The Elephant Man.docx

The Elephant Man.docx

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TheElephantMan

TheElephantMan

　　Chapter1TheCreatureintheShop

　　MynameisDrFrederickTreves.IamadoctorattheLondonHospital.Onedayin

1884,Isawapictureinthewindowofashopnearthehospital.Istoppedinfrontofthe

shopandlookedatthepicture.AtfirstIfeltinterested,thenIfeltangry,thenafraid.Itwas

ahorrible,uglypicture.Therewasamaninthepicture,buthedidnotlooklikeyouand

me.Hedidnotlooklikeaman.Helookedlikeanelephant.

　　Ireadthewritingunderthepicture.Itsaid：

　　ComeinandseetheElephantMan.2pence.Iopenedthedoorandwentin.

　　Therewasamanintheshop.Hewasadirtymaninanoldcoatwithacigaretteinhis

mouth.'Whatdoyouwant？

'heasked.

　　'I'dliketoseetheelephantman,please,'Isaid.

　　Themanlookedatmeangrily.'Well,youcan't,'hesaid.'Theshop'sclosingnow.You

cancomebacktomorrow.'

　　'I'msorry,'Isaid.'ButIwouldliketoseehimnow.Ihavenotimetomorrow—Ihave

alotofworktodo.ButIcangiveyoumorethan2pence.'

　　Themanlookedatmecarefully.Thenhetookthecigaretteoutofhismouthand

smiledwithhisyellowteeth.

　　'Allright,sir,'hesaid.'Givemetwelvepencethen.'

　　Igavehimthemoneyandheopenedadooratthebackoftheshop.Wewentintoa

littleroom.Theroomwascoldanddark,andtherewasahorriblesmellinit.

　　Acreaturesatonachairbehindatable.Isayacreature,becauseitwasnotamanor

awoman,likeyouorme.Thecreaturedidnotmoveorlookatus.Itsatveryquietlyonthe

chairinthecold,dark,dirtyroom,andlookedatthetable.Thecreaturehadaclothover

itshead,becauseofthecold.Onthetableinfrontofit,therewasadeadflower.

　　'Standup!

'saidtheshopkeeper,loudly.

　　Thecreaturestoodupslowly.Ittooktheoldclothoffitshead,andputitonthechair.

　　Ilookedatthecreatureandfeltsad.Iamadoctor,soIknowalotaboutaccidentsand

illpeople.Iseehorrible,uglythingseveryday.Butthiscreature,thisthing,wastheworst

ofall.Therewerenomenorwomeninthehospitallikehim.

　　Heworesomeoldtrousers,butnoshirt,coat,orshoes,soIcouldseehisbodyvery

well.Hisheadwasthemostinterestingthing.Itwasvery,verybig—likeanenormous

bagwithalotofbooksinit.Theheaddidnothavemuchhair,andtherewasanotherbag

ofbrown,dirtyskinatthebackofit.Thisskincamedownbelowhisneck.Icouldnotsee

oneofhiseyesverywell,becausealotofskincamedowninfrontofhisface,too.

　　Anenormousredtoothcameoutofhismouth,underhisnose.Itlookedlikean

elephant'stooth.Themouthandnosewerelikeholesintheface.Thefacecouldnotsmile

orlaughorlookangryorsad,becausetheskincouldnotmove.Itwasdead,likean

elephant'sface.

　　Thereweremorebagsofdirtyskinonthefrontandbackofthecreature'sbody.

Thesebagscamedowntohislegs.Therightarmwasenormous,andtherewerebagsof

skinonit,too.Therighthandwaslikeaman'sfoot.

　　Butthelefthandtheleftarmandthelefthandwerebeautiful!

Theleftarmhad

wonderfulskin,andthefingersofthelefthandwerelongandbeautiful.Itwaslikea

youngwoman'shand!

　　'Walk,Merrick!

'saidtheshopkeeperangrily.'Comeon,quickly,move!

'Hehitthe

creaturewithhishand.

