In a moment, the child lay dead at my feet. I looked down at his body, and was pleased with what I had done. I knew that the death of this child would hurt you, Victor Frankenstein, my creator.

Then I saw something bright round the child's neck. It was a gold chain, and on the end of it was a picture of a very beautiful woman. I knew that a beautiful woman would never smile at me, and I wanted to run into Geneva and kill as many people as I could. But I stopped myself, and went to look for another hiding place. Soon I found a hut, which seemed to be empty, but when I entered I saw a pretty young woman asleep on the floor. I hated her because she was pretty. So I put the gold chain into one of her pockets, and then, before she could wake up, I ran away. I knew the police would think that she had killed the little boy.

---

still adv. even to this time. 尚，还，依旧。

in the end at last, finally. 最后。

address n. where a person may be found and where letters, etc. may be sent to 地址。

land n. 陆地，岸；v. 着陆。

bullet n. piece of metal (to be) fired from a gun. 子弹。

be frightened of be afraid of. 害怕。

punish v. cause sb. to suffer for his wrongdoing. 惩罚。

look down at sth./sb. 俯视某物／某人。

be pleased with be glad at. 为……高兴。

bright adj. shining. 明亮的。

chain n. 链子。

as many as sb. can 尽量多地。

wake up not sleep any more, be awake. 醒来。

第九章

我坐在黑暗的小茅屋里，感到既愤怒又悲伤。我一方面想去伤害那些伤害过我的人，另一方面却又仍然爱着他们。最后我决定再去试着同那个老人谈一谈。我躺倒后伤心地睡着了，在早上醒来时却发现那家人已经走了。他们是在夜里离开的。

我当时只知道另外一个人的名字。弗兰肯斯坦，尽管当时我只见到你一会儿工夫，但我知道我是属于你的。在我离开你的房子时，我曾捡起过一个小包。包里有一本书，现在我能读懂它了。我从中了解到创造我的人的姓名和地址。你造了我，但为什么你没有照料我并把我从这样的痛苦和伤心之中拯救出来呢？我决心去日内瓦找你。

一天，在旅行时，我看见有个小女孩正沿着河边跑。她突然掉到了水里。我跳到水里同激流搏斗，把她带到了岸上。在我做这件事时，女孩的父亲来到了我们身边，他正在寻找她。他带着一把枪，在看到我后便开了枪。子弹打中了我的胳膊并打断了它。我带着巨大的疼痛倒在了地上，而那个男人和那个女孩则以最快的速度跑进了树林，把我撇在了一边。

子弹在我的胳膊中打得很深，我失了很多血。几天后我的胳膊开始好起来，但我比以前更伤心、更愤怒了。我救了那个女孩的命，他们是怎么感谢我的呢？用一颗子弹射进我的胳膊里！我开始认识到我的生命中没有幸福可言。我心中的仇恨一天比一天强烈。这仇恨是针对你、我的创造者的。

两个月后，我到了日内瓦。那天晚上我躲到城外的几棵树中间并且睡着了。但是在我醒来时有个小孩跑到了我躲藏的地方。我想我可以抓住那个小孩以便在他长大到害怕我那令人恐怖的脸之前同他交个朋友。我抓住了那个小男孩，但当那个孩子看到我时，他用双手捂住了脸并大声尖叫了起来。

“放开我，你这个怪物。”那个孩子嚷道，“放开我，不然我就要告诉我父亲弗兰肯斯坦先生了。他会叫警察来，而且他们会惩罚你的。”

“弗兰肯斯坦！”我大喊道，“你属于我的敌人，我想要伤害的那个男人。”

那个小孩一边搏斗一边叫喊，我于是用手卡住他的脖子以阻止他叫喊。过了一会儿，那个孩子便倒在我的脚下死了。我俯视着他的尸体，对我所做的事感到高兴。我知道这个孩子的死会伤害你，维克多·弗兰肯斯坦，我的创造者。

后来我看见孩子的脖子上有个亮闪闪的东西。那是一条金链，它的末端有一张非常漂亮的女人的照片。我知道漂亮女人是绝不会朝我微笑的，于是便想跑到日内瓦去尽量多杀死几个人。然而我阻止了自己的行动，并去找别的躲藏之处。不久我发现了一个茅屋，它似乎是空的；但当我进去后便见到一个年轻漂亮的女人在地板上熟睡。我恨她就因为她漂亮。于是我把那条金链放到了她的一个口袋中，然后在她醒来之前跑开了。我知道警察会认为是她杀死了那个小男孩的。

The Monster's Story
怪物的故事

Chapter 7

After I had left the laboratory, I escaped into the country outside the town. I soon felt hungry and thirsty, and my first food was fruit which I found on some trees near a river. I drank from the river and then lay down and went to sleep.

At first my eyes and ears did not work very well, but after a while I began to see and hear clearly.

One day, snow began to fall. Of course, I had never walked in snow before, and I found that it made my feet very cold. I realized that I needed food and a place to get warm. Soon I saw a small hut where an old man was cooking his breakfast over a fire. When the old man saw me, he shouted loudly and ran away as fast as he could. I did not understand what the man was doing, but I wanted to be near the fire. So I sat down in the warm, and ate the man's breakfast. Then I walked across empty fields for some hours until I reached a village. I went into one of the houses, but there were children inside. They began to scream when they saw me, and their mother fainted. The whole village came to see what was the trouble. Some of the people ran away when they saw me, but the others shouted and threw stones at me. They wanted to kill me. I was badly hurt, but I escaped and ran into the open country.

Later, I found an empty hut, which was built against the wall of a small house. I was afraid to go into the house after what had happened in the village, so I hid in the hut. There I was safe, and could escape from the cold, and hide from people who wished to hurt me.

And then I found that there was a small hole in the wall between the hut and the house. Through this hole I could see in to the room next to the hut. Three people lived in the house a beautiful girl, an old man, and a young man.

Day after day I watched the three people. I saw how kind they were to each other. I wanted so much to go into the house and be with them, but I knew I must stay in the hut. I could not forget how the village people had hurt me when I tried to go into the house there.

Each night, after the people in the house had gone to bed, I stole some of their food for myself. But soon I realized that the old man was blind. And I realized too that often the three of them did not have enough to eat. I saw the two young people put extra food on the blind man's plate, although they were hungry themselves.

When I saw that, I stopped stealing their food. Their life was already hard enough, so I went back to the wild fruit in the woods. I tried to help them in other ways, too. During the night I cut firewood for them, and added it secretly to the wood which the young man had cut during the day. I was very happy to see how much this pleased the young man.

After a while I began to understand some of the noises that the people made to each other. The first words that I under stood were words like 'fire', and 'bread'. I also learnt that the three people called each other by names. The girl was Agatha, the young man was Felix, and the old man was called Father. I tried to make the noises that they made, and slowly I began to speak.

The two young people were very beautiful. One day I saw my own face in the water of the river. It was a terrible face. I understood why people were frightened, why they shouted and threw stones. I knew then that I could not let these beautiful people see me. They would be frightened by my horrible face and body.

Summer was coming, and I continued to watch and learn. I also continued to help the two people and their father, and did many jobs for them in the night. They were always surprised in the morning when they saw what I had done. I heard them talk about the 'good creature' who did these 'wonderful' things.

But the family were often sad, and I wished I could make them happy. I looked forward to the time when I could speak well enough to talk to them. And I was happy because I was sure I would soon have three good friends.

---

thirsty adj. in need of some water. 干渴的。

fruit n. 水果。

hut n. small, roughly made house. 小屋。

faint v. fall down suddenly. 晕倒。

badly adv. by much. 大大地。

open adj. out of doors. 户外的，空旷的。

against prep. 与动词连用，表示接触。

escape from run away from. 躲开。

next to 邻近。

day after day 日复一日。

extra adj. additional. 额外的。

hard adj. not easy. 艰苦的。

firewood n. 柴火。

please v. make... happy. 取悦，使……高兴。

call... by name 叫某人的名字。

look oneself in the water. 在水中照镜子。

第七章

我离开实验室后，便逃到了城外的乡间。不久我便感到又饥又渴；我的第一顿食物是我在河边的树上找到的果子。我喝了河里的水，然后躺倒睡着了。

开始时我的眼睛和耳朵不大灵便，但过了一会儿我就能看清楚、听明白了。

有一天，天下起了雪。当然，我以前从未在雪中走过，我发现它让我的双脚感觉非常冷。我意识到我需要食物和住处取暖。我很快便看到了一个小茅舍，里面有个老人正在火上做早饭。当那个老人看到我时，他大声喊叫了起来并以自己最快的速度跑开了。我不明白这个老人在干什么，但是我想靠近火堆。于是我暖暖和和地坐下并吃了这个人做的早餐。然后我在空旷的田野中走了好几个小时，直到到了一个村庄。我走进了其中的一家房子，可是里面有几个孩子。他们见到我后便尖叫起来，他们的母亲也晕倒了。全村的人都来看发生了什么事情。有些人见到我后便跑开了，但另外一些人则喊叫起来并朝我扔石头。他们想要杀死我。我伤得很重，可还是逃脱了并跑进了旷野之中。

后来，我找到了一个空茅屋。它是靠着一个小屋子的一堵墙而建起来的。在那个村子里发生了那桩事之后，我不敢进屋，因而便藏在茅屋中。我在那儿是安全的，并且可以避寒，还可以逃避那些想要伤害我的人。

接着我发现在茅屋和那房屋之间的墙之间有一个洞。通过这个洞我可以看见茅屋隔壁的房间。有三个人住在那个屋子里——一个漂亮的女孩，一个老人，还有一个年轻人。

我一天天地观察着这三个人。我看到他们之间是多么亲密。我非常想进屋去加入他们的行列，但我清楚我必须待在茅屋里。我想走进那个屋子时总忘不了村民们是怎么伤害我的。

每天晚上，在屋子里的那三个人睡下之后，我便把他们的食物偷来给自己吃。然而不久我就意识到那个老人是个瞎子。并且我还意识到那三个人常常食不裹腹。我见到那两个年轻人常给那个老盲人的盘子里多放些食物，尽管他们自己在挨饿。

看到这些后，我就不再偷他们的食物了。他们的生活已经够艰苦的了，于是我便重新靠树林里的野果为生。我还尽力想一些其他办法帮助他们。晚上我为他们砍柴火，还暗中把它们添在那个年轻小伙子白天砍的柴火中。我很高兴看到这能如此取悦于那个年轻人。

不久我开始懂得了那些人彼此之间发出的一些声音了。我最初理解的单词是像“火”还有“面包”这样的词。我还了解到那三个人彼此之间称呼的名字。那个女孩叫“阿加莎”，那个小伙子叫“菲力克斯”，而那老人则叫“父亲”。我努力去发他们发出的声音，于是慢慢地开始说话了。

那两个年轻人很漂亮。有一天我从河中看见我自己的脸。那是张可怕的脸。我明白了人们为什么会害怕、为什么会喊叫并扔石头的原因。那时我才知道我不能让这些漂亮的人们看见我，他们会因为我那可怕的脸和身体而惊恐的。

夏天临近了，我在继续观察和学习。我也在继续帮助那两个人和他们的父亲，并且在晚上给他们干很多活儿。他们早上看到我所做的事情后总是感到很惊奇。我听到他们谈论那个做了这些“好”事的“好人”。

可是这家人经常闷闷不乐。我希望我能让他们高兴。我期盼着我能学会说话而同他们交谈的那一时刻。我也很高兴，因为我确信不久我便会有三个好朋友了。

Chapter 8

One day in summer a lady on horseback rode up to the house and knocked on the door. She had dark hair, and was very beautiful. The family were all very pleased to see her. I soon learnt that her name was Sophie.

She could not speak the family's language, and each evening Felix taught her some words. This was a very great help to me, because I was able to learn the meaning of many words that I had not been able to understand before. Felix taught Sophie from books about what had happened in the world in the past. So I learnt about the Greeks and Romans, and about Christ, and about the first white men in America and the sad story of the Indians. I could not understand why men who knew all about good and evil could hate and kill each other.

I learnt other things too. I learnt that people think it is very important to have money and to come from a good family. I learnt of the love between mother and father and child. And I realized that I had no family. The more I learnt, the more I thought, and the more unhappy I became.

Soon I discovered who Sophie was. The two families had met in France after Sophie and her father arrived there from Turkey, their own country. Sophie's father was put in prison by the French, but Felix and his father helped him to escape and leave France. When the French discovered this, Felix and his family lost all their lands and money, and had to leave France for ever. Now I knew why they were so sad, and why they were poor.

But that was not all. Sophie and Felix loved each other, and Sophie's father had promised that they could marry. Then, when he learnt that Felix had lost all his money, he broke his promise. But Sophie loved Felix very much, so she took some money and escaped from her father to search for Felix.

I had learnt to love these good people and I could not wait another day to introduce myself. I decided to speak first to the father, because he was blind, and would not be frightened by my terrible face and body.

One day the three young people went for a walk while the old man rested. When they had gone, I went to the door of the house and knocked on it.

The old man told me to enter, and to sit down.

'Thank you,' I said. 'I am a traveller, and I'm tired and sad. I have no family or friends. The people that I want to have as my friends have never seen me. If they don't take me into their home, I shall be alone in the world.'

'Don't be so sad,' the old man said. 'You will find that the hearts of men are full of love. If these friends are good people, they will welcome you.'

'They are kind, and the best people in the world,' I said. 'But when they meet me, they may not see a kind creature who has helped them. Instead they may see a monster, and they will hate me.'

'That mustn't happen,' the old man said. 'My family and I have had our difficult times, and we'll help you.'

'You are a very good man,' I said, 'and if you help me, I shall be able to live with my friends and enjoy their love.'

At that moment I heard the young people returning from their walk. I caught the old man's hand, and cried, 'Now is the time! Save me and help me! You and your family are the friends that I am talking about.'

Then the door opened, and in came Felix, Sophie, and Agatha. Their faces were filled with horror and fear when they saw me. Agatha fainted, and Sophie ran out of the house. Felix ran forward and pulled me away from his father. He threw me to the ground and hit me again and again with his heavy stick. I did not lift a hand against him. I did not want to hurt him—or any of them. My heart was heavy, and all hope left me. I ran out of the house and later returned silently to my hut. Nobody saw me.

---

ride v. sit on the horse back, bicycle, etc. 骑。

Greek n. 希腊人；adj. 希腊的。

Roman n. 罗马人；adj. 罗马的。

Christ n.（基督教）救世主，基督。

Turkey n. 土耳其（国名）。

lands n. 土地，地产。

break one's promise 不信守诺言。

introduce oneself 做自我介绍。

time n. 大好时机。

stick n. 棍，棒。

lift a hand against sb. 举手打某人。

第八章

夏季的一天，一位女士骑马跑到了那所房子并敲了敲门。她有一头黑发，人很漂亮。那家人见到她都很高兴。我不久了解到她的名字叫苏菲。

她不会说那个家庭的语言，菲力克斯每个晚上都要教她几个单词。这对我大有帮助，因为我可以知道以前我不懂的许多单词的意思。菲力克斯照着课本教给苏菲这个世界上过去发生的事情。于是我了解到了希腊人和罗马人，还有基督，还有关于美洲的第一批白人及印第安人的悲惨故事。我不能明白那些明白善恶的人们为什么要互相仇恨和残杀。

我也了解到了别的事情。我了解到人们认为有钱和好的家庭出身是非常重要的。我了解到了父母及孩子之间的爱。并且我意识到我是没有家庭的。我了解得越多便想得越多，从而也越伤心。

不久我便知道了苏菲是什么人。在苏菲和她父亲当初从他们的祖国土耳其到达法国后，他们两家便相识了。苏菲的父亲被法国人投进了监狱，但菲力克斯和他父亲帮他逃离了法国。法国人发现了这件事情之后，菲力克斯和他家便失去了所有的土地和钱财，还得永久地离开法国。现在我明白了他们为什么那样悲伤以及他们为什么贫穷。

但是这还不是全部真相。苏菲和菲力克斯彼此相爱，苏菲的父亲也曾答应他们可以结婚的。后来，在他了解到菲力克斯已失去了所有的钱财后便背弃了自己的诺言。然而苏菲非常爱菲力克斯，于是她便拿了些钱从父亲那儿逃开来找菲力克斯。

我已经学会去爱这些好人并再也忍不住要去介绍我自己了。我决定先和那个父亲谈谈，因为他是瞎子，不会被我那恐怖的面容和身体吓倒。

一天，那三个年轻人出去散步而老人（在家）休息。他们走后，我便走到房屋的门前并敲响了它。

老人让我进去并坐下。

“谢谢您，”我说道。“我是个旅行者，我又疲惫又伤心。我没有家庭或朋友。我想和他们交朋友的那些人从未见过我。如果他们不接受我、把我纳为其家庭的一员的话，我就会孤独于世的。”

“不要这样悲伤。”那个老人说道，“你会发现人们的心中都充满了爱。如果这些朋友是好人，他们就会欢迎你的。”

“他们很善良，是世界上最好的人，”我说道，“可是当他们遇见我时，他们就看不出我是一个曾帮助过他们的善良的人了。相反，他们会看到一个怪物，并且他们会恨我。”

“不会这样的。”老人说道，“我和我的家人曾度过艰苦的日子，我们会帮助你的。”

“你真是个好人。”我说道，“如果你肯帮助我，那么我就能够同我的朋友们生活在一起并享受他们的爱了。”

就在那时，我听到那些年轻人散步归来。我抓住老人的手并哭喊道：“现在正是时候！救救我，帮帮我！你和你的家人就是我所谈论的朋友们。”

接着门开了，菲力克斯、苏菲还有阿加莎走了进来。他们看到我时脸上都充满了恐惧的神色。阿加莎晕了过去，苏菲还跑出了屋子。菲力克斯跑上前来，把我从他父亲手中拽开。他把我摔倒在地并用沉重的棍棒不停地打我。我没有还手。我不想伤着他——或者他们中的任何人。我的心情很沉重，所有的希望都破灭了。我跑出了屋子并在晚些时候悄悄地返回到我的茅屋中。没人看到我。

Chapter 9

I sat in my dark hut, and felt both angry and sad. One half of me wanted to hurt the people who had hurt me. The other half of me still loved them. In the end I decided to try to speak to the old man again. I fell into an unhappy sleep, but when I woke in the morning, the family had gone. They had left the house during the night.

I knew the name of only one other person. Although I had seen you, Frankenstein, for only a few moments, I knew that I belonged to you. When I had left your house, I had picked up a small bag. There was a book in the bag, and I could now read it. From it I learnt my creator's name and address. You had made me, but why had you not looked after me, and saved me from this pain and unhappiness? I decided to go to Geneva, to find you.

One day as I was travelling, I saw a young girl running along the side of a river. Suddenly she fell into the water. I jumped into the river, fought against the fast-moving water, and brought her back to land. While I was doing this, the girl's father, who was looking for her, reached us. He was carrying a gun, and when he saw me, he fired. The bullet hit my arm and broke it. I fell to the ground in great pain, and the man and the girl ran into the woods as fast as they could, and left me.

The bullet was deep in my arm, and I lost a lot of blood. After some days my arm began to get better, but I became sadder and angrier than before. I had saved the girl's life, and how did they thank me? With a bullet in the arm! I began to realize that there was no happiness for me in life. Hate grew stronger in me every day. Hate for you, my creator, who had made me.

Two months later, I reached Geneva. That evening I hid among some trees outside the town, and went to sleep. But I woke when a little boy ran into my hiding place. I thought I would catch the child and make him my friend before he was old enough to be frightened of my terrible face. I caught the little boy, but when the child saw me, he covered his eyes with his hands and screamed loudly.

'Let me go, you monster,' the child shouted. 'Let me go, or I will tell my father, Mr Frankenstein. He will call the police, and they'll punish you.'

'Frankenstein!' I shouted. 'You belong to my enemy, the man that I want to hurt.'

The child fought and screamed, and I put my hand round his neck to stop him shouting. In a moment, the child lay dead at my feet. I looked down at his body, and was pleased with what I had done. I knew that the death of this child would hurt you, Victor Frankenstein, my creator.

Then I saw something bright round the child's neck. It was a gold chain, and on the end of it was a picture of a very beautiful woman. I knew that a beautiful woman would never smile at me, and I wanted to run into Geneva and kill as many people as I could. But I stopped myself, and went to look for another hiding place. Soon I found a hut, which seemed to be empty, but when I entered I saw a pretty young woman asleep on the floor. I hated her because she was pretty. So I put the gold chain into one of her pockets, and then, before she could wake up, I ran away. I knew the police would think that she had killed the little boy.

---

still adv. even to this time. 尚，还，依旧。

in the end at last, finally. 最后。

address n. where a person may be found and where letters, etc. may be sent to 地址。

land n. 陆地，岸；v. 着陆。

bullet n. piece of metal (to be) fired from a gun. 子弹。

be frightened of be afraid of. 害怕。

punish v. cause sb. to suffer for his wrongdoing. 惩罚。

look down at sth./sb. 俯视某物／某人。

be pleased with be glad at. 为……高兴。

bright adj. shining. 明亮的。

chain n. 链子。

as many as sb. can 尽量多地。

wake up not sleep any more, be awake. 醒来。

第九章

我坐在黑暗的小茅屋里，感到既愤怒又悲伤。我一方面想去伤害那些伤害过我的人，另一方面却又仍然爱着他们。最后我决定再去试着同那个老人谈一谈。我躺倒后伤心地睡着了，在早上醒来时却发现那家人已经走了。他们是在夜里离开的。

我当时只知道另外一个人的名字。弗兰肯斯坦，尽管当时我只见到你一会儿工夫，但我知道我是属于你的。在我离开你的房子时，我曾捡起过一个小包。包里有一本书，现在我能读懂它了。我从中了解到创造我的人的姓名和地址。你造了我，但为什么你没有照料我并把我从这样的痛苦和伤心之中拯救出来呢？我决心去日内瓦找你。

一天，在旅行时，我看见有个小女孩正沿着河边跑。她突然掉到了水里。我跳到水里同激流搏斗，把她带到了岸上。在我做这件事时，女孩的父亲来到了我们身边，他正在寻找她。他带着一把枪，在看到我后便开了枪。子弹打中了我的胳膊并打断了它。我带着巨大的疼痛倒在了地上，而那个男人和那个女孩则以最快的速度跑进了树林，把我撇在了一边。

子弹在我的胳膊中打得很深，我失了很多血。几天后我的胳膊开始好起来，但我比以前更伤心、更愤怒了。我救了那个女孩的命，他们是怎么感谢我的呢？用一颗子弹射进我的胳膊里！我开始认识到我的生命中没有幸福可言。我心中的仇恨一天比一天强烈。这仇恨是针对你、我的创造者的。

两个月后，我到了日内瓦。那天晚上我躲到城外的几棵树中间并且睡着了。但是在我醒来时有个小孩跑到了我躲藏的地方。我想我可以抓住那个小孩以便在他长大到害怕我那令人恐怖的脸之前同他交个朋友。我抓住了那个小男孩，但当那个孩子看到我时，他用双手捂住了脸并大声尖叫了起来。

“放开我，你这个怪物。”那个孩子嚷道，“放开我，不然我就要告诉我父亲弗兰肯斯坦先生了。他会叫警察来，而且他们会惩罚你的。”

“弗兰肯斯坦！”我大喊道，“你属于我的敌人，我想要伤害的那个男人。”

那个小孩一边搏斗一边叫喊，我于是用手卡住他的脖子以阻止他叫喊。过了一会儿，那个孩子便倒在我的脚下死了。我俯视着他的尸体，对我所做的事感到高兴。我知道这个孩子的死会伤害你，维克多·弗兰肯斯坦，我的创造者。

后来我看见孩子的脖子上有个亮闪闪的东西。那是一条金链，它的末端有一张非常漂亮的女人的照片。我知道漂亮女人是绝不会朝我微笑的，于是便想跑到日内瓦去尽量多杀死几个人。然而我阻止了自己的行动，并去找别的躲藏之处。不久我发现了一个茅屋，它似乎是空的；但当我进去后便见到一个年轻漂亮的女人在地板上熟睡。我恨她就因为她漂亮。于是我把那条金链放到了她的一个口袋中，然后在她醒来之前跑开了。我知道警察会认为是她杀死了那个小男孩的。

The Monster's Story
怪物的故事

Chapter 7

After I had left the laboratory, I escaped into the country outside the town. I soon felt hungry and thirsty, and my first food was fruit which I found on some trees near a river. I drank from the river and then lay down and went to sleep.

At first my eyes and ears did not work very well, but after a while I began to see and hear clearly.

One day, snow began to fall. Of course, I had never walked in snow before, and I found that it made my feet very cold. I realized that I needed food and a place to get warm. Soon I saw a small hut where an old man was cooking his breakfast over a fire. When the old man saw me, he shouted loudly and ran away as fast as he could. I did not understand what the man was doing, but I wanted to be near the fire. So I sat down in the warm, and ate the man's breakfast. Then I walked across empty fields for some hours until I reached a village. I went into one of the houses, but there were children inside. They began to scream when they saw me, and their mother fainted. The whole village came to see what was the trouble. Some of the people ran away when they saw me, but the others shouted and threw stones at me. They wanted to kill me. I was badly hurt, but I escaped and ran into the open country.

Later, I found an empty hut, which was built against the wall of a small house. I was afraid to go into the house after what had happened in the village, so I hid in the hut. There I was safe, and could escape from the cold, and hide from people who wished to hurt me.

And then I found that there was a small hole in the wall between the hut and the house. Through this hole I could see in to the room next to the hut. Three people lived in the house a beautiful girl, an old man, and a young man.

Day after day I watched the three people. I saw how kind they were to each other. I wanted so much to go into the house and be with them, but I knew I must stay in the hut. I could not forget how the village people had hurt me when I tried to go into the house there.

Each night, after the people in the house had gone to bed, I stole some of their food for myself. But soon I realized that the old man was blind. And I realized too that often the three of them did not have enough to eat. I saw the two young people put extra food on the blind man's plate, although they were hungry themselves.

When I saw that, I stopped stealing their food. Their life was already hard enough, so I went back to the wild fruit in the woods. I tried to help them in other ways, too. During the night I cut firewood for them, and added it secretly to the wood which the young man had cut during the day. I was very happy to see how much this pleased the young man.

After a while I began to understand some of the noises that the people made to each other. The first words that I under stood were words like 'fire', and 'bread'. I also learnt that the three people called each other by names. The girl was Agatha, the young man was Felix, and the old man was called Father. I tried to make the noises that they made, and slowly I began to speak.

The two young people were very beautiful. One day I saw my own face in the water of the river. It was a terrible face. I understood why people were frightened, why they shouted and threw stones. I knew then that I could not let these beautiful people see me. They would be frightened by my horrible face and body.

Summer was coming, and I continued to watch and learn. I also continued to help the two people and their father, and did many jobs for them in the night. They were always surprised in the morning when they saw what I had done. I heard them talk about the 'good creature' who did these 'wonderful' things.

But the family were often sad, and I wished I could make them happy. I looked forward to the time when I could speak well enough to talk to them. And I was happy because I was sure I would soon have three good friends.

