弗兰肯斯坦英文版
高中英语课外名著阅读：弗兰肯斯坦(Frankenstein) 中英文简介(word版)
弗兰肯斯坦(Frankenstein)中英文简介About the authorMary Shelley was born in 18th-century London .Her mother,Mary Wollstonecraft, died after giving birth to Mary,and her father,William Godwin,raised her alone.Mary left home at 16,married Percy Shelley after his first wife's suicide,and wrote Frankenstein in a writer's challenge from Lord Byron in 1816-1817.The story was published in 1818.The story has adapted to many forms,with each adaptation telling a very different version of Shelley's original tale.About the main plotIn the beginning,Dr.Frankenstein is rescued from an ice flow in the sea near the North Pole.Chased through the Arctic by his Creature,Victor Frankenstein is saved by Captain Walton.Victor describes his childhood as a paradise,where his mother and father loved him.But,his parents also failed to teach him reality, cause-and- effect, or the principles of respect.Thus,he considered his adopted sister Elizabeth a possession that he married to own.Elizabeth could not help Victor overcome his addiction to creating a superhuman species.Victor achieved the goal of his addiction and was then disliked by it.Elizabeth was in fact killed by his addiction as Victor's Creature destroyed everything that was dear to him.Frankenstein reveals three generations of monsters--in the form of Victor's mother,Victor,and the Creature.In addition,Elizabeth was reduced to monster status in her treatment as an object,and Mary Shelley herself was a monster (an educated feminist) who could not put her name to her own work. Victor,the Creature,and Mary Shelley were all different from the mainstream society that rejected them as monstrous:a radical scientist,an inhuman creation,and a feminist without a mother.Victor lost everyone of value,Shelley lost her mother at birth,and the Creature could not fit in anywhere.The Creature's abandonment by parent and society is similar to that of the feminist for over two centuries.Feminists were looked down upon and abandoned as they obtained knowledge and power to participate more fully in societies.Feminists were attacked just as was the Creature in Frankenstein.Shelley must have felt such abandonment and rejection,considering that her father educated her ,but she could not sign her own book.At university, Victor Frankenstein stands out at chemistry and other sciences, soon developing a secret technique to give life to non-living matter, which eventually leads to his creation of the Creature. Despite his intentions, the beautiful creation of his dreams is instead ugly, with yellow eyes and skin that merely covers the muscle tissue and blood vessels underneath. The Creature approached the family in hopes of becoming their friend. Initially he was able to be friendly to the blind father of the family, but the rest were frightened and they all fled their home.The Creature demands that Victor create a female companion like himself. The Creature promises that he and his mate will disappear into the South American wilderness, never to reappear, if Victor promises his request.Fearing for his family, Victor agrees. He is worried that creating a mate for the Creature might lead to a race being bigger that could kill mankind. He destroys the female creature. The Creature then kills Clerval, leaving the dead body to be found where Victor lands in Ireland.Seeking revenge, Victor goes after the Creature to the North Pole. Victor becomes much angry, insisting on continuing to search for the Creature, but is too weak from his tiredness and dies shortly after.About the main charactersVictor Frankenstein: The Swiss chemist who creates the monster. Rescued by the sea captain, Frankenstein relays events that begin as he pieces together a man using old body parts. Once he manages to create the horrible life, however, Frankenstein regrets his action immediately and flees his home. When he returns, he finds the monster is gone. Shortly after, Frankenstein hears that his brother has been murdered. A series of tragic events follow, as the monster searches for love and Frankenstein suffers the consequences of his immoral act.The Monster :The monster is Victor Frankenstein’s creation, put together from old body parts and strange chemicals, given life by a mysterious spark. He enters life eight feet tall andvery strong but with the mind of a newborn. Abandoned by his creator and confused, he tries to get himself into society, only to find himself unpopular . Looking in the mirror, he realizes ugliness,which blinds society to his initially gentle, kind nature. Seeking revenge on his creator, he kills Victor’s younger brother. After Victor destroys his work on the female monster , the monster murders Victor’s best friend and then his new wife. While Victor feels great hatred for his creation, the monster shows that he is not a purely evil being. The monster’s words reveals that he is friendly and helpful. He assists a group of poor peasants and saves a girl from drowning, but because of his outward appearance, he is rewarded only with beatings and disgust. Torn between joy because Victor has caused him so much suffering and sadness because Victor is the only person with whom he has had any sort of relationship.中文简介弗兰肯斯坦是来自瑞典日内瓦的一位年轻的科学家，当他在读大学的时候，在他的实验室里，通过无数次的探索，他发现了如何给无生命的物质以生命的秘密。
弗兰肯斯坦读后感英文
弗兰肯斯坦读后感英文Reading Frankenstein evokes a multitude of emotions and thoughts. It is a deeply engaging book that raises profound questions about the human condition, the limits of scientific inquiry, and the consequences of unchecked ambition. Shelley's exploration of these themes is both thought-provoking and disturbing, leaving readers with a lingering sense of unease. One of the major themes in Frankenstein is the destructive power of unchecked ambition. Victor Frankenstein's unrelenting pursuit of scientific knowledge ultimately leads to disastrous consequences. His ambition blinds him to the ethical considerations and moral responsibilities that accompany his creations. This is a powerful cautionary tale about the dangers of playing god and the need to exercise self-restraint.Another theme explored in the novel is the nature of creation. Victor's act of creating life embodies mankind's desire to control and manipulate the natural world. However, the creature he brings to life is rejected by society and becomes a symbol of the destructive potential of human creations. The