# ■ Chapter 4 Merrick's First Home

We gave Merrick two rooms at the back of the hospital. One room was a bathroom, so he could have a bath every day. Soon his skin was much better, and there was no horrible smell.

The second room had a bed, table, and chairs. I visited him every day, and talked to him. He loved reading, and talking about books. At first he did not know many books：the Bible, and one or two newspapers, that's all. But I gave him some books of love stories, and he liked them very much. He read them again and again, and talked about them often. For him, the men and women in these books were alive, like you and me. He was very happy.

But sometimes it was difficult for him. At first, one or two people in the hospital laughed at Merrick because he was ugly. Sometimes, they brought their friends to look at him. One day a new nurse came to the hospital, and nobody told her about Merrick. She took his food to his room, and opened the door. Then she saw him. She screamed, dropped the food on the floor, and ran out of the room.

I was very angry with the nurse, and went to see Merrick. He was not happy about it, but he was not very angry. I think he felt sorry for the girl.

People don't like looking at me. I know that, Dr 26Treves, 'he said. 'They usually laugh or scream. '

Well, I don't want nurses to laugh at you, Joseph, ' I said angrily. 'I want them to help you. '

Thank you, doctor, 'he said, in his strange slow voice. 'But it's not important. Everyone laughs at me. I understand that. '

I looked at him sadly. In his one good hand, his left hand, he had the little picture of his mother. He looked at the picture for a minute, and then put it by a flower on the table. A tear ran out of his eye and down the skin of his enormous, ugly face.

Dr Treves, 'he said, slowly. 'You and the nurses arevery kind, and I'm very happy here. Thank you very much. But…I know I can't stay here long, and…I would like to live in a lighthouse, after the hospital, please. A lighthouse, or a home for blind people. I think those are the best places for me.

What do you mean？'I ashed. 'Why？'

He did not look at me. He put the flower on the picture and looked at it carefully.

Lighthouses have sea all round them, don't they？ 'he said. ' Nobody could look at me in a lighthouse, so I would be happy there. And blind people can see nothing, so they couldn't see me, could they？'

But Joseph, 'I said. 'This is your home. You live here now. You aren't going to leave the hospital. ' 28'Not todsy, perhaps, 'he said. But soon. You are a kind man, Dr Treves. But I can't stay here very long. I have no money. '

I smiled. 'Joseph, I said. 'This is your home now. Don't you understand？You can stay here all your life. ' Very carefully, I told him about the letter to The Times, and the money.

I don't think he understood at first, so I told him again. He was very quiet for a minute. Then he stood up, and walked up and down the room very quickly. A strange sound came from him, like laughing.

■ 4 麥裡克的第一個家

我們將醫院後面的兩個房間給了麥裡克，一間是浴室，供他每天洗澡。於是他的皮膚好多了，再也沒有難聞的氣味。另一間裡面有床、桌子和椅子。我每天都去看他，陪他說話。他喜歡看書，也喜歡談論書裡的內容。起初，他並不知道多少書，只知道《聖經》和一兩份報紙而已。後來我給了他幾本愛情小說，他非常喜歡，讀了一遍又一遍，並經常談論其中的故事。對他來說，書中的男女就像你我一樣，都是活著的，他非常高興。

對他來說，有時也很難。開始時，醫院裡有一兩個人嘲笑他，說他長得醜陋，有時他們把自己的朋友帶來參觀他。有一天，一個護士新來到醫院，沒有人把麥裡克的情況告訴她，她給麥裡克送飯，當她打開門，見到他時，尖叫一聲，將飯扔在地上跑了出去。

我去看望麥裡克，我很生這個護士的氣。他對此事不高興但沒生氣，我想他感到自己對不起這個姑娘，他說：“人們不喜歡朝我看，他們經常對我嘲笑、尖叫，我知道為什麼，特里維斯博士。”

我氣憤地說：“約瑟夫，我不希望護士們嘲笑你，我要她們來幫助你。”“謝謝你，大夫。”他用奇怪的聲音慢慢說著：“每個人都在嘲笑我，我理解，這並不重要。”

我憂傷地看著他。他的那隻好手——左手——拿著一張他母親的小照片，他仔細地看了一會兒，然後將照片放在桌上的一束花旁，一滴淚水順著那張醜陋的大臉滾下來。

“特里維斯博士，您和這些護士們都是非常善良的，我在這兒很幸福。非常感謝您。可是……我知道我不能長期待在這兒，我想要住到醫院後面的那座燈塔裡。一座燈塔或是一間供盲人住的房子，我想那對我來說是最好的地方。”他慢慢地說完了這些。我問：“你這是什麼意思？為什麼？”他不看我，他把那束花放在那張照片上，仔細地看著。他說：“燈塔四周是大海，對不對？在那裡沒有人朝我看，所以在那裡我會幸福的。盲人什麼也看不見，所以他們也看不見我，是不是？”我說：“約瑟夫，這就是你的家，現在你就住在這兒，你不要離開醫院。”

他說：“不可能是今天，但很快。您是一個好人，特里維斯博士。我不能在這兒呆很長時間，我沒有錢。”我笑著說：“約瑟夫，現在這兒就是你的家。你難道還不知道你可以在這兒呆一輩子嗎？”於是我把如何為了他與《泰晤士報》聯繫的那封信及有關錢的來歷詳詳細細地告訴了他。

開始我擔心他不能理解此事，所以就又說了一遍。他沉默了片刻，然後站起來在房間裡很快地來回走動著，併發出一種奇怪的聲音，像是在大笑。