160 And that cultivates deceit，for I don’t tell them I’m awake—Oh no！
161 The fact is I am getting a little afraid of John。
162 He seems very queer sometimes，and even Jennie has an inexplicable look。
163 It strikes me occasionally，just as a scientific hypothesis—that perhaps it is the paper！
164 I have watched John when he did not know I was looking，and come into theroom suddenly on the most innocent excuses，and I’ve caught him several times looking at the paper！
165 And Jennie too。I caught Jennie with her hand on it once。
166 She didn’t know I was in the room，and when I asked her in a quiet，a veryquiet voice，with the most restrained manner possible，what she was doing with the paper—she turned around as if she had been caught stealing，and looked quite angry—asked me why I should frighten her so！
167 Then she said that the paper stained everything it touched，that she had found yellow smudges on all my clothes and John’s，and she wished we would be more careful！
168 Did not that sound innocent？But I know she was studying that pattern，and I am determined that nobody shall find it out but myself！
……
169 Life is very much more exciting now than it used to be。You see I have something more to expect，to look forward to，to watch。I really do eat better，andam more quiet than I was。
170 John is so pleased to see me improve！He laughed a little the otherday，and said I seemed to be flourishing in spite of my wall-paper。
171 I turned it off with a laugh。I had no intention of telling him it wasbecause of the wall-paper—he would make fun of me。He might even want to take me away。
172 I don’t want to leave now until I have found it out。There is a week more，and I think that will be enough。
……
173 I’m feeling ever so much better！I don’t sleep much at night，forit isso interesting to watch developmentsbut I sleep a good deal in the daytime。
174 In the daytime it is tiresome and perplexing。
175 There are always new shoots on the fungus，and new shades of yellow allover it。I cannot keep count of them，though I have tried conscientiously。
cultivate：vt。養成
deceit：n。欺騙
hypothesis：n。假設
stain：v。汙染，弄髒
smudge：n。汙點，汙跡
perplexing：adj。令人困惑的
shoot：n。（芽）長出
conscientiously：adv。認真地176 It is the strangest yellow，that wall-paper！It makes me think of all the yellow things I ever saw—not beautiful ones like buttercups，but old foul，bad yellow things。
177 But there is something else about that paper—the smell！I noticed it themoment we came into the room，but with so much air and sun it was not bad。Now we have had a week of fog and rain，and whether the windows are open or not，thesmell is here。
178 It creeps all over the house。
179 I find it hovering in the dining-room，skulking inthe parlor，hiding in the hall，lying in wait for me on the stairs。
180 It gets into my hair。
181 Even when I go to ride，if I turn my head suddenly and surprise it—there is that smell！
182 Such a peculiar odor，too！I have spent hours in trying to analyze it，to find what it smelled like。
183 It is not bad—at first，and very gentle，but quite the subtlest，mostenduring odor I ever met。
184 In this damp weather it is awful，I wake up in the night and find it hanging over me。
185 It used to disturb me at first。I thought seriously of burning the house—to reach the smell。
186 But now I am used to it。The only thing I can think of that it is like is the color of the paper！A yellow smell。
187 There is a very funny mark on this wall，low down，near the mopboard。Astreak that runs round the room。It goes behind every piece of furniture，except the bed，a long，straight，even smooth，as if it had been rubbed over and over。
buttercup：n。[植]毛茛科
foul：adj。邪惡的
creep：vi。蔓延
hover：v。盤旋
parlor：n。客廳
enduring：adj。持久的
mopboard：n。踢腳板188 I wonder how it was done and who did it，and what they did it for。Round and round and round—round and round and round—it makes me dizzy！
……
189 I really have discovered something at last。
190 Through watching so much at night，when it changes so，I have finally found out。The front pattern does move—and no wonder！The woman behind shakes it！
