书虫象人.docx

书虫象人.docx

《书虫象人.docx》由会员分享，可在线阅读，更多相关《书虫象人.docx（18页珍藏版）》请在冰豆网上搜索。

书虫象人

书虫——象人

象人

Chapter1

TheCreatureintheShop

MynameisDrFrederickTreves.IamadoctorattheLondonHospital.Onedayin1884,Isawapictureinthewindowofashopnearthehospital.Istoppedinfrontoftheshopandlookedatthepicture.AtfirstIfeltinterested,thenIfeltangry,thenafraid.Itwasahorrible,uglypicture.Therewasamaninthepicture,buthedidnotlooklikeyouandme.Hedidnotlooklikeaman.Helookedlikeanelephant.

Ireadthewritingunderthepicture.Itsaid：

ComeinandseetheElephantMan.2pence.I

‘Allright,sir,’hesaid.‘Givemetwelvepencethen.’

Igavehimthemoneyandheopenedadooratthebackoftheshop.Wewentintoalittleroom.Theroomwascoldanddark,andtherewasahorriblesmellinit.

Acreaturesatonachairbehindatable.Isayacreature,becauseitwasnotamanorawoman,likeyouorme.Thecreaturedidnotmoveorlookatus.Itsatveryquietlyonthechairinthecold,dark,dirtyroom,andlookedatthetable.Thecreaturehadaclothoveritshead,becauseofthecold.Onthetableinfrontofit,therewasadeadflower.

‘Standup!

’saidtheshopkeeper,loudly.

Thecreaturestoodupslowly.Ittooktheoldclothoffitshead,andputitonthechair.

Ilookedatthecreatureandfeltsad.Iamadoctor,soIknowalotaboutaccidentsandillpeople.Iseehorrible,uglythingseveryday.Butthiscreature,thisthing,wastheworstofall.Therewerenomenorwomeninthehospitallikehim.

Heworesomeoldtrousers,butnoshirt,coat,orshoes,soIcouldseehisbodyverywell.Hisheadwasthemostinterestingthing.Itwasvery,verybig—likeanenormousbagwithalotofbooksinit.Theheaddidnothavemuchhair,andtherewasanotherbagofbrown,dirtyskinatthebackofit.Thisskincamedownbelowhisneck.Icouldnotseeoneofhiseyesverywell,becausealotofskincamedowninfrontofhisface,too.

Anenormousredtoothcameoutofhismouth,underhisnose.Itlookedlikeanelephant'stooth.Themouthandnosewerelikeholesintheface.Thefacecouldnotsmileorlaughorlookangryorsad,becausetheskincouldnotmove.Itwasdead,likeanelephant'sface.

Thereweremorebagsofdirtyskinonthefrontandbackofthecreature'sbody.Thesebagscamedowntohislegs.Therightarmwasenormous,andtherewerebagsofskinonit,too.Therighthandwaslikeaman'sfoot.

Butthelefthandtheleftarmandthelefthandwerebeautiful!

Theleftarmhadwonderfulskin,andthefingersofthelefthandwerelongandbeautiful.Itwaslikeayoungwoman'shand!

‘Walk,Merrick!

’saidtheshopkeeperangrily.‘Comeon,quickly,move!

’Hehitthecreaturewithhishand.

Slowly,thecreaturewalkedacrosstheroom.Buthecouldnotwalkwell.Hislegswereverybigandfat,andhehadabadback.Hecouldnotwalkfarwithoutastick.

‘Allright,thankyou,’Isaid.‘Lethimsitdown.Idon'twanttoseeanymore.’Ifeltill,andthesmellintheroomwasverybad.

‘Yes,sir,’saidtheshopkeeper.‘Sitdown,Merrick.’

Wewentoutoftheroomandclosedthedoor.Theshop－keepersmiledatmewithhisyellowteeth.

‘Wonderful,sir,isn'tit？

’hesaid.‘ThebestElephantManinEngland!

