崩溃(Things Fall Apart) (英文版)作者:奇奴阿·阿切比-第2部分

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ring　and　intricate　rhythms　of　the　ekwe　and　the　udu　and　the　ogene；　and　he　could　hear　his　own　flute　weaving　in　and　out　of　them；　decorating　them　with　a　colorful　and　plaintive　tune。　The　total　effect　was　gay　and　brisk；　but　if　one　picked　out　the　flute　as　it　went　up　and　down　and　then　broke　up　into　short　snatches；　one　saw　that　there　was　sorrow　and　grief　there。
　　Okoye　was　also　a　musician。　He　played　on　the　ogene。　But　he　was　not　a　failure　like　Unoka。　He　had　a　large　barn　full　of　yams　and　he　had　three　wives。　And　now　he　was　going　to　take　the　Idemili　title；　the　third　highest　in　the　land。　It　was　a　very　expensive　ceremony　and　he　was　gathering　all　his　resources　together。　That　was　in　fact　the　reason　why　he　had　e　to　see　Unoka。　He　cleared　his　throat　and　began：
　　〃Thank　you　for　the　kola。　You　may　have　heard　of　the　title　I　intend　to　take　shortly。〃
　　Having　spoken　plainly　so　far；　Okoye　said　the　next　half　a　dozen　sentences　in　proverbs。　Among　the　Ibo　the　art　of　conversation　is　regarded　very　highly；　and　proverbs　are　the　palm…oil　with　which　words　are　eaten。　Okoye　was　a　great　talker　and　he　spoke　for　a　long　time；　skirting　round　the　subject　and　then　hitting　it　finally。　In　short；　he　was　asking　Unoka　to　return　the　two　hundred　cowries　he　had　borrowed　from　him　more　than　two　years　before。　As　soon　as　Unoka　understood　what　his　friend　was　driving　at；　he　burst　out　laughing。　He　laughed　loud　and　long　and　his　voice　rang　out　clear　as　the　ogene；　and　tears　stood　in　his　eyes。　His　visitor　was　amazed；　and　sat　speechless。　At　the　end；　Unoka　was　able　to　give　an　answer　between　fresh　outbursts　of　mirth。
　　〃Look　at　that　wall；〃　he　said；　pointing　at　the　far　wall　of　his　hut；　which　was　rubbed　with　red　earth　so　that　it　shone。　〃Look　at　those　lines　of　chalk；〃　and　Okoye　saw　groups　of　short　perpendicular　lines　drawn　in　chalk。　There　were　five　groups；　and　the　smallest　group　had　ten　lines。　Unoka　had　a　sense　of　the　dramatic　and　so　he　allowed　a　pause；　in　which　he　took　a　pinch　of　snuff　and　sneezed　noisily；　and　then　he　continued：　〃Each　group　there　represents　a　debt　to　someone；　and　each　stroke　is　one　hundred　cowries。　You　see；　I　owe　that　man　a　thousand　cowries。　But　he　has　not　e　to　wake　me　up　in　the　morning　for　it。　I　shall　pay　you；　but　not　today。　Our　elders　say　that　the　sun　will　shine　on　those　who　stand　before　it　shines　on　those　who　kneel　under　them。　I　shall　pay　my　big　debts　first。〃　And　he　took　another　pinch　of　snuff；　as　if　that　was　paying　the　big　debts　first。　Okoye　rolled　his　goatskin　and　departed。
　　When　Unoka　died　he　had　taken　no　title　at　all　and　he　was　heavily　in　debt。　Any　wonder　then　that　his　son　Okonkwo　was　ashamed　of　him？　Fortunately；　among　these　people　a　man　was　judged　according　to　his　worth　and　not　according　to　the　worth　of　his　father。　Okonkwo　was　clearly　cut　out　for　great　things。　He　was　still　young　but　he　had　won　fame　as　the　greatest　wrestler　in　the　nine　villages。　He　was　a　wealthy　farmer　and　had　two　barns　full　of　yams；　and　had　just　married　his　third　wife。　To　crown　it　all　he　had　taken　two　titles　and　had　shown　incredible　prowess　in　two　inter…tribal　wars。　And　so　although　Okonkwo　was　still　young；　he　was　already　one　of　the　greatest　men　of　his　time。　Age　was　respected　among　his　people；　but　achievement　was　revered。　As　the　elders　said；　if　a　child　washed　his　hands　he　could　eat　with　kings。　Okonkwo　had　clearly　washed　his　hands　and　so　he　ate　with　kings　and　elders。　And　that　was　how　he　came　to　look　after　the　doomed　lad　who　was　sacrificed　to　the　village　of　Umuofia　by　their　neighbors　to　avoid　war　and　bloodshed。　The　ill…fated　lad　was　called　Ikemefuna。
