书虫——象人

. 象人Chapter 1The Creature in the ShopMy name is Dr Frederick Treves. I am a doctor at the London Hospital. One day in 1884, I saw a picture in the window of a shop near the hospital. I stopped in front of the shop and looked at the picture. At first I felt interested, then I felt angry, then afraid. It was a horrible, ugly picture. There was a man in the picture, but he did not look like you and me. He did not look like a man. He looked like an elephant. I read the writing under the picture. It said：Come in and see the Elephant Man. 2 pence. I opened the door and went in. There was a man in the shop. He was a dirty man in an old coat with a cigarette in his mouth. What do you want？he asked. Id like to see the elephant man, please, I said. The man looked at me angrily. Well, you cant, he said. The shops closing now. You can come back tomorrow. Im sorry, I said. But I would like to see him now. I have no time tomorrowI have a lot of work to do. But I can give you more than 2 pence. The man looked at me carefully. Then he took the cigarette out of his mouth and smiled with his yellow teeth. All right, sir, he said. Give me twelve pence then. I gave him the money and he opened a door at the back of the shop. We went into a little room. The room was cold and dark, and there was a horrible smell in it. A creature sat on a chair behind a table. I say a creature, because it was not a man or a woman, like you or me. The creature did not move or look at us. It sat very quietly on the chair in the cold, dark, dirty room, and looked at the table. The creature had a cloth over its head, because of the cold. On the table in front of it, there was a dead flower. Stand up! said the shopkeeper, loudly. The creature stood up slowly. It took the old cloth off its head, and put it on the chair. I looked at the creature and felt sad. I am a doctor, so I know a lot about accidents and ill people. I see horrible, ugly things every day. But this creature, this thing, was the worst of all. There were no men or women in the hospital like him. He wore some old trousers, but no shirt, coat, or shoes, so I could see his body very well. His head was the most interesting thing. It was very, very biglike an enormous bag with a lot of books in it. The head did not have much hair, and there was another bag of brown, dirty skin at the back of it. This skin came down below his neck. I could not see one of his eyes very well, because a lot of skin came down in front of his face, too. An enormous red tooth came out of his mouth, under his nose. It looked like an elephants tooth. The mouth and nose were like holes in the face. The face could not smile or laugh or look angry or sad, because the skin could not move. It was dead, like an elephants face. There were more bags of dirty skin on the front and back of the creatures body. These bags came down to his legs. The right arm was enormous, and there were bags of skin on it, too. The right hand was like a mans foot. But the left hand the left arm and the left hand were beautiful! The left arm had wonderful skin, and the fingers of the left hand were long and beautiful. It was like a young womans hand! Walk, Merrick! said the shopkeeper angrily. Come on, quickly, move! He hit the creature with his hand. Slowly, the creature walked across the room. But he could not walk well. His legs were very big and fat, and he had a bad back. He could not walk far without a stick. All right, thank you, I said. Let him sit down. I dont want to see any more. I felt ill, and the smell in the room was very bad. Yes, sir, said the shopkeeper. Sit down, Merrick. We went out of the room and closed the door. The shopkeeper smiled at me with his yellow teeth. Wonderful, sir, isnt it？he said. The best Elephant Man in England! Hundreds of people come to see him, you know, hundreds! I take him all over the country, I do! Yes, very interesting, I said. Can I sit down？Yes, sir, of course. Heres a chair. He looked at me, smiling. Would you like a glass of water, sir？Yes, please, I said. Then I looked at the things in the dirty shop. There were two or three bad apples and some old black bananas：that was all. Er, nono, thank you. Im all right, I said. Did youdid you call the creature Merrick？Thats right, sir. Joseph Merrick. The best ElephantMan in England! I take him all over the country, you know. Lots of people want to see him. Yes, I see. Do you get a lot of money？Well, sometimes we do, sir, yes. But its difficult, you see, sir, because of the police. The police dont like us, you see, sir. So we cant stay in a town very long. We usually move every week. Yes, I see. Well, anyway, Mrer？