---

thirsty adj. in need of some water. 干渴的。

fruit n. 水果。

hut n. small, roughly made house. 小屋。

faint v. fall down suddenly. 晕倒。

badly adv. by much. 大大地。

open adj. out of doors. 户外的，空旷的。

against prep. 与动词连用，表示接触。

escape from run away from. 躲开。

next to 邻近。

day after day 日复一日。

extra adj. additional. 额外的。

hard adj. not easy. 艰苦的。

firewood n. 柴火。

please v. make... happy. 取悦，使……高兴。

call... by name 叫某人的名字。

look oneself in the water. 在水中照镜子。

第七章

我离开实验室后，便逃到了城外的乡间。不久我便感到又饥又渴；我的第一顿食物是我在河边的树上找到的果子。我喝了河里的水，然后躺倒睡着了。

开始时我的眼睛和耳朵不大灵便，但过了一会儿我就能看清楚、听明白了。

有一天，天下起了雪。当然，我以前从未在雪中走过，我发现它让我的双脚感觉非常冷。我意识到我需要食物和住处取暖。我很快便看到了一个小茅舍，里面有个老人正在火上做早饭。当那个老人看到我时，他大声喊叫了起来并以自己最快的速度跑开了。我不明白这个老人在干什么，但是我想靠近火堆。于是我暖暖和和地坐下并吃了这个人做的早餐。然后我在空旷的田野中走了好几个小时，直到到了一个村庄。我走进了其中的一家房子，可是里面有几个孩子。他们见到我后便尖叫起来，他们的母亲也晕倒了。全村的人都来看发生了什么事情。有些人见到我后便跑开了，但另外一些人则喊叫起来并朝我扔石头。他们想要杀死我。我伤得很重，可还是逃脱了并跑进了旷野之中。

后来，我找到了一个空茅屋。它是靠着一个小屋子的一堵墙而建起来的。在那个村子里发生了那桩事之后，我不敢进屋，因而便藏在茅屋中。我在那儿是安全的，并且可以避寒，还可以逃避那些想要伤害我的人。

接着我发现在茅屋和那房屋之间的墙之间有一个洞。通过这个洞我可以看见茅屋隔壁的房间。有三个人住在那个屋子里——一个漂亮的女孩，一个老人，还有一个年轻人。

我一天天地观察着这三个人。我看到他们之间是多么亲密。我非常想进屋去加入他们的行列，但我清楚我必须待在茅屋里。我想走进那个屋子时总忘不了村民们是怎么伤害我的。

每天晚上，在屋子里的那三个人睡下之后，我便把他们的食物偷来给自己吃。然而不久我就意识到那个老人是个瞎子。并且我还意识到那三个人常常食不裹腹。我见到那两个年轻人常给那个老盲人的盘子里多放些食物，尽管他们自己在挨饿。

看到这些后，我就不再偷他们的食物了。他们的生活已经够艰苦的了，于是我便重新靠树林里的野果为生。我还尽力想一些其他办法帮助他们。晚上我为他们砍柴火，还暗中把它们添在那个年轻小伙子白天砍的柴火中。我很高兴看到这能如此取悦于那个年轻人。

不久我开始懂得了那些人彼此之间发出的一些声音了。我最初理解的单词是像“火”还有“面包”这样的词。我还了解到那三个人彼此之间称呼的名字。那个女孩叫“阿加莎”，那个小伙子叫“菲力克斯”，而那老人则叫“父亲”。我努力去发他们发出的声音，于是慢慢地开始说话了。

那两个年轻人很漂亮。有一天我从河中看见我自己的脸。那是张可怕的脸。我明白了人们为什么会害怕、为什么会喊叫并扔石头的原因。那时我才知道我不能让这些漂亮的人们看见我，他们会因为我那可怕的脸和身体而惊恐的。

夏天临近了，我在继续观察和学习。我也在继续帮助那两个人和他们的父亲，并且在晚上给他们干很多活儿。他们早上看到我所做的事情后总是感到很惊奇。我听到他们谈论那个做了这些“好”事的“好人”。

可是这家人经常闷闷不乐。我希望我能让他们高兴。我期盼着我能学会说话而同他们交谈的那一时刻。我也很高兴，因为我确信不久我便会有三个好朋友了。

Chapter 8

One day in summer a lady on horseback rode up to the house and knocked on the door. She had dark hair, and was very beautiful. The family were all very pleased to see her. I soon learnt that her name was Sophie.

She could not speak the family's language, and each evening Felix taught her some words. This was a very great help to me, because I was able to learn the meaning of many words that I had not been able to understand before. Felix taught Sophie from books about what had happened in the world in the past. So I learnt about the Greeks and Romans, and about Christ, and about the first white men in America and the sad story of the Indians. I could not understand why men who knew all about good and evil could hate and kill each other.

I learnt other things too. I learnt that people think it is very important to have money and to come from a good family. I learnt of the love between mother and father and child. And I realized that I had no family. The more I learnt, the more I thought, and the more unhappy I became.

Soon I discovered who Sophie was. The two families had met in France after Sophie and her father arrived there from Turkey, their own country. Sophie's father was put in prison by the French, but Felix and his father helped him to escape and leave France. When the French discovered this, Felix and his family lost all their lands and money, and had to leave France for ever. Now I knew why they were so sad, and why they were poor.

But that was not all. Sophie and Felix loved each other, and Sophie's father had promised that they could marry. Then, when he learnt that Felix had lost all his money, he broke his promise. But Sophie loved Felix very much, so she took some money and escaped from her father to search for Felix.

I had learnt to love these good people and I could not wait another day to introduce myself. I decided to speak first to the father, because he was blind, and would not be frightened by my terrible face and body.

One day the three young people went for a walk while the old man rested. When they had gone, I went to the door of the house and knocked on it.

The old man told me to enter, and to sit down.

'Thank you,' I said. 'I am a traveller, and I'm tired and sad. I have no family or friends. The people that I want to have as my friends have never seen me. If they don't take me into their home, I shall be alone in the world.'

'Don't be so sad,' the old man said. 'You will find that the hearts of men are full of love. If these friends are good people, they will welcome you.'

'They are kind, and the best people in the world,' I said. 'But when they meet me, they may not see a kind creature who has helped them. Instead they may see a monster, and they will hate me.'

'That mustn't happen,' the old man said. 'My family and I have had our difficult times, and we'll help you.'

'You are a very good man,' I said, 'and if you help me, I shall be able to live with my friends and enjoy their love.'

At that moment I heard the young people returning from their walk. I caught the old man's hand, and cried, 'Now is the time! Save me and help me! You and your family are the friends that I am talking about.'

Then the door opened, and in came Felix, Sophie, and Agatha. Their faces were filled with horror and fear when they saw me. Agatha fainted, and Sophie ran out of the house. Felix ran forward and pulled me away from his father. He threw me to the ground and hit me again and again with his heavy stick. I did not lift a hand against him. I did not want to hurt him—or any of them. My heart was heavy, and all hope left me. I ran out of the house and later returned silently to my hut. Nobody saw me.

---

ride v. sit on the horse back, bicycle, etc. 骑。

Greek n. 希腊人；adj. 希腊的。

Roman n. 罗马人；adj. 罗马的。

Christ n.（基督教）救世主，基督。

Turkey n. 土耳其（国名）。

lands n. 土地，地产。

break one's promise 不信守诺言。

introduce oneself 做自我介绍。

time n. 大好时机。

stick n. 棍，棒。

lift a hand against sb. 举手打某人。

第八章

夏季的一天，一位女士骑马跑到了那所房子并敲了敲门。她有一头黑发，人很漂亮。那家人见到她都很高兴。我不久了解到她的名字叫苏菲。

她不会说那个家庭的语言，菲力克斯每个晚上都要教她几个单词。这对我大有帮助，因为我可以知道以前我不懂的许多单词的意思。菲力克斯照着课本教给苏菲这个世界上过去发生的事情。于是我了解到了希腊人和罗马人，还有基督，还有关于美洲的第一批白人及印第安人的悲惨故事。我不能明白那些明白善恶的人们为什么要互相仇恨和残杀。

我也了解到了别的事情。我了解到人们认为有钱和好的家庭出身是非常重要的。我了解到了父母及孩子之间的爱。并且我意识到我是没有家庭的。我了解得越多便想得越多，从而也越伤心。

不久我便知道了苏菲是什么人。在苏菲和她父亲当初从他们的祖国土耳其到达法国后，他们两家便相识了。苏菲的父亲被法国人投进了监狱，但菲力克斯和他父亲帮他逃离了法国。法国人发现了这件事情之后，菲力克斯和他家便失去了所有的土地和钱财，还得永久地离开法国。现在我明白了他们为什么那样悲伤以及他们为什么贫穷。

但是这还不是全部真相。苏菲和菲力克斯彼此相爱，苏菲的父亲也曾答应他们可以结婚的。后来，在他了解到菲力克斯已失去了所有的钱财后便背弃了自己的诺言。然而苏菲非常爱菲力克斯，于是她便拿了些钱从父亲那儿逃开来找菲力克斯。

我已经学会去爱这些好人并再也忍不住要去介绍我自己了。我决定先和那个父亲谈谈，因为他是瞎子，不会被我那恐怖的面容和身体吓倒。

一天，那三个年轻人出去散步而老人（在家）休息。他们走后，我便走到房屋的门前并敲响了它。

老人让我进去并坐下。

“谢谢您，”我说道。“我是个旅行者，我又疲惫又伤心。我没有家庭或朋友。我想和他们交朋友的那些人从未见过我。如果他们不接受我、把我纳为其家庭的一员的话，我就会孤独于世的。”

“不要这样悲伤。”那个老人说道，“你会发现人们的心中都充满了爱。如果这些朋友是好人，他们就会欢迎你的。”

“他们很善良，是世界上最好的人，”我说道，“可是当他们遇见我时，他们就看不出我是一个曾帮助过他们的善良的人了。相反，他们会看到一个怪物，并且他们会恨我。”

“不会这样的。”老人说道，“我和我的家人曾度过艰苦的日子，我们会帮助你的。”

“你真是个好人。”我说道，“如果你肯帮助我，那么我就能够同我的朋友们生活在一起并享受他们的爱了。”

就在那时，我听到那些年轻人散步归来。我抓住老人的手并哭喊道：“现在正是时候！救救我，帮帮我！你和你的家人就是我所谈论的朋友们。”

接着门开了，菲力克斯、苏菲还有阿加莎走了进来。他们看到我时脸上都充满了恐惧的神色。阿加莎晕了过去，苏菲还跑出了屋子。菲力克斯跑上前来，把我从他父亲手中拽开。他把我摔倒在地并用沉重的棍棒不停地打我。我没有还手。我不想伤着他——或者他们中的任何人。我的心情很沉重，所有的希望都破灭了。我跑出了屋子并在晚些时候悄悄地返回到我的茅屋中。没人看到我。

Chapter 9

I sat in my dark hut, and felt both angry and sad. One half of me wanted to hurt the people who had hurt me. The other half of me still loved them. In the end I decided to try to speak to the old man again. I fell into an unhappy sleep, but when I woke in the morning, the family had gone. They had left the house during the night.

I knew the name of only one other person. Although I had seen you, Frankenstein, for only a few moments, I knew that I belonged to you. When I had left your house, I had picked up a small bag. There was a book in the bag, and I could now read it. From it I learnt my creator's name and address. You had made me, but why had you not looked after me, and saved me from this pain and unhappiness? I decided to go to Geneva, to find you.

One day as I was travelling, I saw a young girl running along the side of a river. Suddenly she fell into the water. I jumped into the river, fought against the fast-moving water, and brought her back to land. While I was doing this, the girl's father, who was looking for her, reached us. He was carrying a gun, and when he saw me, he fired. The bullet hit my arm and broke it. I fell to the ground in great pain, and the man and the girl ran into the woods as fast as they could, and left me.

The bullet was deep in my arm, and I lost a lot of blood. After some days my arm began to get better, but I became sadder and angrier than before. I had saved the girl's life, and how did they thank me? With a bullet in the arm! I began to realize that there was no happiness for me in life. Hate grew stronger in me every day. Hate for you, my creator, who had made me.

Two months later, I reached Geneva. That evening I hid among some trees outside the town, and went to sleep. But I woke when a little boy ran into my hiding place. I thought I would catch the child and make him my friend before he was old enough to be frightened of my terrible face. I caught the little boy, but when the child saw me, he covered his eyes with his hands and screamed loudly.

'Let me go, you monster,' the child shouted. 'Let me go, or I will tell my father, Mr Frankenstein. He will call the police, and they'll punish you.'

'Frankenstein!' I shouted. 'You belong to my enemy, the man that I want to hurt.'

The child fought and screamed, and I put my hand round his neck to stop him shouting. In a moment, the child lay dead at my feet. I looked down at his body, and was pleased with what I had done. I knew that the death of this child would hurt you, Victor Frankenstein, my creator.

Then I saw something bright round the child's neck. It was a gold chain, and on the end of it was a picture of a very beautiful woman. I knew that a beautiful woman would never smile at me, and I wanted to run into Geneva and kill as many people as I could. But I stopped myself, and went to look for another hiding place. Soon I found a hut, which seemed to be empty, but when I entered I saw a pretty young woman asleep on the floor. I hated her because she was pretty. So I put the gold chain into one of her pockets, and then, before she could wake up, I ran away. I knew the police would think that she had killed the little boy.

---

still adv. even to this time. 尚，还，依旧。

in the end at last, finally. 最后。

address n. where a person may be found and where letters, etc. may be sent to 地址。

land n. 陆地，岸；v. 着陆。

bullet n. piece of metal (to be) fired from a gun. 子弹。

be frightened of be afraid of. 害怕。

punish v. cause sb. to suffer for his wrongdoing. 惩罚。

look down at sth./sb. 俯视某物／某人。

be pleased with be glad at. 为……高兴。

bright adj. shining. 明亮的。

chain n. 链子。

as many as sb. can 尽量多地。

wake up not sleep any more, be awake. 醒来。

第九章

我坐在黑暗的小茅屋里，感到既愤怒又悲伤。我一方面想去伤害那些伤害过我的人，另一方面却又仍然爱着他们。最后我决定再去试着同那个老人谈一谈。我躺倒后伤心地睡着了，在早上醒来时却发现那家人已经走了。他们是在夜里离开的。

我当时只知道另外一个人的名字。弗兰肯斯坦，尽管当时我只见到你一会儿工夫，但我知道我是属于你的。在我离开你的房子时，我曾捡起过一个小包。包里有一本书，现在我能读懂它了。我从中了解到创造我的人的姓名和地址。你造了我，但为什么你没有照料我并把我从这样的痛苦和伤心之中拯救出来呢？我决心去日内瓦找你。

一天，在旅行时，我看见有个小女孩正沿着河边跑。她突然掉到了水里。我跳到水里同激流搏斗，把她带到了岸上。在我做这件事时，女孩的父亲来到了我们身边，他正在寻找她。他带着一把枪，在看到我后便开了枪。子弹打中了我的胳膊并打断了它。我带着巨大的疼痛倒在了地上，而那个男人和那个女孩则以最快的速度跑进了树林，把我撇在了一边。

子弹在我的胳膊中打得很深，我失了很多血。几天后我的胳膊开始好起来，但我比以前更伤心、更愤怒了。我救了那个女孩的命，他们是怎么感谢我的呢？用一颗子弹射进我的胳膊里！我开始认识到我的生命中没有幸福可言。我心中的仇恨一天比一天强烈。这仇恨是针对你、我的创造者的。

两个月后，我到了日内瓦。那天晚上我躲到城外的几棵树中间并且睡着了。但是在我醒来时有个小孩跑到了我躲藏的地方。我想我可以抓住那个小孩以便在他长大到害怕我那令人恐怖的脸之前同他交个朋友。我抓住了那个小男孩，但当那个孩子看到我时，他用双手捂住了脸并大声尖叫了起来。

“放开我，你这个怪物。”那个孩子嚷道，“放开我，不然我就要告诉我父亲弗兰肯斯坦先生了。他会叫警察来，而且他们会惩罚你的。”

“弗兰肯斯坦！”我大喊道，“你属于我的敌人，我想要伤害的那个男人。”

那个小孩一边搏斗一边叫喊，我于是用手卡住他的脖子以阻止他叫喊。过了一会儿，那个孩子便倒在我的脚下死了。我俯视着他的尸体，对我所做的事感到高兴。我知道这个孩子的死会伤害你，维克多·弗兰肯斯坦，我的创造者。

后来我看见孩子的脖子上有个亮闪闪的东西。那是一条金链，它的末端有一张非常漂亮的女人的照片。我知道漂亮女人是绝不会朝我微笑的，于是便想跑到日内瓦去尽量多杀死几个人。然而我阻止了自己的行动，并去找别的躲藏之处。不久我发现了一个茅屋，它似乎是空的；但当我进去后便见到一个年轻漂亮的女人在地板上熟睡。我恨她就因为她漂亮。于是我把那条金链放到了她的一个口袋中，然后在她醒来之前跑开了。我知道警察会认为是她杀死了那个小男孩的。

Victor Frankenstein Continues His Story
维克多·弗兰肯斯坦继续讲他的故事

Chapter 10

The monster finished telling me his story, and then he said:

'I am alone and miserable. Only someone as ugly as I am could love me. You must make another creature like me, a woman monster to be my wife.'

'I shall never make another creature like you,' I shouted. 'You have done enough evil on your own.'

'If you don' t help me, I shall make you more miserable than you have ever been in your life. You will wish you were dead,' the monster said. 'But if you make another monster to be my friend, we won't hurt anyone. Be kind to me now, and I will learn to love and be kind.'

I thought long and hard about the monster's words. I felt sorry for him. He was so miserable. Perhaps I should help him.

'I shall do what you ask,' I told him. 'But you must promise to live somewhere in the world where nobody lives. You must promise to stay away from other people.'

'I promise! I promise!' he cried. 'Please start your work. I shall watch you, and when you are ready, you can be sure I will come back.' He turned and left me, and ran down the mountain.

I went back to Geneva immediately. My family were very worried when they saw me. I was pale and my eyes were wild. I could not forget my promise to the monster, and the awful work that waited for me. But I had to do it. It was the only way to keep my family safe... safe from his murdering hands around their necks.

I needed to study for several months to make a woman monster successfully. I heard that an English scientist had done some useful work, so I decided to go to England.

Before I went, my father asked me: 'Are you going to marry Elizabeth, or do you love another woman? Is this why you are so unhappy?'

'No, father,' I replied. 'I have always loved Elizabeth, and I want to marry her. But I must do one more piece of scientific work before we can marry. I must go to England to do the work and I want to marry Elizabeth when I return.'

My father and Elizabeth did not want me to go to England alone, because I had been so ill. They spoke to my old friend Henry Clerval, and he was very happy to travel with me. I was pleased that he could come, although I did not want him to discover anything about my horrible work.

Henry and I reached London in early October and stayed there for a few months. I met and talked with English scientists, and learnt many useful things from them. Then Henry was invited to visit some friends in Scotland. I planned to travel with him, but I told him that I wanted to go walking in the mountains alone. Henry was not happy with my plan, but in the end he agreed.

I bought all that I needed for a laboratory, and sent everything to Scotland. Henry and I travelled to Edinburgh together, and then I went further north, to find a good place for my laboratory. At last I found the right place on an island off the north coast. It was a wild and lonely place. Only five people lived on the island, so I could work alone, and nobody would discover my awful secret.

There was a large, empty hut on the island, and I brought builders from Scotland to make the hut into a laboratory for me. I showed them how to build my mast, and soon everything was ready for me to start work on the woman monster.

---

miserable adj. very unhappy. 不幸的，悲惨的，愁苦的。

on one's own by oneself. 独自一人。

ugly adj. not beautiful at all, not nice to look at. 丑陋的。

watch v. keep the eyes on to see that all is well. 注意，监视，守望。

pale adj. (of a person's face) having little colour, bloodless. 苍白的，脸上没有血色的。

wild adj. mad. 发狂的。

although conj. though, even if. 虽然，即使。

October n. 10月。

Scotland n. 苏格兰（地名）。

Edinburgh n. 爱丁堡（城市名），苏格兰首府。

right adj. fit, suitable. 正好的，恰当的，合适的。

build v. put up. 建筑。

builder n. 建筑工人，建造者。

building n. 建筑物。

第十章

怪物讲完了他的故事，然后说道：

“我孤独而凄惨。只有某个像我一样丑的人才会爱我的。你必须另外造一个像我这样的女怪物来当我的妻子。”

“我决不会再造一个像你一样的人的，”我喊道，“你自己已经干够了邪恶的事情了。”

“如果你不帮我，那么我就会让你过得比你以往任何时候都要凄惨。你会求死不得的，”怪物说，“但是如果你另外造一个怪物当我的朋友，那么我们就不会伤害任何人。现在善待我吧，我也会学着去爱人并变得善良的。”

怪物的话让我费力地考虑了很久。我感到对不起他，他是如此痛苦。或许我应该帮助他。

“我会照你说的去做，”我对他说道，“但你得答应要待在没人生活的地方。”

“我答应！我答应！”他喊道，“请你开始工作吧。我会监视你的；在你准备好了以后，我肯定会回来的。”他转身离开了我，并跑下了山。

我立即返回日内瓦。我家人见到我时都非常为我担忧。我脸色苍白，眼睛发狂。我忘不了我对怪物的允诺，还有那等着我的可怕的工作。但我必须去做。那是保证我家庭平安的唯一出路……使他们不致被怪物的手扼死。

为了成功地造一个女怪物我需要几个月的时间进行研究。我了解到有个英国科学家已进行了一些有价值的工作，于是决定去英国。

在我去之前，我父亲问我：“你是打算娶伊丽莎白，还是爱上了另外一个女人？你是不是因为这个而如此不高兴？”

“不是，爸爸。”我回答道，“我一直都爱伊丽莎白，并且我要娶她。但是在我们结婚之前我必须再进行一项科学工作。我必须去英国做那项工作而在回来后便同伊丽莎白结婚。”

我父亲和伊丽莎白不想让我单独去英国，因为我一直生着病。他们对我的老朋友亨利·克勒沃讲了，而他非常高兴同我一起去。他能去我很高兴，尽管我不想让他知道有关我那可怕的工作的任何事情。

亨利和我于10月初到达伦敦并在那儿待了几个月。我同几个英国科学家见了面并谈了话，并从他们那儿了解到许多有用的东西。后来亨利被邀请去拜访几位苏格兰朋友。我计划同他一起去，但告诉他说我想独自一人在山中散步。亨利对我的计划不满，但最终还是同意了。

我买了实验室所需的一切东西，并把所有的东西都送到了苏格兰。亨利同我一起到了爱丁堡，然后我继续朝北走，以便为我的实验室找到合适的地点。最后我在远离北部海岸的一个岛上找到了合适的地点。那是个荒凉偏僻的地方。岛上只有五个人居住，因而我可以独自工作，没有人会发现我那可怕的秘密。

岛上有一个大的空茅屋；我从苏格兰带去了建筑工人以便把茅屋改造成我的实验室。我指示他们如何建杆子，不久所有为我造女怪物的准备工作均已就绪。

Chapter 11

One evening two months later I was sitting in my laboratory. Most of my work was done, and I could finish the woman monster that night. But I wondered if I should finish the work.

Was I making a monster more evil than the first creature? Perhaps a thousand times more evil. How could I know? Perhaps the woman monster would be another murderer. She had not promised to stay away from other people. Perhaps the two monsters would hate each other... and would kill, and murder, and destroy... without end.

As I thought these things, I looked up at the window. Suddenly, in the moonlight, I saw the monster's awful face looking at me. And in his yellow eyes I could see only hate and evil. I knew he would not keep his promise.

I went over to the laboratory table where the new creature was lying. I pulled off the wires that joined her to my machine. I took a sharp knife and cut through the body that I had joined together so carefully. Through the window the monster saw me destroy his woman. With a loud and miserable scream of sadness and lost hope, he ran into the laboratory.

'You have destroyed all my hopes of happiness,' he cried. 'You have left me with one feeling—hate... and with one wish—to destroy your happiness. You will be sorry that you were ever born. Remember this: I shall be with you on your wedding night.'

He ran quickly out of the laboratory, and I watched him as he left the island in his boat and sailed away across the sea.

I sat and cried as I thought of the danger to Elizabeth. But I knew that the monster would not visit us until our wedding night. I would not die easily, and I would try to kill him before he could kill me.

The next morning I received a letter from Henry. He told me that he was waiting for me to return. I decided to clear the laboratory and to leave the island on the following day. So I returned to the laboratory, where the pieces of the woman monster's body still lay on the floor. I put them all in a large bag with some heavy stones. Then I took the bag to my boat and sailed out to sea. I threw the bag into deep water, and watched it disappear.

I was happier that I had felt for months. I knew I had done the right thing, and now there would be no second monster to follow the first.

I was very tired, and I went to sleep in the boat. I do not know how long I slept, but when I woke up, I was in the middle of a storm. The wind was driving me further out to sea and my boat began to fill with water. I knew I was in great danger. After some hours the storm passed, and I saw land to the south. Soon I could see the beach... and a crowd of people standing and watching me. Their faces were cold and unfriendly.

As I landed, four of the men came towards me and took me by the arms.

'We are taking you to Mr Kerwin, the judge. He wants to ask you some questions about the murder of a man here last night,' one of the men told me.

I was sad to hear of the murder, but I did not worry about it. I had been far away at the time, and knew nothing about any murder. It would be easy to explain that. So I went with the men to the large house where Judge Kerwin lived.

---

most of the greater part of. 大部分。

wonder v. feel curious, ask oneself. 觉得好奇，想要知道。

look up at sb./sth. 仰望某人／某物。

wedding n. 婚礼仪式，婚礼。

clear v. get rid of. 清除。

in danger not safe. 身处险境，不安全。

follow v. 追随，学习。

beach n. coast. 海滩。

crowd n. large number of people together. 人群。

take sb. by the arms 抓住某人的胳膊。

judge n. public officer of the law. 法官。

第十一章

两个月后的一天晚上，我坐在了我的实验室里。我的大部分工作均已完成，那天晚上我就可以完成女怪物的制作工作了。但是我不知道是否应该完成这项工作。

我是否在造一个比第一个家伙更加邪恶的怪物呢？也许要邪恶一千倍。我怎么知道呢？也许这个女怪物会成为另一个杀人凶手。她可没有答应要待在远离旁人的地方。或许那两个怪物会相互仇恨……并且会没完没了地凶杀、谋害和毁灭……

我想这些事时抬头望了望窗户。突然，在月光下我看见那个怪物的恐怖的脸正看着我。并且在他那黄色的眼中我只看到了仇恨和邪恶。我知道他是不会遵守诺言的。

我走到那个新的家伙躺着的实验室桌子的旁边。我扯开了连接她和我的机器的电线。我拿起一把锋利的刀切碎了精心拼揍起来的那个身体。怪物从窗户里看见我毁了他的女人。于是，随着一声悲伤和失望的、凄惨的吼声，他跑进了实验室。

“你已经毁灭了我所有的有关幸福的期望，”他哭喊道，“你只给我留下了一种感情——仇恨……和一种愿望——毁掉你的幸福。你会为你来到这个世界上而后悔的。记住这一点：在你的新婚之夜我会去找你的。”

他快速跑出实验室，我看着他划船离开海岛向大海驶去。

当我想到对伊丽莎白构成的危险时坐下来哭了起来。但是我知道在我们的新婚之夜之前怪物是不会“造访”我们的。我不会轻易地死去，而且要在他杀死我之前设法杀死他。

第二天早上我收到了亨利的一封信。他告诉我说他在等着我回去。我决定清理一下实验室并在第二天离开海岛。于是我返回实验室，女怪物的那具身体还躺在地上。我把它们和一些重的石头一起装进一个大袋子。然后我把袋子扛到船上并驶向大海。我把袋子投入深水中，看着它消失了。

我现在比好几个月以来感觉要好些了。我知道自己做对了一件事，现在不会有第二个怪物步那第一个的后尘了。

我非常疲劳，在船上睡着了。我不清楚睡了多长时间，只知道我醒来时正处在一场暴风雨之中。风把我吹向离海岸更远的地方，我的船还开始进水了。我明白自己正处于极大的危险之中。几个小时后暴风雨过去了，我看见往南有陆地。很快我就看见了海滩……一群人正站在那儿看着我。他们的表情既冷酷又不友好。

在我登陆时，四个男人走向我并抓住了我的胳膊。

“我们要把你带到法官克文先生那儿去。他要审问你这儿昨晚发生的一桩谋杀案的事，”其中的一个人告诉我。

听了那桩谋杀案我很伤心，但我没有为此担心。我那时正在远处，根本不知道什么谋杀的事。将会容易地解释清这一点。这样我便随那些人去了克文法官住的大屋子。

Chapter 12

The judge was an old, kind man, but his face was very serious as he looked at me. He asked a number of men to tell me what they had seen and found the night before.

