崩溃(Things Fall Apart) (英文版)作者:奇奴阿·阿切比-第20部分

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　men　of　Abame　were　fools。〃
　　〃They　were　fools；〃　said　Okonkwo　after　a　pause。　〃They　had　been　warned　that　danger　was　ahead。　They　should　have　armed　themselves　with　their　guns　and　their　machetes　even　when　they　went　to　market。〃
　　〃They　have　paid　for　their　foolishness；〃　said　Obierika；　〃But　I　am　greatly　afraid。　We　have　heard　stories　about　white　men　who　made　the　powerful　guns　and　the　strong　drinks　and　took　slaves　away　across　the　seas；　but　no　one　thought　the　stories　were　true。〃
　　〃There　is　no　story　that　is　not　true；〃　said　Uchendu。　〃The　world　has　no　end；　and　what　is　good　among　one　people　is　an　abomination　with　others。　We　have　albinos　among　us。　Do　you　not　think　that　they　came　to　our　clan　by　mistake；　that　they　have　strayed　from　their　way　to　a　land　where　everybody　is　like　them？〃
　　Okonkwo's　first　wife　soon　finished　her　cooking　and　set　before　their　guests　a　big　meal　of　pounded　yams　and　bitter…leaf　soup。　Okonkwo's　son；　Nwoye；　brought　in　a　pot　of　sweet　wine　tapped　from　the　raffia　palm。
　　〃You　are　a　big　man　now；〃　Obierika　said　to　Nwoye。　〃Your　friend　Anene　asked　me　to　greet　you。〃
　　〃Is　he　well？〃　asked　Nwoye。
　　〃We　are　all　well；〃　said　Obierika。
　　Ezinma　brought　them　a　bowl　of　water　with　which　to　wash　their　hands。　After　that　they　began　to　eat　and　to　drink　the　wine。
　　〃When　did　you　set　out　from　home？〃　asked　Okonkwo。
　　〃We　had　meant　to　set　out　from　my　house　before　cockcrow；〃　said　Obierika。　〃But　Nweke　did　not　appear　until　it　was　quite　light。　Never　make　an　early　morning　appointment　with　a　man　who　has　just　married　a　new　wife。〃　They　all　laughed。
　　〃Has　Nweke　married　a　wife？〃　asked　Okonkwo。
　　〃He　has　married　Okadigbo's　second　daughter；〃　said　Obierika。
　　〃That　is　very　good；〃　said　Okonkwo。　〃I　do　not　blame　you　for　not　hearing　the　cock　crow。〃
　　When　they　had　eaten；　Obierika　pointed　at　the　two　heavy　bags。
　　〃That　is　the　money　from　your　yams；〃　he　said。　〃I　sold　the　big　ones　as　soon　as　you　left。　Later　on　I　sold　some　of　the　seed…yams　and　gave　out　others　to　sharecroppers。　I　shall　do　that　every　year　until　you　return。　But　1　thought　you　would　need　the　money　now　and　so　I　brought　it。　Who　knows　what　may　happen　tomorrow？　Perhaps　green　men　will　e　to　our　clan　and　shoot　us。〃
　　〃God　will　not　permit　it；〃　said　Okonkwo。　〃1　do　not　know　how　to　thank　you。〃
　　〃I　can　tell　you；〃　said　Obierika。　〃Kill　one　of　your　sons　for
　　me。
　　〃That　will　not　be　enough；〃　said　Okonkwo。
　　〃Then　kill　yourself；〃　said　Obierika。
　　〃Forgive　me；〃　said　Okonkwo；　smiling。　〃I　shall　not　talk　about　thanking　you　any　more。〃
　　CHAPTER　SIXTEEN
　　When　nearly　two　years　later　Obierika　paid　another　visit　to　his　friend　in　exile　the　circumstances　were　less　happy。　The　missionaries　had　e　to　Umuofia。　They　had　built　their　church　there；　won　a　handful　of　converts　and　were　already　sending　evangelists　to　the　surrounding　towns　and　villages。　That　was　a　source　of　great　sorrow　to　the　leaders　of　the　clan；　but　many　of　them　believed　that　the　strange　faith　and　the　white　man's　god　would　not　last。　None　of　his　converts　was　a　man　whose　word　was　heeded　in　ihe　assembly　of　the　people。　None　of　them　was　a　man　of　title。　They　were　mostly　the　kind　of　people　that　were　called　efulefu；　worthless；　empty　men。　The　imagery　of　an　efulefu　in　the　language　of　the　clan　was　a　man　who　sold　his　machete　and　wore　the　sheath　to　battle。　Chielo；　the　priestess　of　Agbala；　called　the　converts　the　excrement　of　the　clan；　and　the　new　faith　was　a　mad　dog　that　had　e　to　eat　it　up。
