张翎的短篇小说《女人四十》以络丝在四十岁生日这一天的经历,刻画出了一位中年女性对生活的失望和内心的焦虑。主人公深陷物质与精神匮乏的泥沼中,自叹自怜,一个戏剧性的误会,如平地惊雷,展示了命运可能更为残酷的一面。当误会解除,劫后余生的震动,使她意识到平淡生活的珍贵与美好,从而完成了从焦虑到顿悟的转变。 Zhang Ling’s short story, “Woman Forty,” depicts the disappointment and inner anxiety of a middle-aged woman with her life on the 40th birthday. In the midst of the material and spiritual deprivation, the protagonist sighed self-pity and a dramatic misunderstanding such as a thunderstorm on the horizon demonstrated the cruel side of fate. When misunderstanding was lifted and the aftermath of the disaster was shaken, she realized the preciousness and beauty of ordinary life, thus completing the transition from anxiety to epiphany.