崩溃(Things Fall Apart) (英文版)作者:奇奴阿·阿切比-第19部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！


　　〃It　is　Okonkwo　that　1　primarily　wish　to　speak　to；〃　he　began。　〃But　I　want　all　of　you　to　note　what　1　am　going　to　say。　I　am　an　old　man　and　you　are　all　children。　1　know　more　about　the　world　than　any　of　you。　If　there　is　any　one　among　you　who　thinks　he　knows　more　let　him　speak　up。〃　He　paused；　but　no　one　spoke。
　　〃Why　is　Okonkwo　with　us　today？　This　is　not　his　clan。　We　are　only　his　mother's　kinsmen。　He　does　not　belong　here。　He　is　an　exile；　condemned　for　seven　years　to　live　in　a　strange　land。　And　so　he　is　bowed　with　grief。　But　there　is　just　one　question　I　would　like　to　ask　him。　Can　you　tell　me；　Okonkwo；　why　it　is　that　one　of　the　monest　names　we　give　our　children　is　Nneka；　or　〃Mother　is　Supreme？〃　We　all　know　that　a　man　is　the　head　of　the　family　and　his　wives　do　his　bidding。　A　child　belongs　to　its　father　and　his　family　and　not　to　its　mother　and　her　family。　A　man　belongs　to　his　fatherland　and　not　to　his　motherland。　And　yet　we　say　Nneka　…　'Mother　is　Supreme。'　Why　is　that？〃
　　There　was　silence。　〃1　want　Okonkwo　to　answer　me；〃　said　Uchendu。
　　〃I　do　not　know　the　answer；〃　Okonkwo　replied。
　　〃You　do　not　know　the　answer？　So　you　see　that　you　are　a　child。　You　have　many　wives　and　many　children—more　children　than　I　have。　You　are　a　great　man　in　your　clan。　But　you　are　still　a　child；　my　child。　Listen　to　me　and　I　shall　tell　you。　But　there　is　one　more　question　I　shall　ask　you。　Why　is　it　that　when　a　woman　dies　she　is　taken　home　to　be　buried　with　her　own　kinsmen？　She　is　not　buried　with　her　husband's　kinsmen。　Why　is　that？　Your　mother　was　brought　home　to　me　and　buried　with　my　people。　Why　was　that？〃
　　Okonkwo　shook　his　head。
　　〃He　does　not　know　that　either；〃　said　Uchendu；　〃and　yet　he　is　full　of　sorrow　because　he　has　e　to　live　in　his　motherland　for　a　few　years。〃　He　laughed　a　mirthless　laughter；　and　turned　to　his　sons　and　daughters。　〃What　about　you？　Can　you　answer　my　question？〃
　　They　all　shook　their　heads。
　　〃Then　listen　to　me；〃　he　said　and　cleared　his　throat。　〃It's　true　that　a　child　belongs　to　its　father。　But　when　a　father　beats　his　child；　it　seeks　sympathy　in　its　mother's　hut。　A　man　belongs　to　his　fatherland　when　things　are　good　and　life　is　sweet。　But　when　there　is　sorrow　and　bitterness　he　finds　refuge　in　his　motherland。　Your　mother　is　there　to　protect　you。　She　is　buried　there。　And　that　is　why　we　say　that　mother　is　supreme。　Is　it　right　that　you；　Okonkwo；　should　bring　to　your　mother　a　heavy　face　and　refuse　to　be　forted？　Be　careful　or　you　may　displease　the　dead。　Your　duty　is　to　fort　your　wives　and　children　and　take　them　back　to　your　fatherland　after　seven　years。　But　if　you　allow　sorrow　to　weigh　you　down　and　kill　you　they　will　all　die　in　exile。〃　He　paused　for　a　long　while。　〃These　are　now　your　kinsmen。〃　He　waved　at　his　sons　and　daughters。
　　〃You　think　you　are　the　greatest　sufferer　in　the　world？　Do　you　know　that　men　are　sometimes　banished　for　life？　Do　you　know　that　men　sometimes　lose　all　their　yams　and　even　their　children？　I　had　six　wives　once。　I　have　none　now　except　that　young　girl　who　knows　not　her　right　from　her　left。　Do　you　know　how　many　children　I　have　buried—children　I　begot　in　my　youth　and　strength？　Twenty…two。　I　did　not　hang　myself；　and　I　am　still　alive。　If　you　think　you　are　the　greatest　sufferer　in　the　world　ask　my　daughter；　Akueni；　how　many　twins　she　has　borne　and　thrown　away。　Have　you　not　heard　the　song　they　sing　when　a　woman　dies？
