Frankenstein; or, the modern prometheus — Page 6

我向你坦白，我的朋友，我爱你，在我对未来的美好幻想中，你一直是我忠实的朋友和伴侣。

I confess to you, my friend, that I love you and that in my airy dreams of futurity you have been my constant friend and companion.

但当我向你声明，我们的婚姻若不是出于你内心的自由选择，将会让我永远痛苦不堪，我同样是为了你的幸福，也为了我自己的幸福。

But it is your happiness I desire as well as my own when I declare to you that our marriage would render me eternally miserable unless it were the dictate of your own free choice.

我对你怀有如此无私的深情，却可能因为成为你心愿的障碍而将你的痛苦加深十倍。

I, who have so disinterested an affection for you, may increase your miseries tenfold by being an obstacle to your wishes.

啊！维克多，请相信，你的表妹和玩伴对你怀有太真挚的爱，不愿因这种假设而陷入痛苦。

Ah! Victor, be assured that your cousin and playmate has too sincere a love for you not to be made miserable by this supposition.

振作起来吧，我的朋友；如果你能答应我这一个请求，请放心，世间没有任何事物能够打扰我内心的平静。

Be happy, my friend; and if you obey me in this one request, remain satisfied that nothing on earth will have the power to interrupt my tranquillity.

不要让这封信扰乱你的心；不必明天回信，也不必后天，甚至等你来了再说，如果回信会让你感到痛苦的话。

Do not let this letter disturb you; do not answer tomorrow, or the next day, or even until you come, if it will give you pain.

我舅舅会将你的健康状况告诉我，若我们相见时，因这封信或我任何其他的努力，我能看到你嘴角哪怕一丝微笑，那便是我所需的全部幸福了。

My uncle will send me news of your health, and if I see but one smile on your lips when we meet, occasioned by this or any other exertion of mine, I shall need no other happiness.

伊丽莎白·拉文扎

Elizabeth Lavenza.