BEIJING — Stunned that reporters were able to visit her, Liu Xia trembled uncontrollably and cried Thursday as she described how absurd and emotionally draining her confinement under house arrest has been in the two years since her jailed activist husband, Liu Xiaobo, was named a Nobel Peace laureate.

In her first interview in 26 months, Liu Xia spoke briefly with journalists from Associated Press who managed to visit her apartment while the guards who watch it apparently went lunch. Her voice shook and she was breathless at receiving unexpected visitors.