崩溃(Things Fall Apart) (英文版)作者:奇奴阿·阿切比-第25部分

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sometimes　their　lazy　children。　Mr。　Brown　begged　and　argued　and　prophesied。　He　said　that　the　leaders　of　the　land　in　the　future　would　be　men　and　women　who　had　learned　to　read　and　write。　If　Umuofia　failed　to　send　her　children　to　the　school；　strangers　would　e　from　other　places　to　rule　them。　They　could　already　see　that　happening　in　the　Native　Court；　where　the　D。C。　was　surrounded　by　strangers　who　spoke　his　tongue。　Most　of　these　strangers　came　from　the　distant　town　of　Umuru　on　the　bank　of　the　Great　River　where　the　white　man　first　went。
　　In　the　end　Mr。　Brown's　arguments　began　to　have　an　effect。　More　people　came　to　learn　in　his　school；　and　he　encouraged　them　with　gifts　of　singlets　and　towels。　They　were　not　all　young；　these　people　who　came　to　learn。　Some　of　them　were　thirty　years　old　or　more。　They　worked　on　their　farms　in　the　morning　and　went　to　school　in　the　afternoon。　And　it　was　not　long　before　the　people　began　to　say　that　the　white　man's　medicine　was　quick　in　working。　Mr。　Brown's　school　produced　quick　results。　A　few　months　in　it　were　enough　to　make　one　a　court　messenger　or　even　a　court　clerk。　Those　who　stayed　longer　became　teachers；…　and　from　Umuofia　laborers　went　forth　into　the　Lord's　vineyard。　New　churches　were　established　in　the　surrounding　villages　and　a　few　schools　with　them。　From　the　very　beginning　religion　and　education　went　hand　in　hand。　Mr。　Brown's　mission　grew　from　strength　to　strength；　and　because　of　its　link　with　the　new　administration　it　earned　a　new　social　prestige。　But　Mr。　Brown　himself　was　breaking　down　in　health。　At　first　he　ignored　the　warning　signs。　But　in　the　end　he　had　to　leave　his　flock；　sad　and　broken。
　　It　was　in　the　first　rainy　season　after　Okonkwo's　return　to　Umuofia　that　Mr。　Brown　left　for　home。　As　soon　as　he　had　learned　of　Okonkwo's　return　five　months　earlier；　the　missionary　had　immediately　paid　him　a　visit。　He　had　just　sent　Okonkwo's　son；　Nwoye；　who　was　now　called　Isaac；　to　the　new　training　college　for　teachers　in　Umuru。　And　he　had　hoped　that　Okonkwo　would　be　happy　to　hear　of　it。　But　Okonkwo　had　driven　him　away　with　the　threat　that　if　he　came　into　his　pound　again；　he　would　be　carried　out　of　it。
　　Okonkwo's　return　to　his　native　land　was　not　as　memorable　as　he　had　wished。　It　was　true　his　two　beautiful　daughters　aroused　great　interest　among　suitors　and　marriage　negotiations　were　soon　in　progress；　but；　beyond　that；　Umuofia　did　not　appear　to　have　taken　any　special　notice　of　the　warrior's　return。　The　clan　had　undergone　such　profound　change　during　his　exile　that　it　was　barely　recognizable。　The　new　religion　and　government　and　the　trading　stores　were　very　much　in　the　people's　eyes　and　minds。　There　were　still　many　who　saw　these　new　institutions　as　evil；　but　even　they　talked　and　thought　about　little　else；　and　certainly　not　about　Okonkwo's　return。
　　And　it　was　the　wrong　year　too。　If　Okonkwo　had　immediately　initiated　his　two　sons　into　the　ozo　society　as　he　had　planned　he　would　have　caused　a　stir。　But　the　initiation　rite　was　performed　once　in　three　years　in　Umuofia；　and　he　had　to　wait　for　nearly　two　years　for　the　next　round　of　ceremonies。
　　Okonkwo　was　deeply　grieved。　And　it　was　not　just　a　personal　grief。　He　mourned　for　the　clan；　which　he　saw　breaking　up　and　falling　apart；　and　he　mourned　for　the　warlike　men　of　Umuofia；　who　had　so　unaccountably　bee　soft　like　women。
　　CHAPTER　TWENTY…TWO
