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Chapter 3
第3章
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：
在17年的生命历程中我都很幸福。后来第一件悲伤的事发生了。我母亲病得很厉害，不久她便知道自己将不久于人世。就在她去世之前，她把伊丽莎白和我叫到她的房间。她抓住我们的手说道：
‘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．’
“孩子们，你们彼此相爱并且将会结婚，我因此非常高兴。家里的每个人都很爱你，伊丽莎白。你愿意取代我在家中的位置吗，亲爱的？如果你在我走后能照顾他们，我将会走得很幸福。”
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．
我母亲死了，我们都非常伤心，因为我们非常爱她。伊丽莎白很勇敢并帮着我们；她那甜美的微笑在母亲死后的那些不快的日子里给我们带来了一些快乐。
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．
到了我该上大学的时候了。我不想离开我那悲伤的家，可我们都知道我应该去。离别也是很难的，因为我的好朋友克勒沃的父母不让他和我一起去上大学。这样我只能独自一人去了。
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．’
大学的第一天我遇到了我的老师沃得曼教授，他是世界上最伟大的科学家之一。他给我们所有开始大学生活的学生做了一次精彩的演讲。他在结束讲话时说：“你们中的一些人将成为明天的科学家。你们必须努力学习并且去揭示你们所能揭示的事物。这就是上帝为什么给了你们智慧——去帮助他人。”
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．
教授演讲过后，我进行了非常认真的思考。我想起了我15岁时的那场暴风雨。我记得那次的闪电是如何摧毁了那棵树的。我想利用电去帮助人们，我还想去揭示生命的奥秘。我决心去从事这两项工作。我当时没有想到我的工作会毁了我还有我所爱的人们。
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．
第二天我就开始了工作。我工作非常努力，我和沃得曼教授不久便意识到我可以通过学习成为一名出色的科学家。
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．
教授帮了我很多的忙，那些是教授的朋友的、重要的科学家们也帮助过我。我对我的工作很感兴趣，在接下来的两年里我没有休过一天假。我没有回过家，给家里写的信也非常短。
