Introduction：Maimed as a child in a hunting accident，Joy has a wooden leg。Shehas earned a doctorate in philosophy，but her heart condition forces her to stay at home with her mother。She is also sarcastic，mocking her mother and Mrs。Freeman because she considers herself more intellectual than all of the“good country people”around her。One day，an attractive and“piteous”Bible man comeswho attracts Joy，but a person’s outward appearance can be deceiving。
1 Besides the neutral expression that she wore when she was alone，Mrs。Freeman had two others，forward and reverse，that she used for all herhuman dealings。Her forward expression was steady and driving like the advance of a heavy truck。Her eyes never swerved to left or right but turned as the story turned as if they followed a yellow line down the center of it。She seldom used the other expression because it was not often necessary for her to retract a statement，but when she did，her face came to a complete stop，there was an almost imperceptible movement of her black eyes，during which they seemed to be receding，and then the observer would see that Mrs。Freeman，though she might stand there as real as several grain sacks thrown on top of each other，was no longer there in spirit。As for getting anything across to her when this was the case，Mrs。Hopewell had given it up。She might talk her head off。Mrs。Freeman could never be brought toadmit herself wrong to any point。She would stand there and if she could be brought to say anything，it was something like，“Well，I wouldn’t of said it was and I wouldn’t of said it wasn’t，”or letting her gaze range over the top kitchen shelf where there was an assortment of dusty bottles，she might remark，“I see you ain’t ate many of them figs you put up last summer。”
2 They carried on their most important business in the kitchen at breakfast。Every morning Mrs。Hopewell got up at seven o’clock and lit her gas heater and Joy’s。Joy was her daughter，a large blonde girl who had an artificial leg。Mrs。Hopewell thought of her as a child though she was thirty-two years old and highly educated。Joy would get up while her mother was eating and lumber into the bathroom and slam the door，and before long，Mrs。Freeman would arrive at the backdoor。Joy would hear her mother call，“Come on in，”and then they would talk for a while in low voices that were indistinguishable in the bathroom。By the time Joy came in，they had usually finished the weather report and were on one or the other of Mrs。Freeman’s daughters，Glynese or Carramae。Joy called them Glycerin and Caramel。Glynese，a redhead，was eighteen and had many admirersCarramae，a blonde，was only fifteen but already married and pregnant。She could not keep anything on her stomach。Every morning Mrs。Freeman told Mrs。Hopewell how many times she had vomited since the last report。
neutral：adj。中立的
forward and reverse：一放一收两副表情
swerve：vi。突然转弯
retract：vt。缩回，收回
imperceptible：adj。感觉不到的
recede：vi。退去
get sth。across to sb。：对某人讲清楚某事
talk one’s head off：讲个没完没了
assortment：n。分类
fig：n。无花果
blond（blonde）：n。白肤金发碧眼的人
artificial：adj。人工的，矫揉造作的
lumber：vi。沉重、笨拙而隆隆地行进
slam：vt。使劲关
indistinguishable：adj。不能分辨的
Glycerin and Caramel：甘油和焦糖。这两个词的发音接近两位女孩的名字Glynese和Carramae。Joy 如此称呼她们具有一种讽刺意味，甘油和焦糖都是甜得过腻的东西。
pregnant：adj。怀孕的
vomit：v。呕吐，吐出3Mrs。Hopewell liked to tell people that Glynese and Carramae were two of thefinest girls she knew and that Mrs。Freeman was a lady and thatshe was never ashamed to take her anywhere or introduce her to anybody they might meet。Then she would tell how she had happened to hire the Freemans in the first place and how they were a godsend to her and how she had had them four years。The reason forher keeping them so long was that they were not trash。They were good country people。She had telephoned the man whose name they had given as reference and he had told her that Mr。Freeman was a good farmer but that his wife was the nosiest woman ever to walk the earth。“She’s got to be into everything，”the man said。“If she don’t get there before the dustsettles，you can bet she’s dead，that’s all。She’ll want to know allyour business。I can stand him real good，”he had said，“but me nor my wife neither could have stood that woman one more minute on this place。”That had putMrs。Hopewell off for a few days。
评注：从第3段中可以看出霍普维尔太太是个爱面子的人。虽然根据她的调查，弗里曼太太并不是懂规矩的人，但是她还是在别人面前美化她的房客弗里曼太太及女儿，以维持自己体面。
4 She had hired them in the end because there were no other applicants but shehad made up her mind beforehand exactly how she would handle the woman。Since she was the type who had to be into everything，then，Mrs。Hopewell had decided，she would not only let her be into everything，she would see to it that she was into everything—she would give her the responsibility of everything，she would put her in charge。Mrs。Hopewell had no bad qualities of her own but she was able to use other people’s in such a constructive way that she had kept them four years。