creature's own longing for acceptance and love highlights the human desire for companionship and connection. Through the creature's experiences, Shelley questions the meaning of humanity and challenges readers' preconceived notions of what it means to be human.Responsibility is also a significant theme in Frankenstein. Victor abandons his creation, leaving it to fend for itself in a hostile world. The consequences of this neglect are catastrophic, as the creature seeks revenge on its creator and those connected to him. Shelley raises the question of moral responsibility and the consequences of our actions. This theme serves as a reminder that we are accountable for the well-being of those we bring into existence.Morality is another key theme explored in the novel. The creature, though initially innocent, is turned into a monster due to society's rejection and mistreatment. Shelley challenges traditional notions of good and evil, suggesting that morality is not inherent but shaped by experiences and interactions with others. This nuance adds depth to the story and forces readers to question their own judgments and biases.In addition to these themes, Shelley's use of narrative structure also adds to the richness and complexity of the novel. The story unfolds through a series of nested narratives, with multiple perspectives and points of view. This fragmented narrative style adds layers to the story and allows readers to see different sides of the same events. It also serves to blur the lines between the protagonist and antagonist, highlighting the grey areas of morality and challenging readers' sympathies.Overall, Frankenstein is a profound and thought-provoking novel that continues to resonate with readers over two centuries after its publication. It raises profound questions about the human condition, the limits of scientific inquiry, and the moral and ethical responsibilitiesof creators. Mary Shelley's masterful storytelling and exploration of these themes make Frankenstein a timeless classic that continues to captivate and disturb readers.。
frankenstein英文版精彩语句
《Frankenstein》英文版精彩语句以下是《弗兰肯斯坦》（Frankenstein）英文版中的一些经典语句：1. "Beware; for I am fearless, and therefore powerful."（小心点；因为我无所畏惧，因此很强大。
）2. "I am alone and miserable; make me happy, or I will die."（我孤独而悲惨；让我快乐，否则我会死。
）3. "How can I describe my emotions at this catastrophe, or how delineate the wretch whom with such infinite pains and care I had endeavoured to form? His limbs were in proportion, and I had selected his features as beautiful. Beautiful! Great God! His yellow skin scarcely covered the work of muscles and arteries beneath; his hair was of a lustrous black, and flowing; his teeth of a pearly whiteness; but these luxuriances only formed a more horrid contrast with his watery eyes, that seemed almost of the same colour as the dun white sockets in which they were set, his shrivelled complexion and straight black lips."（我该如何描述自己在这场灾难中的情感，或者如何描述那个我用无尽的痛苦和关心创造出来的怪物？他的四肢长度相称，我选择了他的外貌，美丽！伟大的上帝！他的黄色皮肤几乎无法覆盖他的肌肉和骨骼；他的头发是一缕红褐色的，闪闪发光；他的牙齿是珍珠白色的；但这些液体的存在只是让他的苍白的眼睛看起来更加可怕，那是一种几乎与他的干瘪的皮肤一样的苍白，他的嘴唇是卷曲的，他的皮肤是光滑的。
弗兰肯斯坦英文版
创作编号：GB8878185555334563BT9125XW创作者：凤呜大王*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。
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 andthen 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．2I 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 mostimportant 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，some－thing happened that added a new idea to the ideas that I al－ready had．Iwas 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．维克多的故事开始了3For 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：‘So me 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．Iremembered 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 terribletime．创作编号：GB8878185555334563BT9125XW创作者：凤呜大王*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 150metreshigh，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．4In 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 werealmost 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．His arms and legs began to move，and slowly he sat up．The dead body had been an ugly thing，but alive，he was much more horrible．Suddenly I wanted to escape from him．I ran out of the laboratory，and locked the door．I was filled with fear atwhat 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．His yellow eyes were looking at me；his mouth opened and he made strange sounds at me．On his yellow face there was an awful smile．One of his huge hands reached towards me…Before he 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 along 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 for-got 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 he 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．5The 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 foundhim．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 FatherHenry 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 he 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 to－wards 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．6At 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 ofstrange 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，be－cause 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 dayand night．I became ill again，and Elizabeth's love could not help me．I needed o 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 be－cause 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 untilone 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．创作编号：GB8878185555334563BT9125XW创作者：凤呜大王*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．7After 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 hadhappened 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 whichthe 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 Iwould soon have three good friends．8One 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 Ihad 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，andAgatha．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．9Isat 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 Ibelonged 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。
弗兰肯斯坦
Strengths of the book
• Theme --Innovation • language --vivid • I saw huge,strong bones and muscles
under his yellow skin.He had long,black hair, and an ugly face .His sharp,teeth and thick black mouth were the most terrible.
