徐奚潇

Step 1 感知·阅读导航

话题导入

本文为澳大利亚作家泰格特的短篇小说《窗》。场景和人物的设计都极为简单：在单调乏味的病房里，一个靠窗的病人给他不靠窗的病友讲述着窗外的美景。前者虽然身患重病，但依旧无比热爱生活，觉得应该将窗外的生机与快乐和他的病友分享;而后者却不肯满足于此，他对靠窗病床的渴望与日俱增，最终在这种欲望的驱使下，他对挣扎求救的病友置之不理而导致其死亡，以卑鄙的手段得到了他梦寐以求的靠窗位置。但生活和他开了一个无比公平的玩笑，当他探出头去，迫不及待地享受窗外风景时，却发现窗外只有白白的一面墙。

小说内涵丰富，意蕴深刻，一扇小小的窗户，揭示了只有纯洁的心灵、高尚的品格才能用心描绘绚丽的风景，相反，自私和卑劣的人性只能换来黑暗与苦涩。

本文通过窗这个微型主题集中探讨了人性的美丑和善恶。全文568字，建议用时10分钟。

阅读目标

1. 思考小说情节的主线，即开端—发展—高潮—结尾）对推动故事情节所起的作用;

2. 通过对故事梗概的理解，概括归纳两个病人的不同性格特點;

3. 结合文章有关情节，分析文章中“窗”的丰富内涵，并总结出文章的主题。

阅读扫障

1. enliven / n la v n/  v. 使有生气;使活跃;使更有趣

2. picturesque / p kt  r esk/  adj. 美丽的;古色古香的

3. ferment /f  ment/  v. （使）发酵

4. resentment /r  zentm nt/  n. 愤恨;不满

5. brood /bru d/  v. 忧思;担扰;怨忿地想

6. grope /ɡr  p/  v. 摸寻;探寻

7. fuss /f s/  n. 紧张不安;大惊小怪;过分激动

Two men， both seriously ill， occupied the same hospital room. One man was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour each afternoon to help drain the fluid from his lungs. His bed was next to the room's only window. The other man had to spend all his time flat on his back.

The men talked for hours on end. They spoke of their wives and families， their homes， their jobs， their involvement， where they had been on vacation.

Every afternoon when the man in the bed by the window could sit up， he would pass the time by describing to his roommate all the things he could see outside the window. The man in the other bed began to live for those one hour periods where his world would be broadened and enlivened by all the activity and color of the world outside.

The window overlooked a park with a lovely lake. Ducks and swans played on the water while children sailed their model boats. Young lovers walked arm in arm amidst flowers of every color and a fine view of the city skyline could be seen in the distance. As the man by the window described all this in exquisite detail， the man on the other side of the room would close his eyes and imagine the picturesque scene.

One warm afternoon the man by the window described a parade passing by. Although the other man couldn't hear the band-he could see it in his mind's eye as the gentleman by the window portrayed it with descriptive words.

Unexpectedly， an alien thought entered his head： Why should he have all the pleasure of seeing everything while I never get to see anything  It didn't seem fair. As the thought fermented the man felt ashamed at first. But as the days passed and he missed seeing more sights， his envy eroded into resentment and soon turned him sour. He began to brood and he found himself unable to sleep. He should be by that window-that thought now controlled his life.

Late one night as he lay staring at the ceiling， the man by the window began to cough. He was choking on the fluid in his lungs. The other man watched in the dimly lit room as the struggling man by the window groped for the button to call for help. Listening from across the room he never moved， never pushed his own button which would have brought the nurse running. In less than five minutes the coughing and choking stopped， along with the sound of breathing. Now there was only silence-deathly silence.

The following morning the day nurse arrived to bring water for their baths. When she found the lifeless body of the man by the window， she was saddened and called the hospital attendants to take it away-no works， no fuss.

As soon as it seemed appropriate， the other man asked if he could be moved next to the window. The nurse was happy to make the switch， and after making sure he was comfortable， she left him alone.

Slowly， painfully， he propped himself up on one elbow to take his first look. Finally， he would have the joy of seeing it all himself. He strained to slowly turn to look out the window beside the bed.

It faced a blank wall.