重拾经典 Back to the Classics

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]. 这部小说最成功的一点可能就是马克·吐温将最微小的人们日常琐事和他笔下的人物相结合的写作功力，从我们被爱时内心的阵阵惶恐到被拒绝时所感到的义愤。 minute: 微小的，此处为最高级；righteous anger: 愤慨，义愤。

[2]. Frankenstein: 《弗兰肯斯坦》是英国诗人雪莱的妻子玛丽·雪莱在1818年创作的小说，被认为是世界第一部真正意义上的科幻小说；tamper with sth.: 胡乱摆弄，故意破坏。

[3]. corruption: 堕落；monster: 怪物；strike a chord: 打动心弦。

[4]. heresy: 异端，邪说。

[5]. propensity: 倾向，偏好；hubris: 傲慢。

[6]. reconcile: 调和；span: 跨越。