74 Then the floor is scratched and gouged andsplintered，the plaster itselfisdug out here and there，and this great heavy bed which is all we found in the room，looks as if it had been through the wars。
75 But I don’t mind it a bit—only the paper。
76 There comes John’s sister。Such a dear girl as she is，and so careful ofme！I must not let her find me writing。
77 She is a perfect and enthusiastic housekeeper，and hopes for no better profession。I verily believe she thinks it is the writing which made me sick！
78 But I can write when she is out，and see her a long way off from thesewindows。
79 There is one that commands the road，a lovely shaded winding road，and onethat just looks off over the country。A lovely country，too，full of great elmsand velvet meadows。
80 This wall-paper has a kind of sub-pattern in a differentshade，a particularly irritating one，for you can only see it in certain lights，and not clearly then。
stick：v。粘
perseverance：n。堅定不移
scratch：vt。劃，刮
gouge：vt。挖
splinter：v。裂成碎片
verily：adv。真正地
elm：n。榆樹
velvet：adj。天鵝絨般的
meadow：n。草地
sub-pattern：n。潛在的圖案，隱藏的圖案81But in the places where it isn’t faded and where the sun is just so—I cansee a strange，provoking，formless sort of figure，that seems to skulk about behind that silly and conspicuous front design。
82 There’s sister on the stairs！
……
83 Well，the Fourth of July is over！The people are all gone and I am tired out。John thought it might do me good to see a little company，so we just had mother and Nellie and the children down for a week。
84 Of course I didn’t do a thing。Jennie sees to everything now。
85 But it tired me all the same。
86 John says if I don’t pick up faster he shall send me to Weir Mitchell inthe fall。
87 But I don’t want to go there at all。I had a friend who was in his hands once，and she says he is just like John and my brother，only more so！
88 Besides，it is such an undertaking to go so far。
89 I don’t feel as if it was worth while to turn my hand over for anything，and I’m getting dreadfully fretful and querulous。
skulk：vi。偷偷隱躲
conspicuous：adj。明顯的
see to：照料
pick up：恢複（健康，精力）
only more so：甚至有過之而無不及
undertaking：n。負擔
fretful：adj。煩躁的，焦躁的
querulous：adj。發牢騷的90I cry at nothing，and cry most of the time。
91 Of course I don’t when John is here，or anybody else，but when I am alone。
92 And I am alone a good deal just now。John is kept in town very often by serious cases，and Jennie is good and lets me alone when I want her to。
93 So I walk a little in the garden or down that lovely lane，sit on the porch under the roses，and lie down up here a good deal。
94 I’m getting really fond of the room in spite of the wall-paper。Perhapsbecause of the wall-paper。
95 It dwells in my mind so！
96 I lie here on this great immovable bed—it is nailed down，I believe—and follow that pattern about by the hour。It is as good as gymnastics，I assure you。I start，we’ll say，at the bottom，down in the corner over there where it has not been touched，and I determine for the thousandth time that I will follow thatpointless pattern to some sort of a conclusion。
97 I know a little of the principle of design，and I know this thing was not arranged on any laws of radiation，or alternation，or repetition，or symmetry，oranything else that I ever heard of。
98 It is repeated，of course，by the breadths，but not otherwise。
99 Looked at in one way each breadth stands alone，the bloated curves and flourishes—a kind of“debased Romanesque”with delirium tremens—go waddling upand down in isolated columns of fatuity。
100 But，on the other hand，they connect diagonally，and the sprawling outlinesrun off in great slanting waves of optic horror，like a lot of wallowing seaweeds in full chase。
dwell：vi。反複考慮
gymnastics：n。體操
principle：n。原理
radiation：n。放射
alternation：n。交替
symmetry：n。對稱，勻稱
bloated：adj。浮腫的
flourish：n。流暢的曲線
debased Romanesque：
低劣羅馬式花紋
delirium tremens：
〈醫〉震顫性譫妄
waddle：vi。搖搖晃晃
fatuity：n。愚蠢
diagonally：adv。對角地，傾斜地
slanting：adj。傾斜的
optic：adj。視覺的
chase：n。追趕101 The whole thing goes horizontally，too，at least itseems so，and Iexhaust myself in trying to distinguish the order of its going in that direction。
