高中外研社英语选修六Module5课文Frankenstein's Monster

Frankenstein's Monster

Part 1 The story of Frankenstein

Frankenstein is a young scientist/ from Geneva, in Switzerland. While studying at university, he discovers the secret of how to give life/ to lifeless matter. Using bones from dead bodies, he creates a creature/ that resembles a human being/ and gives it life. The creature, which is unusually large/ and strong, is extremely ugly, and terrifies all those/ who see it. However, the monster, who has learnt to speak, isintelligent/ and has human emotions. Lonely and unhappy, he begins to hate his creator, Frankenstein. When Frankenstein refuses to create a wife/ for him, the monster murders Frankenstein's brother, his best friend Clerval, and finally, Frankenstein's wife Elizabeth. The scientist chases the creature/ to the Arctic/ in order to destroy him, but he dies there. At the end of the story, the monster disappears into the ice/ and snow/ to end his own life.

Part 2 Extract from Frankenstein

It was on a cold November night/ that I saw my creation/ for the first time. Feeling very anxious, I prepared the equipment/ that would give life/ to the thing/ that lay at my feet. It was already one/ in the morning/ and the rain/ fell against the window. My candle was almost burnt out when, by its tiny light，I sawthe yellow eye of the creature open. It breathed hard, and moved its arms and legs.

How can I describe my emotions/ when I saw this happen? How can I describe the monster who I had worked/ so hard/ to create? I had tried to make him beautiful. Beautiful! He was the ugliest thing/ I hadever seen! You could see the veins/ beneath his yellow skin. His hair was black/ and his teeth were white. But these things contrasted horribly with his yellow eyes, his wrinkled yellow skin and black lips. I had worked/ for nearly two years/ with one aim only, to give life to a lifeless body. For this/ I had not slept, I had destroyed my health. I had wanted it more than anything/ in the world. But now/ I had finished, the beauty of the dream vanished, and horror and disgust/ filled my heart. Now/ my only thoughtswere, "I wish I had not created this creature, I wish I was on the other side of the world, I wish I could disappear!” When he turned to look at me, I felt unable to stay in the same room as him. I rushed out, and /for a long time/ I walked up and down my bedroom. At last/ I threw myself on the bed/ in my clothes, trying to find a few moments of sleep. But although I slept, I had terrible dreams. I dreamt I saw my fiancée/ walking in the streets of our town. She looked well/ and happy/ but as I kissed her lips，they became pale, as if she were dead. Her face changed and I thought/ I held the body of my dead mother/ in my arms. I woke, shaking with fear. At that same moment，I saw the creature/ that I had created. He was standing/ by my bed/ and watching me. His

mouth opened/ and he made a sound, then seemed to smile. I think/ he wanted to speak, but I did not hear. He put out a hand, as if he wanted to keep me/ there, but/ I ran out of the room. I hid in the garden/ and stayed there/ till morning, terrified/ by what I had done. Again and again/ I thought, "I wish/ I had not done this terrible thing, I wish/ I wasdead!”

You cannot imagine the horror of that face! I had seen him/ when he was unfinished--- he was sugly then. But when he stood up/ and moved. He became a creature /from my worst nightmares.