Chapter 2 Victor's Childhood

科学怪人 Chapter 2 讲义

【本章大意】

维克托讲述了他快乐的童年、美满的家庭以及和伊丽莎白的爱情故事。在他母亲去世后，他立志研究生命的奥秘，于是去了德国因戈尔施塔特大学求学。

人物介绍

Elizabeth（伊丽莎白）：维克托的女友，维克托的母亲领养的女孩子。后来和维克托结婚，后被“再生人”所害。

Henry（亨利）：维克托的童年好友，和维克托一起长大成人，后被怪物“再生人”杀害。

William（威廉）：维克托的弟弟，幼年被怪物“再生人”杀害。

背景简介：生命

母亲的死让弗兰肯斯坦思考为什么人类不得不死。在玛丽·雪莱写小说的时期（1816－1818），年纪轻轻就死去是很普遍的现象，她自己的生活经历里就有很多这样的悲剧。她出生后没几天，她的妈妈就死了。她16岁的时候跟诗人珀西·雪莱私奔到法国，后来到瑞士、意大利。他们共有好几个孩子，但是除了其中的一个儿子，其他所有的孩子在童年就夭折了。他们的朋友约翰·济慈26岁时死在了罗马，而珀西·雪莱本人30岁时在意大利溺水而亡。

单词注释

weak /wiːk/ adj. 虚弱的

· 同根词：weakness n. 弱点，软弱

· weak point 弱点，缺点

· I was too weak to move or think or speak. 我太虚弱了，不能动、不能思考、不能说话。

childhood /ˈtʃaɪldhʊd/ n. 童年，孩童时期

· 同根词：child n. 儿童，孩子

· early childhood 幼儿期

· She spent all of her childhood and adolescence in the countryside. 她的童年和青少年时期都是在乡下度过的。

orphan /ˈɔːfn/ n. 孤儿

· 同根词：orphanage n. 孤儿院

· The story of this orphan arouses everyone's sympathy. 这个孤儿的故事引起了每个人的同情。

dangerous /ˈdeɪndʒərəs/ adj. 危险的

· 同根词：danger n. 危险，危险物

· Can you tell me how dangerous the plastic surgery is? 你能告诉我整形手术有多危险吗？

thunder /ˈθʌndə(r)/ n. 雷，雷声

· thunder storm 雷雨

· Thunder crashed in the sky. 雷声在空中轰鸣。

flash /flæʃ/ n. 闪光，闪现

· in a flash 瞬间，立刻

· flash light 闪光灯，手电筒

· A sudden flash of lightning lits everything up for a second. 突然的一道闪电刹那间把一切照亮了。

power /ˈpaʊə(r)/ n. 能量，力量

· 同根词：powerful adj. 强大的，强有力的

· in power 执政的，掌权的

· It was a performance of great power. 那是巨大能量的作用。

【中英文对照】

第2章 维克托的童年 

The next day, Frankenstein was still very weak.

Who are you and who is this monster that you speak of?

My life is a strange and terrible story, Captain Walton. I hope you will believe me.

I was born in Geneva, in Switzerland. My family was rich and we had a beautiful house next to the lake.

Frankenstein described his happy childhood. His parents loved their children: Victor and his young brother William.

One day his parents returned after a journey to Italy. A beautiful young girl was with them.

Victor, this is Elizabeth. She is an orphan and has no family. She is going to live with us.

第二天，弗兰肯斯坦仍然很虚弱。

你是谁啊？你说的这个恶魔又是谁啊？

我的一生充满离奇和恐怖，沃尔顿船长，我希望你会相信我。

我出生在瑞士的日内瓦，家里很富有，在湖边有一所漂亮的房子。

弗兰肯斯坦描述了他快乐的童年，他的父母非常疼爱他和他的弟弟威廉。

一天，他的父母从意大利旅行回来，带回了一位漂亮的女孩。

维克托，这是伊丽莎白，她是一个无家可归的孤儿。她将和我们住在一起。

Victor soon fell in love with the girl.

Elizabeth, you are more than a sister and more than a friend to me.

Oh Victor, I am so happy here with you.

