Frankenstein · chapter 1 of 6
The Man on the Ice
冰上的人
A ship stuck in Arctic ice, a dream of the North Pole, and a half-frozen stranger who knows exactly who the giant on the sled is.
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Read what you hear
- Captain Walton 亲爱的姐姐，我现在在北极。我们的船被冰围住了！
Qīn'ài de jiějie, wǒ xiànzài zài běijí. Wǒmen de chuán bèi bīng wéi zhù le!
Dear sister, I am in the Arctic now. Our ship is trapped in the ice!
- First Mate 船长，冰太厚了。我们哪里也去不了。
Chuánzhǎng, bīng tài hòu le. Wǒmen nǎlǐ yě qù bù liǎo.
Captain, the ice is too thick. We can't go anywhere.
- Captain Walton 别急，大副。北极就在前面。
Biéjí, dà fù. Běijí jiù zài qiánmiàn.
Don't worry, mate. The Pole is just ahead.
- First Mate 前面只有冰，船长。你说的路，我怎么看不见？
Qiánmiàn zhǐyǒu bīng, chuánzhǎng. Nǐ shuō de lù, wǒ zěnme kàn bú jiàn?
There's only ice ahead, Captain. This road you talk about, I can't see it.
- Captain Walton 那是因为你看得不够远。你看，那边的冰在发光！
Nà shì yīnwèi nǐ kàn de bú gòu yuǎn. Nǐ kàn, nàbiān de bīng zài fā guāng!
That's because you don't look far enough. See, the ice over there is shining!
- Captain Walton 我从小就有一个梦：做第一个到北极的人。为了这个梦，我什么都可以给。
Wǒ cóngxiǎo jiù yǒu yí gè mèng: zuò dì yī gè dào běijí de rén. Wèile zhè ge mèng, wǒ shénme dōu kěyǐ gěi.
Since I was a boy I've had one dream: to be the first person to reach the North Pole. For it, I would give anything.
- First Mate 梦不能当饭吃，船长。我们的面包，只够吃两个月。
Mèng bù néng dāng fàn chī, chuánzhǎng. Wǒmen de miànbāo, zhǐ gòu chī liǎng gè yuè.
Dreams don't make a meal, Captain. Our bread will last only two months.
- Captain Walton 那我们就少吃一点，多做一点梦！
Nà wǒmen jiù shǎo chī yìdiǎn, duō zuò yìdiǎn mèng!
Then we'll eat a little less and dream a little more!
- First Mate 好，那我去告诉厨师：明天的早饭是梦。
Hǎo, nà wǒ qù gàosu chúshī: míngtiān de zǎofàn shì mèng.
Fine. I'll go tell the cook that tomorrow's breakfast is a dream.
- Captain Walton 很好！请他多放一点糖。
Hěn hǎo! Qǐng tā duō fàng yìdiǎn táng.
Excellent! Ask him to put in extra sugar.
- First Mate 船长！你看！冰上有东西在动！
Chuánzhǎng! Nǐ kàn! Bīng shàng yǒu dōngxi zài dòng!
Captain! Look! Something is moving on the ice!
- Captain Walton 是一辆雪橇！很多只狗在拉。上面坐着一个人，他好高啊！
Shì yí liàng xuěqiāo! Hěn duō zhī gǒu zài lā. Shàngmiàn zuò zhe yí gè rén, tā hǎo gāo a!
It's a sled! Many dogs are pulling it. A man sits on it, and he's so tall!
- First Mate 那真的是人吗？他跑得比风还快！
Nà zhēnde shì rén ma? Tā pǎo de bǐ fēng hái kuài!
Is that really a man? He's running faster than the wind!
- Narrator 雪橇很快就走远了。第二天早上，冰裂开了，船又能走了。
Xuěqiāo hěn kuài jiù zǒu yuǎn le. Dì'èr tiān zǎoshang, bīng liè kāi le, chuán yòu néng zǒu le.
The sled was soon far away. The next morning the ice cracked open, and the ship could move again.
- First Mate 船长，又来了一辆雪橇！可是狗只剩一只了，那个人也不动了！
Chuánzhǎng, yòu lái le yí liàng xuěqiāo! Kěshì gǒu zhǐ shèng yì zhī le, nà ge rén yě bú dòng le!
Captain, another sled is coming! But only one dog is left, and the man isn't moving!
- Captain Walton 快！拉他上船，抱到我的房间去，不然他会冻死的！
Kuài! Lā tā shàng chuán, bào dào wǒ de fángjiān qù, bùrán tā huì dòngsǐ de!
Quick! Pull him aboard and carry him to my cabin, or he'll freeze to death!