Silcock, sir. Simon Silcock. Yes, well, Mr Silcock, Im a doctor at the London Hospital. My name is Dr Treves. I think thiser this man Joseph Merrick is very interesting, and I would like to see him at the hospital. I want to look at him more carefully, you see. Yes sir, I see. But how can he get to the hospital？Its going to be difficult. Why, man？ The hospitals not far from here. Well, yes, sir. I know. But, you see, Merrick cant walk very well. He needs help. You can come with him. Do you want more money？Is that it？Well, yes, sir, I do. But, you see, people are afraid of him too In the road, little boys always run after him and hit him. Then the police get angry because people are afraid. Sometimes they take us to prison. I see, I said. Well, how can he come to the hospital, then？Bring a cab, sir, said Silcock. You can take him to the hospital in a cab. Chapter 2 The Card So next day, at seven oclock, I came to the shop in a cab. There were not very many people in the road, because it was early in the morning. In November it is dark at seven oclock in the morning, and I could not see the shop very well. I waited five minutes. A postman walked past. Then the door of the shop opened, and the creature, Merrick , came out. I could not see his face or his body. He had an enormous black hat on his head, like a big box. A grey cloth came down from the hat, in front of his face. There was a hole in the cloth in front of his eyes. He could see out of the hole but I could not see in. He wore a long black coat, too. The coat began at his neck, and ended at his feet, so I could not see his arms, his body, or his legs. On his feet he wore big shoes, like old bags. He had a stick in his left hand, and he walked very slowly. I opened the door of the cab, and got out. Good morning, Mr Merrick, I said. Can you get in？Elpmyupasteps, he said. Im sorry, I said. I dont understand. For a minute he stood by the door of the cab and said nothing. Then he hit the cab with his stick. STEPS! he said loudly. Help me up the steps! Then I understood. There were three steps up into the cab, and he could not get up them. Yes, I see. Im sorry, I said. Let me help you. I took his left hand and began to help him. My right hand was behind his back. I felt very strange. His left hand was like a young womans, but his back under the coat, was horrible. I could feel the bags of old skin on his back under the coat. He put one enormous foot on the first step, and then he stopped. After a minute, he moved his second foot slowly. Then he stopped and waited again. Hello, sir. Can I help you？I looked behind me. It was the postman. And behind him, I could see three young boys. One of the boys laughed. The postman smiled. Is the gentleman ill？he asked. I thought quickly. Yes. But this is a lady, not a gentle-man. Im a doctor, and shes ill. Take her hand, so I can help her better. The postman took Merricks left hand, and I helped him with two hands from behind. Slowly, very slowly, Merrick went up the steps and into the cab. One boy was very near the cab. He called to his friends. Come and see this, boys! A fat lady in a black coat! And look at that enormous hat! The boys laughed. They were very near the cab too, now. I closed the door quickly. Thank you, I said to the postman. Thats all right, sir, he said. Shes a strange lady, sir, isnt she？Shes ill, thats all, I said quickly. Were going to the hospital. Goodbye, and thank you. The cab drove down the road to the hospital. I locked at Merrick. That was difficult, wasnt it？I said. At first he said nothing, but then he spoke. His voice was very strange, but I listened to him carefully, and I could understand him. The steps were very difficult, he said. But most things are difficult for me. Yes, I said. Nothing is easy for you, is it？No, he said. He was very quiet for a minute. Then he said, Who are you, sir？Who am I？Oh, Im sorry, My name is Dr Treves. Here, this is my card. I gave him a card with my name on. Then I thought, That was no good. This man cant read. But Merrick took the card and looked at it very carefully. Then he put it in his trousers pocket. I did not talk to him very much at the hospital. I looked at his head and arms and legs and body very carefully. Then I wrote the important things about him in a little book. A nurse helped me. Merrick looked at her sometimes, but she did not smile at him or talk to him. I think she was afraid of him. I think Merrick was afraid too, because he was very quiet. At four oclock I took him back to the shop in a cab. The next day I looked in the shop window again, but the picture was not there. Chapter 3 A Letter toThe Times I did not see Merrick again for two years. Then, one day, the police found him. He had my card in his hand, so they brought him to the London Hospital. He was very tired, hungry, and dirty, so I put