A t the university, I immediately began to study science. I still wanted to find ways to cure sicknesses, and make human lives better,just as I had when I was a boy. Professor Waldman,my favorite teacher, told me that I should study both modern and ancient science.

“If you use your understanding of both kinds of science,” he said, “you can discover many things.You will understand how the human body works.”

“You are right, Professor,” I said. “But I want to know more.”

In that moment, I realized that I wanted to learn the great secrets of how the human body was created!

Professor Waldman saw how excited I was,but he did not know what I really wanted to do. He told me, “Victor, I am happy with your ideas, and I believe that you will become a great scientist. I will give you all the help you need while you are here.”

During the next two years, Professor Wald man became my friend as well as my teacher. I read many books on science, and went to many talks on the subject. I met with all the great scientists at my school. Soon, I created a workroom in my house and worked there every night until dawn.

One day, Professor Waldman called me into his workroom. “Victor, your progress has been amazing these past two years,” he said proudly.

“Thank you, sir. I spend many hours studying the subjects of anatomy and physiology , so that one day I will know how human life begins. But I must first learn how life ends—how the body dies.”

“This will be very difficult for you, Victor.Scientists have been trying to learn these things for many hundreds of years. You are a good scientist,and I believe that one day you will be truly great. If anyone can learn these things, you can. But do not forget the people who love you. Do you realize that you have not gone home in two years?”

“Well, Professor, my work is too important to me right now. I don't have time to go home,” I said. The professor looked serious, but did not say anything more.

The next few months, I spent many nights in the church buildings where the dead bodies were kept, until they were put into the ground. I needed to know how death changed the human body, in the days, weeks, and years after a person died. To learn these things, I visited graveyards on dark nights. I dug up dead bodies and studied them. Finally, after many months of study, an amazing idea came to me.In one moment, I suddenly understood not only how life turned into death... but also how death could be beaten, and turned back into life!

My thoughts and ideas excited me, but also frightened me, because they were so strange and new. I asked myself, “Why didn't great scientists of the old days learn these things? Instead, it is I,Victor, who has found the secret of all death and life!”

From that moment on, I began to work even harder. I slept and ate little. I had learned how life began, but now I was able to create life, from things that were already dead! The joy I felt made me forget how hard my life had been, and how much I missed my family. I could only think about my great discovery, which would make me famous.

At this point in Frankenstein's story, Robert Walton interrupted.

“Amazing!” he said. “What is this great secret to creating life? Are you about to tell me?”

Frankenstein shook his head. “I will not do that, Walton. Listen to the rest of my story. You have saved my life, and because of this, I can never share that knowledge with you . If you knew what I know, you would want to use the knowledge. Then you would destroy yourself, just like I have.”

Walton said nothing more.

understanding / ˌʌ ndə ˈ st æ ndɪŋ/ n. 理解；懂得

anatomy /ə ˈ n æ təmɪ/ n. 解剖学

physiology / ˌ fɪzɪ ˈ ɒlədʒɪ/ n. 生理学

graveyard / ˈ greɪvjɑ:d/ n. 墓地（通常在教堂附近的一块地中）。grave n. 坟墓。例如：1. fromthe cradle to grave 从生到死2. turn in one's grave死后不得安生

share sth. with sb. 与某人分享某物 v6g41csl4OpNo216K3toenWi8kSFjRDoMXEF9o5Iw2XJCY8fBCiXbG5V9eA7A8Eu