5 Nothing is perfect。This was one of Mrs。Hopewell’s favorite sayings。Another was：that is life！And still another，the most important，was：well，other people have their opinions too。She would make these statements，usually at the table，in a tone of gentle insistence as if no one held them but her，and the large hulking Joy，whose constant outrage had obliterated every expression from her face，would stare just a little to the side of her，her eyes icy blue，with the look of someone who had achieved blindness by an act of will and means to keep it。
6 When Mrs。Hopewell said to Mrs。Freeman that life was like that，Mrs。Freeman would say，“I always said so myself。”Nothing had been arrived at by anyone that had not first been arrived at by her。She was quicker than Mr。Freeman。When Mrs。Hopewell said to her after they had been on the place for a while，“You know，you’re the wheel behind the wheel，”and winked，Mrs。Freeman had said，“I know it。I’ve always been quick。It’s some that are quicker than others。”
a lady：淑女
godsend：n。意想不到的好运气
trash：n。垃圾，这里指美国南方各州穷苦、低贱的白人
before the dust settles：在事态平息之前，dust在这里是麻烦的意思
put sb。off：把某人赶出门
see to it that：留神，保证
put sb。in charge：由某人负责管理
constructive：adj。建设性的，建造的
hulking：adj。笨重的
outrage：n。愤怒
obliterate：vt。湮没
you’re the wheel behind the wheel：wheel意思“当家人”
wink：vi。眨眼，使眼色7“Everybody is different，”Mrs。Hopewell said。
8 “Yes，most people is，”Mrs。Freeman said。
9 “It takes all kinds to make the world。”
10 “I always said it did myself。”
11 The girl was used to this kind of dialogue for breakfast and more of it fordinnersometimes they had it for supper too。When they had no guest they ate in the kitchen because that was easier。Mrs。Freeman always managed to arrive at some point during the meal and to watch them finish it。She would stand in the doorway if it were summer but in the winter she would stand with one elbow on topof the refrigerator and look down at them，or she would stand by the gas heater，lifting the back of her skirt slightly。Occasionally she would stand against the wall and roll her head from side to side。At no time was she in any hurry to leave。All this was very trying on Mrs。Hopewell but she was a woman of great patience。She realized that nothing is perfect and that in the Freemans she had good country people and that if，in this day and age，you get good country people，you had better hang onto them。
12 She had had plenty of experience with trash。Before the Freemans she hadaveraged one tenant family a year。The wives of these farmers werenot the kind you would want to be around you for very long。Mrs。Hopewell，who had divorced herhusband long ago，needed someone to walk over the fields with herand when Joyhad to be impressed for these services，her remarks were usually so ugly and her face so glum that Mrs。Hopewell would say，“If you can’t come pleasantly，I don’t want you at all，”to which the girl，standing square and rigid-shouldered with her neck thrust slightly forward，would reply，“If you want me，here I am—LIKE I AM。”
13 Mrs。Hopewell excused this attitude because of the leg（which had been shotoff in a hunting accident when Joy was ten）。It was hard for Mrs。Hopewell to realize that her child was thirty-two now and that for more than twenty years shehad had only one leg。She thought of her still as a child because it tore her heart to think instead of the poor stout girl in her thirties whohad never danced a step or had any normal good times。Her name was really Joy but as soon as she was twenty-one and away from home，she had had it legally changed。Mrs。Hopewell was certain that she had thought and thought until she had hit upon the ugliest name in any language。Then she had gone and had the beautiful name，Joy，changed without telling her mother until after she had done it。Her legal name was Hulga。
at some point：在某个时刻
at no time：绝不，在任何时候都不
try on sb。：考验
hang onto：紧握
tenant：n。佃户，房客
impress：v。给予强烈的影响
glum：adj。阴郁的
thrust：vi。探出
stout：adj。矮胖的
hit upon：无意中遇见14When Mrs。Hopewell thought the name，Hulga，she thought of the broad blank hull of a battleship。She would not use it。She continued to call her Joy to which the girl responded but in a purely mechanical way。
15 Hulga had learned to tolerate Mrs。Freeman who saved her from taking walks with her mother。Even Glynese and Carramae were useful when they occupied attention that might otherwise have been directed at her。At first she had thought shecould not stand Mrs。Freeman for she had found it was not possible to be rude to her。Mrs。Freeman would take on strange resentments and for days together she would be sullen but the source of her displeasure was always obscurea direct attack，a positive leer，blatant ugliness to her face—these never touched her。And without warning one day，she began calling her Hulga。
