《弗兰肯斯坦》两百岁了

 

It has been called the first true work of science fiction and the first English horror novel.

The story has been told over and over again -- not just in books, but in movies and television shows.

"It’s alive! It's alive! It's alive!"

Frankenstein, written by Mary Shelley, turned 200 years old in 2018!

To celebrate, New York City’s Morgan Library & Museum has a special exhibit on the writer and the book. The exhibit is set to continue through the end of January 2019.

The library’s John Bidwell explains why the book is still popular two centuries after it first appeared.

"All agree that Frankenstein is a classic of world literature. But unlike many classics, it can be interpreted, adapted, abridged¹, parodied² in so many different ways. It's infinitely³ adaptable⁴. And so that's why it's had such a strong and successful career for 200 years."

One reason for the success is that Doctor Frankenstein and his creature, the monster, live on in numerous remakes, shows, comic books, and even comedies.

Mary Shelley’s classic is one of the most famous horror stories of all time. But Frankenstein is so much more than that. It presents ideas, or themes, that are still important today.

Colin Bailey is director of the Morgan Library & Museum. He says the themes of Frankenstein are as important now as they were in 1818.

"...And it's a story that talks about science, about mortality, about morality, about kindness and compassion⁵ as well as violence and evil. So the themes are still very present to us."

Bailey also has this advice: Read the book before seeing the movie…any of them!

Shelley wrote the book when she was only 18 years old. And it relates to her own life in tragic⁶ ways.

"Her mother died 10 days after she gave birth to her. She knew what it meant to be a child without a mother.”

That is Elizabeth Campbell Denlinger. For the exhibit, she chose the materials that show Mary Shelley’s creative process and her monster.

Denlinger says it is no surprise that Shelley wrote a story about a motherless creature -- one that is very much alone in the world. You could say that is a page taken from the book of Shelley’s own life.

Losing her mother shortly after her birth in 1797 was only part of her life story. Mary Shelley gave birth to four children, but only one child survived to adulthood⁷.

Around the age of 17, she began a love affair with the married poet Percy Shelley. The two writers married in 1816 after his wife killed herself. However, the marriage of Percy and Mary Shelley was short-lived. Her husband died in a sailing accident in 1822.

“She was still in her twenties when she became a widow. In some ways, it's not entirely⁸ surprising that she ended up with a story about a monster without a mother. But, um, it's one of the things that she and the creature have in common."

Critics say the fact that monster is motherless is actually very important. Many people mistakenly call the monster “Frankenstein.” Hollywood movie-makers have done well to mix up the two. However, literary experts say the fact that the monster remains⁹ nameless is important to the theme of Shelley’s book.

After the publication of Frankenstein, Mary Shelley continued to write. She died from brain cancer on February 1, 1851.

Her most important legacy¹⁰ is a monster that is still very much alive today.

I’m Anna Matteo.

“This is the story you’ve heard about, talked about. The spine-tingling, blood-chilling story that stunned¹¹ your emotions…Frankenstein! ‘Don’t touch that!’”

Words in This Story

fiction – n. written stories about people and events that are not real : literature that tells stories which are imagined by the writer

novel – n. a long written story usually about imaginary characters and events

classic – n. something that has been considered to be excellent for a long time

interpreted – v. to understand (something) in a specified¹² way : to perform (something, such as a song or a role) in a way that shows your own thoughts and feelings about it

abridged – adj. shortened or condensed especially by the omission¹³ of words or passages

parody¹⁴ – v. to imitate (someone or something) in an amusing way

adaptable – adj. capable of changing or being changed to better suit a situation

mortality – n. the quality or state of being a person or thing that is alive and therefore certain to die : the quality or state of being mortal

compassion – n. a feeling of wanting to help someone who is sick, hungry, in trouble, etc.

widow – n. a woman who has lost her spouse¹⁵ or partner by death and usually has not remarried

legacy – n. something (as memories or knowledge) that comes from the past or a person of the past

1 abridged   

削减的，删节的

参考例句：

• The rights of citizens must not be abridged without proper cause. 没有正当理由，不能擅自剥夺公民的权利。
• The play was abridged for TV. 剧本经过节略，以拍摄电视片。

2 parodied   

v.滑稽地模仿，拙劣地模仿( parody的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• All these peculiarities of his style have been parodied by his assailants. 他的所有这些风格特征都受到攻击者模仿嘲弄。 来自互联网
• The above examples are all slightly parodied versions of classical dance steps. 上述例子都可以说是经典舞步的模仿版本。 来自互联网

3 infinitely   

adv.无限地，无穷地

参考例句：

• There is an infinitely bright future ahead of us.我们有无限光明的前途。
• The universe is infinitely large.宇宙是无限大的。

4 adaptable   

adj.能适应的，适应性强的，可改编的

参考例句：

• He is an adaptable man and will soon learn the new work.他是个适应性很强的人，很快就将学会这种工作。
• The soil is adaptable to the growth of peanuts.这土壤适宜于花生的生长。

5 compassion   

n.同情，怜悯

参考例句：

• He could not help having compassion for the poor creature.他情不自禁地怜悯起那个可怜的人来。
• Her heart was filled with compassion for the motherless children.她对于没有母亲的孩子们充满了怜悯心。

6 tragic   

adj.悲剧的，悲剧性的，悲惨的

参考例句：

• The effect of the pollution on the beaches is absolutely tragic.污染海滩后果可悲。
• Charles was a man doomed to tragic issues.查理是个注定不得善终的人。

7 adulthood   

n.成年，成人期

参考例句：

• Some infantile actions survive into adulthood.某些婴儿期的行为一直保持到成年期。
• Few people nowadays are able to maintain friendships into adulthood.如今很少有人能将友谊维持到成年。

8 entirely   

ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
• His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。

9 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

10 legacy   

n.遗产，遗赠；先人(或过去)留下的东西

参考例句：

• They are the most precious cultural legacy our forefathers left.它们是我们祖先留下来的最宝贵的文化遗产。
• He thinks the legacy is a gift from the Gods.他认为这笔遗产是天赐之物。

11 stunned   

adj. 震惊的，惊讶的 动词stun的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• The fall stunned me for a moment. 那一下摔得我昏迷了片刻。
• The leaders of the Kopper Company were then stunned speechless. 科伯公司的领导们当时被惊得目瞪口呆。

12 specified   

adj.特定的

参考例句：

• The architect specified oak for the wood trim. 那位建筑师指定用橡木做木饰条。
• It is generated by some specified means. 这是由某些未加说明的方法产生的。

13 omission   

n.省略，删节；遗漏或省略的事物，冗长

参考例句：

• The omission of the girls was unfair.把女孩排除在外是不公平的。
• The omission of this chapter from the third edition was a gross oversight.第三版漏印这一章是个大疏忽。

14 parody   

n.打油诗文，诙谐的改编诗文，拙劣的模仿；v.拙劣模仿，作模仿诗文

参考例句：

• The parody was just a form of teasing.那个拙劣的模仿只是一种揶揄。
• North Korea looks like a grotesque parody of Mao's centrally controlled China,precisely the sort of system that Beijing has left behind.朝鲜看上去像是毛时代中央集权的中国的怪诞模仿，其体制恰恰是北京方面已经抛弃的。

15 spouse   

n.配偶(指夫或妻)

参考例句：

• Her spouse will come to see her on Sunday.她的丈夫星期天要来看她。
• What is the best way to keep your spouse happy in the marriage?在婚姻中保持配偶幸福的最好方法是什么？