Introduction：When Mrs。Mallard was informed of her husband’s sudden death，shewas not as sad as might be expected。On the contrary，she felt much relieved，for her husband’s death offered her an opportunity for freedom which was impossible in her unhappy marriage life。However，she had one more surprise awaiting her before her excitement came to an end。
1.Knowing that Mrs。Mallard was afflicted with a heart trouble，great care was taken to break toher as gently as possible the news of her husband’s death。
2.It was her sister Josephine who told her，in broken sentences veiled hints that revealed in half concealing。Her husband’s friend Richards was there，too，near her。It was he who had been in the newspaper office when intelligence of therailroad disaster was received，with Brently Mallard’s name leading the list of“killed”。He had only taken the time to assure himself of its truth by a secondtelegram，and had hastened to forestall any less careful，less tender friend inbearing the sad message。
3.She did not hear the story as many women have heard the same，with a paralyzed inability toaccept its significance。She wept at once，with sudden，wild abandonment，in hersister’s arms。When the storm of grief had spent itself she went away to her room alone。She would have no one follow her。
afflict：v。使痛苦，折磨。be afflicted with意为“苦于……深受……折磨”。
break to sb。the news of：告知某人……消息。第二段首句中的“broken”则是“不完整的，断断续续的”意思。
veiled hints that revealed in half concealing：意为“半遮半掩”，veil 和conceal 都有“隐藏”的意思。
intelligence：n。消息
forestall：v。用先发制人的方法预防
paralyzed：adj。瘫痪的
abandonment：n。放弃，放肆
4.There stood，facing the open window，a comfortable，roomy armchair。Into this she sank，pressed down by a physical exhaustion that haunted her body and seemed to reach into her soul。
5.She could see in the open square before her house the tops of trees that were all aquiver with the new spring life。The delicious breath of rain was in the air。In the street below a peddler was crying his wares。The notes of a distant song which some one was singing reached her faintly，and countless sparrows weretwittering in the eaves。
评注：作者在第5段的描写中采用了“移情”（empathy）的手法，即将自己的情感移入所见之物上。文中的一些生动意象，如颤抖的树冠，春雨的气息，街上叫卖的商贩和叽叽喳喳的小鸟，是我们探测女主人公内心世界的关键，为下文做好铺垫。
6.There were patches of blue sky showing here and there through the clouds that had met and piled one above the other in the west facing her window。
7.She sat with her head thrown back upon the cushion of the chair，quite motionless，except when a sob came up into her throat and shook her，as a child who has cried itself to sleep continues to sob in its dreams。
8.She was young，with a fair，calm face，whose lines bespokerepression and even a certain strength。But now there was a dull stare in her eyes，whose gaze was fixed away off yonder on one of those patches of blue sky。It was not a glanceof reflection，but rather indicated a suspension of intelligent thought。
9.There was something coming to her and she was waiting for it，fearfully。What was it？She did not know it was too subtle and elusive to name。But she felt it，creeping out of the sky，reaching toward her through the sounds，the scents，the color that filled the air。
exhaustion：n。筋疲力尽
haunt：v。常（在脑中）出现
be aquiver with：因……而兴奋颤抖
peddler：n。小商贩
wares：n。商品
twitter：v。鸟儿叽叽喳喳叫
eaves：n。屋檐
sob：n。呜咽，哭泣
bespeak：v。说明，指示
repression：n。压抑力
gaze：n。凝视
yonder：adv。远处，那边
reflection：n。沉思
suspension：n。悬而未决
subtle：adj。微妙的
elusive：adj。微妙的
creep out：不知不觉中显现出来
scent：n。气味
10.Now her bosom rose and fell tumultuously。She was beginningto recognize this thing that was approaching to possess her，and she was striving to beat it back with her will—as powerless as her two white slender hands would have been。
11.When she abandoned herself a little whispered word escapedher slightly parted lips。She said it over and over under the breath：“free，free，free！”Thevacant stare and the look of terror that had followed it went from her eyes。Theystayed keen and bright。Her pulses beat fast，and the coursing blood warmed andrelaxed every inch of her body。