Victor and his friend Henry Clerval liked studying. They were particularly interested in science.

One summer the family were on holiday in the mountains.

Look at those clouds! There's a storm coming.

A few minutes later the rain started.

It's raining. Come inside, Victor! It's dangerous out there.

No, I want to feel the storm.

Suddenly there was thunder and a flash of lightning hit a tree.

The tree's on fire! Look at it burning.

What power there is in electricity! One day scientists will use all that energy to help people.

维克托很快就爱上了这个女孩儿。

伊丽莎白，对我而言，你不只是我的妹妹，也不只是一个朋友。

维克托，在这跟你在一起我非常开心。

维克托和他的朋友亨利·科勒瓦喜欢做研究，尤其对科学感兴趣。

一个夏天，一家人在山中度假。

看那些云，暴风雨要来了。

几分钟过后，雨开始下起来。

下着雨呢，维克托，快进来！外面很危险。

不，我想体验一下暴风雨。

突然，一阵雷声，一束闪电击中了一棵树。

树着火了，看，它烧起来了。

闪电里面的能量可真大啊！科学家们总有一天会利用这种能量来帮助人们的。

When Victor was 17 his happy childhood ended.

Father, what's wrong? You look so worried.

Your mother is very ill. She wants to see you.

He went to his mother's room.

Victor, I know that I am dying.

No, mother!

Yes. I am sorry to leave you all. But I am happy that you and Elizabeth love each other. One day you will marry her.

After a few days his mother died. Victor and the whole family were desperately unhappy.

Why must we die? Why? I want to find out the secret of life!

维克托17岁的时候，他快乐的童年结束了。

爸爸，出什么事了？你看起来很忧愁。

你的妈妈病得很严重，她想见你一下。

他来到母亲的房间。

维克托，我知道我活不了多久了。

不是这样的，妈妈！

是这样子，要离开你们我很伤心，但是我很高兴你和伊丽莎白彼此相爱，总有一天你会娶她的。

几天之后，他的母亲死了。维克托和家里所有人都悲痛欲绝。

为什么我们一定要死呢？为什么？我想发现生命的奥秘。

One day, some months later, Victor's father spoke to him.

You are a young man now. It is time for you to choose a profession.

I want to study science, father.

Very well. You must go to university.

And Henry? Is he going with me?

No. I believe Henry's parents have other plans for him.

Victor became a student at the University of Ingolstadt in Germany. The day came for him to leave home.

Goodbye, father.

I know that you will do well.

Oh Elizabeth, how can I leave you?

Goodbye, Victor. Write to me.

He was very sad on the long journey to Ingolstadt.

几个月后的一天，维克托的父亲和他进行了一次谈话。

你已经长大了，到该选择职业的时候了。

爸爸，我想学习科学。

这样的话，你应该去上大学。

那亨利呢？他会跟我一起去吗？

不，我想亨利的父母对他另有安排。

维克托成了德国因戈尔施塔特大学的一名学生。他该离开家了。

爸爸，再见。

我知道你不会让我们失望的。

啊，伊丽莎白，我实在不舍得离开你。

维克托，再见，记得写信给我。

去因戈尔施塔特旅途很漫长，维克托的情绪一直很低落。

 【习题】

1. Elizabeth is Victor’s ______?

A. mother

B. aunt

C. lover

D. sister

答案：C

解析：Victor fell in love with Elizabeth.

2. Victor is not sure if Walton will believe him because his story is so strange.（T）

3. Victor decides to study science because of his father’s order.（F）

解析：Victor decides to study science because he wants to find out the secret of life.

4. He became a/an ______ after his parents died in a car crash.

A. orphan

B. power

C. flash

D. thunder

答案：A

解析：自从父母因车祸去世后，他就变成了一个孤儿。

A. orphan n.孤儿

B. power n.力量

C. flash n.闪光，闪现

D. thunder n.雷，雷声

5. Victor believes that scientists will use all that ______ in electricity to help people one day .

A. energy 

B. sky

C. heat

D. light

答案：A 

解析：What power there is in electricity! One day scientists will use all that energy to help people.