him to bed in a quiet little room. But he could not stay at the hospital. He was not ill, and of course the beds in the hospital are for ill people. We have no beds for hungry people, or ugly people. I told the Hospital Chairman, Mr Cars Gomm, about Merrick. He listened carefully, and then he wrote a letter to the editor of The Times newspaper. From The Times, December 4th, 1886A Letter to the Editor. Dear Sir, I am writing to you about a man in our hospital. He needs your help. His name is Joseph Merrick, and he is 27 years old. He is not ill, but he cannot go out of the hospital because he is very, very ugly. Nobody likes to look at him, and some people are afraid him. We call him The Elephant Man. Two years ago, Merrick lived in a shop near the London Hospital. For two pence, people could see him and laugh at him. One day Dr Frederick Trevesa hospital doctorsawMerrick, brought him to this hospital, and looked at him carefully. Dr Treves could not help Merrick, but he gave him his card. Then the shopkeeper, Silcock, took merrick to Belgium. A lot of people in Belgium wanted to see him, and so after a year Merrick had 50. But then Silcock took Merricks 50, left Merrick in Belgium, and went back to London. Merrick came back to London by himself. Everyone on the train and the ship looked at him, and laughed at him. In London, the police put him in prison. But then they saw DrTrevess card, and brought Merrick to the London Hospital. This man has no money, and he cannot work. His face and body are very, very ugly, so of course many people are afraid of him. But he is a very interesting man. He can read and write, and he thinks a lot. He is a good, quiet man. Sometimes he makes things with his hands and gives them to the nurses, because they are kind to him. He remembers his mother, and he has a picture of her. She was beautiful and kind, he says. But he never sees her now. She gave him to Silcock a long time ago. Can the readers of The Times help us？ This man is not ill, but he needs a home. We can give him a room at the hospital, but we need some money. Please write to me at the London Hospital. Yours faithfully, F. C. Carr Gomm. Chairman of the London Hospital The readers of The Times are very kind people. They gave us a lot of money. After one week, we had 50, 000, so Merrick could live in the Hospital for all his life. We could give him a home. Chapter 4 Merricks First Home We gave Merrick two rooms at the back of the hospital. One room was a bathroom, so he could have a bath every day. Soon his skin was much better, and there was no horrible smell. The second room had a bed, table , and chairs. I visited him every day, and talked to him. He loved reading, and talking about books. At first he did not know many books：the Bible, and one or two newspapers, thats all. But I gave him some books of love stories, and he liked them very much. He read them again and again, and talked about them often. For him, the men and women in these books were alive, like you and me. He was very happy. But sometimes it was difficult for him. At first, one or two people in the hospital laughed at Merrick because he was ugly. Sometimes, they brought their friends to look at him. One day a new nurse came to the hospital, and nobody told her about Merrick. She took his food to his room, and opened the door. Then she saw him. She screamed, dropped the food on the floor, and ran out of the room. I was very angry with the nurse, and went to see Merrick. He was not happy about it, but he was not very angry. I think he felt sorry for the girl. People dont like looking at me. I know that, Dr 26Treves, he said. They usually laugh or scream. Well, I dont want nurses to laugh at you, Joseph, I said angrily. I want them to help you. Thank you, doctor, he said, in his strange slow voice. But its not important. Everyone laughs at me. I understand that. I looked at him sadly. In his one good hand, his left hand, he had the little picture of his mother. He looked at the picture for a minute, and then put it by a flower on the table. A tear ran out of his eye and down the skin of his enormous, ugly face. Dr Treves, he said, slowly. You and the nurses arevery kind, and Im very happy here. Thank you very much. ButI know I cant stay here long, andI would like to live in a lighthouse, after the hospital, please. A lighthouse, or a home for blind people. I think those are the best places for me. What do you mean？I ashed. Why？He did not look at me. He put the flower on the picture and looked at it carefully. Lighthouses have sea all round them, dont they？ he said. Nobody could look at me in a lighthouse, so I would be happy there. And blind people can see nothing, so they couldnt see me, could they？