弗兰肯斯坦

⊙ By Mary Shelley

翻译：刘新民

弗兰肯斯坦

⊙ By Mary Shelley

翻译：刘新民

Frankenstein

提起玛丽·雪莱（1797—1851），人们首先留意到的常常是她的姓氏——她是英国伟大诗人珀西·雪莱的第二任妻子。而大多数人并不知道的是，玛丽出身书香门第，父母声名显赫，却因为与珀西的爱情而一生饱受困苦煎熬；玛丽还是个具有极高文学素养的奇女子，要不是她在珀西去世后将其遗作整理出版，今天的我们就不能欣赏到诗人最后的优美诗篇了。

不过，玛丽之所以能在文学史上留下属于自己的独特印记，还得归功于《弗兰肯斯坦》（一译《科学怪人》）。这本小说出版于1818年，全名为《弗兰肯斯坦：现代普罗米修斯的故事》（Frankenstein; Or, The Modern Prometheus），讲的是科学家弗兰肯斯坦的故事。他一直醉心于人工生命研究，有一天晚上，他用雷电将一个用尸块拼凑出来的人形怪物成功激活，岂料噩梦由此开始……

作为世界上第一本科幻小说，《弗兰肯斯坦》对人类产生了极其深远的影响：Frankenstein在英语中成了一个专门词汇，无名怪物成了最具代表性的文学形象之一，而玛丽在将近两百年前对人性、科学与伦理的探讨，至今依然是无数专家学者争论不休的课题。

本期节选出自小说第五章。实验成功了，但是这个活过来的怪物让弗兰肯斯坦意识到自己做了一件多么可怕的事情。他逃出自己的寓所，在院子里胆战心惊地熬过一夜，好不容易盼来了天亮……

Morning,1)dismaland wet, at length dawned and discovered to my sleepless and2)achingeyes the church of Ingolstadt, its white3)steepleand clock, which indicated the sixth hour. The4)porteropened the gates of the court, which had that night been my5)asylum, and I6)issuedinto the streets, pacing them with quick steps, as if I sought to avoid the7)wretchwhom I feared every turning of the street would present to my view. I did not dare return to the apartment which I8)inhabited, but felt9)impelledto hurry on, although10)drenchedby the rain which poured from a black and comfortless sky.

I continued walking in this manner for some time,11)endeavouringby bodily exercise to ease the load that weighed upon my mind. I12)traversedthe streets without any clear conception of where I was or what I was doing. My heart13)palpitatedin the sickness of fear, and I hurried on with14)irregularsteps, not daring to look about me.

Continuing thus, I came at length opposite to the inn at which the various15)diligencesand carriages usually stopped. Here I paused, I knew not why; but I remained some minutes with my eyes fixed on a16)coachthat was coming towards me from the other end of the street. As it drew nearer I observed that it was the Swiss diligence; it stopped just where I was standing, and on the door being opened, I17)perceivedHenry Clerval, who, on seeing me, instantly18)sprungout. “My dear Frankenstein,”19)exclaimedhe, “how glad I am to see you! How fortunate that you should be here at the very moment of my20)alighting!”

1) dismal [5dIzm(ə)l] adj. 抑郁的，阴暗的

2) aching [5eIkIŋ] adj. 痛的，疼痛的

3) steeple [5sti:pl] n. [建]尖顶，尖塔

4) porter [5pɔ:tə(r)] n. 守门人，门房

5) asylum [ə5saIləm] n. 避难所，庇护所

6) issue [5Isju:] v. 流出，排出

7) wretch [ret∫] n. 不幸的人，此处指怪物。

8) inhabit [In5hæbIt] v. 居住

9) impel [Im5pel] v. 推动，驱使

10) drench [drent∫] v. 湿透

11) endeavour [In5devə(r)] v. 努力，尽力

12) traverse [5trævз:s] v. 走过，经过

13) palpitate [5pælpIteIt] v. 心跳，悸动

14) irregular [I5reɡjʊlə(r)] adj. 不稳定的

15) diligence [5dIlIdʒəns] n. 驿站马车

16) coach [kəʊt∫] n. 四轮大马车

17) perceive [pə5si:v] v. 察觉，发觉

18) spring [sprIŋ] v. 跳，跃起，过去分词为sprung。

19) exclaim [Iks5kleIm] v. 呼喊，大声说

20) alight [ə5laIt] v. 从车（马）上下来

21) recollection [7rekə5lek∫ən] n. 回忆，往事

Nothing could equal my delight on seeing Clerval; his presence brought back to my thoughts my father, Elizabeth, and all those scenes of home so dear to my21)recollection. Igrasped his hand, and in a moment forgot my horror and misfortune; I felt suddenly, and for the first time during many months, calm and22)serenejoy. I welcomed my friend, therefore, in the most23)cordialmanner, and we walked towards my college. Clerval continued talking for some time about our24)mutualfriends and his own good fortune in being permitted to come to Ingolstadt. “You may easily believe,” said he, “how great was the difficulty to persuade my father that all necessary knowledge was not25)comprisedin the noble art of book-keeping; and, indeed, I believe I left him26)incredulousto the last, for his constant answer to my27)unwearied28)entreatieswas the same as that of the29)Dutchschoolmaster in The Vicar of Wakefield: ‘I have ten thousand30)florinsa year without Greek, I eat heartily without Greek.’ But his

词组：at length

这个选段出现了很多带有at length的句子，大家能将这些句子都找出来吗？虽然本文中的at length都是“最终，终于”的意思，但这个词组其实有着多种含义，在平时的使用当中还可以表示“详尽地”或是“长久地，啰唆地”，在理解词组时要具体情况具体分析，如：

●At length, we began to understand what he wanted. （最后，我们总算搞懂他想要什么了。）

● She talkedat lengthabout her work and her family. （她详尽地介绍了自己的工作和家庭情况。）

● He spokeat lengthabout nothing at all. （他说了半天，但根本没说出什么名堂。）affection for me at length overcame his dislike of learning, and he has permitted me to undertake a voyage of discovery to the land of knowledge.”

