高中英语第二册课本朗读12-a

　　No human being could have passed a happier childhood than myself. Instead of children’s play and adventure, I was driven by a desire to learn. I wasn’t interested in the structure of language or law. I wanted to learn the secrets of heaven and earth. My father was not scientific, so I had to look for a road without having a map. I entered the search for wisdom and dreamt of finding¹ a way to cure any disease².
I read all the books I could find that threw light upon these matters. I studied maths and physics and the works³ of many learned⁴ author. At the age of seventeen, my parents sent me to university. But I found all that was taught at university very disappointing and decided⁵ that I would pioneer a new way, explore unknown powers, and unfold to the world the deepest mysteries of nature.
One of the phenomena⁶ that attracted my attention was the structure of the human body, and any animal that was alive. I often asked myself, where the principle of life came from. After days and nights of incredible⁷ labour I discovered the cause of life and how to create life from dead matter.
When I found this amazing power placed within my hands, I hesitated a long time how I should use it. Although I knew how to create life, how to prepare a body for it with all its muscles and organs still remained a difficult job. I doubted at first whether I should try to create a being like myself, or one of simpler organization. But soon I dreamt of nothing else but the creation⁸ of a creature as complete and wonderful as man.
It was with these feelings that I began the creation of a human being. As the small size of the parts slowed down my speed, I decided to make the being much larger than man; about eight feet in height. With these ideas, spending some months collecting and arranging materials, I began.
Who can imagine the horror⁹ of my secret work? I collected bones from graves¹⁰ and cut up dead bodies. Many of my materials came from butcher shops and hospitals. It was on a night in November that I looked at the result of my work. I collected my instruments around me, with which I would light the flame of life into the dead thing that lay at my feet. It was already one in the morning, and my candle was nearly burnt out, when I saw the dull yellow eye of the creature open.
I looked at the terrible monster that I had created. He opened the curtain of the bed; and his eyes, if eyes they may be called, looked at me. His hair was black and his teeth as white as snow, but his skin was yellow. When his thin black lips opened, nothing came out some strange sounds. While unfinished, he was ugly, but now he was a living horror.

1 finding   

n.发现，发现物；调查的结果

参考例句：

• The finding makes some sense.该发现具有一定的意义。
• That's an encouraging finding.这是一个鼓舞人心的发现。

2 disease   

n.疾病，弊端

参考例句：

• The doctors are trying to stamp out the disease.医生正在尽力消灭这种疾病。
• He fought against the disease for a long time.他同疾病做了长时间的斗争。

3 works   

n.作品，著作；工厂，活动部件，机件

参考例句：

• We expect writers to produce more and better works.我们期望作家们写出更多更好的作品。
• The novel is regarded as one of the classic works.这篇小说被公认为是最优秀的作品之一。

4 learned   

adj.有学问的，博学的；learn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He went into a rage when he learned about it.他听到这事后勃然大怒。
• In this little village,he passed for a learned man.在这个小村子里，他被视为有学问的人。

5 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

6 phenomena   

n.现象

参考例句：

• Ade couldn't relate the phenomena with any theory he knew.艾德无法用他所知道的任何理论来解释这种现象。
• The object of these experiments was to find the connection,if any,between the two phenomena.这些实验的目的就是探索这两种现象之间的联系，如果存在着任何联系的话。

7 incredible   

adj.难以置信的，不可信的，极好的，大量的

参考例句：

• Some planets run at incredible speed.某些星球以难以置信的速度运行着。
• Her answer showed the most incredible stupidity.她的回答显示出不可思议的愚蠢。

8 creation   

n.创造，创造的作品，产物，宇宙，天地万物

参考例句：

• Language is the most important mental creation of man.语言是人类头脑最重要的产物。
• The creation of new playgrounds will benefit the local children.新游戏场的建立将有益于当地的儿童。

9 horror   

n.惊骇，恐怖，惨事，极端厌恶

参考例句：

• The public has been awakened to the full horror of the situation.公众完全意识到了这一状况的可怕程度。
• The thought of working nights fills me with abject horror.一想到要夜间工作我就觉得惨兮兮的。

10 graves   

n.（法国）格拉芙葡萄酒；坟墓( grave的名词复数 )；死亡；钝重音符；沉音符v.坟墓( grave的第三人称单数 )；死亡；钝重音符；沉音符

参考例句：

• He went to visit the graves of his forefathers. 他去拜谒他祖先的墓地。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• They were eating themselves into their graves. 他们吃喝过度，在自找死路。 来自《简明英汉词典》