第3章 生命的转折

Mary Shelley

在弗兰肯斯坦早年的成长过程中，哪些人会改变他的成长轨迹呢？

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For seventeen years my life was very happy.Then the first sad thing happened.My mother became very ill,and soon she knew that she was dying.Just before she died,she asked Elizabeth and me to go to her room.She held our hands and said,“My children,I am very happy because you love each other,and because one day you will get married.Everyone in the family loves you,Elizabeth.Will you take my place in the family,my dear?I can die happy if you will look after them when I have gone.”

My mother died,and we were very sad,because we loved her dearly.Elizabeth was brave and helped us;her sweet smile gave us some happiness in the unhappy days after my mother's death.

The time came for me to go to university.I did not want to leave my sad family,but we all knew that I should go.It was hard to leave,too,because the parents of my good friend Henry Clerval would not let him go to university with me.And so I had to go alone.

On my first day at the university I met my teacher,Professor Waldman,who was one of the greatest scientists in the world.He gave a wonderful talk to all the students who were starting at the university.He ended his talk by saying,“Some of you will become the great scientists of tomorrow.You must study hard and discover everything that you can.That is why God made you intelligent—to help other people.”

After the professor's talk,I thought very carefully.I remembered the storm when I was fifteen.I remembered how the lightning had destroyed the tree.I wanted to use electricity to help people,and I wanted to discover the secrets of life.I decided to work on these two things.I did not know then that my work would destroy me and the people that I loved.

I started work the next day.I worked very hard and soon Professor Waldman and I realized that I could learn to be a very good scientist.

The professor helped me very much,and other important scientists who were his friends helped me,too.I was interested in my work and I did not take one day's holiday during the next two years.I did not go home,and my letters to my family were very short.

1.What were the two important incidents that changed the fate of Frankenstein?

2.Which word can be used to describe Frankenstein's later work according to the underlined sentence?（1 word）