The first man told his story. He and his son were coming home from a long day's fishing. It was a dark night, and on the beach they had fallen over the dead body of a man. They had carried the body to the nearest house, and found that it was a good-looking young man about twenty-five years old. There were the marks of fingers round his neck. When they spoke of the marks of fingers, I remembered the murder of my brother and I felt a terrible fear.

The son then told his story. He had seen a boat with a man in it, not far from the beach. He thought it was my boat. A woman had also seen a man in a boat sailing away from the beach. She thought I was the man.

Then I was taken to the room where the dead body lay. How can I tell you what I felt when I saw the body? I put my arms round it and cried: 'What have I done? My friend! My dear friend!' The body was Henry Clerval's, and so now I had destroyed another person.

This third death was too much for me. I fell down in a kind of madness, and they had to carry me from the room. For two months I was very ill and wished only to die. But slowly my madness left me, and my health began to return. At last I was able to speak to Judge Kerwin, and I asked for news of my family.

'There is someone here who can answer your question better than I can,' he said. 'Your father arrived a few minutes ago, and is waiting to see you.'

For the first time since Henry's death I felt some happiness. I held up my hands to my father as he came into the room, and he took me in his arms. He gave me the good news that Elizabeth and Ernest were safe and well.

I was really too ill to travel, but I asked my father to take me home immediately. The police had found somebody who had seen me on my island at the time of the murder, and so the judge let me go free.

My father looked after me on the long journey home, and sat with me for every minute. Night after night while I was asleep, I shouted that I was the murderer of William, Justine, and Henry. My father asked me why I said these awful things. I wanted to answer his question, but I could not tell him my terrible secret. He thought that I was still a little mad.

We stayed for a few days in Paris on the way home, and Elizabeth wrote to me at our hotel. This is what her letter said:

My dearest Victor,

I am so happy to know that you will soon be home. But I am afraid that Henry's death is not the only reason for your sadness. Do you still want to marry me, or do you love another woman? You must tell me.

I love you, Victor, and I dream of the day when I shall be your wife. But I do not want you to marry me just because your parents wanted it. I can only be happy if you are happy.

Do not answer this letter. Wait until you arrive before you give me your answer. But if you are well, and if I can make you smile, I need nothing more to make me happy.

With all my love,

Elizabeth

I replied immediately. I told her that I loved her very much and wanted to marry her.

I remembered the monster's promise to be with me on the night of my wedding. Let him come. We would fight to the death on that night. And after that fight, I would either be dead and at peace, or alive and free... free to be happy with Elizabeth.

We arrived in Geneva soon after my letter had reached Elizabeth. It was wonderful to see her again. She ran into my arms and I held her close. She cried when she saw how thin and old I looked. She, too, was thinner because she had worried about me so much. But her gentleness and her love made her as beautiful as ever.

We agreed that the wedding would be in ten days' time. As the day came nearer, I became more and more afraid. I tried to hide my fear, and laughed and smiled as often as I could. Elizabeth knew that I was unhappy, but she was sure she could give me happiness. She looked forward to our wedding.

I began to carry a gun and a knife with me everywhere I went.

---

speak of tell about. 说起，谈论到。

health n. condition of the body or the mind. 身体或精神状况。

take sb. in the arms 将某人搂在怀里。

too... to do sth. 太……以致于不能做某事。

look after take care of, nurse. 护理，照料。

Paris n. 巴黎（城市名），法国首都。

on the way home 在回家的路上。

hotel n. building where meals and rooms are prepared for travellers. 旅馆，饭店。

journey n. trip. 旅途。

dream of 梦想，设想。

at peace 平安无事。

as... as ever 依旧，一样。

in ten days' time 十天之后（用于将来时态中）。

more and more 越来越……。

carry sth. with sb. 随身携带某物。

第十二章

法官是个善良的老人，但他在看着我时表情非常严峻。他叫了好几个人来告诉我他们在前一天晚上都看到了并发现了什么。

第一个人讲了他的故事。他和他的儿子钓了一天的鱼后正往家里走。那是个黑暗的夜晚，他们在海滩上被一具男尸绊倒了。他们把尸体扛到最近的一所房子，发现那是一个二十五岁左右的、面貌英俊的男人。他的脖子上有指痕。当他们说起指痕时，我想起了杀害我弟弟的凶手，于是便不寒而栗。

之后，那个儿子讲起了他的故事。他曾在离海岸不远的地方看到过上边有一个男人的一只船。他认为那是我的船。一个女人也曾看到有个男人驾着一只船朝海里划去。她认为我就是那个人。

然后我被带到尸体停放的那个房间。我该怎么形容我看到那具尸体时的感觉呢？我抱住尸体哭道：“我都干了什么啦？我的朋友！我亲爱的朋友！”那是亨利·克勒沃的尸体，这样我又毁了另一个人的生命。

这第三起死亡事件对我打击太大了。我近乎疯狂地倒在了地上，他们不得不把我从房间里抬走。我大病了两个月的时间，一心只想去死。但渐渐地我不再疯狂，身体也开始恢复了。最后我可以同克文法官谈话并问起我家人的情况。

“这儿有更好的人来回答你的问题。”他说道，“你父亲几分钟前来了，正等着看你呢。”

自从亨利死后，我首次感到了些许的快乐。我父亲走进屋时我朝他伸出了双手，他把我搂进了怀里。他告诉我一个好消息说伊丽莎白和欧内斯特均健康平安。

我病得实在是太重，路也走不动了，但我要我父亲立刻把我带回家去。警察已查到在谋杀发生时有人看见过我正在岛上，这样法官便释放了我。

我父亲在回家的漫长旅途中一直照顾着我，每时每刻都坐在我的身边。一个个晚上，我在熟睡时都大声说我是杀害威廉、贾斯汀和亨利的凶手。我父亲问我为什么说出这些可怕的话。我想要回答他的问题，但又不能告诉他我那可怕的秘密。他认为我的大脑仍有些不正常。

回家途中我们在巴黎逗留了几天，伊丽莎白给我写了封信寄到了旅店。信是这样写的：

我最亲爱的维克多：

知道你很快就要回家了我非常高兴。

可是我担心亨利的死并不是你伤心的唯一原因。你是仍然想要娶我，还是爱上了另外一个女人？你必须告诉我。

我爱你，维克多；我梦想着成为你的妻子的那一天。但是我不希望你只是因为你父母的意愿而娶我。只有在你幸福时我才会幸福。

不要回信。等你回来再给我答复。但是如果你身体健康或者我能让你微笑的话，那么我就再高兴不过了。

爱你的，

伊丽莎白

我立刻回了信。我告诉她我非常爱她并想和她结婚。

我想起了怪物许过的要在我的新婚之夜来找我的诺言。就让他来吧，我们可以在那天晚上拼死搏斗。搏斗之后，我要么安祥地死去，要么自由地活着……自由而幸福地同伊丽莎白在一起。

伊丽莎白收到我的信后不久我们便到了日内瓦。再见到她真是太美好了。她扑到我的怀里，我紧紧地搂住了她。当她看到我又瘦削又显老时哭了。她因为一直非常牵挂我也瘦了。但是她的温柔和爱意使她永远美丽。

我们商定十天后举行婚礼。这一天越是临近，我越是害怕。我竭力隐藏我的恐惧，尽量露出欢声笑语。伊丽莎白知道我不高兴，但她确信她可以给我幸福。她期盼着我们的婚礼。

我开始随身携带着一把枪和一把刀子。

Chapter 13

After the wedding a large number of our friends came to a party at our house. When the party had started, Elizabeth and I said goodbye and left for our honeymoon. We travelled first by boat, and planned to spend the night at a hotel on the other side of the lake. The mountains and the lake were calm and beautiful, and at last Elizabeth and I were together. For the first time for months, and for the last time ever, I enjoyed the feeling of happiness.

In the evening the wind became stronger and soon a great storm broke above us. Every noise frightened me, and I kept my hand on my gun under my coat. I saw the monster in every shadow. Suddenly I realized how terrible the fight would be for Elizabeth. I asked her to go to bed and I decided to search for the monster. I planned to join her when I was sure he was not in or around the hotel.

Elizabeth left me and I searched every corner of the hotel—every dark doorway and staircase. I could not find him, and I began to hope that he had not followed us to the hotel. But suddenly, I heard a loud and terrible scream.

It came from our room.

Then—too late—I understood. The monster had promised to be with me on my wedding night, but he had not planned to kill me.

The scream came again, and I ran to our room. Why did I not die there and then?

On the bed, Elizabeth lay still, in the cold sleep of death. I took her in my arms... and saw the marks of the murderer's fingers on her neck.

Other people in the hotel had heard the screams and came into our room. I sent one of them to call the police. The others left me alone with my misery. I held Elizabeth close, and as I held her, I saw the monster watching me through the open window of the room. There was an evil laugh on his face. I pulled my gun from my coat and fired at him. I missed, and he ran from the window and jumped into the lake. The other people heard the noise of the shot and came back into the room. I showed them the place where the monster had jumped into the lake. We searched the edge of the lake, but we could not find him. I returned to our room and lay on the bed next to my dear wife.

Suddenly I had another terrible thought. At this very moment perhaps my father was fighting the monster, with Ernest dead at his feet.

I left the hotel and returned to Geneva as fast as I could. My father and Ernest were safe, but the awful news of Elizabeth's death killed my father. He had loved Elizabeth dearly. He became ill, and after a few days he died in my arms. So the evil monster had brought unhappiness and death to a dear old man who had never hurt anybody.

I do not know what happened next. I think I left the real world, and entered a dangerous world of dreams and madness. Later I found that they had put me in prison because of my madness.

After many months they let me free. I had only one wish—to find and kill the monster.

---

party n. 派对，聚会。

honeymoon n. a holiday for a new husband and wife after their wedding. 蜜月假期。

by boat 乘船。

break v. start. 爆发。

doorway n. 门口，门厅。

staircase n. 楼梯（指室内的，常有扶栏）。

leave sb. alone with sth. 让某人独自承受某事。

edge n. border. 边。

miss v. fail to hit, catch, etc. 错过。

put sb. in prison 将某人投进监狱。

第十三章

婚礼之后我们的大批朋友都来我们家聚会。聚会开始后，我和伊丽莎白向他们道了别并离开度蜜月去了。我们首先乘船旅行，并计划晚上在湖对岸的一家旅馆过夜。群山和湖泊宁静而美丽，我和伊丽莎白终于结合在了一起。我几个月来第一次、也是最后一次享受到了幸福的感觉。

傍晚风刮得更猛了，不久还来了一场大的暴风雨。每一个声响都让我恐惧，我一直把手放在外套下面的枪上。我在每个阴暗处都看到了那个怪物。突然间我意识到这场搏斗对于伊丽莎白来说将会是多么恐怖。我让她上床睡觉而我则决定去寻找那个怪物。我打算在确信怪物不在旅馆及其附近后再回到伊丽莎白身边。

伊丽莎白离开了我，我搜寻了旅馆里的每一个角落——每一个黑暗的门厅和楼梯。我没能找到他，于是便开始希望他并没有随我们到旅馆来。但是突然间我听到了一声可怕的尖叫。

那是从我们的房间里传出来的。

于是我明白过来了——但已经太晚了。怪物曾许诺要在我的新婚之夜跟着我的，但他并未打算要杀了我。

尖叫声又一次传来，我于是跑到了我们的房间。我为什么没有在当时当地便死去呢？

床上，伊丽莎白静静地躺着，在冰冷中长眠。我把她抱在怀中……并看见了凶手在她脖子上留下的指痕。

旅馆里的其他人听到了尖叫声，他们走进了我们的房间。我让其中的一人去报警。其他人走后，留下我一个人在痛苦中煎熬。我紧紧地搂着伊丽莎白，而我抱着她时看见怪物正透过开着的窗户看着我。他的脸上挂着邪恶的笑容。我从外套中拔出枪朝他开了火。我没有打中，他从窗户处跑开并跳到了湖里。其他人听到了枪声便又来到了那个房间。我将怪物跳湖之处指给他们看。我们在湖边搜寻，但没能找到他。我回到房间里躺到我亲爱的妻子身旁。

突然间我有了另外一个可怕的想法：也许我父亲这时正在同那个怪物打斗并且欧内斯特已死在他的脚边。

我离开旅馆并以最快的速度赶回了日内瓦。我父亲和欧内斯特都平安无事，但伊丽莎白死去的噩耗夺去了我父亲的生命。他曾深深地爱着伊丽莎白。他病倒了，几天之后便死在了我的怀里。这样那个邪恶的怪物将不幸和死亡带给了从未伤害过任何人的我那亲爱的老人。

我不知道接下去会发生什么。我想我当时离开了现实的世界而进入了梦幻和疯狂的危险境界。后来我才知道他们当时因为我的疯狂而把我送进了监狱。

好几个月之后他们释放了我。我只有一个愿望——找到并杀死那个怪物。

Chapter 14

I decided to leave Geneva for ever. I took all the money that I needed, and left the town. Before I left, I went to visit the place where William, Elizabeth, and my father lay at rest. I stood there and promised them that I would stay alive until I had killed the monster.

A loud, evil laugh rang out through the silent night. Then I heard the monster's voice: 'It pleases me that you have decided to live, because that is just what I want.'

I ran towards the voice, but I could not catch the monster. I saw him running away, but he ran faster than any man could go—too fast for me to catch. But I followed him, and I have been following him since that day. I shall stay alive until I can catch him. He wants me to live as long as possible. He wants me to feel, day after day, the pain and misery that he has given me. He leaves messages to tell me where he is. He knows that I shall follow him.

I am only happy when I am asleep. I dream that I am with my family, and Elizabeth and Henry. When I am awake, I look forward to my death, to the day when I shall be with them.

In his last message the monster told me that he was going north. He wanted to take me where the cold would hurt me and make me more miserable. I followed him to the cold lands of the north, and bought dogs and a sledge. Until now, he has always left me further and further behind when I chase him. But the dogs were very fast and I was getting closer and closer to him. Soon he was only one day's journey in front of me. He was going towards the sea, and I hoped to catch him before he reached it. The chase over the ice continued for about three weeks. The pain from the cold was very great, and I began to lose hope. I thought I would never catch him. My dogs could not run much further, and one of them died. Then I saw something on the ice in front of me. It was the monster and his sledge. Suddenly I was full of hope again, and I gave a great shout of happiness.

I got closer and closer to him. Then a great storm started. The ice began to break, and the sea carried him away from me. My sledge was broken, and I lost my dogs. I was left on a piece of ice that was becoming smaller all the time. Many hours went by, and then I saw your ship. The rest you know.

I ask you, Captain Walton, to chase the monster and kill him. Do not listen to what he says. He knows how to argue, and perhaps you will feel sorry for him. But remember that he is evil. Remember the deaths of William, Justine, Henry Clerval, Elizabeth, my father... and remember me, Victor Frankenstein.

There is no more for me to say, except to thank you, Captain Walton, for your help and kindness. Thank you also for listening to my story. I want you to tell the world that the monster is a danger to everyone.

I know that I have only a few hours left to live, but I can feel my loved ones near me, and I welcome death.

Goodbye. This is the end of Victor Frankenstein's story.

---

ring v. give out a clear sound. 鸣，响。

just adv. exactly. 正好，恰好。

as... as possible 尽量。

message n. a piece of news sent to sb. 消息，讯息，口信。

continue v. go on. 继续，持续。

go by pass. 时光流逝。

feel sorry for sb. 为某人感到难过，抱歉。

第十四章

我决定永远离开日内瓦。我带上了我所需要的一切费用便离开了那个城市。走之前，我去了威廉、伊丽莎白还有我父亲的安息之处。我站在那儿向他们发誓我要活到杀死那个怪物之时。

一声响亮而邪恶的笑声响彻了静静的夜空。接着我听到怪物的声音：“你决定活下去我很高兴，因为这正是我想要的。”

我朝声音的方向跑去，但没有抓到他。我看着他跑开了，只是他跑得比任何人都快——太快了，我没法赶上他。但我跟踪着他，打那天起我一直在跟踪他。我要活到抓住他的那一天。他希望我尽可能活得长一些，以便我日复一日地感受到他带给我的痛苦和悲伤。他给我留下口信告诉我他在什么地方。他知道我会跟踪他的。

只有在熟睡时我才感到快乐。我梦见我同我的家人们、伊丽莎白和亨利在一起。我醒来时便盼望着死去，盼望着和他们在一起的那一天。

在怪物留下的最后的一个口信中，他告诉我说他要去北方。他是想把我带到寒冷的地方受煎熬，以便让我更加痛苦。我跟踪他来到北方寒冷的地方，并且买了狗和雪橇。直到现在，自打我追赶他的那个时候起，他就一直把我远远地甩到后面。可是狗跑得很快，这让我离他越来越近。不久他便离我只剩下一天的行程了。他在朝大海的方向跑去，而我希望在他到达大海之前抓住他。冰上的追逐持续了三个星期。严寒给我带来了巨大的痛苦，我开始失去信心了。我想我永远也别想追上他了。我的狗再也跑不动了，其中还死了一只。后来我看到在我前面的冰上有个什么东西。那是怪物和他的雪橇。突然间我又充满了希望，于是欢快地大喊了起来。

我离他越来越近。后来刮起了一场大风暴。冰开始破裂，海水载着他离我而去。我的雪橇毁了，狗也都丢了。我被困在一块不断消融的冰上。好几个小时之后，我看见了你们的轮船。接下来的事你都知道了。

我请求你，沃尔顿船长，请你去追上并杀死那个怪物。不要听他说什么。他知道怎样辩解，你可能还会同情他的。但你要记住他是邪恶的，要想到威廉、贾斯汀、亨利·克勒沃、伊丽莎白、我父亲这些人的死……还有我，维克多·弗兰肯斯坦。

我没有更多要说的了；只是我得谢谢你，沃尔顿船长，谢谢你的帮助和善心，也感谢你倾听了我的故事。我想让你叫全世界的人都知道那个怪物对所有的人来说都是个危险。

我知道我只能再活几个小时了，但我能够感觉到我所爱的人们离我近了，因而我欢迎死亡的到来。

再见。这就是维克多·弗兰肯斯坦的故事的结尾。

Victor Frankenstein Continues His Story
维克多·弗兰肯斯坦继续讲他的故事

Chapter 10

The monster finished telling me his story, and then he said:

'I am alone and miserable. Only someone as ugly as I am could love me. You must make another creature like me, a woman monster to be my wife.'

'I shall never make another creature like you,' I shouted. 'You have done enough evil on your own.'

'If you don' t help me, I shall make you more miserable than you have ever been in your life. You will wish you were dead,' the monster said. 'But if you make another monster to be my friend, we won't hurt anyone. Be kind to me now, and I will learn to love and be kind.'

I thought long and hard about the monster's words. I felt sorry for him. He was so miserable. Perhaps I should help him.

'I shall do what you ask,' I told him. 'But you must promise to live somewhere in the world where nobody lives. You must promise to stay away from other people.'

'I promise! I promise!' he cried. 'Please start your work. I shall watch you, and when you are ready, you can be sure I will come back.' He turned and left me, and ran down the mountain.

I went back to Geneva immediately. My family were very worried when they saw me. I was pale and my eyes were wild. I could not forget my promise to the monster, and the awful work that waited for me. But I had to do it. It was the only way to keep my family safe... safe from his murdering hands around their necks.

I needed to study for several months to make a woman monster successfully. I heard that an English scientist had done some useful work, so I decided to go to England.

Before I went, my father asked me: 'Are you going to marry Elizabeth, or do you love another woman? Is this why you are so unhappy?'

'No, father,' I replied. 'I have always loved Elizabeth, and I want to marry her. But I must do one more piece of scientific work before we can marry. I must go to England to do the work and I want to marry Elizabeth when I return.'

My father and Elizabeth did not want me to go to England alone, because I had been so ill. They spoke to my old friend Henry Clerval, and he was very happy to travel with me. I was pleased that he could come, although I did not want him to discover anything about my horrible work.

Henry and I reached London in early October and stayed there for a few months. I met and talked with English scientists, and learnt many useful things from them. Then Henry was invited to visit some friends in Scotland. I planned to travel with him, but I told him that I wanted to go walking in the mountains alone. Henry was not happy with my plan, but in the end he agreed.

I bought all that I needed for a laboratory, and sent everything to Scotland. Henry and I travelled to Edinburgh together, and then I went further north, to find a good place for my laboratory. At last I found the right place on an island off the north coast. It was a wild and lonely place. Only five people lived on the island, so I could work alone, and nobody would discover my awful secret.

There was a large, empty hut on the island, and I brought builders from Scotland to make the hut into a laboratory for me. I showed them how to build my mast, and soon everything was ready for me to start work on the woman monster.

---

miserable adj. very unhappy. 不幸的，悲惨的，愁苦的。

on one's own by oneself. 独自一人。

ugly adj. not beautiful at all, not nice to look at. 丑陋的。

watch v. keep the eyes on to see that all is well. 注意，监视，守望。

pale adj. (of a person's face) having little colour, bloodless. 苍白的，脸上没有血色的。

wild adj. mad. 发狂的。

although conj. though, even if. 虽然，即使。

October n. 10月。

Scotland n. 苏格兰（地名）。

Edinburgh n. 爱丁堡（城市名），苏格兰首府。

right adj. fit, suitable. 正好的，恰当的，合适的。

build v. put up. 建筑。

builder n. 建筑工人，建造者。

building n. 建筑物。

第十章

怪物讲完了他的故事，然后说道：

“我孤独而凄惨。只有某个像我一样丑的人才会爱我的。你必须另外造一个像我这样的女怪物来当我的妻子。”

“我决不会再造一个像你一样的人的，”我喊道，“你自己已经干够了邪恶的事情了。”

“如果你不帮我，那么我就会让你过得比你以往任何时候都要凄惨。你会求死不得的，”怪物说，“但是如果你另外造一个怪物当我的朋友，那么我们就不会伤害任何人。现在善待我吧，我也会学着去爱人并变得善良的。”

怪物的话让我费力地考虑了很久。我感到对不起他，他是如此痛苦。或许我应该帮助他。

“我会照你说的去做，”我对他说道，“但你得答应要待在没人生活的地方。”

“我答应！我答应！”他喊道，“请你开始工作吧。我会监视你的；在你准备好了以后，我肯定会回来的。”他转身离开了我，并跑下了山。

我立即返回日内瓦。我家人见到我时都非常为我担忧。我脸色苍白，眼睛发狂。我忘不了我对怪物的允诺，还有那等着我的可怕的工作。但我必须去做。那是保证我家庭平安的唯一出路……使他们不致被怪物的手扼死。

为了成功地造一个女怪物我需要几个月的时间进行研究。我了解到有个英国科学家已进行了一些有价值的工作，于是决定去英国。

在我去之前，我父亲问我：“你是打算娶伊丽莎白，还是爱上了另外一个女人？你是不是因为这个而如此不高兴？”

“不是，爸爸。”我回答道，“我一直都爱伊丽莎白，并且我要娶她。但是在我们结婚之前我必须再进行一项科学工作。我必须去英国做那项工作而在回来后便同伊丽莎白结婚。”

我父亲和伊丽莎白不想让我单独去英国，因为我一直生着病。他们对我的老朋友亨利·克勒沃讲了，而他非常高兴同我一起去。他能去我很高兴，尽管我不想让他知道有关我那可怕的工作的任何事情。

亨利和我于10月初到达伦敦并在那儿待了几个月。我同几个英国科学家见了面并谈了话，并从他们那儿了解到许多有用的东西。后来亨利被邀请去拜访几位苏格兰朋友。我计划同他一起去，但告诉他说我想独自一人在山中散步。亨利对我的计划不满，但最终还是同意了。

我买了实验室所需的一切东西，并把所有的东西都送到了苏格兰。亨利同我一起到了爱丁堡，然后我继续朝北走，以便为我的实验室找到合适的地点。最后我在远离北部海岸的一个岛上找到了合适的地点。那是个荒凉偏僻的地方。岛上只有五个人居住，因而我可以独自工作，没有人会发现我那可怕的秘密。

岛上有一个大的空茅屋；我从苏格兰带去了建筑工人以便把茅屋改造成我的实验室。我指示他们如何建杆子，不久所有为我造女怪物的准备工作均已就绪。

Chapter 11

One evening two months later I was sitting in my laboratory. Most of my work was done, and I could finish the woman monster that night. But I wondered if I should finish the work.

Was I making a monster more evil than the first creature? Perhaps a thousand times more evil. How could I know? Perhaps the woman monster would be another murderer. She had not promised to stay away from other people. Perhaps the two monsters would hate each other... and would kill, and murder, and destroy... without end.

As I thought these things, I looked up at the window. Suddenly, in the moonlight, I saw the monster's awful face looking at me. And in his yellow eyes I could see only hate and evil. I knew he would not keep his promise.

I went over to the laboratory table where the new creature was lying. I pulled off the wires that joined her to my machine. I took a sharp knife and cut through the body that I had joined together so carefully. Through the window the monster saw me destroy his woman. With a loud and miserable scream of sadness and lost hope, he ran into the laboratory.

'You have destroyed all my hopes of happiness,' he cried. 'You have left me with one feeling—hate... and with one wish—to destroy your happiness. You will be sorry that you were ever born. Remember this: I shall be with you on your wedding night.'

He ran quickly out of the laboratory, and I watched him as he left the island in his boat and sailed away across the sea.

I sat and cried as I thought of the danger to Elizabeth. But I knew that the monster would not visit us until our wedding night. I would not die easily, and I would try to kill him before he could kill me.

The next morning I received a letter from Henry. He told me that he was waiting for me to return. I decided to clear the laboratory and to leave the island on the following day. So I returned to the laboratory, where the pieces of the woman monster's body still lay on the floor. I put them all in a large bag with some heavy stones. Then I took the bag to my boat and sailed out to sea. I threw the bag into deep water, and watched it disappear.

I was happier that I had felt for months. I knew I had done the right thing, and now there would be no second monster to follow the first.

I was very tired, and I went to sleep in the boat. I do not know how long I slept, but when I woke up, I was in the middle of a storm. The wind was driving me further out to sea and my boat began to fill with water. I knew I was in great danger. After some hours the storm passed, and I saw land to the south. Soon I could see the beach... and a crowd of people standing and watching me. Their faces were cold and unfriendly.

As I landed, four of the men came towards me and took me by the arms.

'We are taking you to Mr Kerwin, the judge. He wants to ask you some questions about the murder of a man here last night,' one of the men told me.

I was sad to hear of the murder, but I did not worry about it. I had been far away at the time, and knew nothing about any murder. It would be easy to explain that. So I went with the men to the large house where Judge Kerwin lived.