　　Mr。　Brown's　successor　was　the　Reverend　James　Smith；　and　he　was　a　different　kind　of　man。　He　condemned　openly　Mr。　Brown's　policy　of　promise　and　acmodation。　He　saw　things　as　black　and　white。　And　black　was　evil。　He　saw　the　world　as　a　battlefield　in　which　the　children　of　light　were　locked　in　mortal　conflict　with　the　sons　of　darkness。　He　spoke　in　his　sermons　about　sheep　and　goats　and　about　wheat　and　tares。　He　believed　in　slaying　the　prophets　of　Baal。
　　Mr。　Smith　was　greatly　distressed　by　the　ignorance　which　many　of　his　flock　showed　even　in　such　things　as　the　Trinity　and　the　Sacraments。　It　only　showed　that　they　were　seeds　sown　on　a　rocky　soil。　Mr。　Brown　had　thought　of　nothing　but　numbers。　He　should　have　known　that　the　kingdom　of　God　did　not　depend　on　large　crowds。　Our　Lord　Himself　stressed　the　importance　of　fewness。　Narrow　is　the　way　and　few　the　number。　To　fill　the　Lord's　holy　temple　with　an　idolatrous　crowd　clamoring　for　signs　was　a　folly　of　everlasting　consequence。　Our　Lord　used　the　whip　only　once　in　His　life—to　drive　the　crowd　away　from　His　church。
　　Within　a　few　weeks　of　his　arrival　in　Umuofia　Mr。　Smith　suspended　a　young　woman　from　the　church　for　pouring　new　wine　into　old　bottles。　This　woman　had　allowed　her　heathen　husband　to　mutilate　her　dead　child。　The　child　had　been　declared　an　ogbanje；　plaguing　its　mother　by　dying　and　entering　her　womb　to　be　born　again。　Four　times　this　child　had　run　its　evil　round。　And　so　it　was　mutilated　to　discourage　it　from　returning。
　　Mr。　Smith　was　filled　with　wrath　when　he　heard　of　this。　He　disbelieved　the　story　which　even　some　of　the　most　faithful　confirmed；　the　story　of　really　evil　children　who　were　not　deterred　by　mutilation；　but　came　back　with　all　the　scars。　He　replied　that　such　stories　were　spread　in　the　world　by　the　Devil　to　lead　men　astray。　Those　who　believed　such　stories　were　unworthy　of　the　Lord's　table。
　　There　was　a　saying　in　Umuofia　that　as　a　man　danced　so　the　drums　were　beaten　for　him。　Mr。　Smith　danced　a　furious　step　and　so　the　drums　went　mad。　The　over…zealous　converts　who　had　smarted　under　Mr。　Brown's　restraining　hand　now　flourished　in　full　favor。　One　of　them　was　Enoch；　the　son　of　the　snake…priest　who　was　believed　to　have　killed　and　eaten　the　sacred　python。　Enoch's　devotion　to　the　new　faith　had　seemed　so　much　greater　than　Mr。　Brown's　that　the　villagers　called　him　the　outsider　who　wept　louder　than　the　bereaved。
　　Enoch　was　short　and　slight　of　build；　and　always　seemed　in　great　haste。　His　feet　were　short　and　broad；　and　when　he　stood　or　walked　his　heels　came　together　and　his　feet　opened　outwards　as　if　they　had　quarreled　and　meant　to　go　in　different　directions。　Such　was　the　excessive　energy　bottled　up　in
　　Enoch's　small　body　that　it　was　always　erupting　in　quarrels　and　fights。　On　Sundays　he　always　imagined　that　the　sermon　was　preached　for　the　benefit　of　his　enemies。　And　if　he　happened　to　sit　near　one　of　them　he　would　occasionally　turn　to　give　him　a　meaningful　look；　as　if　to　say；　〃I　told　you　so。〃　It　was　Enoch　who　touched　off　the　great　conflict　between　church　and　clan　in　Umuofia　which　had　been　gathering　since　Mr。　Brown　left。
　　It　happened　during　the　annual　ceremony　which　was　held　in　honor　of　the　earth　deity。　At　such　times　the　ancestors　of　the　clan　who　had　been　mitted　to　Mother　Earth　at　their　death　emerged　again　as　egwugwu　through　tiny　ant…holes。
　　One　of　the　greatest　crimes　a　man　could　mit　was　to　unmask　an　egwugwu　in　public；　or　to　say　or　do　anything　which　might　reduce　its　immortal　prestige　in　the　eyes　of　the　uninitiated。　And　this　was　what　Enoch　did。