my feelings
• I only wanted to help people,and stop them form dying.
• After all, people hate ugly thing, and I am ugly. • Forgive and love 一只脚踩扁了紫罗兰，它却把香味留在那脚
Characters
• Robert Walton and his crew • Frankenstein • Monster • Elizabeth • Henry • William • Justine
A brief summary
In the begIn the beginning, Dr. Frankenstein is rescued from an ice flow in the sea near the North Pole. Frankenstein is engaged in people’s life scientific research an d tries hard to use artificial method to create life. In his laboratory, he eventually creates an obnoxious and ugly mon ster through countless explorations. At begining the artificial monster has kindhearted nature. He is full with goodw ill and thanksgiving towards people. He asks his creator and peopl e to give him every life right and even asks for a spouse. However, he feels very disappointed when he is always discriminated by pe ople and his creator. So he hates everything and eager to ruin every thing around the world.In order to save other people, Frankenstein has his bosom filled with anger to hound the monster. At last, he a nd the monster both end in death in the battle.
弗兰肯斯坦英文书评
Love Created the WorldAfter reading Frankenstein, I have a deep thought. Frankenstein gave birth to the monster, but he was then scared to serious illness after the first look of him. And the good-natured monster with that hideous face began to doubt his existence, hate himself and lost himself in the road of revenge after so many times of heart broken. Is Frankenstein wrong? I think he is. He has an extraordinary talent and enthusiasm in natural philosophy, and can even create life, but when his creature opened his eyes and gave him a big smile, he didn’t feel happy at all! “How can I describe my emotions at this catastrophe, or how delineate the wretch whom with such infinite pains and care I had endeavoured to form?”He refused to acknowledge everything, refused to comprehend him, even refused to see him again and ran away. The essence of life is truth, goodness and beauty, even if he is not a man actually. It isn’t his fault born to be hideous, how can people cruelly kill his soul?When the monster tells his story, even if he tells it in a peace emotion, I can fell that his heart is crying. Everyone has the right of happiness except him. No one want to comprehend him, or even talk to him just because something he can’t change, his hideous looking. Even his angel, the family he has secretly be with for over a year is afraid of him, beat him and drive him away after they saw him. He is lonely without any care, he is good without any reward. The only thing he has, is a broken heart.When a warm heart begin to grow cold, when a bright hope begin to get dark, when the monster’s last hope, having a female creature like him, is destroyed, he turned into a cruel and ferocious person. After killed William, frame Justine, killed Clerval and Elizabeth and then Frankenstein, he found that he is not happy at all. His dying monologue gave me quite a big shock.“ when I first sought it, it was the love of virtue, the feeling of happiness and affection with witch my own being overflowed, that I wished to be participated. But now that virtue has become to me a shadow, and that happiness and affection are turned into bitter and loading despair, in what should I seek for sympathy?I am content to suffer alone while my sufferings shall endure; when I die, I am well satisfied that abhorrence and opprobrium should load my memory. Once my fancy was soothed with dreams of virtue, of fame, and of enjoyment. Once I falsely hoped to meet with being who, pardoning my outward form, would love me for the excellent qualities which I was capable of unfolding. I was nourishedwith high thoughts of honor and devotion, but now crime has degraded me beneath the meanest animal. No guilt, no mischief, no malignity, no misery, can be found comparable to mine. When I run over the frightful catalogue of my sins, I cannot believe that I am the same creature whose thoughts were once filled with sublime and transcendent visions of the beauty and the majesty of goodness. But it is even so; the fallen angel becomes a malignant devil. Yet even that enemy of God and man had friends and associates in his desolation; I am alone” These words impress me a lot, I was even can't help crying.Why does people do bad to people? Why people only believe things they can see by their eyes instead of things they can see by their heart? Justine was accused to death, Frankenstein was also pushed into prison, and the monster was deeply hurt. In this monologue, in this crazy crying, I feel the cold and exclusive of human being. They only accept similar or same things and destroy others which they think totally different, not to acceptance. I feel sad about this.Then I thought of my own life. We are so lucky to have so much love from our parents. It is the love that the monster eager for all over his life. There are so many people treated unfair by the people, if we don't help them, there warm heart may be grow cold and become a new “monster”. It is the love that created the world. Please be warm to others and stop creating monster.。
科学怪人英文原版
科学怪人英文原版In the annals of literature, few works have captivated the imagination and sparked debate as vigorously as Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. Published in 1818, this gothicnovel tells the tale of Victor Frankenstein, a brilliant scientist who creates a monster in his laboratory, only to find himself faced with the consequences of his hubris. The story has transcended the boundaries of literature, finding its way into cinema, theater, and even science itself, serving as a prism through which we view the ethics of science, the dangers of unchecked ambition, and the natureof monstrosity.The core of the Frankenstein narrative lies in the complex relationship between creator and creation. Victor Frankenstein, a scientist driven by a quest for knowledge and power, creates a monster in his laboratory, stitching together body parts from corpses. In doing so, he plays God, ignoring the warnings of those who fear the consequences of his actions. The monster, born out of this hubris, is hideous and deformed, a physical testament toFrankenstein's folly.What ensues is a cat-and-mouse game between creator and monster, as the latter seeks acceptance and understanding, while the former tries to erase his creation from existence. This dynamic illustrates the dangers of scientific experimentation gone awry, but it also speaks to deeper themes of loneliness, rejection, and the quest for identity. The monster, despite its deformities, desires companionship and understanding, much like Frankenstein himself, whofinds himself increasingly isolated as he pursues his experiments.In the two centuries since its publication,Frankenstein has become a cultural icon, reflecting our own fears and anxieties about the power of science. The monster, often seen as a symbol of everything that is ugly and monstrous, has come to represent the consequences of scientific experimentation gone unchecked. The novel's warnings about the dangers of science have resonatedstrongly in our own era, where advancements in biotechnology, artificial intelligence, and other fields have raised concerns about ethical boundaries and the potential for abuse.Yet, Frankenstein also serves as a reminder of the human costs of scientific progress. In his quest for knowledge and power, Victor Frankenstein ignores the warnings of his friends and family, leading to the creation of a monster that he cannot control. This hubris, this blindness to the consequences of his actions, is a warning for all scientists and innovators. It reminds us that while science can bring about remarkable advancements, it must always be tempered by ethics and compassion.Moreover, Frankenstein challenges our definitions of monstrosity. The monster, while hideous and deformed, is not inherently evil. It is the rejection and isolation it experiences that leads it to act out in violence. This suggests that monstrosity is not solely determined by physical appearance, but by the treatment and perception of others. It is a powerful commentary on the nature of society and our treatment of those who do not fit the norm. In conclusion, Frankenstein remains a relevant and important work of literature. It serves as a cautionarytale about the dangers of unchecked scientific ambition, the costs of ignoring warnings, and the nature ofmonstrosity. It reminds us that science, while a powerful tool for understanding and improving the world, must always be balanced with ethics and compassion. As we continue to make strides in scientific research and innovation, it is important to remember the lessons of Frankenstein and ensure that our progress does not come at the cost of our humanity.**怪物的科学：对《科学怪人》的现代解读**在文学史上，很少有作品能像玛丽·雪莱的《科学怪人》那样激发人们的想象力并引发如此激烈的辩论。