---

most of the greater part of. 大部分。

wonder v. feel curious, ask oneself. 觉得好奇，想要知道。

look up at sb./sth. 仰望某人／某物。

wedding n. 婚礼仪式，婚礼。

clear v. get rid of. 清除。

in danger not safe. 身处险境，不安全。

follow v. 追随，学习。

beach n. coast. 海滩。

crowd n. large number of people together. 人群。

take sb. by the arms 抓住某人的胳膊。

judge n. public officer of the law. 法官。

第十一章

两个月后的一天晚上，我坐在了我的实验室里。我的大部分工作均已完成，那天晚上我就可以完成女怪物的制作工作了。但是我不知道是否应该完成这项工作。

我是否在造一个比第一个家伙更加邪恶的怪物呢？也许要邪恶一千倍。我怎么知道呢？也许这个女怪物会成为另一个杀人凶手。她可没有答应要待在远离旁人的地方。或许那两个怪物会相互仇恨……并且会没完没了地凶杀、谋害和毁灭……

我想这些事时抬头望了望窗户。突然，在月光下我看见那个怪物的恐怖的脸正看着我。并且在他那黄色的眼中我只看到了仇恨和邪恶。我知道他是不会遵守诺言的。

我走到那个新的家伙躺着的实验室桌子的旁边。我扯开了连接她和我的机器的电线。我拿起一把锋利的刀切碎了精心拼揍起来的那个身体。怪物从窗户里看见我毁了他的女人。于是，随着一声悲伤和失望的、凄惨的吼声，他跑进了实验室。

“你已经毁灭了我所有的有关幸福的期望，”他哭喊道，“你只给我留下了一种感情——仇恨……和一种愿望——毁掉你的幸福。你会为你来到这个世界上而后悔的。记住这一点：在你的新婚之夜我会去找你的。”

他快速跑出实验室，我看着他划船离开海岛向大海驶去。

当我想到对伊丽莎白构成的危险时坐下来哭了起来。但是我知道在我们的新婚之夜之前怪物是不会“造访”我们的。我不会轻易地死去，而且要在他杀死我之前设法杀死他。

第二天早上我收到了亨利的一封信。他告诉我说他在等着我回去。我决定清理一下实验室并在第二天离开海岛。于是我返回实验室，女怪物的那具身体还躺在地上。我把它们和一些重的石头一起装进一个大袋子。然后我把袋子扛到船上并驶向大海。我把袋子投入深水中，看着它消失了。

我现在比好几个月以来感觉要好些了。我知道自己做对了一件事，现在不会有第二个怪物步那第一个的后尘了。

我非常疲劳，在船上睡着了。我不清楚睡了多长时间，只知道我醒来时正处在一场暴风雨之中。风把我吹向离海岸更远的地方，我的船还开始进水了。我明白自己正处于极大的危险之中。几个小时后暴风雨过去了，我看见往南有陆地。很快我就看见了海滩……一群人正站在那儿看着我。他们的表情既冷酷又不友好。

在我登陆时，四个男人走向我并抓住了我的胳膊。

“我们要把你带到法官克文先生那儿去。他要审问你这儿昨晚发生的一桩谋杀案的事，”其中的一个人告诉我。

听了那桩谋杀案我很伤心，但我没有为此担心。我那时正在远处，根本不知道什么谋杀的事。将会容易地解释清这一点。这样我便随那些人去了克文法官住的大屋子。

Chapter 12

The judge was an old, kind man, but his face was very serious as he looked at me. He asked a number of men to tell me what they had seen and found the night before.

The first man told his story. He and his son were coming home from a long day's fishing. It was a dark night, and on the beach they had fallen over the dead body of a man. They had carried the body to the nearest house, and found that it was a good-looking young man about twenty-five years old. There were the marks of fingers round his neck. When they spoke of the marks of fingers, I remembered the murder of my brother and I felt a terrible fear.

The son then told his story. He had seen a boat with a man in it, not far from the beach. He thought it was my boat. A woman had also seen a man in a boat sailing away from the beach. She thought I was the man.

Then I was taken to the room where the dead body lay. How can I tell you what I felt when I saw the body? I put my arms round it and cried: 'What have I done? My friend! My dear friend!' The body was Henry Clerval's, and so now I had destroyed another person.

This third death was too much for me. I fell down in a kind of madness, and they had to carry me from the room. For two months I was very ill and wished only to die. But slowly my madness left me, and my health began to return. At last I was able to speak to Judge Kerwin, and I asked for news of my family.

'There is someone here who can answer your question better than I can,' he said. 'Your father arrived a few minutes ago, and is waiting to see you.'

For the first time since Henry's death I felt some happiness. I held up my hands to my father as he came into the room, and he took me in his arms. He gave me the good news that Elizabeth and Ernest were safe and well.

I was really too ill to travel, but I asked my father to take me home immediately. The police had found somebody who had seen me on my island at the time of the murder, and so the judge let me go free.

My father looked after me on the long journey home, and sat with me for every minute. Night after night while I was asleep, I shouted that I was the murderer of William, Justine, and Henry. My father asked me why I said these awful things. I wanted to answer his question, but I could not tell him my terrible secret. He thought that I was still a little mad.

We stayed for a few days in Paris on the way home, and Elizabeth wrote to me at our hotel. This is what her letter said:

My dearest Victor,

I am so happy to know that you will soon be home. But I am afraid that Henry's death is not the only reason for your sadness. Do you still want to marry me, or do you love another woman? You must tell me.

I love you, Victor, and I dream of the day when I shall be your wife. But I do not want you to marry me just because your parents wanted it. I can only be happy if you are happy.

Do not answer this letter. Wait until you arrive before you give me your answer. But if you are well, and if I can make you smile, I need nothing more to make me happy.

With all my love,

Elizabeth

I replied immediately. I told her that I loved her very much and wanted to marry her.

I remembered the monster's promise to be with me on the night of my wedding. Let him come. We would fight to the death on that night. And after that fight, I would either be dead and at peace, or alive and free... free to be happy with Elizabeth.

We arrived in Geneva soon after my letter had reached Elizabeth. It was wonderful to see her again. She ran into my arms and I held her close. She cried when she saw how thin and old I looked. She, too, was thinner because she had worried about me so much. But her gentleness and her love made her as beautiful as ever.

We agreed that the wedding would be in ten days' time. As the day came nearer, I became more and more afraid. I tried to hide my fear, and laughed and smiled as often as I could. Elizabeth knew that I was unhappy, but she was sure she could give me happiness. She looked forward to our wedding.

I began to carry a gun and a knife with me everywhere I went.

---

speak of tell about. 说起，谈论到。

health n. condition of the body or the mind. 身体或精神状况。

take sb. in the arms 将某人搂在怀里。

too... to do sth. 太……以致于不能做某事。

look after take care of, nurse. 护理，照料。

Paris n. 巴黎（城市名），法国首都。

on the way home 在回家的路上。

hotel n. building where meals and rooms are prepared for travellers. 旅馆，饭店。

journey n. trip. 旅途。

dream of 梦想，设想。

at peace 平安无事。

as... as ever 依旧，一样。

in ten days' time 十天之后（用于将来时态中）。

more and more 越来越……。

carry sth. with sb. 随身携带某物。

第十二章

法官是个善良的老人，但他在看着我时表情非常严峻。他叫了好几个人来告诉我他们在前一天晚上都看到了并发现了什么。

第一个人讲了他的故事。他和他的儿子钓了一天的鱼后正往家里走。那是个黑暗的夜晚，他们在海滩上被一具男尸绊倒了。他们把尸体扛到最近的一所房子，发现那是一个二十五岁左右的、面貌英俊的男人。他的脖子上有指痕。当他们说起指痕时，我想起了杀害我弟弟的凶手，于是便不寒而栗。

之后，那个儿子讲起了他的故事。他曾在离海岸不远的地方看到过上边有一个男人的一只船。他认为那是我的船。一个女人也曾看到有个男人驾着一只船朝海里划去。她认为我就是那个人。

然后我被带到尸体停放的那个房间。我该怎么形容我看到那具尸体时的感觉呢？我抱住尸体哭道：“我都干了什么啦？我的朋友！我亲爱的朋友！”那是亨利·克勒沃的尸体，这样我又毁了另一个人的生命。

这第三起死亡事件对我打击太大了。我近乎疯狂地倒在了地上，他们不得不把我从房间里抬走。我大病了两个月的时间，一心只想去死。但渐渐地我不再疯狂，身体也开始恢复了。最后我可以同克文法官谈话并问起我家人的情况。

“这儿有更好的人来回答你的问题。”他说道，“你父亲几分钟前来了，正等着看你呢。”

自从亨利死后，我首次感到了些许的快乐。我父亲走进屋时我朝他伸出了双手，他把我搂进了怀里。他告诉我一个好消息说伊丽莎白和欧内斯特均健康平安。

我病得实在是太重，路也走不动了，但我要我父亲立刻把我带回家去。警察已查到在谋杀发生时有人看见过我正在岛上，这样法官便释放了我。

我父亲在回家的漫长旅途中一直照顾着我，每时每刻都坐在我的身边。一个个晚上，我在熟睡时都大声说我是杀害威廉、贾斯汀和亨利的凶手。我父亲问我为什么说出这些可怕的话。我想要回答他的问题，但又不能告诉他我那可怕的秘密。他认为我的大脑仍有些不正常。

回家途中我们在巴黎逗留了几天，伊丽莎白给我写了封信寄到了旅店。信是这样写的：

我最亲爱的维克多：

知道你很快就要回家了我非常高兴。

可是我担心亨利的死并不是你伤心的唯一原因。你是仍然想要娶我，还是爱上了另外一个女人？你必须告诉我。

我爱你，维克多；我梦想着成为你的妻子的那一天。但是我不希望你只是因为你父母的意愿而娶我。只有在你幸福时我才会幸福。

不要回信。等你回来再给我答复。但是如果你身体健康或者我能让你微笑的话，那么我就再高兴不过了。

爱你的，

伊丽莎白

我立刻回了信。我告诉她我非常爱她并想和她结婚。

我想起了怪物许过的要在我的新婚之夜来找我的诺言。就让他来吧，我们可以在那天晚上拼死搏斗。搏斗之后，我要么安祥地死去，要么自由地活着……自由而幸福地同伊丽莎白在一起。

伊丽莎白收到我的信后不久我们便到了日内瓦。再见到她真是太美好了。她扑到我的怀里，我紧紧地搂住了她。当她看到我又瘦削又显老时哭了。她因为一直非常牵挂我也瘦了。但是她的温柔和爱意使她永远美丽。

我们商定十天后举行婚礼。这一天越是临近，我越是害怕。我竭力隐藏我的恐惧，尽量露出欢声笑语。伊丽莎白知道我不高兴，但她确信她可以给我幸福。她期盼着我们的婚礼。

我开始随身携带着一把枪和一把刀子。

Chapter 13

After the wedding a large number of our friends came to a party at our house. When the party had started, Elizabeth and I said goodbye and left for our honeymoon. We travelled first by boat, and planned to spend the night at a hotel on the other side of the lake. The mountains and the lake were calm and beautiful, and at last Elizabeth and I were together. For the first time for months, and for the last time ever, I enjoyed the feeling of happiness.

In the evening the wind became stronger and soon a great storm broke above us. Every noise frightened me, and I kept my hand on my gun under my coat. I saw the monster in every shadow. Suddenly I realized how terrible the fight would be for Elizabeth. I asked her to go to bed and I decided to search for the monster. I planned to join her when I was sure he was not in or around the hotel.

Elizabeth left me and I searched every corner of the hotel—every dark doorway and staircase. I could not find him, and I began to hope that he had not followed us to the hotel. But suddenly, I heard a loud and terrible scream.

It came from our room.

Then—too late—I understood. The monster had promised to be with me on my wedding night, but he had not planned to kill me.

The scream came again, and I ran to our room. Why did I not die there and then?

On the bed, Elizabeth lay still, in the cold sleep of death. I took her in my arms... and saw the marks of the murderer's fingers on her neck.

Other people in the hotel had heard the screams and came into our room. I sent one of them to call the police. The others left me alone with my misery. I held Elizabeth close, and as I held her, I saw the monster watching me through the open window of the room. There was an evil laugh on his face. I pulled my gun from my coat and fired at him. I missed, and he ran from the window and jumped into the lake. The other people heard the noise of the shot and came back into the room. I showed them the place where the monster had jumped into the lake. We searched the edge of the lake, but we could not find him. I returned to our room and lay on the bed next to my dear wife.

Suddenly I had another terrible thought. At this very moment perhaps my father was fighting the monster, with Ernest dead at his feet.

I left the hotel and returned to Geneva as fast as I could. My father and Ernest were safe, but the awful news of Elizabeth's death killed my father. He had loved Elizabeth dearly. He became ill, and after a few days he died in my arms. So the evil monster had brought unhappiness and death to a dear old man who had never hurt anybody.

I do not know what happened next. I think I left the real world, and entered a dangerous world of dreams and madness. Later I found that they had put me in prison because of my madness.

After many months they let me free. I had only one wish—to find and kill the monster.

---

party n. 派对，聚会。

honeymoon n. a holiday for a new husband and wife after their wedding. 蜜月假期。

by boat 乘船。

break v. start. 爆发。

doorway n. 门口，门厅。

staircase n. 楼梯（指室内的，常有扶栏）。

leave sb. alone with sth. 让某人独自承受某事。

edge n. border. 边。

miss v. fail to hit, catch, etc. 错过。

put sb. in prison 将某人投进监狱。

第十三章

婚礼之后我们的大批朋友都来我们家聚会。聚会开始后，我和伊丽莎白向他们道了别并离开度蜜月去了。我们首先乘船旅行，并计划晚上在湖对岸的一家旅馆过夜。群山和湖泊宁静而美丽，我和伊丽莎白终于结合在了一起。我几个月来第一次、也是最后一次享受到了幸福的感觉。

傍晚风刮得更猛了，不久还来了一场大的暴风雨。每一个声响都让我恐惧，我一直把手放在外套下面的枪上。我在每个阴暗处都看到了那个怪物。突然间我意识到这场搏斗对于伊丽莎白来说将会是多么恐怖。我让她上床睡觉而我则决定去寻找那个怪物。我打算在确信怪物不在旅馆及其附近后再回到伊丽莎白身边。

伊丽莎白离开了我，我搜寻了旅馆里的每一个角落——每一个黑暗的门厅和楼梯。我没能找到他，于是便开始希望他并没有随我们到旅馆来。但是突然间我听到了一声可怕的尖叫。

那是从我们的房间里传出来的。

于是我明白过来了——但已经太晚了。怪物曾许诺要在我的新婚之夜跟着我的，但他并未打算要杀了我。

尖叫声又一次传来，我于是跑到了我们的房间。我为什么没有在当时当地便死去呢？

床上，伊丽莎白静静地躺着，在冰冷中长眠。我把她抱在怀中……并看见了凶手在她脖子上留下的指痕。

旅馆里的其他人听到了尖叫声，他们走进了我们的房间。我让其中的一人去报警。其他人走后，留下我一个人在痛苦中煎熬。我紧紧地搂着伊丽莎白，而我抱着她时看见怪物正透过开着的窗户看着我。他的脸上挂着邪恶的笑容。我从外套中拔出枪朝他开了火。我没有打中，他从窗户处跑开并跳到了湖里。其他人听到了枪声便又来到了那个房间。我将怪物跳湖之处指给他们看。我们在湖边搜寻，但没能找到他。我回到房间里躺到我亲爱的妻子身旁。

突然间我有了另外一个可怕的想法：也许我父亲这时正在同那个怪物打斗并且欧内斯特已死在他的脚边。

我离开旅馆并以最快的速度赶回了日内瓦。我父亲和欧内斯特都平安无事，但伊丽莎白死去的噩耗夺去了我父亲的生命。他曾深深地爱着伊丽莎白。他病倒了，几天之后便死在了我的怀里。这样那个邪恶的怪物将不幸和死亡带给了从未伤害过任何人的我那亲爱的老人。

我不知道接下去会发生什么。我想我当时离开了现实的世界而进入了梦幻和疯狂的危险境界。后来我才知道他们当时因为我的疯狂而把我送进了监狱。

好几个月之后他们释放了我。我只有一个愿望——找到并杀死那个怪物。

Chapter 14

I decided to leave Geneva for ever. I took all the money that I needed, and left the town. Before I left, I went to visit the place where William, Elizabeth, and my father lay at rest. I stood there and promised them that I would stay alive until I had killed the monster.

A loud, evil laugh rang out through the silent night. Then I heard the monster's voice: 'It pleases me that you have decided to live, because that is just what I want.'

I ran towards the voice, but I could not catch the monster. I saw him running away, but he ran faster than any man could go—too fast for me to catch. But I followed him, and I have been following him since that day. I shall stay alive until I can catch him. He wants me to live as long as possible. He wants me to feel, day after day, the pain and misery that he has given me. He leaves messages to tell me where he is. He knows that I shall follow him.

I am only happy when I am asleep. I dream that I am with my family, and Elizabeth and Henry. When I am awake, I look forward to my death, to the day when I shall be with them.

In his last message the monster told me that he was going north. He wanted to take me where the cold would hurt me and make me more miserable. I followed him to the cold lands of the north, and bought dogs and a sledge. Until now, he has always left me further and further behind when I chase him. But the dogs were very fast and I was getting closer and closer to him. Soon he was only one day's journey in front of me. He was going towards the sea, and I hoped to catch him before he reached it. The chase over the ice continued for about three weeks. The pain from the cold was very great, and I began to lose hope. I thought I would never catch him. My dogs could not run much further, and one of them died. Then I saw something on the ice in front of me. It was the monster and his sledge. Suddenly I was full of hope again, and I gave a great shout of happiness.

I got closer and closer to him. Then a great storm started. The ice began to break, and the sea carried him away from me. My sledge was broken, and I lost my dogs. I was left on a piece of ice that was becoming smaller all the time. Many hours went by, and then I saw your ship. The rest you know.

I ask you, Captain Walton, to chase the monster and kill him. Do not listen to what he says. He knows how to argue, and perhaps you will feel sorry for him. But remember that he is evil. Remember the deaths of William, Justine, Henry Clerval, Elizabeth, my father... and remember me, Victor Frankenstein.

There is no more for me to say, except to thank you, Captain Walton, for your help and kindness. Thank you also for listening to my story. I want you to tell the world that the monster is a danger to everyone.

I know that I have only a few hours left to live, but I can feel my loved ones near me, and I welcome death.

Goodbye. This is the end of Victor Frankenstein's story.

---

ring v. give out a clear sound. 鸣，响。

just adv. exactly. 正好，恰好。

as... as possible 尽量。

message n. a piece of news sent to sb. 消息，讯息，口信。

continue v. go on. 继续，持续。

go by pass. 时光流逝。

feel sorry for sb. 为某人感到难过，抱歉。

第十四章

我决定永远离开日内瓦。我带上了我所需要的一切费用便离开了那个城市。走之前，我去了威廉、伊丽莎白还有我父亲的安息之处。我站在那儿向他们发誓我要活到杀死那个怪物之时。

一声响亮而邪恶的笑声响彻了静静的夜空。接着我听到怪物的声音：“你决定活下去我很高兴，因为这正是我想要的。”

我朝声音的方向跑去，但没有抓到他。我看着他跑开了，只是他跑得比任何人都快——太快了，我没法赶上他。但我跟踪着他，打那天起我一直在跟踪他。我要活到抓住他的那一天。他希望我尽可能活得长一些，以便我日复一日地感受到他带给我的痛苦和悲伤。他给我留下口信告诉我他在什么地方。他知道我会跟踪他的。

只有在熟睡时我才感到快乐。我梦见我同我的家人们、伊丽莎白和亨利在一起。我醒来时便盼望着死去，盼望着和他们在一起的那一天。

在怪物留下的最后的一个口信中，他告诉我说他要去北方。他是想把我带到寒冷的地方受煎熬，以便让我更加痛苦。我跟踪他来到北方寒冷的地方，并且买了狗和雪橇。直到现在，自打我追赶他的那个时候起，他就一直把我远远地甩到后面。可是狗跑得很快，这让我离他越来越近。不久他便离我只剩下一天的行程了。他在朝大海的方向跑去，而我希望在他到达大海之前抓住他。冰上的追逐持续了三个星期。严寒给我带来了巨大的痛苦，我开始失去信心了。我想我永远也别想追上他了。我的狗再也跑不动了，其中还死了一只。后来我看到在我前面的冰上有个什么东西。那是怪物和他的雪橇。突然间我又充满了希望，于是欢快地大喊了起来。

我离他越来越近。后来刮起了一场大风暴。冰开始破裂，海水载着他离我而去。我的雪橇毁了，狗也都丢了。我被困在一块不断消融的冰上。好几个小时之后，我看见了你们的轮船。接下来的事你都知道了。

我请求你，沃尔顿船长，请你去追上并杀死那个怪物。不要听他说什么。他知道怎样辩解，你可能还会同情他的。但你要记住他是邪恶的，要想到威廉、贾斯汀、亨利·克勒沃、伊丽莎白、我父亲这些人的死……还有我，维克多·弗兰肯斯坦。

我没有更多要说的了；只是我得谢谢你，沃尔顿船长，谢谢你的帮助和善心，也感谢你倾听了我的故事。我想让你叫全世界的人都知道那个怪物对所有的人来说都是个危险。

我知道我只能再活几个小时了，但我能够感觉到我所爱的人们离我近了，因而我欢迎死亡的到来。

再见。这就是维克多·弗兰肯斯坦的故事的结尾。

Victor Frankenstein Continues His Story
维克多·弗兰肯斯坦继续讲他的故事

Chapter 10

The monster finished telling me his story, and then he said:

'I am alone and miserable. Only someone as ugly as I am could love me. You must make another creature like me, a woman monster to be my wife.'

'I shall never make another creature like you,' I shouted. 'You have done enough evil on your own.'

'If you don' t help me, I shall make you more miserable than you have ever been in your life. You will wish you were dead,' the monster said. 'But if you make another monster to be my friend, we won't hurt anyone. Be kind to me now, and I will learn to love and be kind.'

I thought long and hard about the monster's words. I felt sorry for him. He was so miserable. Perhaps I should help him.

'I shall do what you ask,' I told him. 'But you must promise to live somewhere in the world where nobody lives. You must promise to stay away from other people.'

'I promise! I promise!' he cried. 'Please start your work. I shall watch you, and when you are ready, you can be sure I will come back.' He turned and left me, and ran down the mountain.

I went back to Geneva immediately. My family were very worried when they saw me. I was pale and my eyes were wild. I could not forget my promise to the monster, and the awful work that waited for me. But I had to do it. It was the only way to keep my family safe... safe from his murdering hands around their necks.

I needed to study for several months to make a woman monster successfully. I heard that an English scientist had done some useful work, so I decided to go to England.

Before I went, my father asked me: 'Are you going to marry Elizabeth, or do you love another woman? Is this why you are so unhappy?'

'No, father,' I replied. 'I have always loved Elizabeth, and I want to marry her. But I must do one more piece of scientific work before we can marry. I must go to England to do the work and I want to marry Elizabeth when I return.'

My father and Elizabeth did not want me to go to England alone, because I had been so ill. They spoke to my old friend Henry Clerval, and he was very happy to travel with me. I was pleased that he could come, although I did not want him to discover anything about my horrible work.

Henry and I reached London in early October and stayed there for a few months. I met and talked with English scientists, and learnt many useful things from them. Then Henry was invited to visit some friends in Scotland. I planned to travel with him, but I told him that I wanted to go walking in the mountains alone. Henry was not happy with my plan, but in the end he agreed.

I bought all that I needed for a laboratory, and sent everything to Scotland. Henry and I travelled to Edinburgh together, and then I went further north, to find a good place for my laboratory. At last I found the right place on an island off the north coast. It was a wild and lonely place. Only five people lived on the island, so I could work alone, and nobody would discover my awful secret.

There was a large, empty hut on the island, and I brought builders from Scotland to make the hut into a laboratory for me. I showed them how to build my mast, and soon everything was ready for me to start work on the woman monster.

---

miserable adj. very unhappy. 不幸的，悲惨的，愁苦的。

on one's own by oneself. 独自一人。

ugly adj. not beautiful at all, not nice to look at. 丑陋的。

watch v. keep the eyes on to see that all is well. 注意，监视，守望。

pale adj. (of a person's face) having little colour, bloodless. 苍白的，脸上没有血色的。

wild adj. mad. 发狂的。

although conj. though, even if. 虽然，即使。

October n. 10月。

Scotland n. 苏格兰（地名）。

Edinburgh n. 爱丁堡（城市名），苏格兰首府。

right adj. fit, suitable. 正好的，恰当的，合适的。

build v. put up. 建筑。

builder n. 建筑工人，建造者。

building n. 建筑物。

第十章

怪物讲完了他的故事，然后说道：

“我孤独而凄惨。只有某个像我一样丑的人才会爱我的。你必须另外造一个像我这样的女怪物来当我的妻子。”

“我决不会再造一个像你一样的人的，”我喊道，“你自己已经干够了邪恶的事情了。”

“如果你不帮我，那么我就会让你过得比你以往任何时候都要凄惨。你会求死不得的，”怪物说，“但是如果你另外造一个怪物当我的朋友，那么我们就不会伤害任何人。现在善待我吧，我也会学着去爱人并变得善良的。”

怪物的话让我费力地考虑了很久。我感到对不起他，他是如此痛苦。或许我应该帮助他。

“我会照你说的去做，”我对他说道，“但你得答应要待在没人生活的地方。”

“我答应！我答应！”他喊道，“请你开始工作吧。我会监视你的；在你准备好了以后，我肯定会回来的。”他转身离开了我，并跑下了山。

我立即返回日内瓦。我家人见到我时都非常为我担忧。我脸色苍白，眼睛发狂。我忘不了我对怪物的允诺，还有那等着我的可怕的工作。但我必须去做。那是保证我家庭平安的唯一出路……使他们不致被怪物的手扼死。

为了成功地造一个女怪物我需要几个月的时间进行研究。我了解到有个英国科学家已进行了一些有价值的工作，于是决定去英国。

在我去之前，我父亲问我：“你是打算娶伊丽莎白，还是爱上了另外一个女人？你是不是因为这个而如此不高兴？”

“不是，爸爸。”我回答道，“我一直都爱伊丽莎白，并且我要娶她。但是在我们结婚之前我必须再进行一项科学工作。我必须去英国做那项工作而在回来后便同伊丽莎白结婚。”

我父亲和伊丽莎白不想让我单独去英国，因为我一直生着病。他们对我的老朋友亨利·克勒沃讲了，而他非常高兴同我一起去。他能去我很高兴，尽管我不想让他知道有关我那可怕的工作的任何事情。

亨利和我于10月初到达伦敦并在那儿待了几个月。我同几个英国科学家见了面并谈了话，并从他们那儿了解到许多有用的东西。后来亨利被邀请去拜访几位苏格兰朋友。我计划同他一起去，但告诉他说我想独自一人在山中散步。亨利对我的计划不满，但最终还是同意了。

我买了实验室所需的一切东西，并把所有的东西都送到了苏格兰。亨利同我一起到了爱丁堡，然后我继续朝北走，以便为我的实验室找到合适的地点。最后我在远离北部海岸的一个岛上找到了合适的地点。那是个荒凉偏僻的地方。岛上只有五个人居住，因而我可以独自工作，没有人会发现我那可怕的秘密。

岛上有一个大的空茅屋；我从苏格兰带去了建筑工人以便把茅屋改造成我的实验室。我指示他们如何建杆子，不久所有为我造女怪物的准备工作均已就绪。

Chapter 11

One evening two months later I was sitting in my laboratory. Most of my work was done, and I could finish the woman monster that night. But I wondered if I should finish the work.

Was I making a monster more evil than the first creature? Perhaps a thousand times more evil. How could I know? Perhaps the woman monster would be another murderer. She had not promised to stay away from other people. Perhaps the two monsters would hate each other... and would kill, and murder, and destroy... without end.

As I thought these things, I looked up at the window. Suddenly, in the moonlight, I saw the monster's awful face looking at me. And in his yellow eyes I could see only hate and evil. I knew he would not keep his promise.

I went over to the laboratory table where the new creature was lying. I pulled off the wires that joined her to my machine. I took a sharp knife and cut through the body that I had joined together so carefully. Through the window the monster saw me destroy his woman. With a loud and miserable scream of sadness and lost hope, he ran into the laboratory.

'You have destroyed all my hopes of happiness,' he cried. 'You have left me with one feeling—hate... and with one wish—to destroy your happiness. You will be sorry that you were ever born. Remember this: I shall be with you on your wedding night.'

He ran quickly out of the laboratory, and I watched him as he left the island in his boat and sailed away across the sea.

I sat and cried as I thought of the danger to Elizabeth. But I knew that the monster would not visit us until our wedding night. I would not die easily, and I would try to kill him before he could kill me.

The next morning I received a letter from Henry. He told me that he was waiting for me to return. I decided to clear the laboratory and to leave the island on the following day. So I returned to the laboratory, where the pieces of the woman monster's body still lay on the floor. I put them all in a large bag with some heavy stones. Then I took the bag to my boat and sailed out to sea. I threw the bag into deep water, and watched it disappear.

I was happier that I had felt for months. I knew I had done the right thing, and now there would be no second monster to follow the first.