　　Slowly,thecreaturewalkedacrosstheroom.Buthecouldnotwalkwell.Hislegs

wereverybigandfat,andhehadabadback.Hecouldnotwalkfarwithoutastick.

　　'Allright,thankyou,'Isaid.'Lethimsitdown.Idon'twanttoseeanymore.'Ifeltill,

andthesmellintheroomwasverybad.

　　'Yes,sir,'saidtheshopkeeper.'Sitdown,Merrick.'

　　Wewentoutoftheroomandclosedthedoor.Theshopkeepersmiledatmewith

hisyellowteeth.

　　'Wonderful,sir,isn'tit？

'hesaid.'ThebestElephantManinEngland!

Hundredsof

peoplecometoseehim,youknow,hundreds!

Itakehimalloverthecountry,Ido!

'

　　'Yes,veryinteresting,'Isaid.'CanIsitdown？

'

　　'Yes,sir,ofcourse.Here'sachair.'Helookedatme,smiling.'Wouldyoulikeaglassof

water,sir？

'

　　'Yes,please,'Isaid.ThenIlookedatthethingsinthedirtyshop.Thereweretwoor

threebadapplesandsomeoldblackbananas：

thatwasall.'Er,no…no,thankyou.I'm

allright,'Isaid.'Didyou…didyoucallthecreatureMerrick？

'

　　'That'sright,sir.JosephMerrick.ThebestElephantManinEngland!

Itakehimall

overthecountry,youknow.Lotsofpeoplewanttoseehim.'

　　'Yes,Isee.Doyougetalotofmoney？

'

　　'Well,sometimeswedo,sir,yes.Butit'sdifficult,yousee,sir,becauseofthepolice.

Thepolicedon'tlikeus,yousee,sir.Sowecan'tstayinatownverylong.Weusuallymove

everyweek.'

　　'Yes,Isee.Well,anyway,Mr…er？

'

　　'Silcock,sir.SimonSilcock.'

　　'Yes,well,MrSilcock,I'madoctorattheLondonHospital.MynameisDrTreves.I

thinkthis…er…thismanJosephMerrickisveryinteresting,andIwouldliketoseehim

atthehospital.Iwanttolookathimmorecarefully,yousee.

　　'Yessir,Isee.Buthowcanhegettothehospital？

It'sgoingtobedifficult.'

　　'Why,man？

Thehospital'snotfarfromhere.'

　　'Well,yes,sir.Iknow.But,yousee,Merrickcan'twalkverywell.Heneedshelp.'

　　'Youcancomewithhim.Doyouwantmoremoney？

Isthatit？

'

　　'Well,yes,sir,Ido.But,yousee,peopleareafraidofhimtoo…Intheroad,littleboys

Alwaysrunafterhimandhithim.Thenthepolicegetangrybecausepeopleareafraid.

Sometimestheytakeustoprison.'

　　'Isee,'Isaid.'Well,howcanhecometothehospital,then？

'

　　'Bringacab,sir,'saidSilcock.'Youcantakehimtothehospitalinacab.'

　　Chapter2TheCard

　　Sonextday,atseveno'clock,Icametotheshopinacab.Therewerenotverymany

peopleintheroad,becauseitwasearlyinthemorning.InNovemberitisdarkatseven

o'clockinthemorning,andIcouldnotseetheshopverywell.Iwaitedfiveminutes.

Apostmanwalkedpast.Thenthedooroftheshopopened,andthecreature,Merrick,

cameout.

　　Icouldnotseehisfaceorhisbody.Hehadanenormousblackhatonhishead,likea

bigbox.Agreyclothcamedownfromthehat,infrontofhisface.Therewasaholeinthe

clothinfrontofhiseyes.HecouldseeoutoftheholebutIcouldnotseein.Heworealong

blackcoat,too.Thecoatbeganathisneck,andendedathisfeet,soIcouldnotsee

hisarms,hisbody,orhislegs.Onhisfeetheworebigshoes,likeoldbags.

