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TheStoryofAnHourKnowingthatMrs.Mallardwasafflictedwithahearttrouble,greatcarewastakentobreaktoherasgentlyaspossiblethenewsofherhusband'sdeath.ItwashersisterJosephinewhotoldher,inbrokensentences;veiledhintsthatrevealedinhalfconcealing.Herhusband'sfriendRichardswasthere,too,nearher.Itwashewhohadbeeninthenewspaperofficewhenintelligenceoftherailroaddisasterwasreceived,withBrentlyMallard'snameleadingthelistofkilled.Hehadonlytakenthetimetoassurehimselfofitstruthbyasecondtelegram,andhadhastenedtoforestallanylesscareful,lesstenderfriendinbearingthesadmessage.马拉德太太有心脏病，要告知她丈夫意外身亡得格外小心才是。她姐姐约瑟芬来亲口转告，吞吞吐吐，半遮半掩。马拉德先生的好友理查兹也在场，就坐在马拉德太太身边。火车事故的消息传来时，他正好在报馆，发现布伦特利马拉德先生的名字就是“遇难者”名单上的第一个。他只来得及根据接下来的一份电报确认了一下便匆匆赶了过来，惟恐那些不那么细心体贴的人说漏了嘴，冒冒失失地把噩耗告诉马拉德夫人。Shedidnothearthestoryasmanywomenhaveheardthesame,withaparalyzedinabilitytoacceptitssignificance.Sheweptatonce,withsudden,wildabandonment,inhersister'sarms.Whenthestormofgriefhadspentitselfshewentawaytoherroomalone.Shewouldhavenoonefollowher.马拉德太太听到这一噩耗，并没有像大多数女人那样手足无措，无法接受这个事实。她一头栽进姐姐的怀里，号啕痛哭。当悲伤的风暴平息之后，她独自走进房间，不让任何人进来。Therestood,facingtheopenwindow,acomfortable,roomyarmchair.Intothisshesank,presseddownbyaphysicalexhaustionthathauntedherbodyandseemedtoreachintohersoul.房间的窗户敞开着，对面放了张舒适、宽大的沙发。身体的疲惫令她精疲力竭，这种疲惫感似乎浸透到她的灵魂深处，让她一下子瘫倒进沙发里。Shecouldseeintheopensquarebeforeherhousethetopsoftreesthatwereallaquiverwiththenewspringlife.Thedeliciousbreathofrainwasintheair.Inthestreetbelowapeddlerwascryinghiswares.Thenotesofadistantsongwhichsomeonewassingingreachedherfaintly,andcountlesssparrowsweretwitteringintheeaves.她看得见房前开阔的广场上大树的树梢，树梢上洋溢着初春的勃勃生机。空气中散发着春雨的醉人气息，楼下有个小贩吆喝着，远处隐约传来阵阵歌声，屋檐下成群的麻雀唧唧喳喳地闹个不停。Therewerepatchesofblueskyshowinghereandtherethroughthecloudsthathadmetandpiledoneabovetheotherinthewestfacingherwindow.Shesatwithherheadthrownbackuponthecushionofthechair,quitemotionless,exceptwhenasobcameupintoherthroatandshookher,asachildwhohascrieditselftosleepcontinuestosobinitsdreams.窗外西边的天际，浮云相聚后重叠在一起，只露出几处依稀可辩的蓝天。她头靠着沙发坐着，几乎一动不动，喉咙里偶尔抽泣一声，身体会随之微微颤动。就像个哭着哭着睡着的小孩，睡梦中仍在啜泣。Shewasyoung,withafair,calmface,whoselinesbespokerepressionandevenacertainstrength.Butnowtherewasadullstareinhereyes,whosegazewasfixedawayoffyonderononeofthosepatchesofbluesky.Itwasnotaglanceofreflection,butratherindicatedasuspensionofintelligentthought.她还年轻，面色白皙，显得从容自若，脸上的皱纹述说着生活的压抑，乃至生命的力量。可是此刻，她目光呆滞，双眼直勾勾的凝望着远方的一片蓝天。这种眼神不是沉思的眼神，而像是经过一番理性思考后，随之产生的一种忐忑不安的眼神。