Frankenstein · chapter 2 of 6
The Winter in Ingolstadt
秘密的冬天
Victor leaves home with a promise, hides away in an attic to solve the secret of life, and on one rainy night something stirs.
Read what you hear
- Narrator 那天晚上，维克多对船长讲起了他的故事。他的家在日内瓦，一个大湖的旁边。
Nà tiān wǎnshang, Wéikèduō duì chuánzhǎng jiǎng qǐ le tā de gùshi. Tā de jiā zài Rìnèiwǎ, yí gè dà hú de pángbiān.
That night, Victor told the captain his story. His home was in Geneva, beside a great lake.
- Elizabeth 维克多，你明天就要走了，怎么还在看山？
Wéikèduō, nǐ míngtiān jiùyào zǒu le, zěnme hái zài kàn shān?
Victor, you leave tomorrow. Why are you still staring at the mountains?
- Victor Frankenstein 因为山的那边，有我的大学！我要去因戈尔施塔特，学最新的科学。
Yīnwèi shān de nàbiān, yǒu wǒ de dàxué! Wǒ yào qù Yīngē'ěrshītǎtè, xué zuì xīn de kēxué.
Because on the other side of them is my university! I'm going to Ingolstadt to study the newest science.
Chapter 2 is part of SayMei Stories ($2.99 a month) and SayMei Premium. Chapter 1 of Frankenstein is free, and so are The Second Cup of Tea, Mulan, The Butterfly Lovers, Journey to the West: The Monkey King, Cinderella, The Night of the Nian, Chang'e and the Moon, The Great Race: The Twelve Animals, Aesop's Fables, Little Red Riding Hood, The Three Little Pigs, The Ugly Duckling, Pangu and Nüwa: How the World Began, Beauty and the Beast, The Magic Lotus Lantern, Alice in Wonderland, Zhong Kui the Demon Queller and The Odyssey from start to finish.
- Elizabeth 你从小就爱看书。爸爸说，你吃饭的时候也在看书！
Nǐ cóngxiǎo jiù ài kàn shū. Bàba shuō, nǐ chīfàn de shíhou yě zài kàn shū!
You've loved books since you were little. Father says you read even while you eat!
- Victor Frankenstein 你别笑我。妈妈去世以后，我一直在想：人为什么会死？
Nǐ bié xiào wǒ. Māma qùshì yǐhòu, wǒ yìzhí zài xiǎng: rén wèishénme huì sǐ?
Don't laugh at me. Ever since Mother died, I keep asking: why do people have to die?
- Elizabeth 有些问题，可能没有答案。
Yǒu xiē wèntí, kěnéng méiyǒu dá'àn.
Some questions may have no answer.
- Victor Frankenstein 也许有。我会一直找，找到答案为止。
Yěxǔ yǒu. Wǒ huì yìzhí zhǎo, zhǎodào dá'àn wéizhǐ.
Maybe they do. I'll keep looking until I find it.
- Elizabeth 那你要答应我，每个星期都给我写一封信。
Nà nǐ yào dāying wǒ, měi gè xīngqī dōu gěi wǒ xiě yì fēng xìn.
Then promise me you'll write me a letter every week.
- Victor Frankenstein 我答应你！每个星期，一封信。
Wǒ dāying nǐ! Měi gè xīngqī, yì fēng xìn.
I promise! One letter every week.
- Elizabeth 如果你不写，我就自己坐船去大学找你！
Rúguǒ nǐ bù xiě, wǒ jiù zìjǐ zuò chuán qù dàxué zhǎo nǐ!
And if you don't write, I'll take a boat to your university and find you myself!
- Victor Frankenstein 好，好！我一定写。你别来，我怕你把我的书都藏起来。
Hǎo, hǎo! Wǒ yídìng xiě. Nǐ bié lái, wǒ pà nǐ bǎ wǒ de shū dōu cáng qǐlái.
All right, all right! I'll write. Don't come, though. I'm afraid you'd hide all my books.
- Elizabeth 这封信，你到了大学再打开。里面有我想对你说的话。
Zhè fēng xìn, nǐ dào le dàxué zài dǎkāi. Lǐmiàn yǒu wǒ xiǎng duì nǐ shuō dehuà.
Open this letter when you get to the university. It says what I want to tell you.
- Victor Frankenstein 谢谢你，伊丽莎白。我会一直带着它。
Xièxie nǐ, Yīlìshābái. Wǒ huì yìzhí dài zhe tā.
Thank you, Elizabeth. I'll carry it with me always.
- Narrator 可是到了大学，维克多学得太快，也太累了。他的信，一封比一封少。
Kěshì dào le dàxué, Wéikèduō xué de tài kuài, yě tài lèi le. Tā de xìn, yì fēng bǐ yì fēng shǎo.
