It was 200 years ago that Mary Shelley's Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus was published. Over the decades, this gothic tale has captured the popular imagination through the numerous theater productions and films it inspired. The story is commonly taken to imply a dire warning about the dangers of scientific hubris. Just mention the name Frankenstein and laypersons think of scientists “playing God.” In the common view, the inevitable consequence of Frankenstein's alleged transgression—bestowing life on inanimate matter—was that he created a monster that would wreak havoc on his family and friends. Frankenstein's name is repeatedly invoked in debates about emerging technologies like biotech, nanotech, synthetic biology, and artificial intelligence. However, the view of Shelley's story as a cautionary tale about scientific hubris, although dominant, is only one possible interpretation. Her novel, actually, is a multilayered story full of ambivalences and much subtler than most Hollywood versions. It naturally lends itself to diverse interpretations.

中文翻译：

---

弗兰肯斯坦活着

200 年前，玛丽雪莱的弗兰肯斯坦；或者，现代普罗米修斯出版了。几十年来，这个哥特式故事通过其启发的众多戏剧作品和电影吸引了大众的想象力。这个故事通常被认为暗示对科学傲慢的危险发出可怕的警告。只要提到弗兰肯斯坦这个名字，外行人就会想到科学家“扮演上帝”。普遍认为，弗兰肯斯坦所谓的违法行为——赋予无生命物质生命——的必然后果是，他创造了一个会对家人和朋友造成严重破坏的怪物。在有关生物技术、纳米技术、合成生物学和人工智能等新兴技术的辩论中，弗兰肯斯坦的名字被反复提及。然而，雪莱的观点 这个故事是关于科学狂妄的警示故事，虽然占主导地位，但只是一种可能的解释。事实上，她的小说是一个多层次的故事，充满矛盾，比大多数好莱坞版本更微妙。它自然适用于不同的解释。