Introduction：The narrator is a black man working atabus station magazine stand。For many years he has been waiting for the right girl to come along。When thegirl does come，he brings her home。Will they have a romantic night？
1.I have worked at this bus station magazine stand since nineteen fifty three，waiting for the right girl to come along。When I took this job，the paint on that wall over there was new it was a light green color then。The servicemen fromthe Korean War would stop and buy cigarettes，and I learned the insignia from the Army，Coast Guard，Navy，and Marines。
2.Once I was held up by a stocky white man in a brown jacket。Showed me the twoteeth he had left in his head and the barrel of a little tape-wrapped au4 at my heart。I gave him all the dough but never felt scared。Way I saw it，he was just like me，and I could die behind that counter andjust walk away inside his skin，with a few dollars to spend。We were all one thing。So I handedhim the money，feeling richer right away—three hundred twenty-three dollars—and let him get away before I called the cops。
评注：从第2段的叙述中可以看出，叙述者“我”是一个黑人。二十世纪五十年代的美国种族歧视十分严重，黑人处于社会的底层，受到非人的待遇。但是故事中的“我”却对自己的黑人身份有一种良好的心态。
serviceman：n。军人，
insignia：n。勋章
coast guard：n。海岸护卫队
navy：n。海军
marine：n。舰队
hold up：拦截
stocky：adj。矮壮的
barrel：n。枪管
dough：n。钱
scared：adj。恐惧的
counter：n。柜台
cop：n。警官
3.Anything can happen in the bus station。In nineteen-sixties，we had what wecalled the hippies，young people in ragged get-ups。They used to sleep all overthe furniture in sleeping bags，with packs and rolled-up tents。That’s when I began to think that the right girl might come along after all，some girl who’d grown tired of the long-haired boys，and tired of the road，and walk home with meand hold my hand，and curl up with me in my bed and on my squeaky spring。I kept an eye out。One day I saw a young lady：she looked so long-tired and in needof a friend。I bought her a sandwich and coffee and a peanut-butter cup。I bought her some aspirin and a pint of milk，fingernail clippers and asouvenir shirt。
4.I told her I had a place where she could come to rest and stay，as long as she might want。I told her it wasn’t fancy and wasn’t but one room，but what was mine was hers。I knew it was clean。I’d cleaned it up the day before when I saw this girl hanging around。
5.She stroked my hair and said my heart was full of love。She said she had to sleep about twelvehours and then she’d go away。I took her home。She slumped downon the bed and cried—told me I was“so very kind”。And then she slept like the dead。I lay down on the floor beside her，where I said I’d stay。In the middle of the nightI woke up on fire，and the room was turning。I couldn’t think。The air turned furry，where I crept up and slid in bed beside her，that girl still completely dressed。She breathed like the sea。I touched her skin，just her skin inside her clothes。She really never woke，just sighed and turned。In the morning when I woke up in the bed，she was gone。
hippy：n。嬉皮士
ragged：adj。粗糙的
curl：v。（使）卷曲
squeaky：adj。吱吱响的
spring：n。弹簧床
sandwich：n。三明治
clipper：n。剪刀
souvenir：n。纪念品
stroke：v。抚摸
slump：v。跌落
fire：n。这里指“欲火”
creep：v。爬，蹑手蹑脚
slide：v。（使）滑动
6.I’ve worked here since nineteen fifty three，waiting for the right girl to come along。I guess she did。Some good marriages don’t last long。
评注：第6段说明，本文以“洞房花烛夜”为题，具有一种讽刺意味，因为这并非真正意义的婚姻。对于生活在美国下层的黑人来说，和一个漂亮女人同处一室就已经让他满足了。由此可见，在种族歧视严重的美国五、六十年代，黑人很难寻得美满的婚姻，无法享受爱的美好。
Comprehension Exercises：
1.Why does the narrator feel richer than the white robber？
2.What makes the narrator feel that that girl is the right girl？
3.Why does the writer entitle the story“Wedding Night”？
霍金斯（1946—）：美国黑人短篇小说家。他出生并成长于伊利诺斯州的帕克里奇。他的短篇和超短篇小说集《纸皇冠》（1989）收集了过去10年间发表于权威文学杂志的一些作品。
