One evening two months later I was sitting in my lab-oratory.Most of my work was done,and I could finish the woman monster that night.But I wondered if I should finish the work.
Was I making a monster more evil1 than the first creature?Perhaps a thousand times more evil.How could I know? Perhaps the woman monster would be another murderer.She had not promised to stay away from other people.Perhaps the two monsters would hate each other…and would kill,and murder, and destroy… without end.
As I thought these things,I looked up at the window. Suddenly,in the moonlight,I saw the monster's awful face looking at me.And in his yellow eyes I could see only hate and evil.I knew he would not keep his promise.
I went over to the laboratory3 table where the new creature was lying.I pulled off the wires that joined her to my machine.I took a sharp knife and cut through the body that I had joined together so carefully.Through the window the monster saw me destroy his woman.With a loud and miserable4 scream of sadness and lost hope,he ran into the laboratory.
‘You have destroyed all my hopes of happiness,’he cried.‘You have left me with one feeling—hate…and with one wish—to destroy your happiness.You will be sorry that you were ever born.Remember this:I shall be with you on your wedding night.’
He ran quickly out of the laboratory,and I watched him as he left the island in his boat and sailed away across the sea.
I sat and cried as I thought of the danger to Elizabeth.But I knew that the monster would not visit us until our wedding night.I would not die easily,and I would try to kill him before he could kill me.
The next morning I received a letter from Henry.He told me that he was waiting for me to return.I decided5 to clear the laboratory and to leave the island on the following day.So I re-turned to the laboratory,where the pieces of the woman monster's body still lay on the floor.I put them all in a large bag with some heavy stones.Then I took the bag to my boat and sailed out to sea.I threw the bag into deep water,and watched it disappear.
I was happier than I had felt for months.I knew I had done the right thing,and now there would be no second monster to follow the first.
I was very tired,and I went to sleep in the boat.I do not know how long I slept,but when I woke up,I was in the middle of a storm. The wind was driving me further out to sea and my boat began to fill with water.I knew I was in great danger.After some hours the storm passed,and I saw land to the south.Soon I could see the beach…and a crowd of people standing6 and watching me.Their faces were cold and unfriendly.
As I landed,four of the men came towards me and took me by the arms.
‘We are taking you to Mr Kerwin,the judge.He wants to ask you some questions about the murder of a man here last night,’one of the men told me.
I was sad to hear of the murder,but I did not worry about it.I had been far away at the time,and knew nothing about any murder.It would be easy to explain that.So I went with the men to the large house where Judge Kerwin lived.
两个月后的一天晚上,我坐在了我的实验室里。我的大部分工作均已完成,那天晚上我就可以完成女怪物的制作工作了。但是我不知道是否应该完成这项工作。
我是否在造一个比第一个家伙更加邪恶的怪物呢?也许要邪恶一千倍。我怎么知道呢?也许这个女怪物会成为另一个杀人凶手。她可没有答应要呆在远离旁人的地方。或许那两个怪物会相互仇恨……并且会没完没了地凶杀、谋害和毁灭……。
我想这些事时抬头望了望窗户。突然,在月光下我看见那个怪物的恐怖的脸正看着我。并且在他那黄色的眼中我只看到了仇恨和邪恶。我知道他是不会遵守诺言的。
我走到那个新的家伙躺着的实验室桌子的旁边。我扯开了连接她和我的机器的电线。我拿起一把锋利的刀切碎了精心拼揍起来的那个身体。怪物从窗户里看见我毁了他的女人。于是,随着一声悲伤和失望的、凄惨的吼声,他跑进了实验室。
“你已经毁灭了我所有的有关幸福的期望,”他哭喊道,“你只给我留下了一种感情——仇恨之感……和一种愿望——毁掉你的幸福的愿望。你会为你来到这个世界上而后悔的。记住这一点:在你的新婚之夜我会跟你在一起的。”
他快速跑出实验室,我看着他划船离开海岛向大海驶去。
当我想到对伊丽莎白构成的危险时坐下来哭了起来。但是我知道在我们的新婚之夜之前怪物是不会“造访”我们的。我不会轻易地死去,而且要在他杀死我之前设法杀死他。
第二天早上我收到了亨利的一封信。他告诉我说他在等着我回去。我决定清理一下实验室并在第二天离开海岛。于是我返回实验室,女怪物的那具身体还躺在地上。我把它们和一些重的石头一起装进一个大袋子。然后我把袋子扛到船上并驶向大海。我把袋子投入深水中,看着它消失了。
我现在比好几个月以来感觉要好些了。我知道自己做对了一件事,现在不会有第二个怪物步那第一个的后尘了。
我非常疲劳,在船上睡着了。我不清楚睡了多长时间,只知道我醒来时正处在一场暴风雨之中。风把我吹向离海岸更远的地方,我的船还开始进水了。我明白自己正处于极大的危险之中。几个小时后暴风雨过去了,我看见往南有陆地。很快我就看见了海滩……一群人正站在那儿看着我。他们的表情既冷酷又不友好。
在我登陆时,四个男人走向我并抓住了我的胳膊。
“我们要把你带到法官克文先生那儿去。他要审问你这儿昨晚发生的一桩谋杀案的事,”其中的一个人告诉我。
听了那桩谋杀案我很伤心,但我没有为此担心。我那时正在远处,根本不知道什么谋杀的事。将会容易地解释清这一点。这样我便随那些人去了克文法官住的大屋子。
1 evil [ˈi:vl] 第5级 | |
n.邪恶,不幸,罪恶;adj.邪恶的,不幸的,有害的,诽谤的 | |
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2 murderer [ˈmɜ:dərə(r)] 第5级 | |
n.杀人犯,凶手 | |
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3 laboratory [ləˈbɒrətri] 第5级 | |
n.实验室,化验室 | |
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4 miserable [ˈmɪzrəbl] 第7级 | |
adj.悲惨的,痛苦的;可怜的,糟糕的 | |
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