102 They have used a horizontal breadth for a frieze，and that adds wonderfully to the confusion。
103 There is one end of the room where it is almost intact，and there，when the crosslights fade and the low sun shines directly upon it，I can almost fancy radiation after all—the interminable grotesques seem to form around a common centre and rush off in headlong plunges of equal distraction。
評注：月光和日光這兩種關聯的意象在小說中多次被提到，如第103段和第128段。日光在小說中象征著父權。白天裏的世界是男性化的世界。男性通過參與社會工作來實現自身的價值。
104 It makes me tired to follow it。I will take a nap I guess。
……
105 I don’t know why I should write this。
106 I don’t want to。
107 I don’t feel able。
108 And I know John would think it absurd。But I must say what I feel and think in some way—it is such a relief！
109 But the effort is getting to be greater than the relief。
110 Half the time now I am awfully lazy，and lie down ever so much。
111 John says I mustn’t lose my strength，and has me take cod liver oil andlots of tonics and things，to say nothing of ale and wine and rare meat。
horizontally：adv。地平地
frieze：n。[建]中楣
add to：增加
wonderfully：adv。驚人地
confusion：n。混亂
intact：adj。完整無缺的
crosslight：n。交叉的光線
interminable：adj。冗長的
grotesque：n。奇形怪狀的圖案
plunge：n。跳
distraction：n。瘋狂
lose one’s strength：萎靡不振
to say nothing of：更不用說……
ale：n。淡色啤酒
rare：adj。嫩的112 Dear John！He loves me very dearly，and hates to have me sick。I tried to have a real earnest reasonable talk with him the other day，and tell him how I wish he would let me go and make a visit to Cousin Henry and Julia。
113 But he said I wasn’t able to go，nor able to stand it after I got thereand I did not make out a very good case for myself，for I was crying before I had finished。
114 It is getting to be a great effort for me to think straight。Just this nervous weakness I suppose。
115 And dear John gathered me up in his arms，and just carried me upstairs and laid me on the bed，and sat by me and read to me till it tired my head。
116 He said I was his darling and his comfort and all he had，and that I must take care of myself for his sake，and keep well。
117 He says no one but myself can help me out of it，that I must use mywill and self-control and not let any silly fancies run away with me。
118 There’s one comfort，the baby is well and happy，and does not haveto occupy this nursery with the horrid wall-paper。
119 If we had not used it，that blessed child would have！What a fortunate escape！Why，I wouldn’t have a child of mine，an impressionable little thing，livein such a room for worlds。
120 I never thought of it before，but it is lucky that John kept me here after all，I can stand it so much easier than a baby，you see。
121 Of course I never mention it to them any more—I am too wise—but I keep watch of it all the same。
122 There are things in that paper that nobody knows but me，or ever will。
123 Behind that outside pattern the dim shapes get clearer every day。
124 It is always the same shape，only very numerous。
125 And it is like a woman stooping down and creeping about behind that pattern。I don’t like it a bit。I wonder—I begin to think—I wish John would take me away from here！
……
126 It is so hard to talk with John about my case，because he is so wise，and because he loves me so。
127 But I tried it last night。
128 It was moonlight。The moon shines in all around just as the sun does。
評注：月光則恰恰相反地傳遞女性化含義，如128段。白天的工作停止，女性在兩性關係中的劣勢稍稍得到平衡，而夜晚也通常是人們休息放鬆的時間，父權的控製相對地鬆懈下來，女性意識得以抬頭。女主人公幾次向丈夫提出要求，反對他的安排，以及後來的反抗舉動都發生在晚上。
129 I hate to see it sometimes，it creeps so slowly，and always comes in by one window or another。
130 John was asleep and I hated to waken him，so I kept still and watched the moonlight on that undulating wall-paper till I felt creepy。
131 The faint figure behind seemed to shake the pattern，just as if shewanted to get out。
132 I got up softly and went to feel and see if the paper did move，andwhen I came back John was awake。
133 “What is it，little girl？”he said。“Don’t go walking about like that—you’ll get cold。”
134 I thought it was a good time to talk，so I told him that I really was not gaining here，and that I wished he would take me away。
