崩溃(Things Fall Apart) (英文版)作者:奇奴阿·阿切比-第18部分

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　　Ezeudu　had　taken　three　titles　in　his　life。　It　was　a　rare　achievement。　There　were　only　four　titles　in　the　clan；　and　only　one　or　two　men　in　any　generation　ever　achieved　the　fourth　and　highest。　When　they　did；　they　became　the　lords　of　the　land。　Because　he　had　taken　titles；　Ezeudu　was　to　be　buried　after　dark　with　only　a　glowing　brand　to　light　the　sacred　ceremony。
　　But　before　this　quiet　and　final　rite；　the　tumult　increased　tenfold。　Drums　beat　violently　and　men　leaped　up　and　down　in　frenzy。　Guns　were　fired　on　all　sides　and　sparks　flew　out　as　machetes　clanged　together　in　warriors'　salutes。　The　air　was　full　of　dust　and　the　smell　of　gunpowder。　It　was　then　that　the　one…handed　spirit　came；　carrying　a　basket　full　of　water。　People　made　way　for　him　on　all　sides　and　the　noise　subsided。　Even　the　smell　of　gunpowder　was　swallowed　in　the　sickly　smell　that　now　filled　the　air。　He　danced　a　few　steps　to　the　funeral　drums　and　then　went　to　see　the　corpse。
　　〃Ezeudu！〃　he　called　in　his　guttural　voice。　〃If　you　had　been　poor　in　your　last　life　I　would　have　asked　you　to　be　rich　when　you　e　again。　But　you　were　rich。　If　you　had　been　a　coward；　I　would　have　asked　you　to　bring　courage。　But　you　were　a　fearless　warrior。　If　you　had　died　young；　I　would　have　asked　you　to　get　life。　But　you　lived　long。　So　I　shall　ask　you　to　e　again　the　way　you　came　before。　If　your　death　was　the　death　of　nature；　go　in　peace。　But　if　a　man　caused　it；　do　not　allow　him　a　moment's　rest。〃　He　danced　a　few　more　steps　and　went　away。　The　drums　and　the　dancing　began　again　and　reached　fever…heat。　Darkness　was　around　the　corner；　and　the　burial　was　near。　Guns　fired　the　last　salute　and　the　cannon　rent　the　sky。　And　then　from　the　center　of　the　delirious　fury　came　a　cry　of　agony　and　shouts　of　horror。　It　was　as　if　a　spell　had　been　cast。　All　was　silent。　In　the　center　of　the　crowd　a　boy　lay　in　a　pool　of　blood。　It　was　the　dead　man's　sixteen…year…old　son；　who　with　his　brothers　and　half…brothers　had　been　dancing　the　traditional　farewell　to　their　father。　Okonkwo's　gun　had　exploded　and　a　piece　of　iron　had　pierced　the　boy's　heart。
　　The　confusion　that　followed　was　without　parallel　in　the　tradition　of　Umuofia。　Violent　deaths　were　frequent；　but　nothing　like　this　had　ever　happened。
　　The　only　course　open　to　Okonkwo　was　to　flee　from　the　clan。　It　was　a　crime　against　the　earth　goddess　to　kill　a　clansman；　and　a　man　who　mitted　it　must　flee　from　the　land。　The　crime　was　of　two　kinds；　male　and　female。　Okonkwo　had　mitted　the　female；　because　it　had　been　inadvertent。　He　could　return　to　the　clan　after　seven　years。
　　That　night　he　collected　his　most　valuable　belongings　into　head…loads。　His　wives　wept　bitterly　and　their　children　wept　with　them　without　knowing　why。　Obierika　and　half　a　dozen　other　friends　came　to　help　and　to　console　him。　They　each　made　nine　or　ten　trips　carrying　Okonkwo's　yams　to　store　in　Obierika's　barn。　And　before　the　cock　crowed　Okonkwo　and　his　family　were　fleeing　to　his　motherland。　It　was　a　little　village　called　Mbanta；　just　beyond　the　borders　of　Mbaino。
　　As　soon　as　the　day　broke；　a　large　crowd　of　men　from　Ezeudu's　quarter　stormed　Okonkwo's　pound；　dressed　in　garbs　of　war。　They　set　fire　to　his　houses；　demolished　his　red　walls；　killed　his　animals　and　destroyed　his　barn。　It　was　the　justice　of　the　earth　goddess；　and　they　were　merely　her　messengers。　They　had　no　hatred　in　their　hearts　against　Okonkwo。　His　greatest　friend；　Obierika；　was　among　them。　They　were　merely　cleansing　the　land　which　Okonkwo　had　polluted　with　the　blood　of　a　clansman。