　　CHAPTER　Two
　　Okonkwo　had　just　blown　out　the　palm…oil　lamp　and　stretched　himself　on　his　bamboo　bed　when　he　heard　the　ogene　of　the　town　crier　piercing　the　still　night　air。　Gome；　gome；　gome；　gome；　boomed　the　hollow　metal。　Then　the　crier　gave　his　message；　and　at　the　end　of　it　beat　his　instrument　again。　And　this　was　the　message。　Every　man　of　Umuofia　was　asked　to　gather　at　the　market　place　tomorrow　morning。　Okonkwo　wondered　what　was　amiss；　for　he　knew　certainly　that　something　was　amiss。　He　had　discerned　a　clear　overtone　of　tragedy　in　the　crier's　voice；　and　even　now　he　could　still　hear　it　as　it　grew　dimmer　and　dimmer　in　the　distance。
　　The　night　was　very　quiet。　It　was　always　quiet　except　on　moonlight　nights。　Darkness　held　a　vague　terror　for　these　people；　even　the　bravest　among　them。　Children　were　warned　not　to　whistle　at　night　for　fear　of　evil　spirits。　Dangerous　animals　became　even　more　sinister　and　uncanny　in　the　dark。　A　snake　was　never　called　by　its　name　at　night；　because　it　would　hear。　It　was　called　a　string。　And　so　on　this　particular　night　as　the　crier's　voice　was　gradually　swallowed　up　in　the　distance；　silence　returned　to　the　world；　a　vibrant　silence　made　more　intense　by　the　universal　trill　of　a　million　million　forest　insects。
　　On　a　moonlight　night　it　would　be　different。　The　happy　voices　of　children　playing　in　open　fields　would　then　be　heard。　And　perhaps　those　not　so　young　would　be　playing　in　pairs　in　less　open　places；　and　old　men　and　women　would　remember　their　youth。　As　the　Ibo　say：　〃When　the　moon　is　shining　the　cripple　bees　hungry　for　a　walk。〃
　　But　this　particular　night　was　dark　and　silent。　And　in　all　the　nine　villages　of　Umuofia　a　town　crier　with　his　ogene　asked　every　man　to　be　present　tomorrow　morning。　Okonkwo　on　his　bamboo　bed　tried　to　figure　out　the　nature　of　the　emergency　…　war　with　a　neighboring　clan？　That　seemed　the　most　likely　reason；　and　he　was　not　afraid　of　war。　He　was　a　man　of　action；　a　man　of　war。　Unlike　his　father　he　could　stand　the　look　of　blood。　In　Umuofia's　latest　war　he　was　the　first　to　bring　home　a　human　head。　That　was　his　fifth　head　and　he　was　not　an　old　man　yet。　On　great　occasions　such　as　the　funeral　of　a　village　celebrity　he　drank　his　palm…wine　from　his　first　human　head。
　　In　the　morning　the　market　place　was　full。　There　must　have　been　about　ten　thousand　men　there；　all　talking　in　low　voices。　At　last　Ogbuefi　Ezeugo　stood　up　in　the　midst　of　them　and　bellowed　four　times；　〃Umuofia　kwenu；〃　and　on　each　occasion　he　faced　a　different　direction　and　seemed　to　push　the　air　with　a　clenched　fist。　And　ten　thousand　men　answered　〃Yaa！〃　each　time。　Then　there　was　perfect　silence。　Ogbuefi　Ezeugo　was　a　powerful　orator　and　was　always　chosen　to　speak　on　such　occasions。　He　moved　his　hand　over　his　white　head　and　stroked　his　white　beard。　He　then　adjusted　his　cloth；　which　was　passed　under　his　right　arm…pit　and　tied　above　his　left　shoulder。
