★ 第4章 ★

In 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。

我在我的實驗室中造了一個人體。我所需要的人體各部分均是我買來或偷來的，然後我緩慢而細心地把它們拼湊到了一起。

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。

在幹這項可怕的工作時，我沒有讓任何人進入我的實驗室和我的住處。我不敢告訴任何人我那可怕的秘密。

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。

我曾想造一個漂亮的男人，但這個傢伙的臉非常可怕：面板又薄又黃，眼睛同面板一樣黃。黑長的頭髮和白色的牙齒倒也漂亮，臉上的其餘部分卻很醜陋。

Its legs and arms were the right shapes， 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 meters tall。

它的腿和胳膊的形狀是對的，但它們太大了。因為拼接小片的人體太困難了，我只得用大片的去拼接。我創造的這個東西2。5米高。

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。

我曾為製造這個東西工作了一年時間，現在它卻看上去恐怖嚇人。我幾乎要決定毀了它。但我做不到。我必須知道我是否能將生命植入其中。

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 traveled down the mast to my machine。 Would the machine work？

我把那個身體同我機器上的那些電線連線起來。更多的電線再把機器和杆子連線起來。我確信我的機器可以用閃電給那個身體生命。我觀察著、等待著。兩天後我看到天上有了烏雲，知道將有一場暴風雨來臨。大約在凌晨1點鐘閃電閃了一下。我的杆子立即開始工作，閃電通過杆子傳到了我的機器上。機器會管用嗎？

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。

起先沒有發生什麼。但是幾分鐘過後我看見那個東西的軀體在動。那具軀體緩慢而怕人地變活了。他的胳膊和腿開始移動，而且他慢慢地坐了起來。

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。

那個無生命的軀體本來就可怕，而現在變成活的就更加恐怖了。突然間我想逃開。我跑出實驗室並且鎖上了門。我對我所做的一切充滿了恐懼。

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…

有好幾個小時我都在我的房間裡走來走去。最後我躺倒在床上並睡著了。可是惡夢縈繞著我，我便猛然醒了過來。我所創造的那個可怕的東西正站在我的床邊。他的黃色的眼睛正看著我。他的嘴張著並對我發出奇怪的聲音。他的黃色的臉龐上露出可怕的笑容。他的一隻大手伸向了我……

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。

沒等他碰到我，我便跳下床衝到了樓下的花園裡。我整個晚上都呆在那兒，只是思維已不清楚了。我很害怕。等到早上，我便走出花園到城裡去並開始四處逛悠。

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。

我沒注意我在什麼地方走，但不久便到了火車站。剛好從日內瓦來了一趟火車，乘客正走出車站。其中一位見到我後便朝我跑了過來。原來是我的好朋友亨利·克勒沃。

He was very pleased to see me。 He took my hand and shook it warmly。

他見到我很高興。他抓住我的手熱情地握了起來。

“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。”

“我親愛的維克多！”他說道，“你在車站這兒真是巧極了。你父親、伊麗莎白還有其他人都非常為你擔心，因為你很久沒有探望他們了。他們讓我來看看你的身體是否還好。另外我還有個好訊息。我父親已同意讓我上大學學習，這樣我們就能有好多時間呆在一起了。”

I was very happy to hear this news， and for a moment I forgot 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。

我聽了這個訊息後很高興，並且有一陣兒都忘記了我的恐懼之感。我把亨利帶回我的公寓並讓他在外面等著以便我能進去看一看。我害怕那個傢伙還在那兒。但是他已經不見了。那時我沒有想到過其他人以及那個傢伙會對他們怎麼樣。我把亨利領進屋裡並給我們做了頓吃的。然而亨利注意到了我有多麼瘦削，我還笑得太多，也不能安靜地坐著。

Suddenly he said： “My dear Victor， what is the matter with you？ Are you ill？ Has something awful happened？”

他突然說道：“我親愛的維克多，你怎麼啦？你生病了嗎？發生了什麼可怕的事情了嗎？”

“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。

“別問我這個，”我喊道。我用手捂住眼睛。當時我想我能看見那個可怕的傢伙正在我的面前。我發瘋似地指向屋子，並且喊道：“他能告訴你。救救我！救救我！”我想去同那個傢伙搏鬥，但那兒什麼也沒有。然後我就暈過去，倒在了地板上。

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。

可憐的亨利！我不知道他當時是怎麼想的。他叫了個醫生並且一起把我扶到了床上。我大病了兩個月，亨利一直留下來照顧我。他那充滿愛意的護理把我從死亡那兒救了回來。

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。

我想盡快回家去見我的家人。在我恢復得足夠強壯後，我便收拾起衣服和書籍。我的行李都已準備好了，但是正當我無比高興時郵遞員給我送來了幾封信。其中的一封結束了我短暫的快樂時光。

《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。