Hundredsofpeoplecometoseehim,youknow,hundreds!

Itakehimalloverthecountry,Ido!

’

‘Yes,veryinteresting,’Isaid.‘CanIsitdown？

’

‘Yes,sir,ofcourse.Here'sachair.’Helookedatme,smiling.‘Wouldyoulikeaglassofwater,sir？

’

‘Yes,please,’Isaid.ThenIlookedatthethingsinthedirtyshop.Thereweretwoorthreebadapplesandsomeoldblackbananas：

thatwasall.‘Er,no…no,thankyou.I'mallright,’Isaid.‘Didyou…didyoucallthecreatureMerrick？

’

‘That'sright,sir.JosephMerrick.ThebestElephantManinEngland!

Itakehimalloverthecountry,youknow.Lotsofpeoplewanttoseehim.’

‘Yes,Isee.Doyougetalotofmoney？

’

‘Well,sometimeswedo,sir,yes.Butit'sdifficult,yousee,sir,becauseofthepolice.Thepolicedon'tlikeus,yousee,sir.Sowecan'tstayinatownverylong.Weusuallymoveeveryweek.’

‘Yes,Isee.Well,anyway,Mr…er？

’

‘Silcock,sir.SimonSilcock.’

‘Yes,well,MrSilcock,I'madoctorattheLondonHospital.MynameisDrTreves.Ithinkthis…er…thismanJosephMerrickisveryinteresting,andIwouldliketoseehimatthehospital.Iwanttolookathimmorecarefully,yousee.

‘Yessir,Isee.Buthowcanhegettothehospital？

It'sgoingtobedifficult.’

‘Why,man？

Thehospital'snotfarfromhere.’

‘Well,yes,sir.Iknow.But,yousee,Merrickcan'twalkverywell.Heneedshelp.’

‘Youcancomewithhim.Doyouwantmoremoney？

Isthatit？

’

‘Well,yes,sir,Ido.But,yousee,peopleareafraidofhimtoo…Intheroad,littleboysalwaysrunafterhimandhithim.Thenthepolicegetangrybecausepeopleareafraid.Sometimestheytakeustoprison.’

‘Isee,’Isaid.‘Well,howcanhecometothehospital,then？

’

‘Bringacab,sir,’saidSilcock.‘Youcantakehimtothehospitalinacab.’

Chapter2

TheCard

Sonextday,atseveno’clock,Icametotheshopinacab.Therewerenotverymanypeopleintheroad,be－causeitwasearlyinthemorning.InNovemberitisdarkatseveno’clockinthemorning,andIcouldnotseetheshopverywell.Iwaitedfiveminutes.Apostmanwalkedpast.Thenthedooroftheshopopened,andthecreature,Merrick,cameout.

Icouldnotseehisfaceorhisbody.Hehadanenormousblackhatonhishead,likeabigbox.Agreyclothcamedownfromthehat,infrontofhisface.Therewasaholeintheclothinfrontofhiseyes.HecouldseeoutoftheholebutIcouldnotseein.Heworealongblackcoat,too.Thecoatbeganathisneck,andendedathisfeet,soIcouldnotseehisarms,hisbody,orhislegs.Onhisfeetheworebigshoes,likeoldbags.

Hehadastickinhislefthand,andhewalkedveryslowly.Iopenedthedoorofthecab,andgotout.

‘Goodmorning,MrMerrick,’Isaid.‘Canyougetin？

’

‘Elpmyupasteps,’hesaid.

‘I'msorry,’Isaid.‘Idon'tunderstand.’

Foraminutehestoodbythedoorofthecabandsaidnothing.Thenhehitthecabwithhisstick.

‘STEPS!

’hesaidloudly.‘Helpmeupthesteps!

’

ThenIunderstood.Therewerethreestepsupintothecab,andhecouldnotgetupthem.

‘Yes,Isee.I'msorry,’Isaid.‘Letmehelpyou.’