　　What　moved　Obierika　to　visit　Okonkwo　was　the　sudden　appearance　of　the　latter's　son；　Nwoye；　among　the　missionaries　in　Umuofia。
　　〃What　are　you　doing　here？〃　Obierika　had　asked　when　　after　many　difficulties　the　missionaries　had　allowed　him　to　speak　to　the　boy。
　　〃1　am　one　of　them；〃　replied　Nwoye。
　　〃How　is　your　father？〃　Obierika　asked；　not　knowing　what　else　to　say。
　　〃1　don't　know。　He　is　not　my　father；〃　said　Nwoye；　unhappily。
　　And　so　Obierika　went　to　Mbanta　to　see　his　friend。　And　he　found　that　Okonkwo　did　not　wish　to　speak　about　Nwoye。　It　was　only　from　Nwoye's　mother　that　he　heard　scraps　of　the　story。
　　The　arrival　of　the　missionaries　had　caused　a　considerable　stir　in　the　village　of　Mbanta。　There　were　six　of　them　and　one　was　a　white　man。　Every　man　and　woman　came　out　to　see　the　white　man。　Stories　about　these　strange　men　had　grown　sim　　one　of　them　had　been　killed　in　Abame　and　his　iron　horse　tied　to　the　sacred　silk…cotton　tree。　And　so　everybody　came　to　see　the　white　man。　It　was　the　time　of　the　year　when　everybody　was　at　home。　The　harvest　was　over。
　　When　they　had　all　gathered；　the　white　man　began　to　speak　to　them。　He　spoke　through　an　interpreter　who　was　an　Ibo　man；　though　his　dialect　was　different　and　harsh　to　the　enrs　of　Mbanta。　Many　people　laughed　at　his　dialect　and　the　way　he　used　words　strangely。　Instead　of　saying　〃myself〃　he　always　said　〃my　buttocks。〃　But　he　was　a　man　of　manding　presence　and　the　clansmen　listened　to　him。　He　said　he　was　one　of　them；　they　could　see　from　his　color　and　his　language。　The　other　four　black　men　were　also　their　brothers；　although　one　of　them　did　not　speak　Ibo。　The　white　man　was　also　their　brother　because　they　were　all　sons　of　God。　And　he　told　them　about　this　new　God；　the　Creator　of　all　the　world　and　all　the　men　and　women。　He　told　them　that　they　worshipped　false　gods；　gods　of　wood　and　stone。　A　deep　murmur　went　through　the　crowd　when　he　said　this。　He　told　them　that　the　true　God　lived　on　high　and　that　all　men　when　they　died　went　before　Him　for　judgment。　Evil　men　and　all　the　heathen　who　in　their　blindness　bowed　to　wood　and　stone　were　thrown　into　a　fire　that　burned　like　palm…oil。　But　good　men　who　worshipped　the　true　God　lived　forever　in　His　happy　kingdom。　〃We　have　been　sent　by　this　great　God　to　ask　you　to　leave　your　wicked　ways　and　false　gods　and　turn　to　Him　so　that　you　may　be　saved　when　you　die；〃　he　said。
　　〃Your　buttocks　understand　our　language；〃　said　someone　light…heartedly　and　the　crowd　laughed。
　　〃What　did　he　say？〃　the　white　man　asked　his　interpreter。　But　before　he　could　answer；　another　man　asked　a　question：　〃Where　is　the　white　man's　horse？〃　he　asked。　The　Ibo　evangelists　consulted　among　themselves　and　decided　that　the　man　probably　meant　bicycle。　They　told　the　white　man　and　he　smiled　benevolently。
　　〃Tell　them；〃　he　said；　〃that　I　shall　bring　many　iron　horses　when　we　have　settled　down　among　them。　Some　of　them　will　even　ride　the　iron　horse　themselves。〃　This　was　interpreted　to　them　but　very　few　of　them　heard。　They　were　talking　excitedly　among　themselves　because　the　white　man　had　said　he　was　going　to　live　among　them。　They　had　not　thought　about　that。
　　At　this　point　an　old　man　said　he　had　a　question。　〃Which　is　this　god　of　yours；〃　he　asked；　〃the　goddess　of　the　earth；　the　god　of　the　sky；　Amadiora　or　the　thunderbolt；　or　what？〃