I was very tired, and I went to sleep in the boat. I do not know how long I slept, but when I woke up, I was in the middle of a storm. The wind was driving me further out to sea and my boat began to fill with water. I knew I was in great danger. After some hours the storm passed, and I saw land to the south. Soon I could see the beach... and a crowd of people standing and watching me. Their faces were cold and unfriendly.

As I landed, four of the men came towards me and took me by the arms.

'We are taking you to Mr Kerwin, the judge. He wants to ask you some questions about the murder of a man here last night,' one of the men told me.

I was sad to hear of the murder, but I did not worry about it. I had been far away at the time, and knew nothing about any murder. It would be easy to explain that. So I went with the men to the large house where Judge Kerwin lived.

---

most of the greater part of. 大部分。

wonder v. feel curious, ask oneself. 觉得好奇，想要知道。

look up at sb./sth. 仰望某人／某物。

wedding n. 婚礼仪式，婚礼。

clear v. get rid of. 清除。

in danger not safe. 身处险境，不安全。

follow v. 追随，学习。

beach n. coast. 海滩。

crowd n. large number of people together. 人群。

take sb. by the arms 抓住某人的胳膊。

judge n. public officer of the law. 法官。

第十一章

两个月后的一天晚上，我坐在了我的实验室里。我的大部分工作均已完成，那天晚上我就可以完成女怪物的制作工作了。但是我不知道是否应该完成这项工作。

我是否在造一个比第一个家伙更加邪恶的怪物呢？也许要邪恶一千倍。我怎么知道呢？也许这个女怪物会成为另一个杀人凶手。她可没有答应要待在远离旁人的地方。或许那两个怪物会相互仇恨……并且会没完没了地凶杀、谋害和毁灭……

我想这些事时抬头望了望窗户。突然，在月光下我看见那个怪物的恐怖的脸正看着我。并且在他那黄色的眼中我只看到了仇恨和邪恶。我知道他是不会遵守诺言的。

我走到那个新的家伙躺着的实验室桌子的旁边。我扯开了连接她和我的机器的电线。我拿起一把锋利的刀切碎了精心拼揍起来的那个身体。怪物从窗户里看见我毁了他的女人。于是，随着一声悲伤和失望的、凄惨的吼声，他跑进了实验室。

“你已经毁灭了我所有的有关幸福的期望，”他哭喊道，“你只给我留下了一种感情——仇恨……和一种愿望——毁掉你的幸福。你会为你来到这个世界上而后悔的。记住这一点：在你的新婚之夜我会去找你的。”

他快速跑出实验室，我看着他划船离开海岛向大海驶去。

当我想到对伊丽莎白构成的危险时坐下来哭了起来。但是我知道在我们的新婚之夜之前怪物是不会“造访”我们的。我不会轻易地死去，而且要在他杀死我之前设法杀死他。

第二天早上我收到了亨利的一封信。他告诉我说他在等着我回去。我决定清理一下实验室并在第二天离开海岛。于是我返回实验室，女怪物的那具身体还躺在地上。我把它们和一些重的石头一起装进一个大袋子。然后我把袋子扛到船上并驶向大海。我把袋子投入深水中，看着它消失了。

我现在比好几个月以来感觉要好些了。我知道自己做对了一件事，现在不会有第二个怪物步那第一个的后尘了。

我非常疲劳，在船上睡着了。我不清楚睡了多长时间，只知道我醒来时正处在一场暴风雨之中。风把我吹向离海岸更远的地方，我的船还开始进水了。我明白自己正处于极大的危险之中。几个小时后暴风雨过去了，我看见往南有陆地。很快我就看见了海滩……一群人正站在那儿看着我。他们的表情既冷酷又不友好。

在我登陆时，四个男人走向我并抓住了我的胳膊。

“我们要把你带到法官克文先生那儿去。他要审问你这儿昨晚发生的一桩谋杀案的事，”其中的一个人告诉我。

听了那桩谋杀案我很伤心，但我没有为此担心。我那时正在远处，根本不知道什么谋杀的事。将会容易地解释清这一点。这样我便随那些人去了克文法官住的大屋子。

Chapter 12

The judge was an old, kind man, but his face was very serious as he looked at me. He asked a number of men to tell me what they had seen and found the night before.

The first man told his story. He and his son were coming home from a long day's fishing. It was a dark night, and on the beach they had fallen over the dead body of a man. They had carried the body to the nearest house, and found that it was a good-looking young man about twenty-five years old. There were the marks of fingers round his neck. When they spoke of the marks of fingers, I remembered the murder of my brother and I felt a terrible fear.

The son then told his story. He had seen a boat with a man in it, not far from the beach. He thought it was my boat. A woman had also seen a man in a boat sailing away from the beach. She thought I was the man.

Then I was taken to the room where the dead body lay. How can I tell you what I felt when I saw the body? I put my arms round it and cried: 'What have I done? My friend! My dear friend!' The body was Henry Clerval's, and so now I had destroyed another person.

This third death was too much for me. I fell down in a kind of madness, and they had to carry me from the room. For two months I was very ill and wished only to die. But slowly my madness left me, and my health began to return. At last I was able to speak to Judge Kerwin, and I asked for news of my family.

'There is someone here who can answer your question better than I can,' he said. 'Your father arrived a few minutes ago, and is waiting to see you.'

For the first time since Henry's death I felt some happiness. I held up my hands to my father as he came into the room, and he took me in his arms. He gave me the good news that Elizabeth and Ernest were safe and well.

I was really too ill to travel, but I asked my father to take me home immediately. The police had found somebody who had seen me on my island at the time of the murder, and so the judge let me go free.

My father looked after me on the long journey home, and sat with me for every minute. Night after night while I was asleep, I shouted that I was the murderer of William, Justine, and Henry. My father asked me why I said these awful things. I wanted to answer his question, but I could not tell him my terrible secret. He thought that I was still a little mad.

We stayed for a few days in Paris on the way home, and Elizabeth wrote to me at our hotel. This is what her letter said:

My dearest Victor,

I am so happy to know that you will soon be home. But I am afraid that Henry's death is not the only reason for your sadness. Do you still want to marry me, or do you love another woman? You must tell me.

I love you, Victor, and I dream of the day when I shall be your wife. But I do not want you to marry me just because your parents wanted it. I can only be happy if you are happy.

Do not answer this letter. Wait until you arrive before you give me your answer. But if you are well, and if I can make you smile, I need nothing more to make me happy.

With all my love,

Elizabeth

I replied immediately. I told her that I loved her very much and wanted to marry her.

I remembered the monster's promise to be with me on the night of my wedding. Let him come. We would fight to the death on that night. And after that fight, I would either be dead and at peace, or alive and free... free to be happy with Elizabeth.

We arrived in Geneva soon after my letter had reached Elizabeth. It was wonderful to see her again. She ran into my arms and I held her close. She cried when she saw how thin and old I looked. She, too, was thinner because she had worried about me so much. But her gentleness and her love made her as beautiful as ever.

We agreed that the wedding would be in ten days' time. As the day came nearer, I became more and more afraid. I tried to hide my fear, and laughed and smiled as often as I could. Elizabeth knew that I was unhappy, but she was sure she could give me happiness. She looked forward to our wedding.

I began to carry a gun and a knife with me everywhere I went.

---

speak of tell about. 说起，谈论到。

health n. condition of the body or the mind. 身体或精神状况。

take sb. in the arms 将某人搂在怀里。

too... to do sth. 太……以致于不能做某事。

look after take care of, nurse. 护理，照料。

Paris n. 巴黎（城市名），法国首都。

on the way home 在回家的路上。

hotel n. building where meals and rooms are prepared for travellers. 旅馆，饭店。

journey n. trip. 旅途。

dream of 梦想，设想。

at peace 平安无事。

as... as ever 依旧，一样。

in ten days' time 十天之后（用于将来时态中）。

more and more 越来越……。

carry sth. with sb. 随身携带某物。

第十二章

法官是个善良的老人，但他在看着我时表情非常严峻。他叫了好几个人来告诉我他们在前一天晚上都看到了并发现了什么。

第一个人讲了他的故事。他和他的儿子钓了一天的鱼后正往家里走。那是个黑暗的夜晚，他们在海滩上被一具男尸绊倒了。他们把尸体扛到最近的一所房子，发现那是一个二十五岁左右的、面貌英俊的男人。他的脖子上有指痕。当他们说起指痕时，我想起了杀害我弟弟的凶手，于是便不寒而栗。

之后，那个儿子讲起了他的故事。他曾在离海岸不远的地方看到过上边有一个男人的一只船。他认为那是我的船。一个女人也曾看到有个男人驾着一只船朝海里划去。她认为我就是那个人。

然后我被带到尸体停放的那个房间。我该怎么形容我看到那具尸体时的感觉呢？我抱住尸体哭道：“我都干了什么啦？我的朋友！我亲爱的朋友！”那是亨利·克勒沃的尸体，这样我又毁了另一个人的生命。

这第三起死亡事件对我打击太大了。我近乎疯狂地倒在了地上，他们不得不把我从房间里抬走。我大病了两个月的时间，一心只想去死。但渐渐地我不再疯狂，身体也开始恢复了。最后我可以同克文法官谈话并问起我家人的情况。

“这儿有更好的人来回答你的问题。”他说道，“你父亲几分钟前来了，正等着看你呢。”

自从亨利死后，我首次感到了些许的快乐。我父亲走进屋时我朝他伸出了双手，他把我搂进了怀里。他告诉我一个好消息说伊丽莎白和欧内斯特均健康平安。

我病得实在是太重，路也走不动了，但我要我父亲立刻把我带回家去。警察已查到在谋杀发生时有人看见过我正在岛上，这样法官便释放了我。

我父亲在回家的漫长旅途中一直照顾着我，每时每刻都坐在我的身边。一个个晚上，我在熟睡时都大声说我是杀害威廉、贾斯汀和亨利的凶手。我父亲问我为什么说出这些可怕的话。我想要回答他的问题，但又不能告诉他我那可怕的秘密。他认为我的大脑仍有些不正常。

回家途中我们在巴黎逗留了几天，伊丽莎白给我写了封信寄到了旅店。信是这样写的：

我最亲爱的维克多：

知道你很快就要回家了我非常高兴。

可是我担心亨利的死并不是你伤心的唯一原因。你是仍然想要娶我，还是爱上了另外一个女人？你必须告诉我。

我爱你，维克多；我梦想着成为你的妻子的那一天。但是我不希望你只是因为你父母的意愿而娶我。只有在你幸福时我才会幸福。

不要回信。等你回来再给我答复。但是如果你身体健康或者我能让你微笑的话，那么我就再高兴不过了。

爱你的，

伊丽莎白

我立刻回了信。我告诉她我非常爱她并想和她结婚。

我想起了怪物许过的要在我的新婚之夜来找我的诺言。就让他来吧，我们可以在那天晚上拼死搏斗。搏斗之后，我要么安祥地死去，要么自由地活着……自由而幸福地同伊丽莎白在一起。

伊丽莎白收到我的信后不久我们便到了日内瓦。再见到她真是太美好了。她扑到我的怀里，我紧紧地搂住了她。当她看到我又瘦削又显老时哭了。她因为一直非常牵挂我也瘦了。但是她的温柔和爱意使她永远美丽。

我们商定十天后举行婚礼。这一天越是临近，我越是害怕。我竭力隐藏我的恐惧，尽量露出欢声笑语。伊丽莎白知道我不高兴，但她确信她可以给我幸福。她期盼着我们的婚礼。

我开始随身携带着一把枪和一把刀子。

Chapter 13

After the wedding a large number of our friends came to a party at our house. When the party had started, Elizabeth and I said goodbye and left for our honeymoon. We travelled first by boat, and planned to spend the night at a hotel on the other side of the lake. The mountains and the lake were calm and beautiful, and at last Elizabeth and I were together. For the first time for months, and for the last time ever, I enjoyed the feeling of happiness.

In the evening the wind became stronger and soon a great storm broke above us. Every noise frightened me, and I kept my hand on my gun under my coat. I saw the monster in every shadow. Suddenly I realized how terrible the fight would be for Elizabeth. I asked her to go to bed and I decided to search for the monster. I planned to join her when I was sure he was not in or around the hotel.

Elizabeth left me and I searched every corner of the hotel—every dark doorway and staircase. I could not find him, and I began to hope that he had not followed us to the hotel. But suddenly, I heard a loud and terrible scream.

It came from our room.

Then—too late—I understood. The monster had promised to be with me on my wedding night, but he had not planned to kill me.

The scream came again, and I ran to our room. Why did I not die there and then?

On the bed, Elizabeth lay still, in the cold sleep of death. I took her in my arms... and saw the marks of the murderer's fingers on her neck.

Other people in the hotel had heard the screams and came into our room. I sent one of them to call the police. The others left me alone with my misery. I held Elizabeth close, and as I held her, I saw the monster watching me through the open window of the room. There was an evil laugh on his face. I pulled my gun from my coat and fired at him. I missed, and he ran from the window and jumped into the lake. The other people heard the noise of the shot and came back into the room. I showed them the place where the monster had jumped into the lake. We searched the edge of the lake, but we could not find him. I returned to our room and lay on the bed next to my dear wife.

Suddenly I had another terrible thought. At this very moment perhaps my father was fighting the monster, with Ernest dead at his feet.

I left the hotel and returned to Geneva as fast as I could. My father and Ernest were safe, but the awful news of Elizabeth's death killed my father. He had loved Elizabeth dearly. He became ill, and after a few days he died in my arms. So the evil monster had brought unhappiness and death to a dear old man who had never hurt anybody.

I do not know what happened next. I think I left the real world, and entered a dangerous world of dreams and madness. Later I found that they had put me in prison because of my madness.

After many months they let me free. I had only one wish—to find and kill the monster.

---

party n. 派对，聚会。

honeymoon n. a holiday for a new husband and wife after their wedding. 蜜月假期。

by boat 乘船。

break v. start. 爆发。

doorway n. 门口，门厅。

staircase n. 楼梯（指室内的，常有扶栏）。

leave sb. alone with sth. 让某人独自承受某事。

edge n. border. 边。

miss v. fail to hit, catch, etc. 错过。

put sb. in prison 将某人投进监狱。

第十三章

婚礼之后我们的大批朋友都来我们家聚会。聚会开始后，我和伊丽莎白向他们道了别并离开度蜜月去了。我们首先乘船旅行，并计划晚上在湖对岸的一家旅馆过夜。群山和湖泊宁静而美丽，我和伊丽莎白终于结合在了一起。我几个月来第一次、也是最后一次享受到了幸福的感觉。

傍晚风刮得更猛了，不久还来了一场大的暴风雨。每一个声响都让我恐惧，我一直把手放在外套下面的枪上。我在每个阴暗处都看到了那个怪物。突然间我意识到这场搏斗对于伊丽莎白来说将会是多么恐怖。我让她上床睡觉而我则决定去寻找那个怪物。我打算在确信怪物不在旅馆及其附近后再回到伊丽莎白身边。

伊丽莎白离开了我，我搜寻了旅馆里的每一个角落——每一个黑暗的门厅和楼梯。我没能找到他，于是便开始希望他并没有随我们到旅馆来。但是突然间我听到了一声可怕的尖叫。

那是从我们的房间里传出来的。

于是我明白过来了——但已经太晚了。怪物曾许诺要在我的新婚之夜跟着我的，但他并未打算要杀了我。

尖叫声又一次传来，我于是跑到了我们的房间。我为什么没有在当时当地便死去呢？

床上，伊丽莎白静静地躺着，在冰冷中长眠。我把她抱在怀中……并看见了凶手在她脖子上留下的指痕。

旅馆里的其他人听到了尖叫声，他们走进了我们的房间。我让其中的一人去报警。其他人走后，留下我一个人在痛苦中煎熬。我紧紧地搂着伊丽莎白，而我抱着她时看见怪物正透过开着的窗户看着我。他的脸上挂着邪恶的笑容。我从外套中拔出枪朝他开了火。我没有打中，他从窗户处跑开并跳到了湖里。其他人听到了枪声便又来到了那个房间。我将怪物跳湖之处指给他们看。我们在湖边搜寻，但没能找到他。我回到房间里躺到我亲爱的妻子身旁。

突然间我有了另外一个可怕的想法：也许我父亲这时正在同那个怪物打斗并且欧内斯特已死在他的脚边。

我离开旅馆并以最快的速度赶回了日内瓦。我父亲和欧内斯特都平安无事，但伊丽莎白死去的噩耗夺去了我父亲的生命。他曾深深地爱着伊丽莎白。他病倒了，几天之后便死在了我的怀里。这样那个邪恶的怪物将不幸和死亡带给了从未伤害过任何人的我那亲爱的老人。

我不知道接下去会发生什么。我想我当时离开了现实的世界而进入了梦幻和疯狂的危险境界。后来我才知道他们当时因为我的疯狂而把我送进了监狱。

好几个月之后他们释放了我。我只有一个愿望——找到并杀死那个怪物。

Chapter 14

I decided to leave Geneva for ever. I took all the money that I needed, and left the town. Before I left, I went to visit the place where William, Elizabeth, and my father lay at rest. I stood there and promised them that I would stay alive until I had killed the monster.

A loud, evil laugh rang out through the silent night. Then I heard the monster's voice: 'It pleases me that you have decided to live, because that is just what I want.'

I ran towards the voice, but I could not catch the monster. I saw him running away, but he ran faster than any man could go—too fast for me to catch. But I followed him, and I have been following him since that day. I shall stay alive until I can catch him. He wants me to live as long as possible. He wants me to feel, day after day, the pain and misery that he has given me. He leaves messages to tell me where he is. He knows that I shall follow him.

I am only happy when I am asleep. I dream that I am with my family, and Elizabeth and Henry. When I am awake, I look forward to my death, to the day when I shall be with them.

In his last message the monster told me that he was going north. He wanted to take me where the cold would hurt me and make me more miserable. I followed him to the cold lands of the north, and bought dogs and a sledge. Until now, he has always left me further and further behind when I chase him. But the dogs were very fast and I was getting closer and closer to him. Soon he was only one day's journey in front of me. He was going towards the sea, and I hoped to catch him before he reached it. The chase over the ice continued for about three weeks. The pain from the cold was very great, and I began to lose hope. I thought I would never catch him. My dogs could not run much further, and one of them died. Then I saw something on the ice in front of me. It was the monster and his sledge. Suddenly I was full of hope again, and I gave a great shout of happiness.

I got closer and closer to him. Then a great storm started. The ice began to break, and the sea carried him away from me. My sledge was broken, and I lost my dogs. I was left on a piece of ice that was becoming smaller all the time. Many hours went by, and then I saw your ship. The rest you know.

I ask you, Captain Walton, to chase the monster and kill him. Do not listen to what he says. He knows how to argue, and perhaps you will feel sorry for him. But remember that he is evil. Remember the deaths of William, Justine, Henry Clerval, Elizabeth, my father... and remember me, Victor Frankenstein.

There is no more for me to say, except to thank you, Captain Walton, for your help and kindness. Thank you also for listening to my story. I want you to tell the world that the monster is a danger to everyone.

I know that I have only a few hours left to live, but I can feel my loved ones near me, and I welcome death.

Goodbye. This is the end of Victor Frankenstein's story.

---

ring v. give out a clear sound. 鸣，响。

just adv. exactly. 正好，恰好。

as... as possible 尽量。

message n. a piece of news sent to sb. 消息，讯息，口信。

continue v. go on. 继续，持续。

go by pass. 时光流逝。

feel sorry for sb. 为某人感到难过，抱歉。

第十四章

我决定永远离开日内瓦。我带上了我所需要的一切费用便离开了那个城市。走之前，我去了威廉、伊丽莎白还有我父亲的安息之处。我站在那儿向他们发誓我要活到杀死那个怪物之时。

一声响亮而邪恶的笑声响彻了静静的夜空。接着我听到怪物的声音：“你决定活下去我很高兴，因为这正是我想要的。”

我朝声音的方向跑去，但没有抓到他。我看着他跑开了，只是他跑得比任何人都快——太快了，我没法赶上他。但我跟踪着他，打那天起我一直在跟踪他。我要活到抓住他的那一天。他希望我尽可能活得长一些，以便我日复一日地感受到他带给我的痛苦和悲伤。他给我留下口信告诉我他在什么地方。他知道我会跟踪他的。

只有在熟睡时我才感到快乐。我梦见我同我的家人们、伊丽莎白和亨利在一起。我醒来时便盼望着死去，盼望着和他们在一起的那一天。

在怪物留下的最后的一个口信中，他告诉我说他要去北方。他是想把我带到寒冷的地方受煎熬，以便让我更加痛苦。我跟踪他来到北方寒冷的地方，并且买了狗和雪橇。直到现在，自打我追赶他的那个时候起，他就一直把我远远地甩到后面。可是狗跑得很快，这让我离他越来越近。不久他便离我只剩下一天的行程了。他在朝大海的方向跑去，而我希望在他到达大海之前抓住他。冰上的追逐持续了三个星期。严寒给我带来了巨大的痛苦，我开始失去信心了。我想我永远也别想追上他了。我的狗再也跑不动了，其中还死了一只。后来我看到在我前面的冰上有个什么东西。那是怪物和他的雪橇。突然间我又充满了希望，于是欢快地大喊了起来。

我离他越来越近。后来刮起了一场大风暴。冰开始破裂，海水载着他离我而去。我的雪橇毁了，狗也都丢了。我被困在一块不断消融的冰上。好几个小时之后，我看见了你们的轮船。接下来的事你都知道了。

我请求你，沃尔顿船长，请你去追上并杀死那个怪物。不要听他说什么。他知道怎样辩解，你可能还会同情他的。但你要记住他是邪恶的，要想到威廉、贾斯汀、亨利·克勒沃、伊丽莎白、我父亲这些人的死……还有我，维克多·弗兰肯斯坦。

我没有更多要说的了；只是我得谢谢你，沃尔顿船长，谢谢你的帮助和善心，也感谢你倾听了我的故事。我想让你叫全世界的人都知道那个怪物对所有的人来说都是个危险。

我知道我只能再活几个小时了，但我能够感觉到我所爱的人们离我近了，因而我欢迎死亡的到来。

再见。这就是维克多·弗兰肯斯坦的故事的结尾。

Victor Frankenstein Continues His Story
维克多·弗兰肯斯坦继续讲他的故事

Chapter 10

The monster finished telling me his story, and then he said:

'I am alone and miserable. Only someone as ugly as I am could love me. You must make another creature like me, a woman monster to be my wife.'

'I shall never make another creature like you,' I shouted. 'You have done enough evil on your own.'

'If you don' t help me, I shall make you more miserable than you have ever been in your life. You will wish you were dead,' the monster said. 'But if you make another monster to be my friend, we won't hurt anyone. Be kind to me now, and I will learn to love and be kind.'

I thought long and hard about the monster's words. I felt sorry for him. He was so miserable. Perhaps I should help him.

'I shall do what you ask,' I told him. 'But you must promise to live somewhere in the world where nobody lives. You must promise to stay away from other people.'

'I promise! I promise!' he cried. 'Please start your work. I shall watch you, and when you are ready, you can be sure I will come back.' He turned and left me, and ran down the mountain.

I went back to Geneva immediately. My family were very worried when they saw me. I was pale and my eyes were wild. I could not forget my promise to the monster, and the awful work that waited for me. But I had to do it. It was the only way to keep my family safe... safe from his murdering hands around their necks.

I needed to study for several months to make a woman monster successfully. I heard that an English scientist had done some useful work, so I decided to go to England.

Before I went, my father asked me: 'Are you going to marry Elizabeth, or do you love another woman? Is this why you are so unhappy?'

'No, father,' I replied. 'I have always loved Elizabeth, and I want to marry her. But I must do one more piece of scientific work before we can marry. I must go to England to do the work and I want to marry Elizabeth when I return.'

My father and Elizabeth did not want me to go to England alone, because I had been so ill. They spoke to my old friend Henry Clerval, and he was very happy to travel with me. I was pleased that he could come, although I did not want him to discover anything about my horrible work.

Henry and I reached London in early October and stayed there for a few months. I met and talked with English scientists, and learnt many useful things from them. Then Henry was invited to visit some friends in Scotland. I planned to travel with him, but I told him that I wanted to go walking in the mountains alone. Henry was not happy with my plan, but in the end he agreed.

I bought all that I needed for a laboratory, and sent everything to Scotland. Henry and I travelled to Edinburgh together, and then I went further north, to find a good place for my laboratory. At last I found the right place on an island off the north coast. It was a wild and lonely place. Only five people lived on the island, so I could work alone, and nobody would discover my awful secret.

There was a large, empty hut on the island, and I brought builders from Scotland to make the hut into a laboratory for me. I showed them how to build my mast, and soon everything was ready for me to start work on the woman monster.

---

miserable adj. very unhappy. 不幸的，悲惨的，愁苦的。

on one's own by oneself. 独自一人。

ugly adj. not beautiful at all, not nice to look at. 丑陋的。

watch v. keep the eyes on to see that all is well. 注意，监视，守望。

pale adj. (of a person's face) having little colour, bloodless. 苍白的，脸上没有血色的。

wild adj. mad. 发狂的。

although conj. though, even if. 虽然，即使。

October n. 10月。

Scotland n. 苏格兰（地名）。

Edinburgh n. 爱丁堡（城市名），苏格兰首府。

right adj. fit, suitable. 正好的，恰当的，合适的。

build v. put up. 建筑。

builder n. 建筑工人，建造者。

building n. 建筑物。

第十章

怪物讲完了他的故事，然后说道：

“我孤独而凄惨。只有某个像我一样丑的人才会爱我的。你必须另外造一个像我这样的女怪物来当我的妻子。”

“我决不会再造一个像你一样的人的，”我喊道，“你自己已经干够了邪恶的事情了。”

“如果你不帮我，那么我就会让你过得比你以往任何时候都要凄惨。你会求死不得的，”怪物说，“但是如果你另外造一个怪物当我的朋友，那么我们就不会伤害任何人。现在善待我吧，我也会学着去爱人并变得善良的。”

怪物的话让我费力地考虑了很久。我感到对不起他，他是如此痛苦。或许我应该帮助他。

“我会照你说的去做，”我对他说道，“但你得答应要待在没人生活的地方。”

“我答应！我答应！”他喊道，“请你开始工作吧。我会监视你的；在你准备好了以后，我肯定会回来的。”他转身离开了我，并跑下了山。

我立即返回日内瓦。我家人见到我时都非常为我担忧。我脸色苍白，眼睛发狂。我忘不了我对怪物的允诺，还有那等着我的可怕的工作。但我必须去做。那是保证我家庭平安的唯一出路……使他们不致被怪物的手扼死。

为了成功地造一个女怪物我需要几个月的时间进行研究。我了解到有个英国科学家已进行了一些有价值的工作，于是决定去英国。

在我去之前，我父亲问我：“你是打算娶伊丽莎白，还是爱上了另外一个女人？你是不是因为这个而如此不高兴？”

“不是，爸爸。”我回答道，“我一直都爱伊丽莎白，并且我要娶她。但是在我们结婚之前我必须再进行一项科学工作。我必须去英国做那项工作而在回来后便同伊丽莎白结婚。”

我父亲和伊丽莎白不想让我单独去英国，因为我一直生着病。他们对我的老朋友亨利·克勒沃讲了，而他非常高兴同我一起去。他能去我很高兴，尽管我不想让他知道有关我那可怕的工作的任何事情。

亨利和我于10月初到达伦敦并在那儿待了几个月。我同几个英国科学家见了面并谈了话，并从他们那儿了解到许多有用的东西。后来亨利被邀请去拜访几位苏格兰朋友。我计划同他一起去，但告诉他说我想独自一人在山中散步。亨利对我的计划不满，但最终还是同意了。

我买了实验室所需的一切东西，并把所有的东西都送到了苏格兰。亨利同我一起到了爱丁堡，然后我继续朝北走，以便为我的实验室找到合适的地点。最后我在远离北部海岸的一个岛上找到了合适的地点。那是个荒凉偏僻的地方。岛上只有五个人居住，因而我可以独自工作，没有人会发现我那可怕的秘密。

岛上有一个大的空茅屋；我从苏格兰带去了建筑工人以便把茅屋改造成我的实验室。我指示他们如何建杆子，不久所有为我造女怪物的准备工作均已就绪。

Chapter 11

One evening two months later I was sitting in my laboratory. Most of my work was done, and I could finish the woman monster that night. But I wondered if I should finish the work.