- First Mate 他太轻了，像一片叶子。船长，他还活着吗？
Tā tài qīng le, xiàng yí piàn yèzi. Chuánzhǎng, tā hái huó zhe ma?
He's so light, like a leaf. Captain, is he still alive?
- Captain Walton 慢慢喝，先生。这是热汤。请问你叫什么名字？
Mànmàn hē, xiānsheng. Zhè shì rètāng. Qǐngwèn nǐ jiào shénme míngzi?
Drink slowly, sir. This is hot soup. May I ask your name?
- Victor Frankenstein 我……我姓弗兰肯斯坦，叫维克多。谢谢你，船长。
Wǒ… wǒ xìng Fúlánkěnsītǎn, jiào Wéikèduō. Xièxie nǐ, chuánzhǎng.
I... my family name is Frankenstein, and I'm called Victor. Thank you, Captain.
- Captain Walton 你的狗也活着，弗兰肯斯坦先生。它正在甲板上吃鱼呢。
Nǐ de gǒu yě huó zhe, Fúlánkěnsītǎn xiānsheng. Tā zhèngzài jiǎ bǎn shàng chī yú ne.
Your dog is alive too, Mr. Frankenstein. It's out on the deck eating fish.
- Victor Frankenstein 那就好。你们的船，要去哪里？
Nà jiù hǎo. Nǐmen de chuán, yào qù nǎlǐ?
Good. Where is your ship going?
- Captain Walton 去北极！我要做第一个到那里的人。
Qù běijí! Wǒ yào zuò dì yī gè dào nàlǐ de rén.
To the North Pole! I will be the first person to get there.
- Victor Frankenstein 第一个……我以前也这样想过。
Dì yī gè… wǒ yǐqián yě zhèyàng xiǎng guò.
The first... I used to think that way too.
- Captain Walton 你也是？那你为什么一个人在冰上？昨天有一辆很高的雪橇，从我们前面过去了。你看见了吗？
Nǐ yě shì? Nà nǐ wèishénme yí gè rén zài bīng shàng? Zuótiān yǒu yí liàng hěn gāo de xuěqiāo, cóng wǒmen qiánmiàn guòqù le. Nǐ kànjiàn le ma?
You too? Then why were you alone on the ice? Yesterday a very tall sled passed in front of us. Did you see it?
- Victor Frankenstein 他往哪个方向走了？快告诉我！
Tā wǎng nǎ ge fāngxiàng zǒu le? Kuài gàosu wǒ!
Which way did he go? Tell me, quickly!
- Captain Walton 往北。你认识他吗？他是谁？
Wǎng běi. Nǐ rènshi tā ma? Tā shì shuí?
North. Do you know him? Who is he?
- Victor Frankenstein 船长，你还年轻，你的梦很大。听我一句话：有的梦，比冰还冷。
Chuánzhǎng, nǐ hái niánqīng, nǐ de mèng hěn dà. Tīng wǒ yí jù huà: yǒu de mèng, bǐ bīng hái lěng.
Captain, you are young and your dream is big. Hear me: some dreams are colder than ice.
- Captain Walton 我会好好听。你想说，就说吧。我们有一整个晚上。
Wǒ huì hǎohǎo tīng. Nǐ xiǎng shuō, jiù shuō ba. Wǒmen yǒu yì zhěnggè wǎnshang.
I will listen well. Tell it if you wish. We have the whole night.
- Victor Frankenstein 我也有过一个梦。它让我失去了家，失去了朋友，还有她。
Wǒ yě yǒu guò yí gè mèng. Tā ràng wǒ shīqù le jiā, shīqù le péngyou, háiyǒu tā.
I had a dream too. It cost me my home, my friends, and her.
- Captain Walton 那个坐雪橇的高个子……和你的梦有关系吗？
Nà ge zuò xuěqiāo de gāogèzi… hé nǐ de mèng yǒu guānxi ma?
That tall man on the sled... does he have something to do with your dream?
- Victor Frankenstein 他不是别人，船长。他是我用这双手做出来的。
Tā bú shì biérén, chuánzhǎng. Tā shì wǒ yòng zhè shuāngshǒu zuò chūlái de.
He is no one else, Captain. I made him with these two hands.
What changed in the story?
- What does Captain Walton dream of?
“我从小就有一个梦：做第一个到北极的人。”
- What does the first mate remind the captain about?
“我们的面包，只够吃两个月。”
- What do the sailors see on the ice the first day?
“上面坐着一个人，他好高啊！”
- What does Victor ask when he hears about the tall sled?
“他往哪个方向走了？快告诉我！”
- What does Victor finally tell the captain about the tall man?
“他是我用这双手做出来的。”