崩溃(Things Fall Apart) (英文版)作者:奇奴阿·阿切比-第24部分

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　　〃I　wish　she　were　a　boy；〃　Okonkwo　thought　within　himself。　She　understood　things　so　perfectly。　Who　else　among　his　children　could　have　read　his　thoughts　so　well？　With　two　beautiful　grown…up　daughters　his　return　to　Umuofia　would　attract　considerable　attention。　His　future　sons…in…law　would　be　men　of　authority　in　the　clan。　The　poor　and　unknown　would　not　dare　to　e　forth。
　　Umuofia　had　indeed　changed　during　the　seven　years　Okonkwo　had　been　in　exile。　The　church　had　e　and　led　many　astray。　Not　only　the　low…born　and　the　outcast　but　sometimes　a　worthy　man　had　joined　it。　Such　a　man　was　Ogbuefi　Ugonna；　who　had　taken　two　titles；　and　who　like　a　madman　had　cut　the　anklet　of　his　titles　and　cast　it　away　to　join　the　Christians。　The　white　missionary　was　very　proud　of　him　and　he　was　one　of　the　first　men　in　Umuofia　to　receive　the　sacrament　of　Holy　munion；　or　Holy　Feast　as　it　was　called　in　Ibo。　Ogbuefi　Ugonna　had　thought　of　the　Feast　in　terms　of　eating　and　drinking；　only　more　holy　than　the　village　variety。　He　had　therefore　put　his　drinking…horn　into　his　goatskin　bag　for　the　occasion。
　　But　apart　from　the　church；　the　white　men　had　also　brought　a　government。　They　had　built　a　court　where　the　District　missioner　judged　cases　in　ignorance。　He　had　court　messengers　who　brought　men　to　him　for　trial。　Many　of　these　messengers　came　from　Umuru　on　the　bank　of　the　Great　River；　where　the　white　men　first　came　many　years　before　and　where　they　had　built　the　center　of　their　religion　and　trade　and　government。　These　court　messengers　were　greatly　hated　in　Umuofia　because　they　were　foreigners　and　also　arrogant　and　high…handed。　They　were　called　kotma；　and　because　of　their　ash…colored　shorts　they　earned　the　additional　name　of　Ashy　Buttocks。　They　guarded　the　prison；　which　was　full　of　men　who　had　offended　against　the　white　man's　law。　Some　of　these　prisoners　had　thrown　away　their　twins　and　some　had　molested　the　Christians。　They　were　beaten　in　the　prison　by　the　kotma　and　made　to　work　every　morning　clearing　the　government　pound　and　fetching　wood　for　the　white　missioner　and　the　court　messengers。　Some　of　these　prisoners　were　men　of　title　who　should　be　above　such　mean　occupation。　They　were　grieved　by　the　indignity　and　mourned　for　their　neglected　farms。　As　they　cut　grass　in　the　morning　the　younger　men　sang　in　time　with　the　strokes　of　their　machetes：
　　〃Kotma　of　the　ashy　buttocks；
　　He　is　fit　to　be　a　slave。　The　white　man　has　no　sense；
　　He　is　fit　to　be　a　slave。〃
　　The　court　messengers　did　not　like　to　be　called　Ashy…Buttocks；　and　they　beat　the　men。　But　the　song　spread　in　Umuofia。
　　Okonkwo's　head　was　bowed　in　sadness　as　Obierika　told　him　these　things。
　　〃Perhaps　I　have　been　away　too　long；〃　Okonkwo　said；　almost　to　himself。　〃But　I　cannot　understand　these　things　you　tell　me。　What　is　it　that　has　happened　to　our　people？　Why　have　they　lost　the　power　to　fight？〃
　　〃Have　you　not　heard　how　the　white　man　wiped　out　Abame？〃　asked　Obierika。
　　〃I　have　heard；〃　said　Okonkwo。　〃But　I　have　also　heard　that　Abame　people　were　weak　and　foolish。　Why　did　they　not　fight　back？　Had　they　no　guns　and　machetes？　We　would　be　cowards　lo　pare　ourselves　with　the　men　of　Abame。　Their　fathers　had　never　dared　to　stand　before　our　ancestors。　We　must　fight　these　men　and　drive　them　from　the　land。〃