　　The　interpreter　spoke　to　the　white　man　and　he　immediately　gave　his　answer。　〃All　the　gods　you　have　named　are　not　gods　at　all。　They　are　gods　of　deceit　who　tell　you　to　kill　your　fellows　and　destroy　innocent　children。　There　is　only　one　true　God　and　He　has　the　earth；　the　sky；　you　and　me　and　all　of　us。〃
　　〃If　we　leave　our　gods　and　follow　your　god；〃　asked　another　man；　〃who　will　protect　us　from　the　anger　of　our　neglected　gods　and　ancestors？〃
　　〃Your　gods　are　not　alive　and　cannot　do　you　any　harm；〃　replied　the　white　man。　〃They　are　pieces　of　wood　and　stone。〃
　　When　this　was　interpreted　to　the　men　of　Mbanta　they　broke　into　derisive　laughter。　These　men　must　be　mad；　they　said　to　themselves。　How　else　could　they　say　that　Ani　and　Amadiora　were　harmless？　And　Idemili　and　Ogwugwu　too？　And　some　of　them　began　to　go　away。
　　Then　the　missionaries　burst　into　song。　It　was　one　of　those　gay　and　rollicking　tunes　of　evangelism　which　had　the　power　of　plucking　at　silent　and　dusty　chords　in　the　heart　of　an　Ibo　man。　The　interpreter　explained　each　verse　to　the　audience；　some　of　whom　now　stood　enthralled。　It　was　a　story　of　brothers　who　lived　in　darkness　and　in　fear；　ignorant　of　the　love　of　God。　It　told　of　one　sheep　out　on　the　hills；　away　from　the　gates　of　God　and　from　the　tender　shepherd's　care。
　　After　the　singing　the　interpreter　spoke　about　the　Son　of　God　whose　name　was　Jesu　Kristi。　Okonkwo；　who　only　stayed　in　the　hope　that　it　might　e　to　chasing　the　men　out　of　the　village　or　whipping　them；　now　said
　　〃You　told　us　with　your　own　mouth　that　there　was　only　one　god。　Now　you　talk　about　his　son。　He　must　have　a　wife；　then。〃　The　crowd　agreed。
　　〃I　did　not　say　He　had　a　wife；〃　said　the　interpreter；　somewhat　lamely。
　　〃Your　buttocks　said　he　had　a　son；〃　said　the　joker。　〃So　he　must　have　a　wife　and　all　of　them　must　have　buttocks。〃
　　The　missionary　ignored　him　and　went　on　to　talk　about　the　Holy　Trinity。　At　the　end　of　it　Okonkwo　was　fully　convinced　that　the　man　was　mad。　He　shrugged　his　shoulders　and　went　away　to　tap　his　afternoon　palm…wine。
　　But　there　was　a　young　lad　who　had　been　captivated。　His　name　was　Nwoye；　Okonkwo's　first　son。　It　was　not　the　mad　logic　of　the　Trinity　that　captivated　him。　He　did　not　understand　it。　It　was　the　poetry　of　the　new　religion；　something　felt　in　the　marrow。　The　hymn　about　brothers　who　sat　in　darkness　and　in　fear　seemed　to　answer　a　vague　and　persistent　question　that　haunted　his　young　soul—the　question　of　the　twins　crying　in　the　bush　and　the　question　of　Ikemefuna　who　was　killed。　He　lelt　a　relief　within　as　the　hymn　poured　into　his　parched　soul。　The　words　of　the　hymn　were　like　the　drops　of　frozen　rain　melting　on　the　dry　palate　of　the　panting　earth。　Nwoye's　callow　mind　was　greatly　puzzled。
　　CHAPTER　SEVENTEEN
　　The　missionaries　spent　their　first　four　or　five　nights　in　the　marketplace；　and　went　into　the　village　in　the　morning　to　preach　the　gospel。　They　asked　who　the　king　of　the　village　was；　but　the　villagers　told　them　that　there　was　no　king。　〃We　have　men　of　high　title　and　the　chief　priests　and　the　elders；〃　they　said。
　　It　was　not　very　easy　getting　the　men　of　high　title　and　the　elders　together　after　the　excitement　of　the　first　day。　But　the　arrivees　persevered；　and　in　the　end　they　were　received　by　them　They　asked　for　a　plot　of　land　to　build　on；
　　An　evil　forest　　was　where　the　clan　buried　all　those　who　died　of　the　really　evil　diseases；　like　leprosy　and　smallpox。　It　was　also　the　dumping　ground　for　highly　potent　fetishes　of　great　medicine　men　when　they　died。　An