弗蘭肯斯坦

⊙ By Mary Shelley

翻譯：劉新民

弗蘭肯斯坦

⊙ By Mary Shelley

翻譯：劉新民

Frankenstein

提起瑪麗·雪萊（1797—1851），人們首先留意到的常常是她的姓氏——她是英國偉大詩人珀西·雪萊的第二任妻子。而大多數人并不知道的是，瑪麗出身書香門第，父母聲名顯赫，卻因為與珀西的愛情而一生飽受困苦煎熬；瑪麗還是個具有極高文學素養的奇女子，要不是她在珀西去世后將其遺作整理出版，今天的我們就不能欣賞到詩人最后的優美詩篇了。

不過，瑪麗之所以能在文學史上留下屬于自己的獨特印記，還得歸功于《弗蘭肯斯坦》（一譯《科學怪人》）。這本小說出版于1818年，全名為《弗蘭肯斯坦：現代普羅米修斯的故事》（Frankenstein; Or, The Modern Prometheus），講的是科學家弗蘭肯斯坦的故事。他一直醉心于人工生命研究，有一天晚上，他用雷電將一個用尸塊拼湊出來的人形怪物成功激活，豈料噩夢由此開始……

作為世界上第一本科幻小說，《弗蘭肯斯坦》對人類產生了極其深遠的影響：Frankenstein在英語中成了一個專門詞匯，無名怪物成了最具代表性的文學形象之一，而瑪麗在將近兩百年前對人性、科學與倫理的探討，至今依然是無數專家學者爭論不休的課題。

本期節選出自小說第五章。實驗成功了，但是這個活過來的怪物讓弗蘭肯斯坦意識到自己做了一件多么可怕的事情。他逃出自己的寓所，在院子里膽戰心驚地熬過一夜，好不容易盼來了天亮……

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(?)l] adj. 抑郁的，陰暗的

2) aching [5eIkI?] adj. 痛的，疼痛的

3) steeple [5sti:pl] n. [建]尖頂，尖塔

4) porter [5p?:t?(r)] n. 守門人，門房

5) asylum [?5saIl?m] n. 避難所，庇護所

6) issue [5Isju:] v. 流出，排出

7) wretch [ret∫] n. 不幸的人，此處指怪物。

8) inhabit [In5h?bIt] v. 居住

9) impel [Im5pel] v. 推動，驅使

10) drench [drent∫] v. 濕透

11) endeavour [In5dev?(r)] v. 努力，盡力

12) traverse [5tr?vз:s] v. 走過，經過

13) palpitate [5p?lpIteIt] v. 心跳，悸動

14) irregular [I5reɡj?l?(r)] adj. 不穩定的

15) diligence [5dIlId??ns] n. 驛站馬車

16) coach [k??t∫] n. 四輪大馬車

17) perceive [p?5si:v] v. 察覺，發覺

18) spring [sprI?] v. 跳，躍起，過去分詞為sprung。

19) exclaim [Iks5kleIm] v. 呼喊，大聲說

20) alight [?5laIt] v. 從車（馬）上下來

21) recollection [7rek?5lek∫?n] n. 回憶，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

詞組：at length

這個選段出現了很多帶有at length的句子，大家能將這些句子都找出來嗎？雖然本文中的at length都是“最終，終于”的意思，但這個詞組其實有著多種含義，在平時的使用當中還可以表示“詳盡地”或是“長久地，啰唆地”，在理解詞組時要具體情況具體分析，如：

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

● She talkedat lengthabout her work and her family. （她詳盡地介紹了自己的工作和家庭情況。）

● He spokeat lengthabout nothing at all. （他說了半天，但根本沒說出什么名堂。）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. 平靜的，安寧的