弗兰肯斯坦英文版好词好句摘抄
《弗兰肯斯坦》英文版的经典好词好句好词：1.doom：命运、厄运。
2.wretch：不幸的人、可怜的人。
3.ghastly：可怕的、面色惨白的。
4.hideous：丑陋的、可憎的。
5.daemon：恶魔、妖怪。
6.monster：怪物、妖怪。
7.formidable：强大的、可怕的。
8.irresistible：不可抗拒的、无法抵挡的。
9.tottering：摇摇欲坠的、即将崩溃的。
10.ghastly haggard：面色惨白的、憔悴的。
好句：1.“I am immortal,for I can never die,but pass like a wave in the sea.”(Frankenstein)（“我是不死的，因为我永远不会死去，而是像海浪一样循环不息。
”）2.“I had been hurried into my present existence undercircumstances which,if truly related,would fill the world with horror.”(Frankenstein)（“我匆忙间被带入到现在的生命中，如果事情属实，将使世界充满恐惧。
”）3.“The human body is now known to be capable of some improvement even after death.”(Frankenstein)（“现在已知，人体即使在死后也具有某种程度的改进。
”）4.“She would not wound him so deeply by a repetition of the same atrocity.”(Frankenstein)（“她不会如此残忍地重复同样的暴行。
”）5.“She had with her the Crimson Cryptogram of my life.”(Frankenstein)（“她带走了代表我一生的深红密码。
Frankenstein弗兰肯斯坦英语文学名著鉴赏
© 2009 Eyeblaster. All rights reserved
Frankenstein
• "Frankenstein" (The Modern Prometheus) is first "science fiction" in western literature, which is born in the Geneva lake by the Mary Shelley (Mary Woolstonecraft Shelley) hand. Originally published in 1818, more popular versions are published in 1831 as the third edition, which belongs to the Gothic novels influenced by the romantic influence. Later, some scholars think that the origin of the story can be viewed as a horror fiction or science fiction. The origin of the novel Frankenstein, is also the mad doctor in the story.
© 2009 Eyeblaster. All rights reserved
• The Creature's abandonment by parent and society is similar to that of the feminist for over two centuries. Feminists were scorned and abandoned as they obtained knowledge and subsequent power to participate more fully in societies.
典范英语10弗兰肯斯坦
life tracks. Laughed at and hated by other people, Casey Modoo never changed his mind of being sincere and virtuous. He still loved Esmeralda and forgave all the unfairness from God. His final death was filled with love for some people and the world. (田紫维)
scientific technology to benefit our daily life. However, scientific technology and industry can also have a bad influence. They may destroy the environment, change our ideas about the world and even break the normal moral concept. So we should pay attention to the hidden danger in technology.(马昕悦)
故事交代简洁，评论有条理
From the story, I find that discrimination is the root
of evil. It is not just in this story, but a global problem. Hitler discriminated against Jews, which led to the World War II. The root of the Israeli Palestinian conflict was also the cultural discrimination caused by religious conflicts. The movements to oppose racial discrimination of blacks in the United States has never stopped. If we don’t learn to love each other , abandon discrimination and live together peacefully on this planet, the tragedy like Frankenstein will continue to perform. Only when we treat the world with a tolerate and reasonable attitude and remove the color glasses will the world become more harmonious.(张艺松)
弗兰肯斯坦英文版之欧阳道创编
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。
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 thedogs 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．2I 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 thechildren 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，some－thing happened that added a new idea to the ideas that I al－ready had．I was fifteen at the time， and we were on holiday in the mountains． Therewas a wild storm， and with it came the most frightening thunder and lightning that I had ever seen in mylife． 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．维克多的故事开始了3For 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 getmarried． 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 hadto 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 was150metres 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．4In 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， andits 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． His arms and legs began to move， and slowly he sat up．The dead body had been an ugly thing， but alive， he was much more horrible． Suddenly I wanted to escape from him． 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． His yellow eyes were looking at me； his mouth opened and he made strange sounds at me． On his yellow face there was an awful smile． One of his huge hands reached towards me…Before he 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 for-got 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 he had disappeared．At that time I did not think of other people，and what the creature could do to them．I took Henry intothe 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 ofhappiness．5The 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 tosteal 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 FatherHenry 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 he 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 to －wards 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．6At 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， be－cause 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 o 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 be－cause 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 Ibe 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．7After 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 neverwalked 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 duringthe 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’thi ngs．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．8One 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 isvery 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 tothe 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 ver y 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．9Isat 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 endI 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。
frankenstein英文版
frankenstein英文版《Frankenstein》是一部由英国作家玛丽·雪莱（Mary Shelley）创作的经典小说。
这部小说于1818年首次出版，是一部著名的哥特式文学作品。
下面是《Frankenstein》的英文版简介。
Title: Frankenstein.Author: Mary Shelley.Publication Year: 1818。
