★ 第6章 ★

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

起先我打算把我的故事告訴警察，但他們會相信我嗎？我一直都生著病。如果警察瞭解到我的病情，他們會認為那個怪物只是我的一個惡夢而已。我決定不去告訴任何人。

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。

我回到家裡，家人都為見到我而高興。接著他們告訴我說警察已找到了兇手。你也許會認為這是個好訊息，但是我還沒有告訴你警察抓的是誰。

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。

在我進屋時，我注意到有個人沒有來見我。那就是賈斯汀，就是曾照看孩子們並像姐妹一樣對待我們的那個年輕女孩。而警察逮捕的就是賈斯汀。

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。

在謀殺案發生了幾天之後，警察搜查了房子並在賈斯汀的外衣口袋裡找到了那條金鍊。家裡人都知道賈斯汀沒有殺害過威廉。我清楚兇手是誰，但是我不能告訴任何人。我們確信審判過後賈斯汀將會被釋放的，因為沒有人相信她是兇手。但是我們錯了。

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。

審判對賈斯汀不利。有許多難以解釋的奇怪現象，但法官認定她就是兇手。謀殺的處罰乃是死刑。我們又申辯又哭喊著。我們說她不可能謀殺任何人。但沒什麼能改變法官的判決。

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。

於是我一大早便起床到法官的家中並告訴他有關那個怪物的事情。他不相信我。他認為我是為了救賈斯汀而在撒謊。

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

賈斯汀在監獄裡安靜地等著死去。我們同她呆了好幾個小時，她從容而溫和地同我們說話。她為我們相信不是她殺害了威廉而高興。她幾乎在期盼著死去，因為那樣她就可以在一個安寧的地方同威廉和我們親愛的媽媽在一起了。

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。

她的愛心和溫柔加重了我那巨大的痛苦。我知道她將因我而死去。我知道我弟弟已經因我而死。我給我家裡帶來的只有悲傷和苦難。

I took a boat and went out to 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。

我乘船去了日內瓦湖。我那時為什麼沒有結束自己的生命呢？那是因為兩件事情。我父親已經年邁，再有人死很可能會要了他的命。並且我必須活著——以便我的家人免遭怪物的傷害。

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。

對家人的擔憂和對怪物的痛恨日夜牽扯著我。我再一次病倒了，連伊麗莎白的愛也幫不了我。我需要逃避一陣子——去將傷心拋諸腦後。因此我便獨自一人去阿爾卑斯山散步。我希望群山的曠野之美能夠幫助我。

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

在美麗的山巒中我慢慢地平靜了些。我又學會了安心去睡，並且有好幾天我都沒有見任何人。後來的一天早晨我看見有個人朝我走來，比任何人走得都要快。在其輕鬆地跳過岩石之時，我便恐懼地看見了我所創造的那個怪物。他的臉上露出深深的悲傷，但也帶著邪惡。起先我說不出話來，因為我太恨他了。但是最後我說道：

‘You are an evil creature。 I shall kill you if I can because you have killed two people that I love。’

“你是個邪惡的東西。如果我做得到的話，我便會殺了你的，因為你已害死了我愛的兩個人了。”

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？‘

怪物的黃色的眼睛看著我。“我是世界上最不幸的人了，但是我得為我的生命而戰鬥。”他說道，“雖然我比你大，又比你強壯，但我不會挑起戰鬥的。我將永遠溫柔地對待你，因為你是我的國王和我的創造者。你既然造了我，那就應該愛我並善待我，就像一個父親那樣。威廉和賈斯汀的死是因為你不愛我。既然你沒有打算愛我那又為什麼要創造我呢？”

’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？‘

“我們是敵人。”我說，“馬上給我離開，否則就讓我們搏鬥到我們中的一個死去為止。你是個殺人兇手，我怎麼會待你好呢？”

’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。’

“你說我是一個殺人兇手，”怪物說道，“然而你卻要殺死你自己創造的生物。這不也是錯誤的嗎？我請你為我做一件事——聽著。跟我到一個暖和些的地方去並且聽聽我的故事。然後你就可以做出決定了。”

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。

我認真地考慮了他所說的話。我給了他生命卻沒有給他愛，這是事實。我決定跟他走並聽聽他的故事。

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。

他帶我到了一間他已生了火的山間茅屋。我們圍著火坐下後，他便開始講起了他的故事。

《弗蘭肯斯坦》（全名是《弗蘭肯斯坦——現代普羅米修斯的故事》，其它譯名有《科學怪人》、《人造人的故事》等）是英國作家瑪麗·雪萊在1818年創作的長篇小說。

該作講述小說主角弗蘭肯斯坦是個熱衷於生命起源的生物學家，他懷著犯罪心理頻繁出沒於藏屍間，嘗試用不同屍體的各個部分拼湊成一個巨大人體。當這個怪物終於獲得生命睜開眼睛時，弗蘭肯斯坦被他的猙獰面目嚇得棄他而逃，他卻緊追不捨地向弗蘭肯斯坦索要女伴、溫暖和友情； 接踵而至的更是一系列詭異的懸疑和命案。

該作被認為是世界第一部真正意義上的科幻小說。