But at the university Victor learned too fast, and worked too hard. His letters came fewer and fewer.
- Victor Frankenstein 生命是从哪里来的？书里没有写。那我自己来找！
Shēngmìng shì cóng nǎlǐ lái de? Shū lǐ méiyǒu xiě. Nà wǒ zìjǐ lái zhǎo!
Where does life come from? The books don't say. Then I'll find out myself!
- Victor Frankenstein 我的面包呢？哦，在桌子上……已经硬得像石头了。
Wǒ de miànbāo ne? Ó, zài zhuōzi shàng… yǐjīng yìng de xiàng shítou le.
Where's my bread? Oh, on the table... already hard as a rock.
- Elizabeth 亲爱的维克多，你已经三个月没写信了。爸爸很担心，你还好吗？
Qīn'ài de Wéikèduō, nǐ yǐjīng sān gè yuè méi xiě xìn le. Bàba hěn dānxīn, nǐ hái hǎo ma?
Dear Victor, you haven't written in three months. Father is very worried. Are you all right?
- Victor Frankenstein 对不起，伊丽莎白……可是我现在不能停。明天，明天我就写。
Duìbùqǐ, Yīlìshābái… kěshì wǒ xiànzài bù néng tíng. Míngtiān, míngtiān wǒ jiù xiě.
I'm sorry, Elizabeth... but I can't stop now. Tomorrow, tomorrow I'll write.
- Victor Frankenstein 一个冬天了。外面的雪一定很白，可是我没有时间去看。
Yī gè dōngtiān le. Wàimiàn de xuě yídìng hěn bái, kěshì wǒ méiyǒu shíjiān qù kàn.
A whole winter. The snow outside must be so white, but I have no time to look.
- Victor Frankenstein 我要做一个人！他会很高，很强，永远不会生病。
Wǒ yào zuò yí gè rén! Tā huì hěn gāo, hěn qiáng, yǒngyuǎn bú huì shēngbìng.
I will make a person! He will be tall and strong, and he'll never get sick.
- Victor Frankenstein 以后，所有人都会谢谢我。他会叫我“父亲”。
Yǐhòu, suǒyǒu rén dōu huì xièxie wǒ. Tā huì jiào wǒ “fùqīn”.
Later, everyone will thank me. He will call me “Father.”
- Victor Frankenstein 我不能让任何人知道。这是我一个人的秘密。
Wǒ bù néng ràng rènhé rén zhīdào. Zhè shì wǒ yí gè rén de mìmì.
I can't let anyone know. This is my secret alone.
- Narrator 雪停了，花开了，夏天也过去了。十一月的一个雨夜，维克多终于做好了。
Xuě tíng le, huā kāi le, xiàtiān yě guòqù le. Shí yī yuè de yí gè yǔ yè, Wéikèduō zhōngyú zuò hǎo le.
The snow stopped, the flowers came, and summer went. On a rainy night in November, Victor was finally done.
- Victor Frankenstein 好了。我用了我知道的一切。现在……只能等。
Hǎo le. Wǒ yòng le wǒ zhīdào de yíqiè. Xiànzài… zhǐnéng děng.
It is done. I used everything I know. Now... all I can do is wait.
- Victor Frankenstein 蜡烛快灭了。你为什么还不动？
Làzhú kuài miè le. Nǐ wèishénme hái bú dòng?
The candle is almost out. Why don't you move?
- Victor Frankenstein 那是什么声音？是呼吸……他在呼吸！
Nà shì shénme shēngyīn? Shì hūxī… tā zài hūxī!
What is that sound? It's breathing... he's breathing!
- Victor Frankenstein 我做到了……可是，我为什么这么害怕？
Wǒ zuòdào le… kěshì, wǒ wèishénme zhème hàipà?
I did it... but why am I so afraid?
- Victor Frankenstein 他的手动了！黑色的头发，那么高……他的脸……
Tā de shǒu dòng le! Hēisè de tóufa, nàme gāo… tā de liǎn…
His hand moved! That black hair, so tall... his face...
- Victor Frankenstein 睁开了……黄色的眼睛……他在看我！
Zhēng kāi le… huángsè de yǎnjing… tā zài kàn wǒ!
They're open... yellow eyes... he's looking at me!
Hear the chapter
What changed in the story?
- Why does Victor want to study science?
“妈妈去世以后，我一直在想：人为什么会死？”
- What does Elizabeth ask Victor to promise?
“每个星期都给我写一封信”
- What happens to Victor's letters at the university?
“他的信，一封比一封少。”
- What kind of person does Victor want to make?
“他会很高，很强，永远不会生病。”
- What does Victor see at the end of the chapter?
“睁开了……黄色的眼睛……他在看我！”