16 She did not call her that in front of Mrs。Hopewell who would have been incensed but when she and the girl happened to be out of the house together，she would say something and add the name Hulga to the end of it，and the big spectacled Joy—Hulga would scowl and redden as if her privacy had been intruded upon。Sheconsidered the name her personal affair。She had arrived at it first purely on the basis of its ugly sound and then the full genius of its fitness had struck her。She had a vision of the name working like the ugly sweating Vulcan who stayed in the furnace and to whom，presumably，the goddess had to come when called。She saw it as the name of her highest creative act。One of her major triumphs wasthat her mother had not been able to turn her dust into Joy，but the greater one was that she had been able to turn it herself into Hulga。However，Mrs。Freeman’s relish for using the name only irritated her。It was as if Mrs。Freeman’s beady steel-pointed eyes had penetrated far enough behind her face to reach somesecret fact。Something about her seemed to fascinate Mrs。Freeman and then one day Hulga realized that it was the artificial leg。Mrs。Freeman had a special fondness for the details of secret infections，hidden deformities，assaults upon children。Of diseases，she preferred the lingering or incurable。Hulga had heard Mrs。Hopewell give her the details of the hunting accident，how the leg had beenliterally blasted off，how she had never lost consciousness。Mrs。Freeman couldlisten to it any time as if it had happened an hour ago。
评注：乔伊之所以把自己的名字改成赫尔格是因为她认为这个名字昭示了她外表的丑陋，但却反衬出她的智慧。第16段中，乔伊把自己与希腊神话中丑陋跛脚的火神Vulcan（伏尔甘，火神因丑陋而被赋予了丑陋的名字）相比，因为火神虽然丑陋却极具创造力。故事中的人物在某种程度上来说都是弱者，但却拼命地把自己武装成强者，结果造成自己内心的扭曲。
hull：n。船体
save sb。from：使某人免于……
resentment：n。不满，愤恨
sullen：adj。绷着脸不高兴的
obscure：adj。不清楚的
leer：n。斜眼看，睨视
blatant：adj。公开的
incense：vt。激怒
scowl：vi。露出不悦之色
intrude：vi。侵扰
presumably：adv。大概
triumph：n。胜利
her mother had not been able to turn her dust into Joy：她的妈妈没法使她这具躯体化为欢乐。dust在这里的意思是指人的躯体、肉体；Joy是她的名字，意思是“欢乐”。
relish：n。兴趣，喜欢
irritate：vt。激怒
penetrate：vt。穿过
artificial leg：假腿
infection：n。传染病
deformity：n。畸形，残废
assault upon：猛烈而突然地攻击
lingering：adj。拖延的，依依不舍的；the lingering，这里是缠绵的疾病
blast off：炸毁17When Hulga stumped into the kitchen in the morning（she could walk without making the awful noise but she made it—Mrs。Hopewell was certain—because it was ugly-sounding），she glanced at them and did not speak。Mrs。Hopewell wouldbe in her red kimono with her hair tied around her head in rags。She would be sitting at the table，finishing her breakfast and Mrs。Freeman would be hanging by her elbow outward from the refrigerator，looking down at the table。Hulga always put her eggs on the stove to boil and then stood over them with her arms folded，and Mrs。Hopewell would look at her—a kind of indirect gaze divided between her and Mrs。Freeman—and would think that if she would only keep herself up a little，she wouldn’t be so bad looking。There was nothing wrong with her face that a pleasant expression wouldn’t help。Mrs。Hopewell said that people wholooked on the bright side of things would be beautiful even if they were not。
18 Whenever she looked at Joy this way，she could not help but feel that itwould have been better if the child had not taken the Ph。D。It had certainly not brought her out any and now that she had it，there was no more excuse for her to go to school again。Mrs。Hopewell thought it was nice for girls to go to school to have a good time but Joy had“gone through”。Anyhow，she would not have been strong enough to go again。The doctors had told Mrs。Hopewell that with the best of care，Joy might see forty-five。
She had a weak heart。Joy had made it plain that if it had not been for this condition，she would be far from these red hills and good country people。She would be in a university lecturing to people who knew what she was talking about。And Mrs。Hopewell could very well picture herthere，looking like a scarecrow and lecturing to more of the same。Here she went about all day in a six-year-old skirt and a yellow sweat shirt with a faded cowboy on a horse embossed on it。She thought this was funnyMrs。Hopewell thought it was idiotic and showed simply that she was still a child。She was brilliantbut she didn’t have a grain of sense。It seemed to Mrs。Hopewell that every year she grew less like other people and more like herself—bloated，rude，and squint-eyed。And she said such strange things！Toher own mother she had said—without warning，without excuse，standing up in the middle of a meal with her face purple and her mouth half full—“Woman！Do you ever look inside？Do you ever look inside and see what you are not？God！”she had cried sinking down againand staring at her plate，“Malebranche was right：weare not our own light。Weare not our own light！”Mrs。Hopewell had no idea to this day what brought that on。She had only made the remark，hoping Joy would take it in，that a smile never hurt anyone。