Introduction:Frankenstein, written by Mary Shelley, is a Gothic novel that explores the themes of science, ambition, and the consequences of playing God. The story follows Victor Frankenstein, a young scientist who becomes obsessed with the idea of creating life. He successfully brings a creature to life, but is horrified by its monstrous appearance and abandons it. The creature, rejected bysociety, seeks revenge on its creator, leading to a tragic series of events.Summary:The novel begins with Captain Robert Walton's letters to his sister, detailing his journey to the North Pole. During his expedition, Walton encounters Victor Frankenstein, who shares his life story. Victor reveals his childhood, education, and his fascination with science, which ultimately leads him to create the creature.Victor's experiment is a success, but he is immediately repulsed by the creature's appearance and flees. The creature, left alone and rejected, struggles to find acceptance in society. It learns to read and speak, becoming increasingly intelligent and self-aware. The creature eventually confronts Victor, demanding that he create a companion for him, promising to leave society forever if his request is fulfilled.Victor initially agrees, but after contemplating thepotential consequences, he destroys the second creature before completing it. The enraged creature vows revenge and begins to kill those close to Victor. The two engage in a deadly pursuit across Europe, leading to the deaths of Victor's loved ones.In the end, Victor dies from exhaustion and illness, but not before expressing remorse for his actions. The creature, devastated by its creator's death, mourns over Victor's body and vows to end its own life. The novel concludes with Captain Walton's final letters, reflecting on the moral lessons learned from Victor's tragic tale.Themes:1. Ambition and the pursuit of knowledge: The novel explores the dangers of unchecked ambition and the consequences of pushing the boundaries of science.2. Nature versus nurture: The creature's actions raise questions about the influence of society and upbringing on an individual's behavior.3. Isolation and loneliness: Both Victor and the creature experience profound loneliness and isolation, highlighting the human need for companionship and acceptance.4. Responsibility and accountability: Victor grapples with the moral and ethical implications of his creation, raising questions about the responsibility of scientists and the consequences of their actions.Impact and Legacy:Frankenstein has had a significant impact on literature and popular culture. It is considered one of the earliest examples of science fiction and has inspired numerous adaptations in film, theater, and other forms of media. The novel's exploration of ethical and moral dilemmas continues to resonate with readers, making it a timeless and thought-provoking work.总结：《Frankenstein》是玛丽·雪莱创作的一部哥特式小说，探讨了科学、野心以及玩弄上帝力量的后果等主题。
弗兰肯斯坦英文版之欧阳法创编
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。
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 sledgeappeared． 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．‘Myname 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．2I 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． Hisname 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，some－thing happened that added a new idea to the ideas that I al－ready 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．维克多的故事开始了3For 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 touniversity 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 otherimportant 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 tomy 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 was150metres 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 Idid not realize then what a terrible mistake I was making．4In 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 todestroy 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． His arms and legs began to move，and slowly he sat up．The dead body had been an ugly thing， but alive， he was much more horrible． Suddenly I wanted to escape from him． 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． His yellow eyes were looking at me； his mouth opened and he made strange sounds at me． On his yellow face there was an awful smile． One of his huge hands reached towards me…Before he 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 for-got 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 he 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．5The 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 FatherHenry 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 he 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 ranto－wards 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．6At 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 tous． 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 notkilled William． And she was almost looking forward to death， be－cause 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 o 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 didnot 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 be－cause 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．7After 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 neverwalked 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 thecold， 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 theirfather， 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’thi ngs．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．8One 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 thefirst 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 hismoney， 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 ver y 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 againsthim．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．9Isat 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。
弗兰肯斯坦英文版之欧阳音创编
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。
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 fromthe 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 sittingon 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． Wesaw 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．2I 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 forme．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 knowthe 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，some－thing happened that added a new idea to the ideas that I al－ready 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．维克多的故事开始了3For 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 woulddestroy 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 thedying 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 onlya 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 didnot go out．Above the laboratory I built a very tall mast． It was 150metres 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．4In 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 mymachine． 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． His arms and legs began to move， and slowly he sat up．The dead body had been an ugly thing， but alive，he was much more horrible． Suddenly I wanted to escape from him． 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． His yellow eyes were looking at me； his mouth opened and he made strange sounds at me． On his yellow face there was an awful smile． One of his huge hands reached towards me…Before he 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 handand 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 for-got 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 he 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 lettersended my short time of happiness．5The 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 FatherHenry 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 postsround 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 he 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 to－wards 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．6At 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 chainin 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 happybecause we believed that she had not killed William． And she was almost looking forward to death， be－cause 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 o 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 wouldhelp 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 be－cause 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， andyou 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 y our 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．7After 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 fieldsfor 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 hadcut 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 peopleand 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’thi ngs．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．8One 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 ableto 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 bythe 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．‘Myfamily and I have had our difficult times， and we'll help you．’‘You are a ver y 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 returnedsilently to my hut． Nobody saw me．9Isat 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 otherperson． 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．。