135 “Why darling！”said he，“our lease will be up inthree weeks，and I can’t see how to leave before。”
136 “The repairs are not done at home，and I cannot possibly leave town just now。Of course if you were in any danger，I could and would，but you really are better，dear，whether you can see it or not。I am a doctor，dear，and I know。Youare gaining flesh and color，your appetite is better，I feel really much easierabout you。”
137 “I don’t weigh a bit more，”said I，“nor as muchand my appetite may be better in the evening when you are here，but it is worse in the morning when youare away！”
138 “Bless her little heart！”said he with a big hug，“she shall be as sickasshe pleases！But now let’s improve the shining hours by going to sleep，and talk about it in the morning！”
139 “And you won’t go away？”I asked gloomily。
140 “Why，how can I，dear？It is only three weeks more and then we will take a nice little trip of a few days while Jennie is getting the house ready。”
141 “Really dear you are better！”
142 “Better in body perhaps—”I began，and stopped short，for he satup straight and looked at me with such a stern，reproachful look that I could not say another word。
143 “My darling，”said he，“I beg of you，for my sake and for our child’ssake，as well as for your own，that you will never for one instant let that idea enter your mind！There is nothing so dangerous，so fascinating，to a temperament like yours。It is a false and foolish fancy。Can you not trust me as a physicianwhen I tell you so？”
144 So of course I said no more on that score，and we went to sleep beforelong。He thought I was asleep first，but I wasn’t，and lay there for hours tryingto decide whether that front pattern and the back pattern really did move together or separately。
評注：敘述者被丈夫稱為“小傻瓜”、“小女孩”，體現了男性對女性的藐視。他們把女人看成沒有獨立的思想和行為能力，像嬰兒、病人一樣。
……
145 On a pattern like this，by daylight，there is a lack of sequence，a defiance of law，that is a constant irritant to a normal mind。
146 The color is hideous enough，and unreliable enough，and infuriating enough，but the pattern is torturing。
think straight：正常地想問題
stoop：vi。彎下
creep：vi。爬
undulate：v。波動，起伏
creepy：adj。感到毛骨悚然的
lease：n。租約
temperament：n。性格
on that score：在那一點上
sequence：n。順序
defiance：n。蔑視，反抗
constant：adj。持續的
irritant：n。刺激物
hideous：adj。醜惡的
unreliable：adj。不可靠的
infuriating：adj。令人發怒的
torturing：adj。使痛苦的147 You think you have mastered it，but just as you get well underway in following，it turns a back somersault and there you are。It slaps you in the face，knocks you down，and tramples upon you。It is like a bad dream。
148 The outside pattern is a florid arabesque，reminding one of a fungus。If you can imagine a toadstool in joints，an interminable string of toadstools，budding and sprouting in endless convolutions—why，that is something like it。
149 That is，sometimes！
150 There is one marked peculiarity about this paper，a thing nobody seems to notice but myself，and that is that it changes as the light changes。
somersault：n。翻筋鬥
florid：adj。華麗的
arabesque：n。阿拉伯式圖飾
fungus：n。菌類
toadstool：n。[地]傘菌，毒菌
in joints：一節一節連接起來
budding：adj。發芽的
sprouting：adj。發芽的
convolution：n。回旋151 When the sun shoots in through the east window—I always watch for thatfirst long，straight ray—it changes so quickly that I never can quite believe it。
152 That is why I watch it always。
153 By moonlight—the moon shines in all night when there is a moon—I wouldn’t know it was the same paper。
154 At night in any kind of light，in twilight，candlelight，lamplight，andworst of all by moonlight，it becomes bars！The outside pattern I mean，and the woman behind it is as plain as can be。
155 I didn’t realize for a long time what the thing was that showed behind，that dim sub-pattern，but now I am quite sure it is a woman。
156 By daylight she is subdued，quiet。I fancy it is the pattern that keepsher so still。It is so puzzling。It keeps me quiet by the hour。
157 I lie down ever so much now。John says it is good for me，and to sleep all I can。
158 Indeed he started the habit by making me lie down for an hour aftereach meal。
159 It is a very bad habit I am convinced，for you see I don’t sleep。