191 Sometimes I think there are a great many women behind，and sometimes only one，and she crawls around fast，and her crawling shakes it all over。
192 Then in the very bright spots she keeps still，and in the very shady spots she just takes hold of the bars and shakes them hard。
193 And she is all the time trying to climb through。But nobody could climbthrough that pattern—it strangles soI think that is why it hasso many heads。
194 They get through，and then the pattern strangles them off and turnsthem upside down，and makes their eyes white！
195 If those heads were covered or taken off it would not be half so bad。
評注：敘述者被限製在狹窄的空間中，每日麵對的牆紙成了她關注和解讀的對象，她試圖了解牆紙背後的秘密，經過仔細觀察，她發現了在圖案背後有一個被囚禁的女人，這個女人似乎是她的替身，於是她開始解救這個女人。
……
196 I think that woman gets out in the daytime！
197 And I’ll tell you why—privately—I’ve seen her！
198 I can see her out of every one of my windows！
199 It is the same woman，I know，for she is always creeping，and most women do not creep by daylight。I see her in that long shaded lane，creeping up and down。I see her in those dark grape arbors，creeping all around the garden。
200 I see her on that long road under the trees，creeping along，and when a carriage comes she hides under the blackberry vines。
201 I don’t blame her a bit。It must be very humiliating to be caught creeping by daylight！
202 I always lock the door when I creep by daylight。I can’t do it at night，for I know John would suspect something at once。
203 And John is so queer now，that I don’t want to irritate him。I wish he would take another room！Besides，I don’t want anybody to get that woman out at night but myself。
204 I often wonder if I could see her out of all the windows atonce。
205 But，turn as fast as I can，I can only see out of one at one time。
206 And though I always see her，she may be able to creep faster thanI can turn！
……
207 I have watched her sometimes away off in the open country，creeping as fast as a cloud shadow in a high wind。
208 If only that top pattern could be gotten off from the underone！I mean to try it，little by little。
209 I have found out another funny thing，but I shan’t tell itthis time！It does not do to trust people too much。
210 There are only two more days to get this paper off，and I believe Johnis beginning to notice。I don’t like the look in his eyes。
211 And I heard him ask Jennie a lot of professional questions about me。She had a very good report to give。
212 She said I slept a good deal in the daytime。
213 John knows I don’t sleep very well at night，for all I’m so quiet！
214 He asked me all sorts of questions，too，and pretended to be very loving and kind。
215 As if I couldn’t see through him！
評注：具有諷刺意味的是，敘述者的丈夫實施的治療方案並不奏效。她開始看透“他”，並發現他的關懷是假象。“瘋癲”使敘述者更為清醒地看到她被束縛的命運。她決定幫助被困在牆紙裏的女人走出牆紙，擺脫她被束縛的命運。
216 Still，I don’t wonder he acts so，sleeping under this paper for three months。
217 It only interests me，but I feel sure John and Jennie are secretly affected by it。
……
218 Hurrah！This is the last day，but it is enough。John to stay in town over night，and won’t be out until this evening。
219 Jennie wanted to sleep with me—the sly thing！But I told her I should undoubtedly rest better for a night all alone。
220 That was clever，for really I wasn’t alone a bit！As soon as it was moonlight and that poor thing began to crawl and shake the pattern，I got up and ran to help her。
221 I pulled and she shook，I shook and she pulled，and before morning we had peeled off yards of that paper。
222 A strip about as high as my head and half around the room。
223 And then when the sun came and that awful pattern began to laugh atme，I declared I would finish it to-day！
224 We go away to-morrow，and they are moving all my furniture down againto leave things as they were before。
225 Jennie looked at the wall in amazement，but I told her merrily thatI did it out of pure spite at the vicious thing。
226 She laughed and said she wouldn’t mind doing it herself，but I must not get tired。
227 How she betrayed herself that time！
228 But I am here，and no person touches this paper but me—not alive！
229 She tried to get me out of the room—it was too patent！But I said it was so quiet and empty and clean now that I believed I would lie down again and sleep all I couldand not to wake me even for dinner—I would call when I woke。