Was I making a monster more evil than the first creature? Perhaps a thousand times more evil. How could I know? Perhaps the woman monster would be another murderer. She had not promised to stay away from other people. Perhaps the two monsters would hate each other... and would kill, and murder, and destroy... without end.

As I thought these things, I looked up at the window. Suddenly, in the moonlight, I saw the monster's awful face looking at me. And in his yellow eyes I could see only hate and evil. I knew he would not keep his promise.

I went over to the laboratory table where the new creature was lying. I pulled off the wires that joined her to my machine. I took a sharp knife and cut through the body that I had joined together so carefully. Through the window the monster saw me destroy his woman. With a loud and miserable scream of sadness and lost hope, he ran into the laboratory.

'You have destroyed all my hopes of happiness,' he cried. 'You have left me with one feeling—hate... and with one wish—to destroy your happiness. You will be sorry that you were ever born. Remember this: I shall be with you on your wedding night.'

He ran quickly out of the laboratory, and I watched him as he left the island in his boat and sailed away across the sea.

I sat and cried as I thought of the danger to Elizabeth. But I knew that the monster would not visit us until our wedding night. I would not die easily, and I would try to kill him before he could kill me.

The next morning I received a letter from Henry. He told me that he was waiting for me to return. I decided to clear the laboratory and to leave the island on the following day. So I returned to the laboratory, where the pieces of the woman monster's body still lay on the floor. I put them all in a large bag with some heavy stones. Then I took the bag to my boat and sailed out to sea. I threw the bag into deep water, and watched it disappear.

I was happier that I had felt for months. I knew I had done the right thing, and now there would be no second monster to follow the first.

I was very tired, and I went to sleep in the boat. I do not know how long I slept, but when I woke up, I was in the middle of a storm. The wind was driving me further out to sea and my boat began to fill with water. I knew I was in great danger. After some hours the storm passed, and I saw land to the south. Soon I could see the beach... and a crowd of people standing and watching me. Their faces were cold and unfriendly.

As I landed, four of the men came towards me and took me by the arms.

'We are taking you to Mr Kerwin, the judge. He wants to ask you some questions about the murder of a man here last night,' one of the men told me.

I was sad to hear of the murder, but I did not worry about it. I had been far away at the time, and knew nothing about any murder. It would be easy to explain that. So I went with the men to the large house where Judge Kerwin lived.

---

most of the greater part of. 大部分。

wonder v. feel curious, ask oneself. 觉得好奇，想要知道。

look up at sb./sth. 仰望某人／某物。

wedding n. 婚礼仪式，婚礼。

clear v. get rid of. 清除。

in danger not safe. 身处险境，不安全。

follow v. 追随，学习。

beach n. coast. 海滩。

crowd n. large number of people together. 人群。

take sb. by the arms 抓住某人的胳膊。

judge n. public officer of the law. 法官。

第十一章

两个月后的一天晚上，我坐在了我的实验室里。我的大部分工作均已完成，那天晚上我就可以完成女怪物的制作工作了。但是我不知道是否应该完成这项工作。

我是否在造一个比第一个家伙更加邪恶的怪物呢？也许要邪恶一千倍。我怎么知道呢？也许这个女怪物会成为另一个杀人凶手。她可没有答应要待在远离旁人的地方。或许那两个怪物会相互仇恨……并且会没完没了地凶杀、谋害和毁灭……

我想这些事时抬头望了望窗户。突然，在月光下我看见那个怪物的恐怖的脸正看着我。并且在他那黄色的眼中我只看到了仇恨和邪恶。我知道他是不会遵守诺言的。

我走到那个新的家伙躺着的实验室桌子的旁边。我扯开了连接她和我的机器的电线。我拿起一把锋利的刀切碎了精心拼揍起来的那个身体。怪物从窗户里看见我毁了他的女人。于是，随着一声悲伤和失望的、凄惨的吼声，他跑进了实验室。

“你已经毁灭了我所有的有关幸福的期望，”他哭喊道，“你只给我留下了一种感情——仇恨……和一种愿望——毁掉你的幸福。你会为你来到这个世界上而后悔的。记住这一点：在你的新婚之夜我会去找你的。”

他快速跑出实验室，我看着他划船离开海岛向大海驶去。

当我想到对伊丽莎白构成的危险时坐下来哭了起来。但是我知道在我们的新婚之夜之前怪物是不会“造访”我们的。我不会轻易地死去，而且要在他杀死我之前设法杀死他。

第二天早上我收到了亨利的一封信。他告诉我说他在等着我回去。我决定清理一下实验室并在第二天离开海岛。于是我返回实验室，女怪物的那具身体还躺在地上。我把它们和一些重的石头一起装进一个大袋子。然后我把袋子扛到船上并驶向大海。我把袋子投入深水中，看着它消失了。

我现在比好几个月以来感觉要好些了。我知道自己做对了一件事，现在不会有第二个怪物步那第一个的后尘了。

我非常疲劳，在船上睡着了。我不清楚睡了多长时间，只知道我醒来时正处在一场暴风雨之中。风把我吹向离海岸更远的地方，我的船还开始进水了。我明白自己正处于极大的危险之中。几个小时后暴风雨过去了，我看见往南有陆地。很快我就看见了海滩……一群人正站在那儿看着我。他们的表情既冷酷又不友好。

在我登陆时，四个男人走向我并抓住了我的胳膊。

“我们要把你带到法官克文先生那儿去。他要审问你这儿昨晚发生的一桩谋杀案的事，”其中的一个人告诉我。

听了那桩谋杀案我很伤心，但我没有为此担心。我那时正在远处，根本不知道什么谋杀的事。将会容易地解释清这一点。这样我便随那些人去了克文法官住的大屋子。

Chapter 12

The judge was an old, kind man, but his face was very serious as he looked at me. He asked a number of men to tell me what they had seen and found the night before.

The first man told his story. He and his son were coming home from a long day's fishing. It was a dark night, and on the beach they had fallen over the dead body of a man. They had carried the body to the nearest house, and found that it was a good-looking young man about twenty-five years old. There were the marks of fingers round his neck. When they spoke of the marks of fingers, I remembered the murder of my brother and I felt a terrible fear.

The son then told his story. He had seen a boat with a man in it, not far from the beach. He thought it was my boat. A woman had also seen a man in a boat sailing away from the beach. She thought I was the man.

Then I was taken to the room where the dead body lay. How can I tell you what I felt when I saw the body? I put my arms round it and cried: 'What have I done? My friend! My dear friend!' The body was Henry Clerval's, and so now I had destroyed another person.

This third death was too much for me. I fell down in a kind of madness, and they had to carry me from the room. For two months I was very ill and wished only to die. But slowly my madness left me, and my health began to return. At last I was able to speak to Judge Kerwin, and I asked for news of my family.

'There is someone here who can answer your question better than I can,' he said. 'Your father arrived a few minutes ago, and is waiting to see you.'

For the first time since Henry's death I felt some happiness. I held up my hands to my father as he came into the room, and he took me in his arms. He gave me the good news that Elizabeth and Ernest were safe and well.

I was really too ill to travel, but I asked my father to take me home immediately. The police had found somebody who had seen me on my island at the time of the murder, and so the judge let me go free.

My father looked after me on the long journey home, and sat with me for every minute. Night after night while I was asleep, I shouted that I was the murderer of William, Justine, and Henry. My father asked me why I said these awful things. I wanted to answer his question, but I could not tell him my terrible secret. He thought that I was still a little mad.

We stayed for a few days in Paris on the way home, and Elizabeth wrote to me at our hotel. This is what her letter said:

My dearest Victor,

I am so happy to know that you will soon be home. But I am afraid that Henry's death is not the only reason for your sadness. Do you still want to marry me, or do you love another woman? You must tell me.

I love you, Victor, and I dream of the day when I shall be your wife. But I do not want you to marry me just because your parents wanted it. I can only be happy if you are happy.

Do not answer this letter. Wait until you arrive before you give me your answer. But if you are well, and if I can make you smile, I need nothing more to make me happy.

With all my love,

Elizabeth

I replied immediately. I told her that I loved her very much and wanted to marry her.

I remembered the monster's promise to be with me on the night of my wedding. Let him come. We would fight to the death on that night. And after that fight, I would either be dead and at peace, or alive and free... free to be happy with Elizabeth.

We arrived in Geneva soon after my letter had reached Elizabeth. It was wonderful to see her again. She ran into my arms and I held her close. She cried when she saw how thin and old I looked. She, too, was thinner because she had worried about me so much. But her gentleness and her love made her as beautiful as ever.

We agreed that the wedding would be in ten days' time. As the day came nearer, I became more and more afraid. I tried to hide my fear, and laughed and smiled as often as I could. Elizabeth knew that I was unhappy, but she was sure she could give me happiness. She looked forward to our wedding.

I began to carry a gun and a knife with me everywhere I went.

---

speak of tell about. 说起，谈论到。

health n. condition of the body or the mind. 身体或精神状况。

take sb. in the arms 将某人搂在怀里。

too... to do sth. 太……以致于不能做某事。

look after take care of, nurse. 护理，照料。

Paris n. 巴黎（城市名），法国首都。

on the way home 在回家的路上。

hotel n. building where meals and rooms are prepared for travellers. 旅馆，饭店。

journey n. trip. 旅途。

dream of 梦想，设想。

at peace 平安无事。

as... as ever 依旧，一样。

in ten days' time 十天之后（用于将来时态中）。

more and more 越来越……。

carry sth. with sb. 随身携带某物。

第十二章

法官是个善良的老人，但他在看着我时表情非常严峻。他叫了好几个人来告诉我他们在前一天晚上都看到了并发现了什么。

第一个人讲了他的故事。他和他的儿子钓了一天的鱼后正往家里走。那是个黑暗的夜晚，他们在海滩上被一具男尸绊倒了。他们把尸体扛到最近的一所房子，发现那是一个二十五岁左右的、面貌英俊的男人。他的脖子上有指痕。当他们说起指痕时，我想起了杀害我弟弟的凶手，于是便不寒而栗。

之后，那个儿子讲起了他的故事。他曾在离海岸不远的地方看到过上边有一个男人的一只船。他认为那是我的船。一个女人也曾看到有个男人驾着一只船朝海里划去。她认为我就是那个人。

然后我被带到尸体停放的那个房间。我该怎么形容我看到那具尸体时的感觉呢？我抱住尸体哭道：“我都干了什么啦？我的朋友！我亲爱的朋友！”那是亨利·克勒沃的尸体，这样我又毁了另一个人的生命。

这第三起死亡事件对我打击太大了。我近乎疯狂地倒在了地上，他们不得不把我从房间里抬走。我大病了两个月的时间，一心只想去死。但渐渐地我不再疯狂，身体也开始恢复了。最后我可以同克文法官谈话并问起我家人的情况。

“这儿有更好的人来回答你的问题。”他说道，“你父亲几分钟前来了，正等着看你呢。”

自从亨利死后，我首次感到了些许的快乐。我父亲走进屋时我朝他伸出了双手，他把我搂进了怀里。他告诉我一个好消息说伊丽莎白和欧内斯特均健康平安。

我病得实在是太重，路也走不动了，但我要我父亲立刻把我带回家去。警察已查到在谋杀发生时有人看见过我正在岛上，这样法官便释放了我。

我父亲在回家的漫长旅途中一直照顾着我，每时每刻都坐在我的身边。一个个晚上，我在熟睡时都大声说我是杀害威廉、贾斯汀和亨利的凶手。我父亲问我为什么说出这些可怕的话。我想要回答他的问题，但又不能告诉他我那可怕的秘密。他认为我的大脑仍有些不正常。

回家途中我们在巴黎逗留了几天，伊丽莎白给我写了封信寄到了旅店。信是这样写的：

我最亲爱的维克多：

知道你很快就要回家了我非常高兴。

可是我担心亨利的死并不是你伤心的唯一原因。你是仍然想要娶我，还是爱上了另外一个女人？你必须告诉我。

我爱你，维克多；我梦想着成为你的妻子的那一天。但是我不希望你只是因为你父母的意愿而娶我。只有在你幸福时我才会幸福。

不要回信。等你回来再给我答复。但是如果你身体健康或者我能让你微笑的话，那么我就再高兴不过了。

爱你的，

伊丽莎白

我立刻回了信。我告诉她我非常爱她并想和她结婚。

我想起了怪物许过的要在我的新婚之夜来找我的诺言。就让他来吧，我们可以在那天晚上拼死搏斗。搏斗之后，我要么安祥地死去，要么自由地活着……自由而幸福地同伊丽莎白在一起。

伊丽莎白收到我的信后不久我们便到了日内瓦。再见到她真是太美好了。她扑到我的怀里，我紧紧地搂住了她。当她看到我又瘦削又显老时哭了。她因为一直非常牵挂我也瘦了。但是她的温柔和爱意使她永远美丽。

我们商定十天后举行婚礼。这一天越是临近，我越是害怕。我竭力隐藏我的恐惧，尽量露出欢声笑语。伊丽莎白知道我不高兴，但她确信她可以给我幸福。她期盼着我们的婚礼。

我开始随身携带着一把枪和一把刀子。

Chapter 13

After the wedding a large number of our friends came to a party at our house. When the party had started, Elizabeth and I said goodbye and left for our honeymoon. We travelled first by boat, and planned to spend the night at a hotel on the other side of the lake. The mountains and the lake were calm and beautiful, and at last Elizabeth and I were together. For the first time for months, and for the last time ever, I enjoyed the feeling of happiness.

In the evening the wind became stronger and soon a great storm broke above us. Every noise frightened me, and I kept my hand on my gun under my coat. I saw the monster in every shadow. Suddenly I realized how terrible the fight would be for Elizabeth. I asked her to go to bed and I decided to search for the monster. I planned to join her when I was sure he was not in or around the hotel.

Elizabeth left me and I searched every corner of the hotel—every dark doorway and staircase. I could not find him, and I began to hope that he had not followed us to the hotel. But suddenly, I heard a loud and terrible scream.

It came from our room.

Then—too late—I understood. The monster had promised to be with me on my wedding night, but he had not planned to kill me.

The scream came again, and I ran to our room. Why did I not die there and then?

On the bed, Elizabeth lay still, in the cold sleep of death. I took her in my arms... and saw the marks of the murderer's fingers on her neck.

Other people in the hotel had heard the screams and came into our room. I sent one of them to call the police. The others left me alone with my misery. I held Elizabeth close, and as I held her, I saw the monster watching me through the open window of the room. There was an evil laugh on his face. I pulled my gun from my coat and fired at him. I missed, and he ran from the window and jumped into the lake. The other people heard the noise of the shot and came back into the room. I showed them the place where the monster had jumped into the lake. We searched the edge of the lake, but we could not find him. I returned to our room and lay on the bed next to my dear wife.

Suddenly I had another terrible thought. At this very moment perhaps my father was fighting the monster, with Ernest dead at his feet.

I left the hotel and returned to Geneva as fast as I could. My father and Ernest were safe, but the awful news of Elizabeth's death killed my father. He had loved Elizabeth dearly. He became ill, and after a few days he died in my arms. So the evil monster had brought unhappiness and death to a dear old man who had never hurt anybody.

I do not know what happened next. I think I left the real world, and entered a dangerous world of dreams and madness. Later I found that they had put me in prison because of my madness.

After many months they let me free. I had only one wish—to find and kill the monster.

---

party n. 派对，聚会。

honeymoon n. a holiday for a new husband and wife after their wedding. 蜜月假期。

by boat 乘船。

break v. start. 爆发。

doorway n. 门口，门厅。

staircase n. 楼梯（指室内的，常有扶栏）。

leave sb. alone with sth. 让某人独自承受某事。

edge n. border. 边。

miss v. fail to hit, catch, etc. 错过。

put sb. in prison 将某人投进监狱。

第十三章

婚礼之后我们的大批朋友都来我们家聚会。聚会开始后，我和伊丽莎白向他们道了别并离开度蜜月去了。我们首先乘船旅行，并计划晚上在湖对岸的一家旅馆过夜。群山和湖泊宁静而美丽，我和伊丽莎白终于结合在了一起。我几个月来第一次、也是最后一次享受到了幸福的感觉。

傍晚风刮得更猛了，不久还来了一场大的暴风雨。每一个声响都让我恐惧，我一直把手放在外套下面的枪上。我在每个阴暗处都看到了那个怪物。突然间我意识到这场搏斗对于伊丽莎白来说将会是多么恐怖。我让她上床睡觉而我则决定去寻找那个怪物。我打算在确信怪物不在旅馆及其附近后再回到伊丽莎白身边。

伊丽莎白离开了我，我搜寻了旅馆里的每一个角落——每一个黑暗的门厅和楼梯。我没能找到他，于是便开始希望他并没有随我们到旅馆来。但是突然间我听到了一声可怕的尖叫。

那是从我们的房间里传出来的。

于是我明白过来了——但已经太晚了。怪物曾许诺要在我的新婚之夜跟着我的，但他并未打算要杀了我。

尖叫声又一次传来，我于是跑到了我们的房间。我为什么没有在当时当地便死去呢？

床上，伊丽莎白静静地躺着，在冰冷中长眠。我把她抱在怀中……并看见了凶手在她脖子上留下的指痕。

旅馆里的其他人听到了尖叫声，他们走进了我们的房间。我让其中的一人去报警。其他人走后，留下我一个人在痛苦中煎熬。我紧紧地搂着伊丽莎白，而我抱着她时看见怪物正透过开着的窗户看着我。他的脸上挂着邪恶的笑容。我从外套中拔出枪朝他开了火。我没有打中，他从窗户处跑开并跳到了湖里。其他人听到了枪声便又来到了那个房间。我将怪物跳湖之处指给他们看。我们在湖边搜寻，但没能找到他。我回到房间里躺到我亲爱的妻子身旁。

突然间我有了另外一个可怕的想法：也许我父亲这时正在同那个怪物打斗并且欧内斯特已死在他的脚边。

我离开旅馆并以最快的速度赶回了日内瓦。我父亲和欧内斯特都平安无事，但伊丽莎白死去的噩耗夺去了我父亲的生命。他曾深深地爱着伊丽莎白。他病倒了，几天之后便死在了我的怀里。这样那个邪恶的怪物将不幸和死亡带给了从未伤害过任何人的我那亲爱的老人。

我不知道接下去会发生什么。我想我当时离开了现实的世界而进入了梦幻和疯狂的危险境界。后来我才知道他们当时因为我的疯狂而把我送进了监狱。

好几个月之后他们释放了我。我只有一个愿望——找到并杀死那个怪物。

Chapter 14

I decided to leave Geneva for ever. I took all the money that I needed, and left the town. Before I left, I went to visit the place where William, Elizabeth, and my father lay at rest. I stood there and promised them that I would stay alive until I had killed the monster.

A loud, evil laugh rang out through the silent night. Then I heard the monster's voice: 'It pleases me that you have decided to live, because that is just what I want.'

I ran towards the voice, but I could not catch the monster. I saw him running away, but he ran faster than any man could go—too fast for me to catch. But I followed him, and I have been following him since that day. I shall stay alive until I can catch him. He wants me to live as long as possible. He wants me to feel, day after day, the pain and misery that he has given me. He leaves messages to tell me where he is. He knows that I shall follow him.

I am only happy when I am asleep. I dream that I am with my family, and Elizabeth and Henry. When I am awake, I look forward to my death, to the day when I shall be with them.

In his last message the monster told me that he was going north. He wanted to take me where the cold would hurt me and make me more miserable. I followed him to the cold lands of the north, and bought dogs and a sledge. Until now, he has always left me further and further behind when I chase him. But the dogs were very fast and I was getting closer and closer to him. Soon he was only one day's journey in front of me. He was going towards the sea, and I hoped to catch him before he reached it. The chase over the ice continued for about three weeks. The pain from the cold was very great, and I began to lose hope. I thought I would never catch him. My dogs could not run much further, and one of them died. Then I saw something on the ice in front of me. It was the monster and his sledge. Suddenly I was full of hope again, and I gave a great shout of happiness.

I got closer and closer to him. Then a great storm started. The ice began to break, and the sea carried him away from me. My sledge was broken, and I lost my dogs. I was left on a piece of ice that was becoming smaller all the time. Many hours went by, and then I saw your ship. The rest you know.

I ask you, Captain Walton, to chase the monster and kill him. Do not listen to what he says. He knows how to argue, and perhaps you will feel sorry for him. But remember that he is evil. Remember the deaths of William, Justine, Henry Clerval, Elizabeth, my father... and remember me, Victor Frankenstein.

There is no more for me to say, except to thank you, Captain Walton, for your help and kindness. Thank you also for listening to my story. I want you to tell the world that the monster is a danger to everyone.

I know that I have only a few hours left to live, but I can feel my loved ones near me, and I welcome death.

Goodbye. This is the end of Victor Frankenstein's story.

---

ring v. give out a clear sound. 鸣，响。

just adv. exactly. 正好，恰好。

as... as possible 尽量。

message n. a piece of news sent to sb. 消息，讯息，口信。

continue v. go on. 继续，持续。

go by pass. 时光流逝。

feel sorry for sb. 为某人感到难过，抱歉。

第十四章

我决定永远离开日内瓦。我带上了我所需要的一切费用便离开了那个城市。走之前，我去了威廉、伊丽莎白还有我父亲的安息之处。我站在那儿向他们发誓我要活到杀死那个怪物之时。

一声响亮而邪恶的笑声响彻了静静的夜空。接着我听到怪物的声音：“你决定活下去我很高兴，因为这正是我想要的。”

我朝声音的方向跑去，但没有抓到他。我看着他跑开了，只是他跑得比任何人都快——太快了，我没法赶上他。但我跟踪着他，打那天起我一直在跟踪他。我要活到抓住他的那一天。他希望我尽可能活得长一些，以便我日复一日地感受到他带给我的痛苦和悲伤。他给我留下口信告诉我他在什么地方。他知道我会跟踪他的。

只有在熟睡时我才感到快乐。我梦见我同我的家人们、伊丽莎白和亨利在一起。我醒来时便盼望着死去，盼望着和他们在一起的那一天。

在怪物留下的最后的一个口信中，他告诉我说他要去北方。他是想把我带到寒冷的地方受煎熬，以便让我更加痛苦。我跟踪他来到北方寒冷的地方，并且买了狗和雪橇。直到现在，自打我追赶他的那个时候起，他就一直把我远远地甩到后面。可是狗跑得很快，这让我离他越来越近。不久他便离我只剩下一天的行程了。他在朝大海的方向跑去，而我希望在他到达大海之前抓住他。冰上的追逐持续了三个星期。严寒给我带来了巨大的痛苦，我开始失去信心了。我想我永远也别想追上他了。我的狗再也跑不动了，其中还死了一只。后来我看到在我前面的冰上有个什么东西。那是怪物和他的雪橇。突然间我又充满了希望，于是欢快地大喊了起来。

我离他越来越近。后来刮起了一场大风暴。冰开始破裂，海水载着他离我而去。我的雪橇毁了，狗也都丢了。我被困在一块不断消融的冰上。好几个小时之后，我看见了你们的轮船。接下来的事你都知道了。

我请求你，沃尔顿船长，请你去追上并杀死那个怪物。不要听他说什么。他知道怎样辩解，你可能还会同情他的。但你要记住他是邪恶的，要想到威廉、贾斯汀、亨利·克勒沃、伊丽莎白、我父亲这些人的死……还有我，维克多·弗兰肯斯坦。

我没有更多要说的了；只是我得谢谢你，沃尔顿船长，谢谢你的帮助和善心，也感谢你倾听了我的故事。我想让你叫全世界的人都知道那个怪物对所有的人来说都是个危险。

我知道我只能再活几个小时了，但我能够感觉到我所爱的人们离我近了，因而我欢迎死亡的到来。

再见。这就是维克多·弗兰肯斯坦的故事的结尾。

Victor Frankenstein Continues His Story
维克多·弗兰肯斯坦继续讲他的故事

Chapter 10

The monster finished telling me his story, and then he said:

'I am alone and miserable. Only someone as ugly as I am could love me. You must make another creature like me, a woman monster to be my wife.'

'I shall never make another creature like you,' I shouted. 'You have done enough evil on your own.'

'If you don' t help me, I shall make you more miserable than you have ever been in your life. You will wish you were dead,' the monster said. 'But if you make another monster to be my friend, we won't hurt anyone. Be kind to me now, and I will learn to love and be kind.'

I thought long and hard about the monster's words. I felt sorry for him. He was so miserable. Perhaps I should help him.

'I shall do what you ask,' I told him. 'But you must promise to live somewhere in the world where nobody lives. You must promise to stay away from other people.'

'I promise! I promise!' he cried. 'Please start your work. I shall watch you, and when you are ready, you can be sure I will come back.' He turned and left me, and ran down the mountain.

I went back to Geneva immediately. My family were very worried when they saw me. I was pale and my eyes were wild. I could not forget my promise to the monster, and the awful work that waited for me. But I had to do it. It was the only way to keep my family safe... safe from his murdering hands around their necks.

I needed to study for several months to make a woman monster successfully. I heard that an English scientist had done some useful work, so I decided to go to England.

Before I went, my father asked me: 'Are you going to marry Elizabeth, or do you love another woman? Is this why you are so unhappy?'

'No, father,' I replied. 'I have always loved Elizabeth, and I want to marry her. But I must do one more piece of scientific work before we can marry. I must go to England to do the work and I want to marry Elizabeth when I return.'

My father and Elizabeth did not want me to go to England alone, because I had been so ill. They spoke to my old friend Henry Clerval, and he was very happy to travel with me. I was pleased that he could come, although I did not want him to discover anything about my horrible work.

Henry and I reached London in early October and stayed there for a few months. I met and talked with English scientists, and learnt many useful things from them. Then Henry was invited to visit some friends in Scotland. I planned to travel with him, but I told him that I wanted to go walking in the mountains alone. Henry was not happy with my plan, but in the end he agreed.

I bought all that I needed for a laboratory, and sent everything to Scotland. Henry and I travelled to Edinburgh together, and then I went further north, to find a good place for my laboratory. At last I found the right place on an island off the north coast. It was a wild and lonely place. Only five people lived on the island, so I could work alone, and nobody would discover my awful secret.

There was a large, empty hut on the island, and I brought builders from Scotland to make the hut into a laboratory for me. I showed them how to build my mast, and soon everything was ready for me to start work on the woman monster.