23) cordial [5k?:dI?l] adj. 熱誠的，衷心的

24) mutual [5mju:tj??l] adj. 共同的

25) comprise [k?m5praIz] v. 包括，包含

26) incredulous [In5kredj?l?s] adj. 不相信的

27) unwearied [?n5wI?rId] adj. 孜孜不倦的，不屈不撓的

28) entreaty [In5tri:tI] n. 懇求，哀求

29) Dutch [d?t∫] adj. 荷蘭的

30) forin [5fl?rIn] n. 弗羅林，舊時用于歐洲國家的一種貨幣。

31) seldom [5seld?m] adv. 不常，很少

32) lecture [5lekt∫?(r)] v. 教訓，訓斥

33) gaze [ɡeIz] v. 凝視，注視

34) pale [peIl] adj. 蒼白的

35) engage in 從事于，參加

36) suffcient [s?5fI∫(?)nt] adj. 足夠的，充足的

我總算熬到天亮。這天早晨，天空昏沉，陰雨霏霏。我睜開因失眠而疼痛的雙眼，看到了因格爾施塔特教堂。它那白色尖塔上的大鐘正指著六點。守門人打開了院子的大門，這院子昨夜竟成了我的避難所。我跑到大街上，甩開步子，疾走如飛，仿佛這就可以躲避那怪物，唯恐在哪個路口碰上他。天空陰云密布，令人抑郁不快。我被雨淋得渾身濕透，又不敢回寓所，身不由己地匆匆向前。

我就這樣在街上走了好一陣子，想通過身體運動盡量減輕壓在心頭的重負。我走過一條條大街小巷，不知自己身在何處，也不知自己在干什么。我感到厭惡、恐懼，心頭怦怦直跳，步履踉蹌地不斷趕路，兩眼緊盯著前方，不敢左顧右盼。

我就這樣漫無目的地向前走著，最后來到一家小旅店的對面，這里如同往常一樣停著各種各樣的驛車和馬車。我不知自己為什么要在這里收住腳步。我停留了幾分鐘，眼睛一直盯著一輛從街那頭駛來的馬車。等車靠近時，我發現這是一輛來自瑞士的驛車。這車徑直駛向我站立的地方停住。車門打開后，我看到的竟是亨利·克萊瓦爾。他一見到我，立即縱身躍下馬車。“親愛的弗蘭肯斯坦，”他大喊道：“見到你我真高興！剛下馬車就在這兒碰上你，真是走運！”

沒有什么能比見到克萊瓦爾更讓我高興的了，他的到來勾起了我對往事的回憶：父親、伊麗莎白，還有家中的一切都顯得那樣親切。我緊緊握住他的手，一時間把自己的恐懼和不幸全忘了，心中突然有一種平靜、安寧的快樂，多少個月以來，我還是頭一回有這樣的感覺。我向克萊瓦爾表示了最為真誠熱烈的歡迎，隨后，我倆便一同朝我的學校走去。克萊瓦爾又談了一陣我們共同的好友，并慶幸自己運氣不錯，因為他父親最終還是同意他來因格爾施塔特學習了。“也許你不難相信，”他說道，“要說服我父親，讓他明白，簿記這門技藝雖然高尚，可它畢竟不可能包容一切必須具備的知識，這可真是難上加難。說實在的，直到最后我都沒能說服父親。盡管我再三懇求他，可他每次都像《威克菲爾德牧師傳》中的荷蘭教員那樣對我說：‘我不懂希臘文，可我一年照樣掙一萬個弗羅林。我不懂希臘文，照樣能盡情吃喝。’不過，他對我的一片慈愛之心最終還是使他摒棄了對學習的反感情緒，同意我揚帆出征，駛向知識的彼岸。”

“見到你，我心里那開心勁兒就別提了。對了，請你告訴我，你離開家時，我父親、弟弟們和伊麗莎白的情況如何。”

“他們身體都很好，都很快樂；只是你很少給家里寫信，他們有點為你擔心。啊，對了，我可要替他們說你幾句——算了，我親愛的弗蘭肯斯坦，”他突然煞住話頭，仔細端詳著我的臉，接著說道，“我剛才還沒說呢，你的氣色真難看，一張臉清瘦蒼白，就像熬了幾個通宵似的。”

“算你猜著了，最近我竭盡全力在忙一件事情，根本無暇顧及自己的休息，這你看得出來。不過我希望，我真心誠意地希望有關此事的一切現在能夠了結，希望我最終能夠獲得自由。”

（選自上海譯文出版社版本，有改動）