评注：从第8段至第11段，作者细致地描绘出女主人公“意识觉醒”的过程。从开始对自己情感的模糊不清，到最终认识到自己对自由的渴望和追求。丈夫的死讯对于女主人公来说有了另外一层更重要的意义。文中的蓝天、白云都具有一定的象征意义。
12.She did not stop to ask if it were or were not a monstrous joy that held her。A clear and exalted perception enabled her to dismiss the suggestion as trivial。
13.She knew that she would weep again when she saw the kind，tender hands folded in death the face that had never looked save with love upon her，fixed and gray and dead。But she saw beyond that bitter moment a long procession of years to come that would belong to her absolutely。And she opened and spread her arms out to them in welcome。
14.There would be no one to live for during those coming years she would livefor herself。There would be no powerful will bending hers in that blind persistence with which men and women believe they have a right to impose a private willupon a fellow-creature。A kind intention or a cruel intention made the act seem no less a crime as she looked upon it in that brief moment of illumination。
15.And yet she had loved him—sometimes。Often she had not。What did it matter！What could love，the unsolved mystery，count for in the face of this possession of self-assertion which she suddenly recognized as the strongest impulse of her being！
16.“Free！Body and soul free！”she kept whispering。
bosom：n。胸，胸部
tumultuously：adv。激动地
strive to do sth。：努力做某事
monstrous：adj。怪异的，荒谬的
exalted：adj。兴奋的
perception：n。感知，感觉
dismiss：vt。不再考虑，摆脱
trivial：adj。琐碎的，微不足道的
persistence：n。坚持
impose sth。upon/on sb。：将……强加于……之上
intention：n。意图，目的
no less：正如
crime：n。罪行
illumination：n。头脑清醒
count for：认为有……价值。原句意为“在……面前，爱，这种难解的神秘事物，又算得了什么？”
possession：n。拥有，占有
self-assertion：n。自作主张
impulse：n。冲动
17.Josephine was kneeling before the closed door with her lipsto the keyhole，imploring for admission。“Louise，open the door！I beg open the door—you willmake yourself ill。What are you doing，Louise？For heaven’s sake open the door。”
18.“Go away。I am not making myself ill。”No she was drinkingin a very elixir of life through that open window。
19.Her fancy was running riot along those days ahead of her。Spring days，and summer days，and all sorts of days that would be her own。She breathed a quick prayer that life might be long。It was only yesterday she had thought with a shudder that life might be long。
20.She arose at length and opened the door to her sister’s importunities。There was a feverish triumph in her eyes，and she carried herself unwittingly like agoddess of Victory。She clasped her sister’s waist，and together they descended the stairs。Richards stood waiting for them at the bottom。
21.Some one was opening the front door with a latchkey。It wasBrently Mallardwho entered，a little travel-stained，composedly carrying his grip-sack and umbrella。He had been far from the scene of the accident，and did not even know that there had been one。He stood amazed at Josephine’s piercing cry at Richards’quick motion to screen him from the view of his wife。
implore for sth。：恳求
admission：n。进入
elixir：n。长生不老药
importunity：n。强求
triumph：n。胜利
unwittingly：adv。无意地
composedly：adv。沉着地
amaze at：吃惊于
piercing：adj。刺耳的
22.But Richards was too late。
23.When the doctors came they said she had died of heart disease—of the joy that kills。
评注：女主人公的心脏病突发到底是出于“高兴”（joy）还是“失望”呢？这个问题值得推敲。
Comprehension Exercises：
1.What do the images in the 5th paragraph imply？
2.What do the sky and the clouds symbolize in the 6th paragraph？
3.The death of Mrs。Mallard at the end of the story seems to suggest that it was no easy at the time for women to win independence。Why do you think it was not easy？
4.Mrs。Mallard’s feeling at her husband’s death was a mixed one。She loved him“sometimes”，and he loved her，too。Then what made her so exalted at his death？
凯特·肖邦（1851—1904）：19世纪美国最重要的女作家。其代表作品《觉醒》（Awakening）因忠实地处理女性婚姻和性问题曾被列为“禁书”，而此恶名恰恰反映了男权社会对女性追求平等自由声音的压制。直到20世纪60年代，肖邦的作品才在女权主义的呼喊声中走出了历史的阴霾。其作品深刻发掘了女性意识的觉醒过程，有力批判男权社会婚姻道德对女性追求自由愿望的桎梏，受到了评论界的高度评价。鲜明的女性主题和带有南方地方色彩的书写，使她当之无愧地成为美国第一代女性作家中的一朵奇葩。《一小时的故事》、《暴风雨》是她短篇小说的代表作。这两部作品都真实地反映了男权社会里女性在婚姻生活中所受到的束缚和压抑。