---

miserable adj. very unhappy. 不幸的，悲惨的，愁苦的。

on one's own by oneself. 独自一人。

ugly adj. not beautiful at all, not nice to look at. 丑陋的。

watch v. keep the eyes on to see that all is well. 注意，监视，守望。

pale adj. (of a person's face) having little colour, bloodless. 苍白的，脸上没有血色的。

wild adj. mad. 发狂的。

although conj. though, even if. 虽然，即使。

October n. 10月。

Scotland n. 苏格兰（地名）。

Edinburgh n. 爱丁堡（城市名），苏格兰首府。

right adj. fit, suitable. 正好的，恰当的，合适的。

build v. put up. 建筑。

builder n. 建筑工人，建造者。

building n. 建筑物。

第十章

怪物讲完了他的故事，然后说道：

“我孤独而凄惨。只有某个像我一样丑的人才会爱我的。你必须另外造一个像我这样的女怪物来当我的妻子。”

“我决不会再造一个像你一样的人的，”我喊道，“你自己已经干够了邪恶的事情了。”

“如果你不帮我，那么我就会让你过得比你以往任何时候都要凄惨。你会求死不得的，”怪物说，“但是如果你另外造一个怪物当我的朋友，那么我们就不会伤害任何人。现在善待我吧，我也会学着去爱人并变得善良的。”

怪物的话让我费力地考虑了很久。我感到对不起他，他是如此痛苦。或许我应该帮助他。

“我会照你说的去做，”我对他说道，“但你得答应要待在没人生活的地方。”

“我答应！我答应！”他喊道，“请你开始工作吧。我会监视你的；在你准备好了以后，我肯定会回来的。”他转身离开了我，并跑下了山。

我立即返回日内瓦。我家人见到我时都非常为我担忧。我脸色苍白，眼睛发狂。我忘不了我对怪物的允诺，还有那等着我的可怕的工作。但我必须去做。那是保证我家庭平安的唯一出路……使他们不致被怪物的手扼死。

为了成功地造一个女怪物我需要几个月的时间进行研究。我了解到有个英国科学家已进行了一些有价值的工作，于是决定去英国。

在我去之前，我父亲问我：“你是打算娶伊丽莎白，还是爱上了另外一个女人？你是不是因为这个而如此不高兴？”

“不是，爸爸。”我回答道，“我一直都爱伊丽莎白，并且我要娶她。但是在我们结婚之前我必须再进行一项科学工作。我必须去英国做那项工作而在回来后便同伊丽莎白结婚。”

我父亲和伊丽莎白不想让我单独去英国，因为我一直生着病。他们对我的老朋友亨利·克勒沃讲了，而他非常高兴同我一起去。他能去我很高兴，尽管我不想让他知道有关我那可怕的工作的任何事情。

亨利和我于10月初到达伦敦并在那儿待了几个月。我同几个英国科学家见了面并谈了话，并从他们那儿了解到许多有用的东西。后来亨利被邀请去拜访几位苏格兰朋友。我计划同他一起去，但告诉他说我想独自一人在山中散步。亨利对我的计划不满，但最终还是同意了。

我买了实验室所需的一切东西，并把所有的东西都送到了苏格兰。亨利同我一起到了爱丁堡，然后我继续朝北走，以便为我的实验室找到合适的地点。最后我在远离北部海岸的一个岛上找到了合适的地点。那是个荒凉偏僻的地方。岛上只有五个人居住，因而我可以独自工作，没有人会发现我那可怕的秘密。

岛上有一个大的空茅屋；我从苏格兰带去了建筑工人以便把茅屋改造成我的实验室。我指示他们如何建杆子，不久所有为我造女怪物的准备工作均已就绪。

Chapter 11

One evening two months later I was sitting in my laboratory. Most of my work was done, and I could finish the woman monster that night. But I wondered if I should finish the work.

Was I making a monster more evil than the first creature? Perhaps a thousand times more evil. How could I know? Perhaps the woman monster would be another murderer. She had not promised to stay away from other people. Perhaps the two monsters would hate each other... and would kill, and murder, and destroy... without end.

As I thought these things, I looked up at the window. Suddenly, in the moonlight, I saw the monster's awful face looking at me. And in his yellow eyes I could see only hate and evil. I knew he would not keep his promise.

I went over to the laboratory table where the new creature was lying. I pulled off the wires that joined her to my machine. I took a sharp knife and cut through the body that I had joined together so carefully. Through the window the monster saw me destroy his woman. With a loud and miserable scream of sadness and lost hope, he ran into the laboratory.

'You have destroyed all my hopes of happiness,' he cried. 'You have left me with one feeling—hate... and with one wish—to destroy your happiness. You will be sorry that you were ever born. Remember this: I shall be with you on your wedding night.'

He ran quickly out of the laboratory, and I watched him as he left the island in his boat and sailed away across the sea.

I sat and cried as I thought of the danger to Elizabeth. But I knew that the monster would not visit us until our wedding night. I would not die easily, and I would try to kill him before he could kill me.

The next morning I received a letter from Henry. He told me that he was waiting for me to return. I decided to clear the laboratory and to leave the island on the following day. So I returned to the laboratory, where the pieces of the woman monster's body still lay on the floor. I put them all in a large bag with some heavy stones. Then I took the bag to my boat and sailed out to sea. I threw the bag into deep water, and watched it disappear.

I was happier that I had felt for months. I knew I had done the right thing, and now there would be no second monster to follow the first.

I was very tired, and I went to sleep in the boat. I do not know how long I slept, but when I woke up, I was in the middle of a storm. The wind was driving me further out to sea and my boat began to fill with water. I knew I was in great danger. After some hours the storm passed, and I saw land to the south. Soon I could see the beach... and a crowd of people standing and watching me. Their faces were cold and unfriendly.

As I landed, four of the men came towards me and took me by the arms.

'We are taking you to Mr Kerwin, the judge. He wants to ask you some questions about the murder of a man here last night,' one of the men told me.

I was sad to hear of the murder, but I did not worry about it. I had been far away at the time, and knew nothing about any murder. It would be easy to explain that. So I went with the men to the large house where Judge Kerwin lived.

---

most of the greater part of. 大部分。

wonder v. feel curious, ask oneself. 觉得好奇，想要知道。

look up at sb./sth. 仰望某人／某物。

wedding n. 婚礼仪式，婚礼。

clear v. get rid of. 清除。

in danger not safe. 身处险境，不安全。

follow v. 追随，学习。

beach n. coast. 海滩。

crowd n. large number of people together. 人群。

take sb. by the arms 抓住某人的胳膊。

judge n. public officer of the law. 法官。

第十一章

两个月后的一天晚上，我坐在了我的实验室里。我的大部分工作均已完成，那天晚上我就可以完成女怪物的制作工作了。但是我不知道是否应该完成这项工作。

我是否在造一个比第一个家伙更加邪恶的怪物呢？也许要邪恶一千倍。我怎么知道呢？也许这个女怪物会成为另一个杀人凶手。她可没有答应要待在远离旁人的地方。或许那两个怪物会相互仇恨……并且会没完没了地凶杀、谋害和毁灭……

我想这些事时抬头望了望窗户。突然，在月光下我看见那个怪物的恐怖的脸正看着我。并且在他那黄色的眼中我只看到了仇恨和邪恶。我知道他是不会遵守诺言的。

我走到那个新的家伙躺着的实验室桌子的旁边。我扯开了连接她和我的机器的电线。我拿起一把锋利的刀切碎了精心拼揍起来的那个身体。怪物从窗户里看见我毁了他的女人。于是，随着一声悲伤和失望的、凄惨的吼声，他跑进了实验室。

“你已经毁灭了我所有的有关幸福的期望，”他哭喊道，“你只给我留下了一种感情——仇恨……和一种愿望——毁掉你的幸福。你会为你来到这个世界上而后悔的。记住这一点：在你的新婚之夜我会去找你的。”

他快速跑出实验室，我看着他划船离开海岛向大海驶去。

当我想到对伊丽莎白构成的危险时坐下来哭了起来。但是我知道在我们的新婚之夜之前怪物是不会“造访”我们的。我不会轻易地死去，而且要在他杀死我之前设法杀死他。

第二天早上我收到了亨利的一封信。他告诉我说他在等着我回去。我决定清理一下实验室并在第二天离开海岛。于是我返回实验室，女怪物的那具身体还躺在地上。我把它们和一些重的石头一起装进一个大袋子。然后我把袋子扛到船上并驶向大海。我把袋子投入深水中，看着它消失了。

我现在比好几个月以来感觉要好些了。我知道自己做对了一件事，现在不会有第二个怪物步那第一个的后尘了。

我非常疲劳，在船上睡着了。我不清楚睡了多长时间，只知道我醒来时正处在一场暴风雨之中。风把我吹向离海岸更远的地方，我的船还开始进水了。我明白自己正处于极大的危险之中。几个小时后暴风雨过去了，我看见往南有陆地。很快我就看见了海滩……一群人正站在那儿看着我。他们的表情既冷酷又不友好。

在我登陆时，四个男人走向我并抓住了我的胳膊。

“我们要把你带到法官克文先生那儿去。他要审问你这儿昨晚发生的一桩谋杀案的事，”其中的一个人告诉我。

听了那桩谋杀案我很伤心，但我没有为此担心。我那时正在远处，根本不知道什么谋杀的事。将会容易地解释清这一点。这样我便随那些人去了克文法官住的大屋子。

Chapter 12

The judge was an old, kind man, but his face was very serious as he looked at me. He asked a number of men to tell me what they had seen and found the night before.

The first man told his story. He and his son were coming home from a long day's fishing. It was a dark night, and on the beach they had fallen over the dead body of a man. They had carried the body to the nearest house, and found that it was a good-looking young man about twenty-five years old. There were the marks of fingers round his neck. When they spoke of the marks of fingers, I remembered the murder of my brother and I felt a terrible fear.

The son then told his story. He had seen a boat with a man in it, not far from the beach. He thought it was my boat. A woman had also seen a man in a boat sailing away from the beach. She thought I was the man.

Then I was taken to the room where the dead body lay. How can I tell you what I felt when I saw the body? I put my arms round it and cried: 'What have I done? My friend! My dear friend!' The body was Henry Clerval's, and so now I had destroyed another person.

This third death was too much for me. I fell down in a kind of madness, and they had to carry me from the room. For two months I was very ill and wished only to die. But slowly my madness left me, and my health began to return. At last I was able to speak to Judge Kerwin, and I asked for news of my family.

'There is someone here who can answer your question better than I can,' he said. 'Your father arrived a few minutes ago, and is waiting to see you.'

For the first time since Henry's death I felt some happiness. I held up my hands to my father as he came into the room, and he took me in his arms. He gave me the good news that Elizabeth and Ernest were safe and well.

I was really too ill to travel, but I asked my father to take me home immediately. The police had found somebody who had seen me on my island at the time of the murder, and so the judge let me go free.

My father looked after me on the long journey home, and sat with me for every minute. Night after night while I was asleep, I shouted that I was the murderer of William, Justine, and Henry. My father asked me why I said these awful things. I wanted to answer his question, but I could not tell him my terrible secret. He thought that I was still a little mad.

We stayed for a few days in Paris on the way home, and Elizabeth wrote to me at our hotel. This is what her letter said:

My dearest Victor,

I am so happy to know that you will soon be home. But I am afraid that Henry's death is not the only reason for your sadness. Do you still want to marry me, or do you love another woman? You must tell me.

I love you, Victor, and I dream of the day when I shall be your wife. But I do not want you to marry me just because your parents wanted it. I can only be happy if you are happy.

Do not answer this letter. Wait until you arrive before you give me your answer. But if you are well, and if I can make you smile, I need nothing more to make me happy.

With all my love,

Elizabeth

I replied immediately. I told her that I loved her very much and wanted to marry her.

I remembered the monster's promise to be with me on the night of my wedding. Let him come. We would fight to the death on that night. And after that fight, I would either be dead and at peace, or alive and free... free to be happy with Elizabeth.

We arrived in Geneva soon after my letter had reached Elizabeth. It was wonderful to see her again. She ran into my arms and I held her close. She cried when she saw how thin and old I looked. She, too, was thinner because she had worried about me so much. But her gentleness and her love made her as beautiful as ever.

We agreed that the wedding would be in ten days' time. As the day came nearer, I became more and more afraid. I tried to hide my fear, and laughed and smiled as often as I could. Elizabeth knew that I was unhappy, but she was sure she could give me happiness. She looked forward to our wedding.

I began to carry a gun and a knife with me everywhere I went.

---

speak of tell about. 说起，谈论到。

health n. condition of the body or the mind. 身体或精神状况。

take sb. in the arms 将某人搂在怀里。

too... to do sth. 太……以致于不能做某事。

look after take care of, nurse. 护理，照料。

Paris n. 巴黎（城市名），法国首都。

on the way home 在回家的路上。

hotel n. building where meals and rooms are prepared for travellers. 旅馆，饭店。

journey n. trip. 旅途。

dream of 梦想，设想。

at peace 平安无事。

as... as ever 依旧，一样。

in ten days' time 十天之后（用于将来时态中）。

more and more 越来越……。

carry sth. with sb. 随身携带某物。

第十二章

法官是个善良的老人，但他在看着我时表情非常严峻。他叫了好几个人来告诉我他们在前一天晚上都看到了并发现了什么。

第一个人讲了他的故事。他和他的儿子钓了一天的鱼后正往家里走。那是个黑暗的夜晚，他们在海滩上被一具男尸绊倒了。他们把尸体扛到最近的一所房子，发现那是一个二十五岁左右的、面貌英俊的男人。他的脖子上有指痕。当他们说起指痕时，我想起了杀害我弟弟的凶手，于是便不寒而栗。

之后，那个儿子讲起了他的故事。他曾在离海岸不远的地方看到过上边有一个男人的一只船。他认为那是我的船。一个女人也曾看到有个男人驾着一只船朝海里划去。她认为我就是那个人。

然后我被带到尸体停放的那个房间。我该怎么形容我看到那具尸体时的感觉呢？我抱住尸体哭道：“我都干了什么啦？我的朋友！我亲爱的朋友！”那是亨利·克勒沃的尸体，这样我又毁了另一个人的生命。

这第三起死亡事件对我打击太大了。我近乎疯狂地倒在了地上，他们不得不把我从房间里抬走。我大病了两个月的时间，一心只想去死。但渐渐地我不再疯狂，身体也开始恢复了。最后我可以同克文法官谈话并问起我家人的情况。

“这儿有更好的人来回答你的问题。”他说道，“你父亲几分钟前来了，正等着看你呢。”

自从亨利死后，我首次感到了些许的快乐。我父亲走进屋时我朝他伸出了双手，他把我搂进了怀里。他告诉我一个好消息说伊丽莎白和欧内斯特均健康平安。

我病得实在是太重，路也走不动了，但我要我父亲立刻把我带回家去。警察已查到在谋杀发生时有人看见过我正在岛上，这样法官便释放了我。

我父亲在回家的漫长旅途中一直照顾着我，每时每刻都坐在我的身边。一个个晚上，我在熟睡时都大声说我是杀害威廉、贾斯汀和亨利的凶手。我父亲问我为什么说出这些可怕的话。我想要回答他的问题，但又不能告诉他我那可怕的秘密。他认为我的大脑仍有些不正常。

回家途中我们在巴黎逗留了几天，伊丽莎白给我写了封信寄到了旅店。信是这样写的：

我最亲爱的维克多：

知道你很快就要回家了我非常高兴。

可是我担心亨利的死并不是你伤心的唯一原因。你是仍然想要娶我，还是爱上了另外一个女人？你必须告诉我。

我爱你，维克多；我梦想着成为你的妻子的那一天。但是我不希望你只是因为你父母的意愿而娶我。只有在你幸福时我才会幸福。

不要回信。等你回来再给我答复。但是如果你身体健康或者我能让你微笑的话，那么我就再高兴不过了。

爱你的，

伊丽莎白

我立刻回了信。我告诉她我非常爱她并想和她结婚。

我想起了怪物许过的要在我的新婚之夜来找我的诺言。就让他来吧，我们可以在那天晚上拼死搏斗。搏斗之后，我要么安祥地死去，要么自由地活着……自由而幸福地同伊丽莎白在一起。

伊丽莎白收到我的信后不久我们便到了日内瓦。再见到她真是太美好了。她扑到我的怀里，我紧紧地搂住了她。当她看到我又瘦削又显老时哭了。她因为一直非常牵挂我也瘦了。但是她的温柔和爱意使她永远美丽。

我们商定十天后举行婚礼。这一天越是临近，我越是害怕。我竭力隐藏我的恐惧，尽量露出欢声笑语。伊丽莎白知道我不高兴，但她确信她可以给我幸福。她期盼着我们的婚礼。

我开始随身携带着一把枪和一把刀子。

Chapter 13

After the wedding a large number of our friends came to a party at our house. When the party had started, Elizabeth and I said goodbye and left for our honeymoon. We travelled first by boat, and planned to spend the night at a hotel on the other side of the lake. The mountains and the lake were calm and beautiful, and at last Elizabeth and I were together. For the first time for months, and for the last time ever, I enjoyed the feeling of happiness.

In the evening the wind became stronger and soon a great storm broke above us. Every noise frightened me, and I kept my hand on my gun under my coat. I saw the monster in every shadow. Suddenly I realized how terrible the fight would be for Elizabeth. I asked her to go to bed and I decided to search for the monster. I planned to join her when I was sure he was not in or around the hotel.

Elizabeth left me and I searched every corner of the hotel—every dark doorway and staircase. I could not find him, and I began to hope that he had not followed us to the hotel. But suddenly, I heard a loud and terrible scream.

It came from our room.

Then—too late—I understood. The monster had promised to be with me on my wedding night, but he had not planned to kill me.

The scream came again, and I ran to our room. Why did I not die there and then?

On the bed, Elizabeth lay still, in the cold sleep of death. I took her in my arms... and saw the marks of the murderer's fingers on her neck.

Other people in the hotel had heard the screams and came into our room. I sent one of them to call the police. The others left me alone with my misery. I held Elizabeth close, and as I held her, I saw the monster watching me through the open window of the room. There was an evil laugh on his face. I pulled my gun from my coat and fired at him. I missed, and he ran from the window and jumped into the lake. The other people heard the noise of the shot and came back into the room. I showed them the place where the monster had jumped into the lake. We searched the edge of the lake, but we could not find him. I returned to our room and lay on the bed next to my dear wife.

Suddenly I had another terrible thought. At this very moment perhaps my father was fighting the monster, with Ernest dead at his feet.

I left the hotel and returned to Geneva as fast as I could. My father and Ernest were safe, but the awful news of Elizabeth's death killed my father. He had loved Elizabeth dearly. He became ill, and after a few days he died in my arms. So the evil monster had brought unhappiness and death to a dear old man who had never hurt anybody.

I do not know what happened next. I think I left the real world, and entered a dangerous world of dreams and madness. Later I found that they had put me in prison because of my madness.

After many months they let me free. I had only one wish—to find and kill the monster.

---

party n. 派对，聚会。

honeymoon n. a holiday for a new husband and wife after their wedding. 蜜月假期。

by boat 乘船。

break v. start. 爆发。

doorway n. 门口，门厅。

staircase n. 楼梯（指室内的，常有扶栏）。

leave sb. alone with sth. 让某人独自承受某事。

edge n. border. 边。

miss v. fail to hit, catch, etc. 错过。

put sb. in prison 将某人投进监狱。

第十三章

婚礼之后我们的大批朋友都来我们家聚会。聚会开始后，我和伊丽莎白向他们道了别并离开度蜜月去了。我们首先乘船旅行，并计划晚上在湖对岸的一家旅馆过夜。群山和湖泊宁静而美丽，我和伊丽莎白终于结合在了一起。我几个月来第一次、也是最后一次享受到了幸福的感觉。

傍晚风刮得更猛了，不久还来了一场大的暴风雨。每一个声响都让我恐惧，我一直把手放在外套下面的枪上。我在每个阴暗处都看到了那个怪物。突然间我意识到这场搏斗对于伊丽莎白来说将会是多么恐怖。我让她上床睡觉而我则决定去寻找那个怪物。我打算在确信怪物不在旅馆及其附近后再回到伊丽莎白身边。

伊丽莎白离开了我，我搜寻了旅馆里的每一个角落——每一个黑暗的门厅和楼梯。我没能找到他，于是便开始希望他并没有随我们到旅馆来。但是突然间我听到了一声可怕的尖叫。

那是从我们的房间里传出来的。

于是我明白过来了——但已经太晚了。怪物曾许诺要在我的新婚之夜跟着我的，但他并未打算要杀了我。

尖叫声又一次传来，我于是跑到了我们的房间。我为什么没有在当时当地便死去呢？

床上，伊丽莎白静静地躺着，在冰冷中长眠。我把她抱在怀中……并看见了凶手在她脖子上留下的指痕。

旅馆里的其他人听到了尖叫声，他们走进了我们的房间。我让其中的一人去报警。其他人走后，留下我一个人在痛苦中煎熬。我紧紧地搂着伊丽莎白，而我抱着她时看见怪物正透过开着的窗户看着我。他的脸上挂着邪恶的笑容。我从外套中拔出枪朝他开了火。我没有打中，他从窗户处跑开并跳到了湖里。其他人听到了枪声便又来到了那个房间。我将怪物跳湖之处指给他们看。我们在湖边搜寻，但没能找到他。我回到房间里躺到我亲爱的妻子身旁。

突然间我有了另外一个可怕的想法：也许我父亲这时正在同那个怪物打斗并且欧内斯特已死在他的脚边。

我离开旅馆并以最快的速度赶回了日内瓦。我父亲和欧内斯特都平安无事，但伊丽莎白死去的噩耗夺去了我父亲的生命。他曾深深地爱着伊丽莎白。他病倒了，几天之后便死在了我的怀里。这样那个邪恶的怪物将不幸和死亡带给了从未伤害过任何人的我那亲爱的老人。

我不知道接下去会发生什么。我想我当时离开了现实的世界而进入了梦幻和疯狂的危险境界。后来我才知道他们当时因为我的疯狂而把我送进了监狱。

好几个月之后他们释放了我。我只有一个愿望——找到并杀死那个怪物。

Chapter 14

I decided to leave Geneva for ever. I took all the money that I needed, and left the town. Before I left, I went to visit the place where William, Elizabeth, and my father lay at rest. I stood there and promised them that I would stay alive until I had killed the monster.

A loud, evil laugh rang out through the silent night. Then I heard the monster's voice: 'It pleases me that you have decided to live, because that is just what I want.'

I ran towards the voice, but I could not catch the monster. I saw him running away, but he ran faster than any man could go—too fast for me to catch. But I followed him, and I have been following him since that day. I shall stay alive until I can catch him. He wants me to live as long as possible. He wants me to feel, day after day, the pain and misery that he has given me. He leaves messages to tell me where he is. He knows that I shall follow him.

I am only happy when I am asleep. I dream that I am with my family, and Elizabeth and Henry. When I am awake, I look forward to my death, to the day when I shall be with them.

In his last message the monster told me that he was going north. He wanted to take me where the cold would hurt me and make me more miserable. I followed him to the cold lands of the north, and bought dogs and a sledge. Until now, he has always left me further and further behind when I chase him. But the dogs were very fast and I was getting closer and closer to him. Soon he was only one day's journey in front of me. He was going towards the sea, and I hoped to catch him before he reached it. The chase over the ice continued for about three weeks. The pain from the cold was very great, and I began to lose hope. I thought I would never catch him. My dogs could not run much further, and one of them died. Then I saw something on the ice in front of me. It was the monster and his sledge. Suddenly I was full of hope again, and I gave a great shout of happiness.

I got closer and closer to him. Then a great storm started. The ice began to break, and the sea carried him away from me. My sledge was broken, and I lost my dogs. I was left on a piece of ice that was becoming smaller all the time. Many hours went by, and then I saw your ship. The rest you know.

I ask you, Captain Walton, to chase the monster and kill him. Do not listen to what he says. He knows how to argue, and perhaps you will feel sorry for him. But remember that he is evil. Remember the deaths of William, Justine, Henry Clerval, Elizabeth, my father... and remember me, Victor Frankenstein.

There is no more for me to say, except to thank you, Captain Walton, for your help and kindness. Thank you also for listening to my story. I want you to tell the world that the monster is a danger to everyone.

I know that I have only a few hours left to live, but I can feel my loved ones near me, and I welcome death.

Goodbye. This is the end of Victor Frankenstein's story.

---

ring v. give out a clear sound. 鸣，响。

just adv. exactly. 正好，恰好。

as... as possible 尽量。

message n. a piece of news sent to sb. 消息，讯息，口信。

continue v. go on. 继续，持续。

go by pass. 时光流逝。

feel sorry for sb. 为某人感到难过，抱歉。

第十四章

我决定永远离开日内瓦。我带上了我所需要的一切费用便离开了那个城市。走之前，我去了威廉、伊丽莎白还有我父亲的安息之处。我站在那儿向他们发誓我要活到杀死那个怪物之时。

一声响亮而邪恶的笑声响彻了静静的夜空。接着我听到怪物的声音：“你决定活下去我很高兴，因为这正是我想要的。”

我朝声音的方向跑去，但没有抓到他。我看着他跑开了，只是他跑得比任何人都快——太快了，我没法赶上他。但我跟踪着他，打那天起我一直在跟踪他。我要活到抓住他的那一天。他希望我尽可能活得长一些，以便我日复一日地感受到他带给我的痛苦和悲伤。他给我留下口信告诉我他在什么地方。他知道我会跟踪他的。

只有在熟睡时我才感到快乐。我梦见我同我的家人们、伊丽莎白和亨利在一起。我醒来时便盼望着死去，盼望着和他们在一起的那一天。

在怪物留下的最后的一个口信中，他告诉我说他要去北方。他是想把我带到寒冷的地方受煎熬，以便让我更加痛苦。我跟踪他来到北方寒冷的地方，并且买了狗和雪橇。直到现在，自打我追赶他的那个时候起，他就一直把我远远地甩到后面。可是狗跑得很快，这让我离他越来越近。不久他便离我只剩下一天的行程了。他在朝大海的方向跑去，而我希望在他到达大海之前抓住他。冰上的追逐持续了三个星期。严寒给我带来了巨大的痛苦，我开始失去信心了。我想我永远也别想追上他了。我的狗再也跑不动了，其中还死了一只。后来我看到在我前面的冰上有个什么东西。那是怪物和他的雪橇。突然间我又充满了希望，于是欢快地大喊了起来。

我离他越来越近。后来刮起了一场大风暴。冰开始破裂，海水载着他离我而去。我的雪橇毁了，狗也都丢了。我被困在一块不断消融的冰上。好几个小时之后，我看见了你们的轮船。接下来的事你都知道了。

我请求你，沃尔顿船长，请你去追上并杀死那个怪物。不要听他说什么。他知道怎样辩解，你可能还会同情他的。但你要记住他是邪恶的，要想到威廉、贾斯汀、亨利·克勒沃、伊丽莎白、我父亲这些人的死……还有我，维克多·弗兰肯斯坦。

我没有更多要说的了；只是我得谢谢你，沃尔顿船长，谢谢你的帮助和善心，也感谢你倾听了我的故事。我想让你叫全世界的人都知道那个怪物对所有的人来说都是个危险。

我知道我只能再活几个小时了，但我能够感觉到我所爱的人们离我近了，因而我欢迎死亡的到来。

再见。这就是维克多·弗兰肯斯坦的故事的结尾。

Victor Frankenstein Continues His Story
维克多·弗兰肯斯坦继续讲他的故事

Chapter 10

The monster finished telling me his story, and then he said:

'I am alone and miserable. Only someone as ugly as I am could love me. You must make another creature like me, a woman monster to be my wife.'

'I shall never make another creature like you,' I shouted. 'You have done enough evil on your own.'

'If you don' t help me, I shall make you more miserable than you have ever been in your life. You will wish you were dead,' the monster said. 'But if you make another monster to be my friend, we won't hurt anyone. Be kind to me now, and I will learn to love and be kind.'

I thought long and hard about the monster's words. I felt sorry for him. He was so miserable. Perhaps I should help him.

'I shall do what you ask,' I told him. 'But you must promise to live somewhere in the world where nobody lives. You must promise to stay away from other people.'

'I promise! I promise!' he cried. 'Please start your work. I shall watch you, and when you are ready, you can be sure I will come back.' He turned and left me, and ran down the mountain.

I went back to Geneva immediately. My family were very worried when they saw me. I was pale and my eyes were wild. I could not forget my promise to the monster, and the awful work that waited for me. But I had to do it. It was the only way to keep my family safe... safe from his murdering hands around their necks.

I needed to study for several months to make a woman monster successfully. I heard that an English scientist had done some useful work, so I decided to go to England.

Before I went, my father asked me: 'Are you going to marry Elizabeth, or do you love another woman? Is this why you are so unhappy?'

'No, father,' I replied. 'I have always loved Elizabeth, and I want to marry her. But I must do one more piece of scientific work before we can marry. I must go to England to do the work and I want to marry Elizabeth when I return.'

My father and Elizabeth did not want me to go to England alone, because I had been so ill. They spoke to my old friend Henry Clerval, and he was very happy to travel with me. I was pleased that he could come, although I did not want him to discover anything about my horrible work.

Henry and I reached London in early October and stayed there for a few months. I met and talked with English scientists, and learnt many useful things from them. Then Henry was invited to visit some friends in Scotland. I planned to travel with him, but I told him that I wanted to go walking in the mountains alone. Henry was not happy with my plan, but in the end he agreed.

