重拾經典

ability of Twain to integrate even the minutest details of human behaviour into his characters, from the way our minds jump from one panic to another when we are in love to the righteous anger we feel when we are rejected.[1] That is Twain’s contribution through his classic: holding a mirror up to human traits that still ring true today.

While the lessons of some stories, such as those mentioned above, are timeless, the lessons of others can radically change with the passage of time. When I first read Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein at the beginning of this school year, I interpreted the story as a warning against the dangers of tampering with science without a clear moral conscience.[2] The corruption and downfall of both the monster and the scientist struck a chord within me,[3] especially considering the enormous strides that science is making today. Without a moral guidance, the scientific achievements that could save lives could be used to end them just as easily, as seen through the development of both the nuclear bomb and nuclear energy. But as I discussed my thoughts with a professor, he helped me see that I had failed to view the novel through the lens of history. As the novel was written in the middle of the 19th century, it dealt more with the idea of religious heresy[4] than scientific morality. Shelley was attempting to warn against the human propensity to hubris by illustrating the consequences of trying to play God and bring life to where there should not have been life.[5] Such is the power of a classic. It can reconcile viewpoints that span generations, uniting the young and old in a discourse that can inspire endless discussion.[6]

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[1]. 這部小說最成功的一點可能就是馬克·吐溫將最微小的人們日常瑣事和他筆下的人物相結合的寫作功力，從我們被愛時內心的陣陣惶恐到被拒絕時所感到的義憤。 minute: 微小的，此處為最高級；righteous anger: 憤慨，義憤。

[2]. Frankenstein: 《弗蘭肯斯坦》是英國詩人雪萊的妻子瑪麗·雪萊在1818年創作的小說，被認為是世界第一部真正意義上的科幻小說；tamper with sth.: 胡亂擺弄，故意破壞。

[3]. corruption: 墮落；monster: 怪物；strike a chord: 打動心弦。

[4]. heresy: 異端，邪說。

[5]. propensity: 傾向，偏好；hubris: 傲慢。

[6]. reconcile: 調和；span: 跨越。