　　The　annual　worship　of　the　earth　goddess　fell　on　a　Sunday；　and　the　masked　spirits　were　abroad。　The　Christian　women　who　had　been　to　church　could　not　therefore　go　home。　Some　of　their　men　had　gone　out　to　beg　the　egwugwu　to　retire　for　a　short　while　for　the　women　to　pass。　They　agreed　and　were　already　retiring；　when　Enoch　boasted　aloud　that　they　would　not　dare　to　touch　a　Christian。　Whereupon　they　all　came　back　and　one　of　them　gave　Enoch　a　good　stroke　of　the　cane；　which　was　always　carried。　Enoch　fell　on　him　and　tore　off　his　mask。　The　other　egwugwu　immediately　surrounded　their　desecrated　panion；　to　shield　him　from　the　profane　gaze　ol　women　and　children；　and　led　him　away。　Enoch　had　killed　an　ancestral　spirit；　and　Umuofia　was　thrown　into　confusion。
　　That　night　the　Mother　of　the　Spirits　walked　the　length　and　breadth　of　the　clan；　weeping　for　her　murdered　son。　It　was　a　terrible　night。　Not　even　the　oldest　man　in　Umuofia　had　ever　heard　such　a　strange　and　fearful　sound；　and　it　was　never　to　be　heard　again。　It　seemed　as　if　the　very　soul　of　the　tribe　wept　for　a　great　evil　that　was　ing—its　own　death。
　　On　the　next　day　all　the　masked　egwugwu　of　Umuofia　assembled　in　the　marketplace。　They　came　from　all　the　quarters　of　the　clan　and　even　from　the　neighboring　villages。　The　dreaded　Otakagu　came　from　Imo；　and　Ekwensu；　dangling　a　white　cock；　arrived　from　Uli。　It　was　a　terrible　gathering。　The　eerie　voices　of　countless　spirits；　the　bells　that　clattered　behind　some　of　them；　and　the　clash　of　machetes　as　they　ran　forwards　and　backwards　and　saluted　one　another；　sent　tremors　of　fear　into　every　heart。　For　the　first　time　in　living　memory　the　sacred　bull…roarer　was　heard　in　broad　daylight。
　　From　the　marketplace　the　furious　band　made　for　Enoch's　pound。　Some　of　the　elders　of　the　clan　went　with　them；　wearing　heavy　protections　of　charms　and　amulets。　These　were　men　whose　arms　were　strong　in　ogwu；　or　medicine。　As　for　the　ordinary　men　and　women；　they　listened　from　the　safety　of　their　huts。
　　The　leaders　of　the　Christians　had　met　together　at　Mr。　Smith's　parsonage　on　the　previous　night。　As　they　deliberated　they　could　hear　the　Mother　of　Spirits　wailing　for　her　son。　The　chilling　sound　affected　Mr。　Smith；　and　for　the　first　time　he　seemed　to　be　afraid。
　　〃What　are　they　planning　to　do？〃　he　asked。　No　one　knew；　because　such　a　thing　had　never　happened　before。　Mr。　Smith
　　would　have　sent　for　the　District　missioner　and　his　court　messengers；　but　they　had　gone　on　tour　on　the　previous　day。
　　〃One　thing　is　clear；〃　said　Mr。　Smith。　〃We　cannot　offer　physical　resistance　to　them。　Our　strength　lies　in　the　Lord。〃　They　knelt　down　together　and　prayed　to　God　for　delivery。
　　〃O　Lord；　save　Thy　people；〃　cried　Mr。　Smith。
　　〃And　bless　Thine　inheritance；〃　replied　the　men。
　　They　decided　that　Enoch　should　be　hidden　in　the　parsonage　for　a　day　or　two。　Enoch　himself　was　greatly　disappointed　when　he　heard　this；　for　he　had　hoped　that　a　holy　war　was　imminent；…　and　there　were　a　few　other　Christians　who　thought　like　him。　But　wisdom　prevailed　in　the　camp　of　the　faithful　and　many　lives　were　thus　saved。
　　The　band　of　egwugwu　moved　like　a　furious　whirlwind　to　Enoch's　pound　and　with　machete　and　fire　reduced　it　to　a　desolate　heap。　And　from　there　they　made　for　the　church；　intoxicated　with　destruction。
　　Mr。　Smith　was　in　his　church　when　he　heard　the　masked　spirits　ing。　He　walked　qui