　　〃It　is　already　too　late；〃　said　Obierika　sadly。　〃Our　own　men　and　our　sons　have　joined　the　ranks　of　the　stranger。　They　have　joined　his　religion　and　they　help　to　uphold　his　government。　If　we　should　try　to　drive　out　the　white　men　in　Umuofia　we　should　find　it　easy。　There　are　only　two　of　them。　But　what　of　our　own　people　who　are　following　their　way　and　have　been　given　power？　They　would　go　to　Umuru　and　bring　the　soldiers；　and　we　would　be　like　Abame。〃　He　paused　for　a　long　time　and　then　said：　〃I　told　you　on　my　last　visit　to　Mbanta　how　they　hanged　Aneto。〃
　　〃What　has　happened　to　that　piece　of　land　in　dispute？〃　asked　Okonkwo。
　　〃The　white　man's　court　has　decided　that　it　should　belong　to　Nnama's　family；　who　had　given　much　money　to　the　white　man's　messengers　and　interpreter。〃
　　〃Does　the　white　man　understand　our　custom　about　land？〃
　　〃How　can　he　when　he　does　not　even　speak　our　tongue？　But　he　says　that　our　customs　are　bad；　and　our　own　brothers　who　have　taken　up　his　religion　also　say　that　our　customs　are　bad。　How　do　you　think　we　can　fight　when　our　own　brothers　have　turned　against　us？　The　white　man　is　very　clever。　He　came　quietly　and　peaceably　with　his　religion。　We　were　amused　at　his　foolishness　and　allowed　him　to　stay。　Now　he　has　won　our　brothers；　and　our　clan　can　no　longer　act　like　one。　He　has　put　a　knife　on　the　things　that　held　us　together　and　we　have　fallen　apart。〃
　　〃How　did　they　get　hold　of　Ancto　to　hang　him？〃　asked　Okonkwo。
　　〃When　he　killed　Oduche　in　the　fight　over　the　land；　he　fled　to　Aninta　to　escape　the　wrath　of　the　earth。　This　was　about　eight　days　after　the　fight；　because　Oduche　had　not　died　immediately　from　his　wounds。　It　was　on　the　seventh　day　that　he　died。　But　everybody　knew　that　he　was　going　to　die　and　Aneto　got　his　belongings　together　in　readiness　to　flee。　But　the　Christians　had　told　the　white　man　about　the　accident；　and　he　sent　his　kotma　to　catch　Aneto。　He　was　imprisoned　with　all　the　leaders　of　his　family。　In　the　end　Oduche　died　and　Aneto　was　taken　to　Umuru　and　hanged。　The　other　people　were　released；　but　even　now　they　have　not　found　the　mouth　with　which　to　tell　of　their　suffering。〃
　　The　two　men　sat　in　silence　for　a　long　while　afterwards。
　　CHAPTER　TWENTY…ONE
　　There　were　many　men　and　women　in　Umuofia　who　did　not　feel　as　strongly　as　Okonkwo　about　the　new　dispensation。　The　white　man　had　indeed　brought　a　lunatic　religion；　but　he　had　also　built　a　trading　store　and　for　the　first　time　palm…oil　and　kernel　became　things　of　great　price；　and　much　money　flowed　into　Umuofia。
　　And　even　in　the　matter　of　religion　there　was　a　growing　feeling　that　there　might　be　something　in　it　after　all；　something　vaguely　akin　to　method　in　the　overwhelming　madness。
　　This　growing　feeling　was　due　to　Mr。　Brown；　the　white　missionary；　who　was　very　firm　in　restraining　his　flock　from　provoking　the　wrath　of　the　clan。　One　member　in　particular　was　very　difficult　to　restrain。　His　name　was　Enoch　and　his　father　was　the　priest　of　the　snake　cult。　The　story　went　around　that　Enoch　had　killed　and　eaten　the　sacred　python；　and　that　his　father　had　cursed　him。
　　Mr。　Brown　preached　against　such　excess　of　zeal。　Everything　was　possible；　he　told　his　energetic　flock；　but　everything　was　not　expedient。　And　so　Mr。　Brown　came　to　be　respected　even　by　the　clan；　because　he　trod　softly　on　its　faith。　He　made　friends　with　some　of　the　great　men　of　the　clan　and　on　one　of　his　frequent　visits　to　the　neighboring　villages　he　had　been　presented　with　a　carved　elephant　tusk；　which　was　a　sign　of　dignity　and　rank。　One　of　the　great　men　in　that　village　was　called　Akunna　and　he　had　given　one　of　his　sons　to　be　taught　the　white　man's　knowledge　in　Mr。　Brown's　school。