“It gives me the greatest delight to see you; but tell me how you left my father, brothers, and Elizabeth.”

“Very well, and very happy, only a little uneasy that they hear from you so31)seldom. By the by, I mean to32)lectureyou a little upon their account myself. But, my dear Frankenstein,” continued he, stopping short and33)gazingfull in my face, “I did not before remark how very ill you appear; so thin and34)pale; you look as if you had been watching for several nights.”

“You have guessed right; I have lately been so deeply35)engaged inone occupation that I have not allowed myself36)sufficientrest, as you see; but I hope, I sincerely hope, that all these employments are now at an end and that I am at length free.”

22) serene [sI5ri:n] adj. 平静的，安宁的

23) cordial [5kɔ:dIəl] adj. 热诚的，衷心的

24) mutual [5mju:tjʊəl] adj. 共同的

25) comprise [kəm5praIz] v. 包括，包含

26) incredulous [In5kredjʊləs] adj. 不相信的

27) unwearied [ʌn5wIərId] adj. 孜孜不倦的，不屈不挠的

28) entreaty [In5tri:tI] n. 恳求，哀求

29) Dutch [dʌt∫] adj. 荷兰的

30) forin [5flɒrIn] n. 弗罗林，旧时用于欧洲国家的一种货币。

31) seldom [5seldəm] adv. 不常，很少

32) lecture [5lekt∫ə(r)] v. 教训，训斥

33) gaze [ɡeIz] v. 凝视，注视

34) pale [peIl] adj. 苍白的

35) engage in 从事于，参加

36) suffcient [sə5fI∫(ə)nt] adj. 足够的，充足的

我总算熬到天亮。这天早晨，天空昏沉，阴雨霏霏。我睁开因失眠而疼痛的双眼，看到了因格尔施塔特教堂。它那白色尖塔上的大钟正指着六点。守门人打开了院子的大门，这院子昨夜竟成了我的避难所。我跑到大街上，甩开步子，疾走如飞，仿佛这就可以躲避那怪物，唯恐在哪个路口碰上他。天空阴云密布，令人抑郁不快。我被雨淋得浑身湿透，又不敢回寓所，身不由己地匆匆向前。

我就这样在街上走了好一阵子，想通过身体运动尽量减轻压在心头的重负。我走过一条条大街小巷，不知自己身在何处，也不知自己在干什么。我感到厌恶、恐惧，心头怦怦直跳，步履踉跄地不断赶路，两眼紧盯着前方，不敢左顾右盼。

我就这样漫无目的地向前走着，最后来到一家小旅店的对面，这里如同往常一样停着各种各样的驿车和马车。我不知自己为什么要在这里收住脚步。我停留了几分钟，眼睛一直盯着一辆从街那头驶来的马车。等车靠近时，我发现这是一辆来自瑞士的驿车。这车径直驶向我站立的地方停住。车门打开后，我看到的竟是亨利·克莱瓦尔。他一见到我，立即纵身跃下马车。“亲爱的弗兰肯斯坦，”他大喊道：“见到你我真高兴！刚下马车就在这儿碰上你，真是走运！”

没有什么能比见到克莱瓦尔更让我高兴的了，他的到来勾起了我对往事的回忆：父亲、伊丽莎白，还有家中的一切都显得那样亲切。我紧紧握住他的手，一时间把自己的恐惧和不幸全忘了，心中突然有一种平静、安宁的快乐，多少个月以来，我还是头一回有这样的感觉。我向克莱瓦尔表示了最为真诚热烈的欢迎，随后，我俩便一同朝我的学校走去。克莱瓦尔又谈了一阵我们共同的好友，并庆幸自己运气不错，因为他父亲最终还是同意他来因格尔施塔特学习了。“也许你不难相信，”他说道，“要说服我父亲，让他明白，簿记这门技艺虽然高尚，可它毕竟不可能包容一切必须具备的知识，这可真是难上加难。说实在的，直到最后我都没能说服父亲。尽管我再三恳求他，可他每次都像《威克菲尔德牧师传》中的荷兰教员那样对我说：‘我不懂希腊文，可我一年照样挣一万个弗罗林。我不懂希腊文，照样能尽情吃喝。’不过，他对我的一片慈爱之心最终还是使他摒弃了对学习的反感情绪，同意我扬帆出征，驶向知识的彼岸。”

“见到你，我心里那开心劲儿就别提了。对了，请你告诉我，你离开家时，我父亲、弟弟们和伊丽莎白的情况如何。”

“他们身体都很好，都很快乐；只是你很少给家里写信，他们有点为你担心。啊，对了，我可要替他们说你几句——算了，我亲爱的弗兰肯斯坦，”他突然煞住话头，仔细端详着我的脸，接着说道，“我刚才还没说呢，你的气色真难看，一张脸清瘦苍白，就像熬了几个通宵似的。”

“算你猜着了，最近我竭尽全力在忙一件事情，根本无暇顾及自己的休息，这你看得出来。不过我希望，我真心诚意地希望有关此事的一切现在能够了结，希望我最终能够获得自由。”

（选自上海译文出版社版本，有改动）