230 So now she is gone，and the servants are gone，and the things are gone，and there is nothing left but that great bedstead nailed down，with the canvas mattress we found on it。
231 We shall sleep downstairs to-night，and take the boat home to-morrow。
232 I quite enjoy the room，now it is bare again。
233 How those children did tear about here！
234 This bedstead is fairly gnawed！
235 But I must get to work。
236 I have locked the door and thrown the key down into the front path。
237 I don’t want to go out，and I don’t want to have anybody come in，tillJohn comes。
238 I want to astonish him。
239 I’ve got a rope up here that even Jennie did not find。If that woman does get out，and tries to get away，I can tie her！
240 But I forgot I could not reach far without anything to stand on！
241 This bed will not move！
242 I tried to lift and push it until I was lame，and then I got so angry I bit off a little piece at one corner—but it hurt my teeth。
243 Then I peeled off all the paper I could reach standing on the floor。Itsticks horribly and the pattern just enjoys it！All those strangled heads and bulbous eyes and waddling fungus growths just shriek with derision！
strangle：v。扼死
blame：vt。責備
for all：盡管
peel：v。剝
patent：adj。顯著的
gnaw：v。咬
lame：adj。軟弱無力的
shriek：v。尖聲喊叫
derision：n。嘲笑244 I am getting angry enough to do something desperate。To jump out ofthe window would be admirable exercise，but the bars are too strong even to try。
245 Besides I wouldn’t do it。Of course not。I know well enough that astep like that is improper and might be misconstrued。
246 I don’t like to look out of the windows even—there are so many ofthose creeping women，and they creep so fast。
247 I wonder if they all come out of that wall-paper as I did？
248 But I am securely fastened now by my well-hidden rope—you don’t get me out in the road there！
249 I suppose I shall have to get back behind the pattern when it comesnight，and that is hard！
250 It is so pleasant to be out in this great room and creep around as I please！
251 I don’t want to go outside。I won’t，even if Jennie asks me to。
252 For outside you have to creep on the ground，and everything is green instead of yellow。
253 But here I can creep smudge on the floor，and my shoulder just fits in that long smudge around the wall，so I cannot lose my way。
254 Why there’s John at the door！
255 It is no use，young man，you can’t open it！
256 How he does call and pound！
257 Now he’s crying for an axe。
258 It would be a shame to break down that beautiful door！
259 “John dear！”said I in the gentlest voice，“the key is down by the front steps，under a plantain leaf！”
260 That silenced him for a few moments。
261 Then he said—very quietly indeed，“Open the door，my darling！”
262 “I can’t，”said I。“The key is down by the front door under a plantain leaf！”
263 And then I said it again，several times，very gently and slowly，and said it so often that he had to go and see，and he got it of course，and came in。He stopped short by the door。
264 “What is the matter？”he cried。“For God’s sake，what are you doing！”
265 I kept on creeping just the same，but I looked at him over my shoulder。
266 “I’ve got out at last，”said I，“in spite of you and Jane。And I’ve pulled off most of the paper，so you can’t put me back！”
267 Now why should that man have fainted？But he did，and right across my path by the wall，so that I had to creep over him every time！
評注：從表麵上看，故事結尾處敘述者似乎是徹底瘋了，但實際上她卻用自己獨特的瘋癲方式打敗了象征著男性話語權的丈夫。
misconstrue：vt。誤解
shame：n。可惜
plantain：n。[植]車前草
faint：vi。昏倒
Comprehension Exercises
1.What is the significance of the fact that the narrator’s room in“The Yellow Wallpaper”was once a nursery？
2.What happened at the end of the story？What happened to John？
3.How does setting affect the narrator’s perspective in the story？
夏洛特·珀爾金斯·吉爾曼（1860—1935）：著名的美國小說家，短篇小說家和詩人。同時，她又是一位女性主義者，她曾自辦雜誌《先驅者》並擔任主編。她積極地投身於社會改良運動，尤其是為女性爭取權利。她所取得的成就對於當時的女性來說是不同尋常的，她非正統的觀點和生活方式使她成為後來的女性主義者效仿的榜樣。她的半自傳體短篇小說《黃色糊牆紙》是吉爾曼最著名的作品，也是公認的美國女性主義文學作品之一。故事描述了一位19世紀的婦女逐漸走向瘋狂的過程。小說體現了一個文學母體，即：女性的瘋癲實質上反映了父權製社會對她們的束縛，瘋癲也是她們反抗的一種方式。