　　〃Umuofia　kwenu；〃　he　bellowed　a　fifth　time；　and　the　crowd　yelled　in　answer。　And　then　suddenly　like　one　possessed　he　shot　out　his　left　hand　and　pointed　in　the　direction　of　Mbaino；　and　said　through　gleaming　white　teeth　firmly　clenched：　〃Those　sons　of　wild　animals　have　dared　to　murder　a　daughter　of　Umuofia。〃　He　threw　his　head　down　and　gnashed　his　teeth；　and　allowed　a　murmur　of　suppressed　anger　to　sweep　the　crowd。　When　he　began　again；　the　anger　on　his　face　was　gone；　and　in　its　place　a　sort　of　smile　hovered；　more　terrible　and　more　sinister　than　the　anger。　And　in　a　clear　unemotional　voice　he　told　Umuofia　how　their　daughter　had　gone　to　market　at　Mbaino　and　had　been　killed。　That　woman；　said　Ezeugo；　was　the　wife　of　Ogbuefi　Udo；　and　he　pointed　to　a　man　who　sat　near　him　with　a　bowed　head。　The　crowd　then　shouted　with　ainger　and　thirst　for　blood。
　　Many　others　spoke；　and　at　the　end　it　was　decided　to　follow　the　normal　course　of　action。　An　ultimatum　was　immediately　dispatched　to　Mbaino　asking　them　to　choose　between　war　…　on　the　one　hand；　and　on　the　other　the　offer　of　a　young　man　and　a　virgin　as　pensation。
　　Umuofia　was　feared　by　all　its　neighbors。　It　was　powerful　in　war　and　in　magic；　and　its　priests　and　medicine　men　were　feared　in　all　the　surrounding　country。　Its　most　potent　war…medicine　was　as　old　as　the　clan　itself。　Nobody　knew　how　old。　But　on　one　point　there　was　general　agreement—the　active　principle　in　that　medicine　had　been　an　old　woman　with　one　leg。　In　fact；　the　medicine　itself　was　called　agadi…nwayi；　or　old　　woman。　It　had　its　shrine　in　the　centre　of　Umuofia；　in　a　cleared　spot。　And　if　anybody　was　so　foolhardy　as　to　pass　by　the　shrine　after　dusk　he　was　sure　to　see　the　old　woman　hopping　about。
　　And　so　the　neighboring　clans　who　naturally　knew　of　these　things　feared　Umuofia；　and　would　not　go　to　war　against　it　without　first　trying　a　peaceful　settlement。　And　in　fairness　to　Umuofia　it　should　be　recorded　that　it　never　went　to　war　unless　its　case　was　clear　and　just　and　was　accepted　as　such　by　its　Oracle　…　the　Oracle　of　the　Hills　and　the　Caves。　And　there　were　indeed　occasions　when　the　Oracle　had　forbidden　Umuofia　to　wage　a　war。　If　the　clan　had　disobeyed　the　Oracle　they　would　surely　have　been　beaten；　because　their　dreaded　agadi…nwayi　would　never　fight　what　the　Ibo　call　a　fight　of　blame。
　　But　the　war　that　now　threatened　was　a　just　war。　Even　the　enemy　clan　knew　that。　And　so　when　Okonkwo　of　Umuofia　arrived　at　Mbaino　as　the　proud　and　imperious　emissary　of　war；　he　was　treated　with　great　honor　and　respect；　and　two　days　later　he　returned　home　with　a　lad　of　fifteen　and　a　young　virgin。　The　lad's　name　was　Ikemefuna；　whose　sad　story　is　still　told　in　Umuofia　unto　this　day。
　　The　elders；　or　ndichie；　met　to　hear　a　report　of　Okonkwo's　mission。　At　the　end　they　decided；　as　everybody　knew　they　would；　that　the　girl　should　go　to　Ogbuefi　Udo　to　replace　his　murdered　wife。　As　for　the　boy；　he　belonged　to　the　clan　as　a　whole；　and　there　was　no　hurry　to　decide　his　fate。　Okonkwo　was；　therefore；　asked　on　behalf　of　the　clan　to　look　after　him　in　the　interim。　And　so　for　three　years　Ikemefuna　lived　in　Okonkwo's　household。
　　Qkonkwo　ruled　his　household　with　a　heavy　hand。　His　wives；　especially　the　youngest；　lived　in　perpetual　fear　of　his　fiery　temper；　and　so　did　his　little　children。　Perhaps　down　in　his　heart　Okonkwo　was　not　a　cruel　man。　But　his　whole　life　was　dominated　by　fear；　the　fear　of　failure　and　of　weakness。　It　was　deeper　and　more　intimate　than　the　fear　of　evil　and　capricious　gods　and　of　magic；　the　fear　of　the　forest；　and　of　the　forces　of　nature；　malevolent；　red　in　tooth　and　claw。　Okonkwo's　fear　was　greater　than　these。　It　was　not　external　but　lay　deep　within　himself。　It　was　the　fear　of　himself；　lest　he　should　be　found　to　resemble　his　father。　Even　as　a　little　boy　he　had　resented　his　father's　failure　and　weakness；　and　even　now　he　stil