Itookhislefthandandbegantohelphim.Myrighthandwasbehindhisback.Ifeltverystrange.Hislefthandwaslikeayoungwoman's,buthisbackunderthecoat,washorrible.Icouldfeelthebagsofoldskinonhisbackunderthecoat.

Heputoneenormousfootonthefirststep,andthenhestopped.Afteraminute,hemovedhissecondfootslowly.Thenhestoppedandwaitedagain.

‘Hello,sir.CanIhelpyou？

’

Ilookedbehindme.Itwasthepostman.Andbehindhim,Icouldseethreeyoungboys.Oneoftheboyslaughed.

Thepostmansmiled.‘Isthegentlemanill？

’heasked.

Ithoughtquickly.‘Yes.Butthisisalady,notagentle-man.I'madoctor,andshe'sill.Takeherhand,soIcanhelpherbetter.’

ThepostmantookMerrick'slefthand,andIhelpedhimwithtwohandsfrombehind.Slowly,veryslowly,Merrickwentupthestepsandintothecab.

Oneboywasverynearthecab.Hecalledtohisfriends.

‘Comeandseethis,boys!

Afatladyinablackcoat!

Andlookatthatenormoushat!

’

Theboyslaughed.Theywereverynearthecabtoo,now.Iclosedthedoorquickly.

‘Thankyou,’Isaidtothepostman.

‘That'sallright,sir,’hesaid.‘She'sastrangelady,sir,isn'tshe？

’

‘She'sill,that'sall,’Isaidquickly.‘We'regoingtothehospital.Goodbye,andthankyou.’

Thecabdrovedowntheroadtothehospital.IlockedatMerrick.‘Thatwasdifficult,wasn'tit？

’Isaid.

Atfirsthesaidnothing,butthenhespoke.Hisvoicewasverystrange,butIlistenedtohimcarefully,andIcouldunderstandhim.

‘Thestepswereverydifficult,’hesaid.‘Butmostthingsaredifficultforme.’

‘Yes,’Isaid.‘Nothingiseasyforyou,isit？

’

‘No,’hesaid.Hewasveryquietforaminute.Thenhesaid,‘Whoareyou,sir？

’

‘WhoamI？

Oh,I'msorry,MynameisDrTreves.Here,thisismycard.’

Igavehimacardwithmynameon.ThenIthought,‘Thatwasnogood.Thismancan'tread.’ButMerricktookthecardandlookedatitverycarefully.Thenheputitinhistrouserspocket.

Ididnottalktohimverymuchatthehospital.Ilookedathisheadandarmsandlegsandbodyverycarefully.ThenIwrotetheimportantthingsabouthiminalittlebook.Anursehelpedme.Merricklookedathersometimes,butshedidnotsmileathimortalktohim.Ithinkshewasafraidofhim.IthinkMerrickwasafraidtoo,becausehewasveryquiet.

Atfouro’clockItookhimbacktotheshopinacab.ThenextdayIlookedintheshopwindowagain,butthepicturewasnotthere.

Chapter3

ALetterto‘TheTimes’

IdidnotseeMerrickagainfortwoyears.Then,oneday,thepolicefoundhim.Hehadmycardinhishand,sotheybroughthimtotheLondonHospital.Hewasverytired,hungry,anddirty,soIputhimtobedinaquietlittleroom.Buthecouldnotstayatthehospital.Hewasnotill,andofcoursethebedsinthehospitalareforillpeople.Wehavenobedsforhungrypeople,oruglypeople.

ItoldtheHospitalChairman,MrCarsGomm,aboutMerrick.Helistenedcarefully,andthenhewrotealettertotheeditorofTheTimesnewspaper.

FromTheTimes,December4th,1886

ALettertotheEditor.

DearSir,

Iamwritingtoyouaboutamaninourhospital.Heneedsyourhelp.HisnameisJosephMerrick,andheis27yearsold.Heisnotill,buthecannotgooutofthehospitalbecauseheisvery,veryugly.Nobodylikestolookathim,andsomepeopleareafraid