崩溃(Things Fall Apart) (英文版)作者:奇奴阿·阿切比-第11部分

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ely　liquor；　white　foam　rose　and　spilled　over。
　　〃That　wine　is　the　work　of　a　good　tapper；〃　said　Okonkwo。
　　The　young　suitor；　whose　name　was　Ibe；　smiled　broadly　and　said　to　his　father：　〃Do　you　hear　that？〃　He　then　said　to　the　others：　〃He　will　never　admit　that　I　am　a　good　tapper。〃
　　〃He　tapped　three　of　my　best　palm　trees　to　death；〃　said　his　father；　Ukegbu。
　　〃That　was　about　five　years　ago；〃　said　Ibe；　who　had　begun　to　pour　out　the　wine；　〃before　i　learned　how　to　tap。〃　He　filled　the　first　horn　and　gave　to　his　father。　Then　he　poured　out　for　the　others。　Okonkwo　brought　out　lüs　big　horn　from　the　goatskin　bag；　blew　into　it　to　remove　any　dust　that　might　be　there；　and　gave　it　to　Ibe　to　fill。
　　As　the　men　drank；　they　talked　about　everything　except　the　thing　for　which　they　had　gathered。　It　was　only　after　the　pot　had　been　emptied　that　the　suitor's　father　cleared　his　voice　and　announced　the　object　of　their　visit。
　　Obierika　then　presented　to　him　a　small　bundle　of　short　broomsticks。　Ukegbu　counted　them。　〃They　are　thirty？〃　he　asked。　Obierika　nodded　in　agreement。
　　〃We　are　at　last　getting　somewhere；〃　Ukegbu　said；　and　then　turning　to　his　brother　and　his　son　he　said：　〃Let　us　go　out　and　whisper　together。〃　The　three　rose　and　went　outside。　When　they　returned　Ukegbu　handed　the　bundle　of　sticks　back　to　Obierika。　He　counted　them；…　instead　of　thirty　there　were　now　only　fifteen。　He　passed　them　over　to　his　eldest　brother；　Machi；　who　also　counted　them　and　said：
　　〃We　had　not　thought　to　go　below　thirty。　But　as　the　dog　said；　'If　I　fall　down　for　you　and　you　fall　down　for　me；　it　is　play'。　Marriage　should　be　a　play　and　not　a　fight　so　we　are　falling　down　again。〃　He　then　added　ten　sticks　to　the　fifteen　and　gave　the　bundle　to　Ukegbu。
　　In　this　way　Akuke's　bride…price　was　finally　settled　at　twenty　bags　of　cowries。　It　was　already　dusk　when　the　two　parties　came　to　this　agreement。
　　〃Go　and　tell　Akueke's　mother　that　we　have　finished；〃　Obierika　said　to　his　son；　Maduka。　Almost　immediately　the　women　came　in　with　a　big　bowl　of　foo…foo。　Obierika's　second　wife　followed　with　a　pot　of　soup；　and　Maduka　brought　in　a　pot　of　palm…wine。
　　As　the　men　ate　and　drank　palm…wine　they　talked　about　the　customs　of　their　neighbors。
　　〃It　was　only　this　morning；〃　said　Obierika；　〃that　Okonkwo　and　I　were　talking　about　Abame　and　Aninta；　where　titled　men　climb　trees　and　pound　foo…foo　for　their　wives。〃
　　〃All　their　customs　are　upside…down。　They　do　not　decide　bride…price　as　we　do；　with　sticks。　They　haggle　and　bargain　as　if　they　were　buying　a　goat　or　a　cow　in　the　market。〃
　　〃That　is　very　bad；〃　said　Obierika's　eldest　brother。　〃But　what　is　good　in　one　place　is　bad　in　another　place。　In　Umunso　they　do　not　bargain　at　all；　not　even　with　broomsticks。　The　suitor　just　goes　on　bringing　bags　of　cowries　until　his　in…laws　tell　him　to　stop。　It　is　a　bad　custom　because　it　always　leads　to　a　quarrel。〃
　　〃The　world　is　large；〃　said　Okonkwo。　〃I　have　even　heard　that　in　some　tribes　a　man's　children　belong　to　his　wife　and　her　family。〃
　　〃That　cannot　be；〃　said　Machi。　〃You　might　as　well　say　that　the　woman　lies　on　top　of　the　man　when　they　are　making　the　children。〃
　　〃It　is　like　the　story　of　white　men　who；　they　say；　are　white　like　this　piece　of　chalk；〃　said　Obierika。　He　held　up　a　piece　of　chalk；　which　every　man　kept　in　his　obi　and　with　which　his　guests　drew　lines　on　the　floor　before　they　ate　kola　nuts。　〃And　these　white　men；　they　say；　have　no　toes。〃