But Joseph, I said. This is your home. You live here now. You arent going to leave the hospital. 28Not todsy, perhaps, he said. But soon. You are a kind man, Dr Treves. But I cant stay here very long. I have no money. I smiled. Joseph, I said. This is your home now. Dont you understand？You can stay here all your life. Very carefully, I told him about the letter to The Times, and the money. I dont think he understood at first, so I told him again. He was very quiet for a minute. Then he stood up, and walked up and down the room very quickly. A strange sound came from him, like laughing. Chapter 5 An Important Visitor I did not want Merrick to live by himself, like a man in a lighthouse. He read his books, and talked to me, but I wanted him to talk to more people. And I wanted him to talk to women. Merrick read about women in his books, but he did not often talk to women. He met the nurses every day, but they did not talk to him very much. For them, he was always a creature, not a man. One day, one of my friends, a beautiful young woman, came to the hospital. I told her about Merrick, and took her to his room. She opened the door, and smiled at him. Good morning, Mr Merrick, she said. Then she shook his hand. Merrick looked at her for a minute with his mouth open. Then he sat down on his bed, with his head in his hand, and cried. He cried for nearly five minutes. The tears ran down his face, between his fingers, and onto the floor. My friend sat on the bed beside him and put her hand on his arm. She said nothing, but she smiled at him and shookhis hand again before she left. Dr Treves, he said to me that night. That lady was wonderful! My mother smiled at me once, many years ago, but no women smile at me now. But this lady smiled at me too, and she shook my hand! A beautiful lady smiled at me and shook my hand! My young lady friend came again the next week, and talked to Merrick for half an hour. The week after that, she came again with a friend. They gave him some books, and had a cup of tea with him. It was wonderful for him. For the first time in his life, he had some friends. He was a very happy man. He sat in his room, and read his books, and said no more about living on a lighthouse. People began to read about Merrick in the newspapers, sohe had a lot of visitors. Everybody wanted to see him. A lot of important ladies and gentlemen visited him. They smiled at him, shook his hand, and gave him books. Merrick liked talk-ing to these people, and he began to forget about his uglybody. His visitors never laughed at him. He began to feel like a man, not a creature. One wonderful day, a very important lady came to the hospital to visit him. I met the lady, and took her to his room. Then I opened the door, and smiled at him. Good morning, Joseph, I said. There is a new visitor to see you today. A very famous lady. Merrick stood up beside his table. He did not smile, because his face could not smile, but his eyes looked happy. Thats good, he said. Who is it？I moved away from the door, and the visitor walked in. Your Majesty, this is Joseph Merrick, I said. Joseph, this is Her Majesty, Queen Alexandra, the Queen of England. Queen Alexandra smiled at him. How do you do, Mr Merrick, She said. Im very pleased to meet you. Then she shook his hand. Merrick did not move. For nearly half a minute he stood and looked at her with his mouth open. Then he spoke, in his strange, slow voice. How how do you do, Your Majesty, he said. But I dont think the Queen understood him, because he tried to get down on his knees at the same time. It was very difficult for him, because of his enormous legs. No, please, Mr Merrick, do get up, said the Queen. I would like to talk to you. Can we sit at your table？Yesyes, of course, he said. They sat at the table. She took his left hand, the good hand, in hers. She looked at the hand carefully, and then smiled at Merrick again. I often read about you in the newspapers, she said. You are a very interesting man, Mr Merrick. You have a very difficult life, but people say youre happy. Is it true？ Are you happy now？Oh, yes, Your Majesty, yes! said Merrick. Im a very happy man! I have a home here now, and friends, and my books. Im happy every hour of the day! What a wonderful story! she said. Im very pleasedto hear it Now, tell me about your reading. I see you have a lot of books here. Oh, yes, Your Majesty. I love my books, said Merrick. And for nearly half an hour they sat and talked about books. The Queen gave him a little book, and some red flowers, before she left. After her visit, Merrick began to sing. He could not sing easily, of course, because of his mouth, but all that day there was a strange, happy noise in his room. He looked at the flowers carefully, and put them on