　　Whenever　Mr。　Brown　went　to　that　village　he　spent　long　hours　with　Akunna　in　his　obi　talking　through　an　interpreter　about　religion。　Neither　of　them　succeeded　in　converting　the　other　but　they　learned　more　about　their　different　beliefs。
　　〃You　say　that　there　is　one　supreme　God　who　made　heaven　and　earth；〃　said　Akunna　on　one　of　Mr。　Brown's　visits。　〃We　also　believe　in　Him　and　call　Him　Chukwu。　He　made　all　the　world　and　the　other　gods。〃
　　〃There　are　no　other　gods；〃　said　Mr。　Brown。　〃Chukwu　is　the　only　God　and　all　others　are　false。　You　carve　a　piece　of　wood—like　that　one〃　（he　pointed　at　the　rafters　from　which　Akunna's　carved　Ikenga　hung）；　〃and　you　call　it　a　god。　But　it　is　still　a　piece　of　wood。〃
　　〃Yes；〃　said　Akunna。　〃It　is　indeed　a　piece　of　wood。　The　tree　from　which　it　came　was　made　by　Chukwu；　as　indeed　all　minor　gods　were。　But　He　made　them　for　His　messengers　so　that　we　could　approach　Him　through　them。　It　is　like　yourself。　You　are　the　head　of　your　church。〃
　　〃No；〃　protested　Mr。　Brown。　〃The　head　of　my　church　is　God　Himself。〃
　　〃I　know；〃　said　Akunna；　〃but　there　must　be　a　head　in　this　world　among　men。　Somebody　like　yourself　must　be　the　head　here。〃
　　〃The　head　of　my　church　in　that　sense　is　in　England。〃
　　〃That　is　exactly　what　I　am　saying。　The　head　of　your　church　is　in　your　country。　He　has　sent　you　here　as　his　messenger。　And　you　have　also　appointed　your　own　messengers　and　servants。　Or　let　me　take　another　example；　the　District　missioner。　He　is　sent　by　your　king。〃
　　〃They　have　a　queen；〃　said　the　interpreter　on　his　own　account。
　　〃Your　queen　sends　her　messenger；　the　District　missioner。　He　finds　that　he　cannot　do　the　work　alone　and　so　he　appoints　kotma　to　help　him。　It　is　the　same　with　God；　or　Chukwu。　He　appoints　the　smaller　gods　to　help　Him　because　His　work　is　too　great　for　one　person。〃
　　〃You　should　not　think　of　Him　as　a　person；〃　said　Mr。　Brown。　〃It　is　because　you　do　so　that　you　imagine　He　must　need　helpers。　And　the　worst　thing　about　it　is　that　you　give　all　the　worship　to　the　false　gods　you　have　created。〃
　　〃That　is　not　so。　We　make　sacrifices　to　the　little　gods；　but　when　they　fail　and　there　is　no　one　else　to　turn　to　we　go　to　Chukwu。　It　is　right　to　do　so。　We　approach　a　great　man　through　his　servants。　But　when　his　servants　fail　to　help　us；　then　we　go　to　the　last　source　of　hope。　We　appear　to　pay　greater　attention　to　the　little　gods　but　that　is　not　so。　We　worry　them　more　because　we　are　afraid　to　worry　their　Master。　Our　fathers　knew　that　Chukwu　was　the　Overlord　and　that　is　why　many　of　them　gave　their　children　the　name　Chukwuka—〃Chukwu　is　Supreme。〃
　　〃You　said　one　interesting　thing；〃　said　Mr。　Brown。　〃You　are　afraid　of　Chukwu。　In　my　religion　Chukwu　is　a　loving　Father　and　need　not　be　feared　by　those　who　do　His　will。〃
　　〃But　we　must　fear　Him　when　we　are　not　doing　His　will；〃　said　Akunna。　〃And　who　is　to　tell　His　will？　It　is　too　great　to　be　known。〃
　　In　this　way　Mr。　Brown　learned　a　good　deal　about　the　religion　of　the　clan　and　he　came　to　the　conclusion　that　a　frontal　attack　on　it　would　not　succeed。　And　so　he　built　a　school　and　a　little　hospital　in　Umuofia。　He　went　from　family　to　family　begging　people　to　send　their　children　to　his　school。　But　at　first　they　only　sent　their　slaves　or　sometimes　their　lazy　children。　Mr。　Brown　begged　and　argued　and　prophesied。　He　said　that　the　leaders