　　〃And　have　you　never　seen　them？〃　asked　Machi。
　　〃Have　you？〃　asked　Obierika。
　　〃One　of　them　passes　here　frequently；〃　said　Machi。　〃His　name　is　Amadi。〃
　　Those　who　knew　Amadi　laughed。　He　was　a　leper；　and　the　polite　name　for　leprosy　was　〃the　white　skin。〃
　　CHAPTER　NINE
　　For　the　first　time　in　three　nights；　Okonkwo　slept。　He　woke　up　once　in　the　middle　of　the　night　and　his　mind　went　back　to　the　past　three　days　without　making　him　feel　uneasy。　He　began　to　wonder　why　he　had　felt　uneasy　at　all。　It　was　like　a　man　wondering　in　broad　daylight　why　a　dream　had　appeared　so　terrible　to　him　at　night。　He　stretched　himself　and　scratched　his　thigh　where　a　mosquito　had　bitten　him　as　he　slept。　Another　one　was　wailing　near　his　right　ear。　He　slapped　the　ear　and　hoped　he　had　killed　it。　Why　do　they　always　go　for　one's　ears？　When　he　was　a　child　his　mother　had　told　him　a　story　about　it。　But　it　was　as　silly　as　all　women's　stories。　Mosquito；　she　had　said；　had　asked　Ear　to　marry　him；　whereupon　Ear　fell　on　the　floor　in　uncontrollable　laughter。　〃How　much　longer　do　you　think　you　will　live？〃　she　asked。　〃You　are　already　a　skeleton。〃　Mosquito　went　away　humiliated；　and　any　time　he　passed　her　way　he　told　Ear　that　he　was　still　alive。
　　Okonkwo　turned　on　his　side　and　went　back　to　sleep。　He　was　roused　in　the　morning　by　someone　banging　on　his　door。
　　〃Who　is　that？〃　he　growled。　He　knew　it　must　be　Ekwefi。
　　Of　his　three　wives　Ekwefi　was　the　only　one　who　would　have　the　audacity　to　bang　on　his　door。
　　〃Ezinma　is　dying；〃　came　her　voice；　and　all　the　tragedy　and　sorrow　of　her　life　were　packed　in　those　words。
　　Okonkwo　sprang　from　his　bed；　pushed　back　the　bolt　on　his　door　and　ran　into　Ekwefi's　hut。
　　Ezinma　lay　shivering　on　a　mat　beside　a　huge　fire　that　her　mother　had　kept　burning　all　night。
　　〃It　is　iba；〃　said　Okonkwo　as　he　took　his　machete　and　went　into　the　bush　to　collect　the　leaves　and　grasses　and　barks　of　trees　that　went　into　making　the　medicine　for　iba。
　　Ekwefi　knelt　beside　the　sick　child；　occasionally　feeling　with　her　palm　the　wet；　burning　forehead。
　　Ezinma　was　an　only　child　and　the　center　of　her　mother's　world。　Very　often　it　was　Ezinma　who　decided　what　food　her　mother　should　prepare。　Ekwefi　even　gave　her　such　delicacies　as　eggs；　which　children　were　rarely　allowed　to　eat　because　such　food　tempted　them　to　steal。　One　day　as　Ezinma　was　eating　an　egg　Okonkwo　had　e　in　unexpectedly　from　his　hut。　He　was　greatly　shocked　and　swore　to　beat　Ekwefi　if　she　dared　to　give　the　child　eggs　again。　But　it　was　impossible　to　refuse　Ezinma　anything。　After　her　father's　rebuke　she　developed　an　even　keener　appetite　for　eggs。　And　she　enjoyed　above　all　the　secrecy　in　which　she　now　ate　them。　Her　mother　always　took　her　into　their　bedroom　and　shut　the　door。
　　Ezinma　did　not　call　her　mother　Nne　like　all　children。　She　called　her　by　her　name；　Ekwefi；　as　her　father　and　other　grownup　people　did。　The　relationship　between　them　was　not　only　that　of　mother　and　child。　There　was　something　in　it　like　the　panionship　of　equals；　which　was　strengthened　by　such　little　conspiracies　as　eating　eggs　in　the　bedroom。