弗兰肯斯坦英文版之欧阳德创编
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。
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 theship， 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．2I 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 Elizabethbecame 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，some－thing happened that added a new idea to the ideas that I al－ready 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．维克多的故事开始了3For 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 awonderful 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 helpedme，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 tome． Suddenly I was sure that I knew the secret of life． I knew that I could put life into a bodythat was not alive．I worked harder and harder now． I slept for onlya 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 150metres 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 neverforgotten 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．4In 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 asits 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 todo 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． His arms and legs began to move， and slowly he sat up．The dead body had been an ugly thing， but alive， he was much more horrible． Suddenly I wanted to escape from him． 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． His yellow eyes were looking at me； his mouth opened and he made strange sounds at me． On hisyellow face there was an awful smile． One of his hug e hands reached towards me…Before he 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 tomake 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 for-got 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 he 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 wildlyacross 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．5The 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 thatan 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 dearVictor． You are the only one who can help Elizabeth， and we all need you．With all our love，Your FatherHenry 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 creaturethat I had made．What was he 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 to－wards 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．6At first I decided to tell the police my story． But would they believe me？ I had been veryill． 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 verypleased 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 toexplain， 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， be－cause 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 diedbecause 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 o 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 rocksand 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 be－cause 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 amurderer． How can I be kind to you？’‘You say I am a murderer，’ the monster said，‘but you want to kill y our 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．7After 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 thetrouble． Some of the people ran away when they saw me， but the others shouted and threwstones 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 whenI 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 thethree 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’thi ngs．But the family were often sad， and I wished Icould 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．8One 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 notunderstand 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 lovedeach 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 takeme 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 ver y 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 meand 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．9Isat 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 hadgone． 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。
弗兰肯斯坦英文版之欧阳与创编
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。
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 clearlychasing 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．2I was born in Switzerland， in the town of Geneva． Myparents 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 veryclever． 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，some－thing happened that added a new idea to the ideas that I al－ready 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．维克多的故事开始了3For 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 getmarried． 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 notstop 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 moretime． 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 150metres 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 wasmaking．4In 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 putlife 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． His arms and legs began to move， and slowly he sat up．The dead body had been an ugly thing， but alive， he was much more horrible． Suddenly I wanted to escape from him． 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 laydown 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． His yellow eyes were looking at me； his mouth opened and he made strange sounds at me． On his yellow face there was an awful smile． One of his huge hands reached towards me…Before he 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 thatyou 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 for-got 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 he 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 myeyes．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．5The 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 awfulthing 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 FatherHenry 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 he 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 ranto－wards 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．6At 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 tous． 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 hadnot killed William． And she was almost looking forward to death， be－cause 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 o 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 didnot 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 be－cause 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． Howcan 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．7After 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 thehouse 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．Theirlife 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’thi ngs．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．8One 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 tounderstand 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 forever． 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 theworld．’‘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 ver y 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 outof 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．9Isat 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。