　　Obierika　was　a　man　who　thought　about　things。　When　the　will　of　the　goddess　had　been　done；　he　sat　down　in　his　obi　and　mourned　his　friend's　calamity。　Why　should　a　man　suffer　so　grievously　for　an　offense　he　had　mitted　inadvertently？　But　although　he　thought　for　a　long　time　he　found　no　answer。　He　was　merely　led　into　greater　plexities。　He　remembered　his　wife's　twin　children；　whom　he　had　thrown　away。　What　crime　had　they　mitted？　The　Earth　had　decreed　that　they　were　an　offense　on　the　land　and　must　be　destroyed。　And　if　the　clan　did　not　exact　punishment　for　an　offense　against　the　great　goddess；　her　wrath　was　loosed　on　all　the　land　and　not　just　on　the　offender。　As　the　elders　said；　if　one　finger　brought　oil　it　soiled　the　others。
　　PART　Two
　　CHAPTER　FOURTEEN
　　Okonkwo　was　well　received　by　his　mother's　kinsmen　in　Mbanta。　The　old　man　who　received　him　was　his　mother's　younger　brother；　who　was　now　the　eldest　surviving　member　of　that　family。　His　name　was　Uchendu；　and　it　was　he　who　had　received　Okonkwo's　mother　twenty　and　ten　years　before　when　she　had　been　brought　home　Irom　Umuofia　to　be　buried　with　her　people。　Okonkwo　was　only　a　boy　then　and　Uchendu　still　remembered　him　crying　the　traditional　farewell：　〃Mother；　mother；　mother　is　going。〃
　　That　was　many　years　ago。　Today　Okonkwo　was　not　bringing　his　mother　home　to　be　buried　with　her　people。　He　was　taking　his　family　of　three　wives　and　their　children　to　seek　refuge　in　his　motherland。　As　soon　as　Uchendu　saw　him　with　his　sad　and　weary　pany　he　guessed　what　had　happened；　and　asked　no　questions。　It　was　not　until　the　following　day　that　Okonkwo　told　him　the　full　story。　The　old　man　listened　silently　to　the　end　and　then　said　with　some　relief：　〃It　is　a　female　ochu。〃　And　he　arranged　the　requisite　rites　and　sacrifices。
　　Okonkwo　was　given　a　plot　of　ground　on　which　to　build　his　pound；　and　two　or　three　pieces　of　land　on　which　to
　　farm　during　the　ing　planting　season。　With　the　help　of　his　mother's　kinsmen　he　built　himself　an　obi　and　three　huts　for　his　wives。　He　then　installed　his　personal　god　and　the　symbols　of　his　departed　fathers。　Each　of　Uchendu's　five　sons　contributed　three　hundred　seed…yams　to　enable　their　cousin　to　plant　a　farm；　for　as　soon　as　the　first　rain　came　farming　would　begin。
　　At　last　the　rain　came。　It　was　sudden　and　tremendous。　For　two　or　three　moons　the　sun　had　been　gathering　strength　till　it　seemed　to　breathe　a　breath　of　fire　on　the　earth。　All　the　grass　had　long　been　scorched　brown；　and　the　sands　felt　like　live　coals　to　the　feet。　Evergreen　trees　wore　a　dusty　coat　of　brown。　The　birds　were　silenced　in　the　forests；　and　the　world　lay　panting　under　the　live；　vibrating　heat。　And　then　came　the　clap　of　thunder。　It　was　an　angry；　metallic　and　thirsty　clap；　unlike　the　deep　and　liquid　rumbling　of　the　rainy　season。　A　mighty　wind　arose　and　filled　the　air　with　dust。　Palm　trees　swayed　as　the　wind　bed　their　leaves　into　flying　crests　like　strange　and　fantastic　coiffure。
　　When　the　rain　finally　came；　it　was　in　large；　solid　drops　of　frozen　water　which　the　people　called　〃the　nuts　of　the　water　of　heaven。〃　They　were　hard　and　painful　on　the　body　as　they　fell；　yet　young　people　ran　about　happily　picking　up　the　cold　nuts　and　throwing　them　into　their　mouths　to　melt。