stump：vi。以僵硬而沉重的步伐行走
kimono：n。一种宽松的晨衣
keep sb。up：使某人振作起来
any in any degree，any作副词单独使用，主要见于美语及方言中。
plain：adj。清楚的，明白的
like a scarecrow：衣衫褴褛，像个稻草人
emboss：vt。使凸起
bloated：adj。发胀的
squint-eyed：adj。眯着眼看的
Malebranche：马勒布郎士（Nicolas Malebranche，1638-1715），法国哲学家。
We are not our own light：我们没有自知之明。light这里作“启示”解。19The girl had taken the Ph。D。in philosophy and this left Mrs。Hopewell at acomplete loss。You could say，“My daughter is a nurse，”or“My daughter is aschool teacher，”or even，“My daughter is a chemical engineer。”You could not say，“My daughter is a philosopher。”That was something that had ended with the Greeks and Romans。All day Joy sat on her neck in a deep chair，reading。Sometimes she went for walks but she didn’t like dogs or cats or birds or flowers or nature or nice young men。She looked at nice young men as if she could smell their stupidity。
20 One day Mrs。Hopewell had picked up one of the books the girl had just put down and opening it at random，she read，“Science，on the other hand，has to assert its soberness and seriousness afresh and declare that it is concerned solely with what-is。Nothing—how can it be for science anything but a horror and aphantasm？If science is right，then one thing stands firm：science wishes to know nothing of nothing。Such is after all the strictly scientific approach to Nothing。We know it by wishing to know nothing of Nothing。”These words had been underlined with a blue pencil and they worked on Mrs。Hopewell like some evil incantation in gibberish。She shut the book quickly and went out of the room as if she were having a chill。
评注：第20段中，乔伊所读的书中对“科学”的解释是一种虚无主义思想。虚无主义是怀疑论的一种极端形式，否认一切存在。奥康纳在这里暗示的是赫尔格的问题并不是出在她的外表上，而是她的信仰系统。
21 This morning when the girl came in，Mrs。Freeman was on Carramae。“She thrown up four times after supper，”she said，“and was up twict in the night after three o’clock。Yesterday she didn’t do nothing but ramble inthe bureau drawer。All she did。Stand up there and see what she could run up on。”
22 “She’s got to eat，”Mrs。Hopewell muttered，sipping her coffee，whileshe watched Joy’s back at the stove。She was wondering what the child had said tothe Bible salesman。She could not imagine what kind of a conversation she couldpossibly have had with him。
23 He was a tall gaunt hatless youth who had called yesterdayto sell them a Bible。He had appeared at the door，carrying a large black suitcase that weightedhim so heavily on one side that he had to brace himself againstthe door facing。He seemed on the point of collapse but he said in a cheerful voice，“Good morning，Mrs。Cedars！”and set the suitcase down on the mat。He was not a bad-looking young man though he had on a bright blue suit and yellow socks that were notpulled up far enough。He had prominent face bones and astreak of sticky-looking brown hair falling across his forehead。
phantasm：n。空想，幻影，幻象
incantation：n。咒语，魔法
gibberish：n。乱语
throw up：呕吐
twict：twice
ramble：vi。乱翻
gaunt：adj。消瘦的
brace：vt。支持
collapse：n。倒塌，崩溃，病倒
prominent：adj。突出的
a streak of：少许，些微24“I’m Mrs。Hopewell，”she said。
25 “Oh！”he said，pretending to look puzzled but with his eyes sparkling，“I saw it said‘The Cedars’on the mailbox so I thought you was Mrs。Cedars！”and he burst out in a pleasant laugh。He picked up the satchel and under cover of a pant，he fell forward into her hall。It was rather as if thesuitcase had moved first，jerking him after it。“Mrs。Hopewell！”he said and grabbed her hand。“I hope you are well！”and he laughed again and then all at once his face sobered completely。He paused and gave her a straight earnest look and said，“lady，I’ve come to speak of serious things。”
26 “Well，come in，”she muttered，none too pleased because her dinner wasalmost ready。He came into the parlor and sat down on the edge of a straight chairand put the suitcase between his feet and glanced around the room as if he weresizing her up by it。Her silver gleamed on the two sideboardsshe decided he had never been in a room as elegant as this。
27 “Mrs。Hopewell，”he began，using her name in a way that sounded almostintimate，“I know you believe in Chrustian service。”
satchel：n。皮包，小帆布包
pant：n。喘气
jerk：vi。猛地一拉
none too：不很，不太
parlor：n。客厅
size sb。/sth。up：品评
gleam：vi。发微光
sideboard：n。餐具橱
intimate：adj。亲密的
Chrustian service：应是
Christian service28“Well，yes，”she murmured。