弗兰肯斯坦英文版之欧阳语创编
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。
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．Fasterand 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．2I 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 learntthat 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， sohe 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，some－thing happened that added a new idea to the ideas that I al－ready 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．维克多的故事开始了3For seventeen years my life was very happy． Thenthe 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 muchfood．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 150metres 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 mymachine must die with me． I was a very clever scientist， but I did not realize then what a terrible mistake I was making．4In 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 almostdecided 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． His arms and legs began to move， and slowly he sat up．The dead body had been an ugly thing， but alive，he was much more horrible． Suddenly I wanted to escape from him． 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． His yellow eyes were looking at me； his mouth opened and he made strange sounds at me． On his yellow face there was an awful smile． One of his hug e hands reached towards me…Before he 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 chancethat 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 for-got 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 he 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 overmy 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．5The 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 anawful 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 FatherHenry 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 he 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， heran to－wards 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．6At 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 policehad 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． Wespent 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， be－cause 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 o escape for a while—to leave my unhappiness behind me．So I went to walk alone in the Alps． I hoped thewild 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 be－cause 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 y our 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．7After 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 builtagainst 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 thehut． 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 extrafood 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． Iknew 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 didthese‘wonderful’thi ngs．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．8One 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 leaveFrance． 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． Thepeople 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 ver y 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 talkingabout．’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．9Isat 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。
弗兰肯斯坦英文版之欧阳治创编
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。
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 clearlychasing 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．2I was born in Switzerland，in the town of Geneva．Myparents 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．Myfamily 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，some－thing happened that added a new idea to the ideas that I al－ready 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．维克多的故事开始了3For seventeen years my life was very happy．Then the firstsad 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 holidayduring 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 Iwas．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 was150metres 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．4In 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．Morewires 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．His arms and legs began to move，and slowly he sat up．The dead body had been an ugly thing，but alive，he was much more horrible．Suddenly I wanted to escape from him．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 horriblething that I had created was standing by my bed．His yellow eyes were looking at me；his mouth opened and he made strange sounds at me．On his yellow face there was an awful smile．One of his huge hands reached towards me…Before he 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 tomake 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 for-got 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 he 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 triedto 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．5The 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 Thursdayevening 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 FatherHenry helped me to catch the train．The journey seemedvery 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 he 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 to －wards 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 hadcreated a monster．And he had murdered my brother．6At 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 befree 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，be－cause 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 nothingbut 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 o 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 be －cause 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 thatI 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．7After 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 atethe 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 kindthey 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’thi ngs．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 happybecause I was sure I would soon have three good friends．8One 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 Ilearnt，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 ver y good man，’ I said，‘and if you helpme，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．9Isat 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 endI 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。
弗兰肯斯坦英文版之欧阳育创编
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。