I bought all that I needed for a laboratory, and sent everything to Scotland. Henry and I travelled to Edinburgh together, and then I went further north, to find a good place for my laboratory. At last I found the right place on an island off the north coast. It was a wild and lonely place. Only five people lived on the island, so I could work alone, and nobody would discover my awful secret.

There was a large, empty hut on the island, and I brought builders from Scotland to make the hut into a laboratory for me. I showed them how to build my mast, and soon everything was ready for me to start work on the woman monster.

---

miserable adj. very unhappy. 不幸的，悲惨的，愁苦的。

on one's own by oneself. 独自一人。

ugly adj. not beautiful at all, not nice to look at. 丑陋的。

watch v. keep the eyes on to see that all is well. 注意，监视，守望。

pale adj. (of a person's face) having little colour, bloodless. 苍白的，脸上没有血色的。

wild adj. mad. 发狂的。

although conj. though, even if. 虽然，即使。

October n. 10月。

Scotland n. 苏格兰（地名）。

Edinburgh n. 爱丁堡（城市名），苏格兰首府。

right adj. fit, suitable. 正好的，恰当的，合适的。

build v. put up. 建筑。

builder n. 建筑工人，建造者。

building n. 建筑物。

第十章

怪物讲完了他的故事，然后说道：

“我孤独而凄惨。只有某个像我一样丑的人才会爱我的。你必须另外造一个像我这样的女怪物来当我的妻子。”

“我决不会再造一个像你一样的人的，”我喊道，“你自己已经干够了邪恶的事情了。”

“如果你不帮我，那么我就会让你过得比你以往任何时候都要凄惨。你会求死不得的，”怪物说，“但是如果你另外造一个怪物当我的朋友，那么我们就不会伤害任何人。现在善待我吧，我也会学着去爱人并变得善良的。”

怪物的话让我费力地考虑了很久。我感到对不起他，他是如此痛苦。或许我应该帮助他。

“我会照你说的去做，”我对他说道，“但你得答应要待在没人生活的地方。”

“我答应！我答应！”他喊道，“请你开始工作吧。我会监视你的；在你准备好了以后，我肯定会回来的。”他转身离开了我，并跑下了山。

我立即返回日内瓦。我家人见到我时都非常为我担忧。我脸色苍白，眼睛发狂。我忘不了我对怪物的允诺，还有那等着我的可怕的工作。但我必须去做。那是保证我家庭平安的唯一出路……使他们不致被怪物的手扼死。

为了成功地造一个女怪物我需要几个月的时间进行研究。我了解到有个英国科学家已进行了一些有价值的工作，于是决定去英国。

在我去之前，我父亲问我：“你是打算娶伊丽莎白，还是爱上了另外一个女人？你是不是因为这个而如此不高兴？”

“不是，爸爸。”我回答道，“我一直都爱伊丽莎白，并且我要娶她。但是在我们结婚之前我必须再进行一项科学工作。我必须去英国做那项工作而在回来后便同伊丽莎白结婚。”

我父亲和伊丽莎白不想让我单独去英国，因为我一直生着病。他们对我的老朋友亨利·克勒沃讲了，而他非常高兴同我一起去。他能去我很高兴，尽管我不想让他知道有关我那可怕的工作的任何事情。

亨利和我于10月初到达伦敦并在那儿待了几个月。我同几个英国科学家见了面并谈了话，并从他们那儿了解到许多有用的东西。后来亨利被邀请去拜访几位苏格兰朋友。我计划同他一起去，但告诉他说我想独自一人在山中散步。亨利对我的计划不满，但最终还是同意了。

我买了实验室所需的一切东西，并把所有的东西都送到了苏格兰。亨利同我一起到了爱丁堡，然后我继续朝北走，以便为我的实验室找到合适的地点。最后我在远离北部海岸的一个岛上找到了合适的地点。那是个荒凉偏僻的地方。岛上只有五个人居住，因而我可以独自工作，没有人会发现我那可怕的秘密。

岛上有一个大的空茅屋；我从苏格兰带去了建筑工人以便把茅屋改造成我的实验室。我指示他们如何建杆子，不久所有为我造女怪物的准备工作均已就绪。

Chapter 11

One evening two months later I was sitting in my laboratory. Most of my work was done, and I could finish the woman monster that night. But I wondered if I should finish the work.

Was I making a monster more evil than the first creature? Perhaps a thousand times more evil. How could I know? Perhaps the woman monster would be another murderer. She had not promised to stay away from other people. Perhaps the two monsters would hate each other... and would kill, and murder, and destroy... without end.

As I thought these things, I looked up at the window. Suddenly, in the moonlight, I saw the monster's awful face looking at me. And in his yellow eyes I could see only hate and evil. I knew he would not keep his promise.

I went over to the laboratory table where the new creature was lying. I pulled off the wires that joined her to my machine. I took a sharp knife and cut through the body that I had joined together so carefully. Through the window the monster saw me destroy his woman. With a loud and miserable scream of sadness and lost hope, he ran into the laboratory.

'You have destroyed all my hopes of happiness,' he cried. 'You have left me with one feeling—hate... and with one wish—to destroy your happiness. You will be sorry that you were ever born. Remember this: I shall be with you on your wedding night.'

He ran quickly out of the laboratory, and I watched him as he left the island in his boat and sailed away across the sea.

I sat and cried as I thought of the danger to Elizabeth. But I knew that the monster would not visit us until our wedding night. I would not die easily, and I would try to kill him before he could kill me.

The next morning I received a letter from Henry. He told me that he was waiting for me to return. I decided to clear the laboratory and to leave the island on the following day. So I returned to the laboratory, where the pieces of the woman monster's body still lay on the floor. I put them all in a large bag with some heavy stones. Then I took the bag to my boat and sailed out to sea. I threw the bag into deep water, and watched it disappear.

I was happier that I had felt for months. I knew I had done the right thing, and now there would be no second monster to follow the first.

I was very tired, and I went to sleep in the boat. I do not know how long I slept, but when I woke up, I was in the middle of a storm. The wind was driving me further out to sea and my boat began to fill with water. I knew I was in great danger. After some hours the storm passed, and I saw land to the south. Soon I could see the beach... and a crowd of people standing and watching me. Their faces were cold and unfriendly.

As I landed, four of the men came towards me and took me by the arms.

'We are taking you to Mr Kerwin, the judge. He wants to ask you some questions about the murder of a man here last night,' one of the men told me.

I was sad to hear of the murder, but I did not worry about it. I had been far away at the time, and knew nothing about any murder. It would be easy to explain that. So I went with the men to the large house where Judge Kerwin lived.

---

most of the greater part of. 大部分。

wonder v. feel curious, ask oneself. 觉得好奇，想要知道。

look up at sb./sth. 仰望某人／某物。

wedding n. 婚礼仪式，婚礼。

clear v. get rid of. 清除。

in danger not safe. 身处险境，不安全。

follow v. 追随，学习。

beach n. coast. 海滩。

crowd n. large number of people together. 人群。

take sb. by the arms 抓住某人的胳膊。

judge n. public officer of the law. 法官。

第十一章

两个月后的一天晚上，我坐在了我的实验室里。我的大部分工作均已完成，那天晚上我就可以完成女怪物的制作工作了。但是我不知道是否应该完成这项工作。

我是否在造一个比第一个家伙更加邪恶的怪物呢？也许要邪恶一千倍。我怎么知道呢？也许这个女怪物会成为另一个杀人凶手。她可没有答应要待在远离旁人的地方。或许那两个怪物会相互仇恨……并且会没完没了地凶杀、谋害和毁灭……

我想这些事时抬头望了望窗户。突然，在月光下我看见那个怪物的恐怖的脸正看着我。并且在他那黄色的眼中我只看到了仇恨和邪恶。我知道他是不会遵守诺言的。

我走到那个新的家伙躺着的实验室桌子的旁边。我扯开了连接她和我的机器的电线。我拿起一把锋利的刀切碎了精心拼揍起来的那个身体。怪物从窗户里看见我毁了他的女人。于是，随着一声悲伤和失望的、凄惨的吼声，他跑进了实验室。

“你已经毁灭了我所有的有关幸福的期望，”他哭喊道，“你只给我留下了一种感情——仇恨……和一种愿望——毁掉你的幸福。你会为你来到这个世界上而后悔的。记住这一点：在你的新婚之夜我会去找你的。”

他快速跑出实验室，我看着他划船离开海岛向大海驶去。

当我想到对伊丽莎白构成的危险时坐下来哭了起来。但是我知道在我们的新婚之夜之前怪物是不会“造访”我们的。我不会轻易地死去，而且要在他杀死我之前设法杀死他。

第二天早上我收到了亨利的一封信。他告诉我说他在等着我回去。我决定清理一下实验室并在第二天离开海岛。于是我返回实验室，女怪物的那具身体还躺在地上。我把它们和一些重的石头一起装进一个大袋子。然后我把袋子扛到船上并驶向大海。我把袋子投入深水中，看着它消失了。

我现在比好几个月以来感觉要好些了。我知道自己做对了一件事，现在不会有第二个怪物步那第一个的后尘了。

我非常疲劳，在船上睡着了。我不清楚睡了多长时间，只知道我醒来时正处在一场暴风雨之中。风把我吹向离海岸更远的地方，我的船还开始进水了。我明白自己正处于极大的危险之中。几个小时后暴风雨过去了，我看见往南有陆地。很快我就看见了海滩……一群人正站在那儿看着我。他们的表情既冷酷又不友好。

在我登陆时，四个男人走向我并抓住了我的胳膊。

“我们要把你带到法官克文先生那儿去。他要审问你这儿昨晚发生的一桩谋杀案的事，”其中的一个人告诉我。

听了那桩谋杀案我很伤心，但我没有为此担心。我那时正在远处，根本不知道什么谋杀的事。将会容易地解释清这一点。这样我便随那些人去了克文法官住的大屋子。

Chapter 12

The judge was an old, kind man, but his face was very serious as he looked at me. He asked a number of men to tell me what they had seen and found the night before.

The first man told his story. He and his son were coming home from a long day's fishing. It was a dark night, and on the beach they had fallen over the dead body of a man. They had carried the body to the nearest house, and found that it was a good-looking young man about twenty-five years old. There were the marks of fingers round his neck. When they spoke of the marks of fingers, I remembered the murder of my brother and I felt a terrible fear.

The son then told his story. He had seen a boat with a man in it, not far from the beach. He thought it was my boat. A woman had also seen a man in a boat sailing away from the beach. She thought I was the man.

Then I was taken to the room where the dead body lay. How can I tell you what I felt when I saw the body? I put my arms round it and cried: 'What have I done? My friend! My dear friend!' The body was Henry Clerval's, and so now I had destroyed another person.

This third death was too much for me. I fell down in a kind of madness, and they had to carry me from the room. For two months I was very ill and wished only to die. But slowly my madness left me, and my health began to return. At last I was able to speak to Judge Kerwin, and I asked for news of my family.

'There is someone here who can answer your question better than I can,' he said. 'Your father arrived a few minutes ago, and is waiting to see you.'

For the first time since Henry's death I felt some happiness. I held up my hands to my father as he came into the room, and he took me in his arms. He gave me the good news that Elizabeth and Ernest were safe and well.

I was really too ill to travel, but I asked my father to take me home immediately. The police had found somebody who had seen me on my island at the time of the murder, and so the judge let me go free.

My father looked after me on the long journey home, and sat with me for every minute. Night after night while I was asleep, I shouted that I was the murderer of William, Justine, and Henry. My father asked me why I said these awful things. I wanted to answer his question, but I could not tell him my terrible secret. He thought that I was still a little mad.

We stayed for a few days in Paris on the way home, and Elizabeth wrote to me at our hotel. This is what her letter said:

My dearest Victor,

I am so happy to know that you will soon be home. But I am afraid that Henry's death is not the only reason for your sadness. Do you still want to marry me, or do you love another woman? You must tell me.

I love you, Victor, and I dream of the day when I shall be your wife. But I do not want you to marry me just because your parents wanted it. I can only be happy if you are happy.

Do not answer this letter. Wait until you arrive before you give me your answer. But if you are well, and if I can make you smile, I need nothing more to make me happy.

With all my love,

Elizabeth

I replied immediately. I told her that I loved her very much and wanted to marry her.

I remembered the monster's promise to be with me on the night of my wedding. Let him come. We would fight to the death on that night. And after that fight, I would either be dead and at peace, or alive and free... free to be happy with Elizabeth.

We arrived in Geneva soon after my letter had reached Elizabeth. It was wonderful to see her again. She ran into my arms and I held her close. She cried when she saw how thin and old I looked. She, too, was thinner because she had worried about me so much. But her gentleness and her love made her as beautiful as ever.

We agreed that the wedding would be in ten days' time. As the day came nearer, I became more and more afraid. I tried to hide my fear, and laughed and smiled as often as I could. Elizabeth knew that I was unhappy, but she was sure she could give me happiness. She looked forward to our wedding.

I began to carry a gun and a knife with me everywhere I went.

---

speak of tell about. 说起，谈论到。

health n. condition of the body or the mind. 身体或精神状况。

take sb. in the arms 将某人搂在怀里。

too... to do sth. 太……以致于不能做某事。

look after take care of, nurse. 护理，照料。

Paris n. 巴黎（城市名），法国首都。

on the way home 在回家的路上。

hotel n. building where meals and rooms are prepared for travellers. 旅馆，饭店。

journey n. trip. 旅途。

dream of 梦想，设想。

at peace 平安无事。

as... as ever 依旧，一样。

in ten days' time 十天之后（用于将来时态中）。

more and more 越来越……。

carry sth. with sb. 随身携带某物。

第十二章

法官是个善良的老人，但他在看着我时表情非常严峻。他叫了好几个人来告诉我他们在前一天晚上都看到了并发现了什么。

第一个人讲了他的故事。他和他的儿子钓了一天的鱼后正往家里走。那是个黑暗的夜晚，他们在海滩上被一具男尸绊倒了。他们把尸体扛到最近的一所房子，发现那是一个二十五岁左右的、面貌英俊的男人。他的脖子上有指痕。当他们说起指痕时，我想起了杀害我弟弟的凶手，于是便不寒而栗。

之后，那个儿子讲起了他的故事。他曾在离海岸不远的地方看到过上边有一个男人的一只船。他认为那是我的船。一个女人也曾看到有个男人驾着一只船朝海里划去。她认为我就是那个人。

然后我被带到尸体停放的那个房间。我该怎么形容我看到那具尸体时的感觉呢？我抱住尸体哭道：“我都干了什么啦？我的朋友！我亲爱的朋友！”那是亨利·克勒沃的尸体，这样我又毁了另一个人的生命。

这第三起死亡事件对我打击太大了。我近乎疯狂地倒在了地上，他们不得不把我从房间里抬走。我大病了两个月的时间，一心只想去死。但渐渐地我不再疯狂，身体也开始恢复了。最后我可以同克文法官谈话并问起我家人的情况。

“这儿有更好的人来回答你的问题。”他说道，“你父亲几分钟前来了，正等着看你呢。”

自从亨利死后，我首次感到了些许的快乐。我父亲走进屋时我朝他伸出了双手，他把我搂进了怀里。他告诉我一个好消息说伊丽莎白和欧内斯特均健康平安。

我病得实在是太重，路也走不动了，但我要我父亲立刻把我带回家去。警察已查到在谋杀发生时有人看见过我正在岛上，这样法官便释放了我。

我父亲在回家的漫长旅途中一直照顾着我，每时每刻都坐在我的身边。一个个晚上，我在熟睡时都大声说我是杀害威廉、贾斯汀和亨利的凶手。我父亲问我为什么说出这些可怕的话。我想要回答他的问题，但又不能告诉他我那可怕的秘密。他认为我的大脑仍有些不正常。

回家途中我们在巴黎逗留了几天，伊丽莎白给我写了封信寄到了旅店。信是这样写的：

我最亲爱的维克多：

知道你很快就要回家了我非常高兴。

可是我担心亨利的死并不是你伤心的唯一原因。你是仍然想要娶我，还是爱上了另外一个女人？你必须告诉我。

我爱你，维克多；我梦想着成为你的妻子的那一天。但是我不希望你只是因为你父母的意愿而娶我。只有在你幸福时我才会幸福。

不要回信。等你回来再给我答复。但是如果你身体健康或者我能让你微笑的话，那么我就再高兴不过了。

爱你的，

伊丽莎白

我立刻回了信。我告诉她我非常爱她并想和她结婚。

我想起了怪物许过的要在我的新婚之夜来找我的诺言。就让他来吧，我们可以在那天晚上拼死搏斗。搏斗之后，我要么安祥地死去，要么自由地活着……自由而幸福地同伊丽莎白在一起。

伊丽莎白收到我的信后不久我们便到了日内瓦。再见到她真是太美好了。她扑到我的怀里，我紧紧地搂住了她。当她看到我又瘦削又显老时哭了。她因为一直非常牵挂我也瘦了。但是她的温柔和爱意使她永远美丽。

我们商定十天后举行婚礼。这一天越是临近，我越是害怕。我竭力隐藏我的恐惧，尽量露出欢声笑语。伊丽莎白知道我不高兴，但她确信她可以给我幸福。她期盼着我们的婚礼。

我开始随身携带着一把枪和一把刀子。

Chapter 13

After the wedding a large number of our friends came to a party at our house. When the party had started, Elizabeth and I said goodbye and left for our honeymoon. We travelled first by boat, and planned to spend the night at a hotel on the other side of the lake. The mountains and the lake were calm and beautiful, and at last Elizabeth and I were together. For the first time for months, and for the last time ever, I enjoyed the feeling of happiness.

In the evening the wind became stronger and soon a great storm broke above us. Every noise frightened me, and I kept my hand on my gun under my coat. I saw the monster in every shadow. Suddenly I realized how terrible the fight would be for Elizabeth. I asked her to go to bed and I decided to search for the monster. I planned to join her when I was sure he was not in or around the hotel.

Elizabeth left me and I searched every corner of the hotel—every dark doorway and staircase. I could not find him, and I began to hope that he had not followed us to the hotel. But suddenly, I heard a loud and terrible scream.

It came from our room.

Then—too late—I understood. The monster had promised to be with me on my wedding night, but he had not planned to kill me.

The scream came again, and I ran to our room. Why did I not die there and then?

On the bed, Elizabeth lay still, in the cold sleep of death. I took her in my arms... and saw the marks of the murderer's fingers on her neck.

Other people in the hotel had heard the screams and came into our room. I sent one of them to call the police. The others left me alone with my misery. I held Elizabeth close, and as I held her, I saw the monster watching me through the open window of the room. There was an evil laugh on his face. I pulled my gun from my coat and fired at him. I missed, and he ran from the window and jumped into the lake. The other people heard the noise of the shot and came back into the room. I showed them the place where the monster had jumped into the lake. We searched the edge of the lake, but we could not find him. I returned to our room and lay on the bed next to my dear wife.

Suddenly I had another terrible thought. At this very moment perhaps my father was fighting the monster, with Ernest dead at his feet.

I left the hotel and returned to Geneva as fast as I could. My father and Ernest were safe, but the awful news of Elizabeth's death killed my father. He had loved Elizabeth dearly. He became ill, and after a few days he died in my arms. So the evil monster had brought unhappiness and death to a dear old man who had never hurt anybody.

I do not know what happened next. I think I left the real world, and entered a dangerous world of dreams and madness. Later I found that they had put me in prison because of my madness.

After many months they let me free. I had only one wish—to find and kill the monster.

---

party n. 派对，聚会。

honeymoon n. a holiday for a new husband and wife after their wedding. 蜜月假期。

by boat 乘船。

break v. start. 爆发。

doorway n. 门口，门厅。

staircase n. 楼梯（指室内的，常有扶栏）。

leave sb. alone with sth. 让某人独自承受某事。

edge n. border. 边。

miss v. fail to hit, catch, etc. 错过。

put sb. in prison 将某人投进监狱。

第十三章

婚礼之后我们的大批朋友都来我们家聚会。聚会开始后，我和伊丽莎白向他们道了别并离开度蜜月去了。我们首先乘船旅行，并计划晚上在湖对岸的一家旅馆过夜。群山和湖泊宁静而美丽，我和伊丽莎白终于结合在了一起。我几个月来第一次、也是最后一次享受到了幸福的感觉。

傍晚风刮得更猛了，不久还来了一场大的暴风雨。每一个声响都让我恐惧，我一直把手放在外套下面的枪上。我在每个阴暗处都看到了那个怪物。突然间我意识到这场搏斗对于伊丽莎白来说将会是多么恐怖。我让她上床睡觉而我则决定去寻找那个怪物。我打算在确信怪物不在旅馆及其附近后再回到伊丽莎白身边。

伊丽莎白离开了我，我搜寻了旅馆里的每一个角落——每一个黑暗的门厅和楼梯。我没能找到他，于是便开始希望他并没有随我们到旅馆来。但是突然间我听到了一声可怕的尖叫。

那是从我们的房间里传出来的。

于是我明白过来了——但已经太晚了。怪物曾许诺要在我的新婚之夜跟着我的，但他并未打算要杀了我。

尖叫声又一次传来，我于是跑到了我们的房间。我为什么没有在当时当地便死去呢？

床上，伊丽莎白静静地躺着，在冰冷中长眠。我把她抱在怀中……并看见了凶手在她脖子上留下的指痕。

旅馆里的其他人听到了尖叫声，他们走进了我们的房间。我让其中的一人去报警。其他人走后，留下我一个人在痛苦中煎熬。我紧紧地搂着伊丽莎白，而我抱着她时看见怪物正透过开着的窗户看着我。他的脸上挂着邪恶的笑容。我从外套中拔出枪朝他开了火。我没有打中，他从窗户处跑开并跳到了湖里。其他人听到了枪声便又来到了那个房间。我将怪物跳湖之处指给他们看。我们在湖边搜寻，但没能找到他。我回到房间里躺到我亲爱的妻子身旁。

突然间我有了另外一个可怕的想法：也许我父亲这时正在同那个怪物打斗并且欧内斯特已死在他的脚边。

我离开旅馆并以最快的速度赶回了日内瓦。我父亲和欧内斯特都平安无事，但伊丽莎白死去的噩耗夺去了我父亲的生命。他曾深深地爱着伊丽莎白。他病倒了，几天之后便死在了我的怀里。这样那个邪恶的怪物将不幸和死亡带给了从未伤害过任何人的我那亲爱的老人。

我不知道接下去会发生什么。我想我当时离开了现实的世界而进入了梦幻和疯狂的危险境界。后来我才知道他们当时因为我的疯狂而把我送进了监狱。

好几个月之后他们释放了我。我只有一个愿望——找到并杀死那个怪物。

Chapter 14

I decided to leave Geneva for ever. I took all the money that I needed, and left the town. Before I left, I went to visit the place where William, Elizabeth, and my father lay at rest. I stood there and promised them that I would stay alive until I had killed the monster.

A loud, evil laugh rang out through the silent night. Then I heard the monster's voice: 'It pleases me that you have decided to live, because that is just what I want.'

I ran towards the voice, but I could not catch the monster. I saw him running away, but he ran faster than any man could go—too fast for me to catch. But I followed him, and I have been following him since that day. I shall stay alive until I can catch him. He wants me to live as long as possible. He wants me to feel, day after day, the pain and misery that he has given me. He leaves messages to tell me where he is. He knows that I shall follow him.

I am only happy when I am asleep. I dream that I am with my family, and Elizabeth and Henry. When I am awake, I look forward to my death, to the day when I shall be with them.

In his last message the monster told me that he was going north. He wanted to take me where the cold would hurt me and make me more miserable. I followed him to the cold lands of the north, and bought dogs and a sledge. Until now, he has always left me further and further behind when I chase him. But the dogs were very fast and I was getting closer and closer to him. Soon he was only one day's journey in front of me. He was going towards the sea, and I hoped to catch him before he reached it. The chase over the ice continued for about three weeks. The pain from the cold was very great, and I began to lose hope. I thought I would never catch him. My dogs could not run much further, and one of them died. Then I saw something on the ice in front of me. It was the monster and his sledge. Suddenly I was full of hope again, and I gave a great shout of happiness.

I got closer and closer to him. Then a great storm started. The ice began to break, and the sea carried him away from me. My sledge was broken, and I lost my dogs. I was left on a piece of ice that was becoming smaller all the time. Many hours went by, and then I saw your ship. The rest you know.

I ask you, Captain Walton, to chase the monster and kill him. Do not listen to what he says. He knows how to argue, and perhaps you will feel sorry for him. But remember that he is evil. Remember the deaths of William, Justine, Henry Clerval, Elizabeth, my father... and remember me, Victor Frankenstein.

There is no more for me to say, except to thank you, Captain Walton, for your help and kindness. Thank you also for listening to my story. I want you to tell the world that the monster is a danger to everyone.

I know that I have only a few hours left to live, but I can feel my loved ones near me, and I welcome death.

Goodbye. This is the end of Victor Frankenstein's story.

---

ring v. give out a clear sound. 鸣，响。

just adv. exactly. 正好，恰好。

as... as possible 尽量。

message n. a piece of news sent to sb. 消息，讯息，口信。

continue v. go on. 继续，持续。

go by pass. 时光流逝。

feel sorry for sb. 为某人感到难过，抱歉。

第十四章

我决定永远离开日内瓦。我带上了我所需要的一切费用便离开了那个城市。走之前，我去了威廉、伊丽莎白还有我父亲的安息之处。我站在那儿向他们发誓我要活到杀死那个怪物之时。

一声响亮而邪恶的笑声响彻了静静的夜空。接着我听到怪物的声音：“你决定活下去我很高兴，因为这正是我想要的。”

我朝声音的方向跑去，但没有抓到他。我看着他跑开了，只是他跑得比任何人都快——太快了，我没法赶上他。但我跟踪着他，打那天起我一直在跟踪他。我要活到抓住他的那一天。他希望我尽可能活得长一些，以便我日复一日地感受到他带给我的痛苦和悲伤。他给我留下口信告诉我他在什么地方。他知道我会跟踪他的。

只有在熟睡时我才感到快乐。我梦见我同我的家人们、伊丽莎白和亨利在一起。我醒来时便盼望着死去，盼望着和他们在一起的那一天。

在怪物留下的最后的一个口信中，他告诉我说他要去北方。他是想把我带到寒冷的地方受煎熬，以便让我更加痛苦。我跟踪他来到北方寒冷的地方，并且买了狗和雪橇。直到现在，自打我追赶他的那个时候起，他就一直把我远远地甩到后面。可是狗跑得很快，这让我离他越来越近。不久他便离我只剩下一天的行程了。他在朝大海的方向跑去，而我希望在他到达大海之前抓住他。冰上的追逐持续了三个星期。严寒给我带来了巨大的痛苦，我开始失去信心了。我想我永远也别想追上他了。我的狗再也跑不动了，其中还死了一只。后来我看到在我前面的冰上有个什么东西。那是怪物和他的雪橇。突然间我又充满了希望，于是欢快地大喊了起来。

我离他越来越近。后来刮起了一场大风暴。冰开始破裂，海水载着他离我而去。我的雪橇毁了，狗也都丢了。我被困在一块不断消融的冰上。好几个小时之后，我看见了你们的轮船。接下来的事你都知道了。

我请求你，沃尔顿船长，请你去追上并杀死那个怪物。不要听他说什么。他知道怎样辩解，你可能还会同情他的。但你要记住他是邪恶的，要想到威廉、贾斯汀、亨利·克勒沃、伊丽莎白、我父亲这些人的死……还有我，维克多·弗兰肯斯坦。

我没有更多要说的了；只是我得谢谢你，沃尔顿船长，谢谢你的帮助和善心，也感谢你倾听了我的故事。我想让你叫全世界的人都知道那个怪物对所有的人来说都是个危险。

我知道我只能再活几个小时了，但我能够感觉到我所爱的人们离我近了，因而我欢迎死亡的到来。

再见。这就是维克多·弗兰肯斯坦的故事的结尾。