　　〃'For　whom　is　it　well；　for　whom　is　it　well？　There　is　no　one　for　whom　it　is　well。'
　　〃I　have　no　more　to　say　to　you。〃
　　CHAPTER　FIFTEEN
　　It　was　in　the　second　year　of　Okonkwo's　exile　that　his　friend；　Obierika；　came　to　visit　him。
　　He　brought　with　him　two　young　men；　each　of　them　carrying　a　heavy　bag　on　his　head。　Okonkwo　helped　them　put　down　their　loads。　It　was　clear　that　the　bags　were　full　of　cowries。
　　Okonkwo　was　very　happy　to　receive　his　friend。　His　wives　and　children　were　very　happy　too；　and　so　were　his　cousins　and　their　wives　when　he　sent　for　them　and　told　them　who　his　guest　was。
　　〃You　must　take　him　to　salute　our　father；〃　said　one　of　the　cousins。
　　〃Yes；〃　replied　Okonkwo。　〃We　are　going　directly。〃　But　before　they　went　he　whispered　something　to　his　first　wife。　She　nodded；　and　soon　the　children　were　chasing　one　of　their　cocks。
　　Uchendu　had　been　told　by　one　of　his　grandchildren　that　three　strangers　had　e　to　Okonkwo's　house。　He　was　therefore　waiting　to　receive　them。　He　held　out　his　hands　to　them　when　they　came　into　his　obi；　and　after　they　had　shaken　hands　he　asked　Okonkwo　who　they　were。
　　〃This　is　Obierika；　my　great　friend。　I　have　already　spoken　to　you　about　him。〃
　　〃Yes；〃　said　the　old　man；　turning　to　Obierika。　〃My　son　has　told　me　about　you；　and　I　am　happy　you　have　e　to　see　us。　I　knew　your　father；　Iweka。　He　was　a　great　man。　He　had　many　friends　here　and　came　to　see　them　quite　often。　Those　were　good　days　when　a　man　had　friends　in　distant　clans。　Your　generation　does　not　know　that。　You　stay　at　home；　afraid　of　your　next…door　neighbor。　Even　a　man's　motherland　is　strange　to　him　nowadays。〃　He　looked　at　Okonkwo。　〃I　am　an　old　man　and　I　like　to　talk。　That　is　all　I　am　good　for　now。〃　He　got　up　painfully；　went　into　an　inner　room　and　came　back　with　a　kola　nut。
　　〃Who　are　the　young　men　with　you？〃　he　asked　as　he　sat　down　again　on　his　goatskin。　Okonkwo　told　him。
　　〃Ah；〃　he　said。　〃Wele；　my　sons。〃　He　presented　the　kola　nut　to　them；　and　when　they　had　seen　it　and　thanked　him；　he　broke　it　and　they　ate。
　　〃Go　into　that　room；〃　he　said　to　Okonkwo；　pointing　with　his　finger。　〃You　will　find　a　pot　of　wine　there。〃
　　Okonkwo　brought　the　wine　and　they　began　to　drink。　It　was　a　day　old；　and　very　strong。
　　〃Yes；〃　said　Uchendu　after　a　long　silence。　〃People　traveled　more　in　those　days。　There　is　not　a　single　clan　in　these　parts　that　I　do　not　know　very　well。　Aninta；　Umuazu；　Ikeocha；　Elumelu；　Abame—I　know　them　all。〃
　　〃Have　you　heard；〃　asked　Obierika；　〃that　Abame　is　no　more？〃
　　〃How　is　that？〃　asked　Uchendu　and　Okonkwo　together。
　　〃Abame　has　been　wiped　out；〃　said　Obierika。　〃It　is　a　strange　and　terrible　story。　If　I　had　not　seen　the　few　survivors　with　my　own　eyes　and　heard　their　story　with　my　own　ears；　I　would　not　have　believed。　Was　it　not　on　an　Eke　day　that　they　fled　into　Umuofia？〃　he　asked　his　two　panions；　and　they　nodded　their　heads。
　　〃Three　moons　ago；〃　said　Obierika；　〃on　an　Eke　market　day　a　little　band　of　fugitives　came　into　our　town。　Most　of　them　were　sons　of　our　land　whose　mothers　had　been　buried　with　us。　But　there　were　some　too　who　came　because　they　had　friends　in　our　town；　and　others　who　could　think　of　nowhere　else　open　to　escape。　And　so　they　fled　into　Umuofia　with　a　woeful　story。〃　He　drank　his　palm…wine；　and　Okonkwo　filled　his　horn　again。　He　continued：
　　〃During　the　last　planting　season　a　white　man　had　appeared　in　their　clan。〃
　　〃An　albino；〃　suggested　Okonkwo。