　　The　earth　quickly　came　to　life　and　the　birds　in　the　forests　fluttered　around　and　chirped　merrily。　A　vague　scent　of　life　and　green　vegetation　was　diffused　in　the　air。　As　the　rain　began　to　fall　more　soberly　and　in　smaller　liquid　drops；　children　sought　for　shelter；　and　all　were　happy；　refreshed　and　thankful。
　　Okonkwo　and　his　family　worked　very　hard　to　plant　a　new　farm。　But　it　was　like　beginning　life　anew　without　the　vigor　and　enthusiasm　of　youth；　like　learning　to　bee　left…handed　in　old　age。　Work　no　longer　had　for　him　the　pleasure　it　used　to　have；　and　when　there　was　no　work　to　do　he　sat　in　a　silent　half…sleep。
　　His　life　had　been　ruled　by　a　great　passion—to　bee　one　of　the　lords　of　the　clan。　That　had　been　his　life…spring。　And　he　had　all　but　achieved　it。　Then　everything　had　been　broken。　He　had　been　cast　out　of　his　clan　like　a　fish　onto　a　dry；　sandy　beach；　panting。　Clearly　his　personal　god　or　chi　was　not　made　for　great　things。　A　man　could　not　rise　beyond　the　destiny　of　his　chi。　The　saying　of　the　elders　was　not　true—that　if　a　man　said　yea　his　chi　also　affirmed。　Here　was　a　man　whose　chi　said　nay　despite　his　own　affirmation。
　　The　old　man；　Uchendu；　saw　clearly　that　Okonkwo　had　yielded　to　despair　and　he　was　greatly　troubled。　He　would　speak　to　him　after　the　isa…ifi　ceremony。
　　The　youngest　of　Uchendu's　five　sons；　Amikwu；　was　marrying　a　new　wife。　The　bride…price　had　been　paid　and　all　but　the　last　ceremony　had　been　performed。　Amikwu　and　his　people　had　taken　palm…wine　to　the　bride's　kinsmen　about　two　moons　before　Okonkwo's　arrival　in　Mbanta。　And　so　it　was　time　for　the　final　ceremony　of　confession。
　　The　daughters　of　the　family　were　all　there；　some　of　them　having　e　a　long　way　from　their　homes　in　distant　villages。　Uchendu's　eldest　daughter　had　e　from　Obodo；　nearly　half　a　day's　journey　away。　The　daughters　of　Uehuiona　were　also　there。　It　was　a　full　gathering　of　umuada；　in　the　same　way　as　they　would　meet　if　a　death　occurred　。　There　were　twenty…two　of　them。
　　They　sat　in　a　big　circle　on　the　ground　and　the　young　bride　in　the　center　with　a　hen　in　her　right　hand。　Uchendu　before　her；　holding　the　ancestral　staff　of　the　family。　The　men　stood　outside　the　circle；　watching。　Their　wives　also。　It　was　evening　and　the　sun　was　setting
　　Uchendu's　eldest　daughter；　Njide；　asked　her〃
　　〃Remember　that　if　you　do　not　answer　truthfully　you　will　suffer　or　even　die　at　childbirth；〃　she　began。　〃How　man　men　have　lain　with　you　since　my　brother　first　expressed　his　desire　to　marry　you？〃
　　〃None；〃　she　answered　simply。
　　〃Answer　truthfully；〃　urged　the　other　women
　　〃None？〃　asked　Njide。
　　〃None；〃　she　answered。
　　〃Swear　on　this　staff　of　my　fathers；〃　said　Uchendu
　　〃I　swear；〃　said　the　bride。
　　Uchendu　took　the　hen　from　her；　slit　its　throat　with　a　sharp　knife　and　allowed　some　of　the　blood　to　fall　on　the　ancestral　staff。
　　From　that　day　Amikwu　took　the　young　bride　and　she　became　his　wife。　The　daughters　of　the　clan　did　not　return　to　their　homes　immediately　but　spent　two　more　days　with　their　kinsmen。
　　On　the　second　day　Uchendu　called　together　his　sons　and　daughters　and　his　nephew；　Okonkwo。　The　men　brought　their　goatskin　mats；　with　which　they　sat　on　the　floor；　and　the　women　sat　on　a　sisal　mat　spread　on　a　raised　bank　of　earth。　Uchendu　pulled　gently　at　his　gray　beard　and　gnashed　his　teeth。　Then　he　began　to　speak；　quietly　and　deliberately；　picking　his　words　with　great　care：
　　〃It　is　Okonkwo　that　1　primarily　wish　to　speak　to；〃　he　began。　〃But　I　want　all　of　you　to　note　what　1　am　going　t