　　Ekwefi　had　suffered　a　good　deal　in　her　life。　She　had　borne　ten　children　and　nine　of　them　had　died　in　infancy；　usually　before　the　age　of　three。　As　she　buried　one　child　after　another　her　sorrow　gave　way　to　despair　and　then　to　grim　resignation。　The　birth　of　her　children；　which　should　be　a　woman's　crowning　glory；　became　for　Ekwefi　mere　physical　agony　devoid　of　promise。　The　naming　ceremony　after　seven　market　weeks　became　an　empty　ritual。　Her　deepening　despair　found　expression　in　the　names　she　gave　her　children。　One　of　them　was　a　pathetic　cry；　Onwumbiko—〃Death；　I　implore　you。〃　But　Death　took　no　notice；…　Onwumbiko　died　in　his　fifteenth　month。　The　next　child　was　a　girl；　Ozoemena—〃May　it　not　happen　again。〃　She　died　in　her　eleventh　month；　and　two　others　after　her。　Ekwefi　then　became　defiant　and　called　her　next　child　Onwuma—〃Death　may　please　himself。〃　And　he　did。
　　After　the　death　of　Ekwefi's　second　child；　Okonkwo　had　gone　to　a　medicine　man；　who　was　also　a　diviner　of　the　Afa　Oracle；　to　inquire　what　was　amiss。　This　man　told　him　that　the　child　was　an　ogbanje；　one　of　those　wicked　children　who；　when　they　died；　entered　their　mothers'　wombs　to　be　born　again。
　　〃When　your　wife　bees　pregnant　again；〃　he　said；　〃let　her　not　sleep　in　her　hut。　Let　her　go　and　stay　with　her　people。　In　that　way　she　will　elude　her　wicked　tormentor　and　break　its　evil　cycle　of　birth　and　death。〃
　　Ekwefi　did　as　she　was　asked。　As　soon　as　she　became　pregnant　she　went　to　live　with　her　old　mother　in　another　village。　It　was　there　that　her　third　child　was　born　and　circumcised　on　the　eighth　day。　She　did　not　return　to　Okonkwo's　pound　until　three　days　before　the　naming　ceremony。　The　child　was　called　Onwumbiko。
　　Onwumbiko　was　not　given　proper　burial　when　he　died。　Okonkwo　had　called　in　another　medicine　man　who　was　famous　in　the　clan　for　his　great　knowledge　about　ogbanje　children。　His　name　was　Okagbue　Uyanwa。　Okagbue　was　a　very　striking　figure；　tall；　with　a　full　beard　and　a　bald　head。　He　was　light　in　plexion　and　his　eyes　were　red　and　fiery。　He　always　gnashed　his　teeth　as　he　listened　to　those　who　came　to　consult　him。　He　asked　Okonkwo　a　few　questions　about　the　dead　child。　All　the　neighbors　and　relations　who　had　e　to　mourn　gathered　round　them。
　　〃On　what　market…day　was　it　born？〃　he　asked。
　　〃Oye；〃　replied　Okonkwo。
　　〃And　it　died　this　morning？〃
　　Okonkwo　said　yes；　and　only　then　realized　for　the　first　time　that　the　child　had　died　on　the　same　market…day　as　it　had　been　born。　The　neighbors　and　relations　also　saw　the　coincidence　and　said　among　themselves　that　it　was　very　significant。
　　〃Where　do　you　sleep　with　your　wife；　in　your　obi　or　in　her　own　hut？〃　asked　the　medicine　man。
　　〃In　her　hut。〃
　　〃In　future　call　her　into　your　obi。〃
　　The　medicine　man　then　ordered　that　there　should　be　no　mourning　for　the　dead　child。　He　brought　out　a　sharp　razor　from　the　goatskin　bag　slung　from　his　left　shoulder　and　began　to　mutilate　the　child。　Then　he　took　it　away　to　bury　in　the　Evil　Forest；　holding　it　by　the　ankle　and　dragging　it　on　the　ground　behind　him。　After　such　treatment　it　would　think　twice　before　ing　again；　unless　it　was　one　of　the　stubborn　ones　who　returned；　carrying　the　stamp　of　their　mutilation—a　missing　finger　or　perhaps　a　dark　line　where　the　medicine　man's　razor　had　cut　them。
　　By　the　time　Onwumbiko　died　Ekwefi　had　bee　a　very　bitter　woman。　Her　husband's　first　wife　had　already　had　three　sons；　all　strong　and　healthy。　When　she　had　borne　her　third　son　in　succession；　Okonkwo　had　slaughtered　a　goat　for　her；　as　was　the　custom。　Ekwefi　had　nothing　but　good　wishes　for　her。　But　she　had　grown　so　bitter　about　her　own　chi　that　she　could　not　rejoice　with　others　over　their　good　fortune。　And　so；　on　the　day　that　Nwoye's　mother　c