　　Hehadastickinhislefthand,andhewalkedveryslowly.Iopenedthedoorofthe

cab,andgotout.

　　'Goodmorning,MrMerrick,'Isaid.'Canyougetin？

'

　　'Elpmyupasteps,'hesaid.

　　'I'msorry,'Isaid.'Idon'tunderstand.'

　　Foraminutehestoodbythedoorofthecabandsaidnothing.Thenhehitthecab

withhisstick.

　　'STEPS!

'hesaidloudly.'Helpmeupthesteps!

'

　　ThenIunderstood.Therewerethreestepsupintothecab,andhecouldnotgetup

them.

　　'Yes,Isee.I'msorry,'Isaid.'Letmehelpyou.'

　　Itookhislefthandandbegantohelphim.Myrighthandwasbehindhisback.Ifelt

verystrange.Hislefthandwaslikeayoungwoman's,buthisbackunderthecoat,was

horrible.Icouldfeelthebagsofoldskinonhisbackunderthecoat.

　　Heputoneenormousfootonthefirststep,andthenhestopped.Afteraminute,he

movedhissecondfootslowly.Thenhestoppedandwaitedagain.

　　'Hello,sir.CanIhelpyou？

'

　　Ilookedbehindme.Itwasthepostman.Andbehindhim,Icouldseethreeyoung

boys.Oneoftheboyslaughed.

　　Thepostmansmiled.'Isthegentlemanill？

'heasked.

　　Ithoughtquickly.'Yes.Butthisisalady,notagentle-man.I'madoctor,andshe'sill.

Takeherhand,soIcanhelpherbetter.'

　　ThepostmantookMerrick'slefthand,andIhelpedhimwithtwohandsfrombehind.

Slowly,veryslowly,Merrickwentupthestepsandintothecab.

　　Oneboywasverynearthecab.Hecalledtohisfriends.

　　'Comeandseethis,boys!

Afatladyinablackcoat!

Andlookatthatenormoushat!

'

　　Theboyslaughed.Theywereverynearthecabtoo,now.Iclosedthedoorquickly.

　　'Thankyou,'Isaidtothepostman.

　　'That'sallright,sir,'hesaid.'She'sastrangelady,sir,isn'tshe？

'

　　'She'sill,that'sall,'Isaidquickly.'We'regoingtothehospital.Goodbye,andthank

you.'

　　Thecabdrovedowntheroadtothehospital.IlookedatMerrick.'Thatwasdifficult,

wasn'tit？

'Isaid.

　　Atfirsthesaidnothing,butthenhespoke.Hisvoicewasverystrange,butIlistened

tohimcarefully,andIcouldunderstandhim.

　　'Thestepswereverydifficult,'hesaid.'Butmostthingsaredifficultforme.'

　　'Yes,'Isaid.'Nothingiseasyforyou,isit？

'

　　'No,'hesaid.Hewasveryquietforaminute.Thenhesaid,'Whoareyou,sir？

'

　　'WhoamI？

Oh,I'msorry,MynameisDrTreves.Here,thisismycard.'

　　Igavehimacardwithmynameon.ThenIthought,'Thatwasnogood.Thismancan't

read.'ButMerricktookthecardandlookedatitverycarefully.Thenheputitinhis

trouserspocket.

　　Ididnottalktohimverymuchatthehospital.Ilookedathisheadandarmsandlegs

andbodyverycarefully.ThenIwrotetheimportantthingsabouthiminalittlebook.A

nursehelpedme.Merricklookedathersometimes,butshedidnotsmileathimortalkto

him.Ithinkshewasafraidofhim.IthinkMerrickwasafraidtoo,becausehewasvery

quiet.

　　Atfouro'clockItookhimbacktotheshopinacab.ThenextdayIlookedintheshop

windowagain,butthepicturewasnotthere.

　　Chapter3ALetterto'TheTimes'

　　IdidnotseeMerrickag