Therewassomethingcomingtoherandshewaswaitingforit,fearfully.Whatwasit?Shedidnotknow;itwastoosubtleandelusivetoname.Butshefeltit,creepingoutofthesky,reachingtowardherthroughthesounds,thescents,thecolorthatfilledtheair.有件事正在降临到她身上，她期盼着，又有点惧怕。那是什么事呢？她不理解。这件事情太微妙，太难以名状了，可是她能够感觉得到，它正从空中悄然而下，穿过弥漫在空气中的声音、气味和色彩降落到她身上。Nowherbosomroseandfelltumultuously.Shewasbeginningtorecognizethisthingthatwasapproachingtopossessher,andshewasstrivingtobeatitbackwithherwill--aspowerlessashertwowhiteslenderhandswouldhavebeen.此刻，她胸口剧烈起伏，开始意识到这种莫名的事情慢慢逼近，慢慢将她吞噬，她挣扎着用意志力抗拒它--可她的意志力却如同她那白皙纤弱的双手一样绵软乏力。Whensheabandonedherselfalittlewhisperedwordescapedherslightlypartedlips.Shesaiditoverandoverunderherbreath:free,free,free!Thevacantstareandthelookofterrorthathadfolloweditwentfromhereyes.Theystayedkeenandbright.Herpulsesbeatfast,andthecoursingbloodwarmedandrelaxedeveryinchofherbody.就在她稍有懈怠之际，从微微张开的嘴唇间喃喃地蹦出一句话来。她压低嗓子一遍又一遍地低声呢喃：“自由了，自由了，自由啦！”先前的呆滞和惧怕在她眼睛里荡然无存。她双眼炯炯有神，脉搏加速，热血沸腾，全身上下感觉温暖、惬意。Shedidnotstoptoaskifitwereorwerenotamonstrousjoythatheldher.Aclearandexaltedperceptionenabledhertodismissthesuggestionastrivial.自己是否受制于一种可怕的愉悦体验，她顾不得去多想。她现在头脑清醒，精神亢奋，早就将这个问题抛到脑后，根本无暇顾及这种想法。Sheknewthatshewouldweepagainwhenshesawthekind,tenderhandsfoldedindeath;thefacethathadneverlookedsavewithloveuponher,fixedandgrayanddead.Butshesawbeyondthatbittermomentalongprocessionofyearstocomethatwouldbelongtoherabsolutely.Andsheopenedandspreadherarmsouttotheminwelcome.她知道，等她看到亡夫那曾经温柔亲切的双手苍白僵硬的交叠在一起，见到那张曾经对她怜爱有加，如今僵硬、灰暗、毫无生气的脸庞时，她会再次流泪。不过她看到在短暂的痛苦哀伤之后，将迎来一段完全属于自己的人生岁月。她张开双臂迎接这段岁月的光临。Therewouldbenoonetoliveforduringthosecomingyears;shewouldliveforherself.Therewouldbenopowerfulwillbendinghersinthatblindpersistencewithwhichmenandwomenbelievetheyhavearighttoimposeaprivatewilluponafellow-creature.Akindintentionoracruelintentionmadetheactseemnolessacrimeasshelookeduponitinthatbriefmomentofillumination.今后的人生再也不用为别人而活了，只为自己。再不会有强大的意志迫使她屈从于世人那种盲目的偏见，执意认为可以把自己的意志强加于人。在顿悟的那一刻，她认为：无论其初衷是善是恶，这种行为本身无异于犯罪。Andyetshehadlovedhim--sometimes.Oftenshehadnot.Whatdiditmatter!Whatcouldlove,theunsolvedmystery,countforinfaceofthispossessionofself-assertionwhichshesuddenlyrecognizedasthestrongestimpulseofherbeing!当然，她偶尔也爱过丈夫，但更多时候对丈夫已经没有感情。那又有什么关系呢！当她突然感受到自身存在和自主意识的强烈冲动时，爱情这虚无缥缈的神秘玩意，又算得了什么呢！Free!Bodyandsoulfree!shekeptwhispering.“自由了！身心都彻底自由了！”她不断呢喃自语。Josephinewaskneelingbeforethecloseddoorwithherlipstothekeyhole,imploringforadmission.Louise,openthedoor!Ibeg,openthedoor--youwillmakeyourselfill.WhatareyoudoingLouise?Forheaven'ssakeopenthedoor.约瑟芬跪在紧闭的门外，嘴唇贴在锁孔上苦苦哀求妹妹开门。“露易丝，开开门！求求你啦！把门打开吧！——别把自己给憋坏了。你在干嘛呢？看在老天的份上你开门啊！”Goaway.Iamnotmakingmyselfill.No;shewasdrinkin