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 ofice 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，’ Frankensteinsaid．‘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．2I 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 helpmy 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，some－thing happened that added a new idea to the ideas that I al－ready 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．维克多的故事开始了3For 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 theworld．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 theuniversity．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 150metres 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．4In 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．His arms and legs began to move，and slowly he sat up．The dead body had been an ugly thing，but alive，he was much more horrible．Suddenly I wanted to escape from him．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．His yellow eyes were looking at me；his mouth opened and he made strange sounds at me．On his yellow face there was an awful smile．One of his hug e hands reached towards me…Before he 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．AndI 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 for-got 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 he 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 savedme 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．5The 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 FatherHenry 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 wasthe creature that I had made．What was he 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 to－wards 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．6At 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 afterthe 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，be－cause then shewould 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 o 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 be－cause 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．7After 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 wasalready 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 talkabout the ‘good creature’ who did these‘wonderful’thi ngs．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．8One 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．Ilearnt 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 oldman 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 ver y 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 thatI 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．9Isat 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 readit．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。
弗兰肯斯坦英文版之欧阳体创编
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。
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 icewere 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，’ Frankensteinsaid．‘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．2I 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 mymother 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，some－thing happened that added a new idea to the ideas that I al－ready 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．维克多的故事开始了3For seventeen years my life was very happy． Then the first sadthing 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 anddiscover 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 theydied 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 150metres 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 thathad 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．4In 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 lookedterrible 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． His arms and legs began to move， and slowly he sat up．The dead body had been an ugly thing， but alive， he was much more horrible． Suddenly I wanted to escape from him． 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． His yellow eyes were looking atme； his mouth opened and he made strange sounds at me． On his yellow face there was an awful smile． One of his huge hands reached towards me…Before he 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 for-got my fears．I took Henry back to my flat and asked him to wait outsidewhile I went in to look． I was afraid that the creature was still there． But he 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 ofhappiness．5The 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 FatherHenry 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 he 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 to－wards 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．6At 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， be－cause 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 o 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 be－cause 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．7After 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． Irealized 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’thi ngs．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．8One 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 hispromise． 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 ver y 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．9Isat 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 themorning， 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。
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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。
1‘Captain！ Something is moving on the ice．Look overthere！’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 thenight 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 sledgejust 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．2I 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 therewere 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，some－thing happened that added a new idea to the ideas that I al－ready 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 housewas 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．维克多的故事开始了3For 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 inthe 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 tomorr ow． 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 thelightning 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 150metres 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．4In 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． His arms and legs began to move， and slowly he sat up．The dead body had been an ugly thing， but alive， he was much more horrible． Suddenly I wanted to escape from him． 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 Ilay 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． His yellow eyes were looking at me； his mouth opened and he made strange sounds at me． On his yellow face there was an awful smile． One of his huge hands reached towards me…Before he 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 agreedto 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 for-got 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 he 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 Vic tor， 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 savedme 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．5The 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 searchfor 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 FatherHenry 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 criedsadly 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 he 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 to－wards 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．6At 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 afterthe 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， be－cause 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'tI 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 o 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 be－cause 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 Iwill 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．7After 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 alwayssurprised in the morning when they saw what I had done． I heard them talk about the ‘good creature’ who didthese‘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．8One 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．9Isat 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。