　　〃He　was　not　an　albino。　He　was　quite　different。〃　He　sipped　his　wine。　〃And　he　was　riding　an　iron　horse。　The　first　people　who　saw　him　ran　away；　but　he　stood　beckoning　to　them。　In　the　end　the　fearless　ones　went　near　and　even　touched　him。　The　elders　consulted　their　Oracle　and　it　told　them　that　the　strange　man　would　break　their　clan　and　spread　destruction　among　them。〃　Obierika　again　drank　a　little　of　his　wine。　〃And　so　they　killed　the　white　man　and　tied　his　iron　horse　to　their　sacred　tree　because　it　looked　as　if　it　would　run　away　to　call　the　man's　friends。　I　forgot　to　tell　you　another　thing　which　the　Oracle　said。　It　said　that　other　white　men　were　on　their　way。　They　were　locusts；　it　said；　and　that　first　man　was　their　harbinger　sent　to　explore　the　terrain。　And　so　they　killed　him。〃
　　〃What　did　the　white　man　say　before　they　killed　him？〃　asked　Uchendu。
　　〃He　said　nothing；〃　answered　one　of　Obierika's　panions。
　　〃He　said　something；　only　they　did　not　understand　him；〃　said　Obierika。　〃He　seemed　to　speak　through　his　nose。〃
　　〃One　of　the　men　told　me；〃　said　Obierika's　other　panion；　〃that　he　repeated　over　and　over　again　a　word　that　resembled　Mbaino。　Perhaps　he　had　been　going　to　Mbaino　and　had　lost　his　way。〃
　　〃Anyway；〃　resumed　Obierika；　〃they　killed　him　and　tied　up　his　iron　horse。　This　was　before　the　planting　season　began。　For　a　long　time　nothing　happened。　The　rains　had　e　and　yams　had　been　sown。　The　iron　horse　was　still　tied　to　the　sacred　silk…cotton　tree。　And　then　one　morning　three　white　men　led　by　a　band　of　ordinary　men　like　us　came　to　the　clan。　They　saw　the　iron　horse　and　went　away　again。　Most　of　the　men　and　women　of　Abame　had　gone　to　their　farms。　Only　a　few　of　them　saw　these　white　men　and　their　followers。　For　many　market　weeks　nothing　else　happened。　They　have　a　big　market　in　Abame　on　every　other　Afo　day　and；　as　you　know；　the　whole　clan　gathers　there。　That　was　the　day　it　happened。　The　three　white　men　and　a　very　large　number　of　other　men　surrounded　the　market。　They　must　have　used　a　powerful　medicine　to　make　themselves　invisible　until　the　market　was　full。　And　they　began　to　shoot。　Everybody　was　killed；　except　the　old　and　the　sick　who　were　at　home　and　a　handful　of　men　and　women　whose　chi　were　wide　awake　and　brought　them　out　of　that　market。〃　He　paused。
　　〃Their　clan　is　now　pletely　empty。　Even　the　sacred　fish　in　their　mysterious　lake　have　fled　and　the　lake　has　turned　the　color　of　blood。　A　great　evil　has　e　upon　their　land　as　the　Oracle　had　warned。〃
　　There　was　a　long　silence。　Uchendu　ground　his　teeth　together　audibly。　Then　he　burst　out：
　　〃Never　kill　a　man　who　says　nothing。　Those　men　of　Abame　were　fools。　What　did　they　know　about　the　man？〃　He　ground　his　teeth　again　and　told　a　story　to　illustrate　his　point。　〃Mother　Kite　once　sent　her　daughter　to　bring　food。　She　went；　and　brought　back　a　duckling。　'You　have　done　very　well；'　said　Mother　Kite　to　her　daughter；　'but　tell　me；　what　did　the　mother　of　this　duckling　say　when　you　swooped　and　carried　its　child　away？'　'It　said　nothing；'　replied　the　young　kite。　'It　just　walked　away。'　'You　must　return　the　duckling；'　said　Mother　Kite。　'There　is　something　ominous　behind　the　silence。'　And　so　Daughter　Kite　returned　the　duckling　and　took　a　chick　instead。　'What　did　the　mother　of　this　chick　do？'　asked　the　old　kite。　'It　cried　and　raved　and　cursed　me；'　said　the　young　kite。　'Then　we　can　eat　the　chick；'　said　her　mother。　'There　is　nothing　to　fear　from　someone　who　shouts。'　Those　men　of　Abame　were