崩溃(Things Fall Apart) (英文版)作者:奇奴阿·阿切比-第22部分

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ver　the　question　of　admitting　outcasts。
　　These　outcasts；　or　osu；　seeing　that　the　new　religion　weled　twins　and　such　abominations；　thought　that　it　was　possible　that　they　would　also　be　received。　And　so　one　Sunday　two　of　them　went　into　the　church。　There　was　an　immediate　stir；　but　so　great　was　the　work　the　new　religion　had　done　among　the　converts　that　they　did　not　immediately　leave　the　church　when　the　outcasts　came　in。　Those　who　found　themselves　nearest　to　them　merely　moved　to　another　seat。　It　was　a　miracle。　But　it　only　lasted　till　the　end　of　the　service。　The　whole　church　raised　a　protest　and　was　about　to　drive　these　people　out；　when　Mr。　Kiaga　stopped　them　and　began　to　explain。
　　〃Before　God；〃　he　said；　〃there　is　no　slave　or　free。　We　are　all　children　of　God　and　we　must　receive　these　our　brothers。〃
　　〃You　do　not　understand；〃　said　one　of　the　converts。　〃What　will　the　heathen　say　of　us　when　they　hear　that　we　receive　osu　into　our　midst？　They　will　laugh。〃
　　〃Let　them　laugh；〃　said　Mr。　Kiaga。　〃God　will　laugh　at　them　on　the　judgment　day。　Why　do　the　nations　rage　and　the　peoples　imagine　a　vain　thing？　He　that　sitteth　in　the　heavens　shall　laugh。　The　Lord　shall　have　them　in　derision。〃
　　〃You　do　not　understand；〃　the　convert　maintained。　〃You　are　our　teacher；　and　you　can　teach　us　the　things　of　the　new　faith。　But　this　is　a　matter　which　we　know。〃　And　he　told　him　what　an　osu　was。
　　He　was　a　person　dedicated　to　a　god；　a　thing　set　apart—a　taboo　for　ever；　and　his　children　after　him。　He　could　neither　marry　nor　be　married　by　the　free…born。　He　was　in　fact　an　outcast；　living　in　a　special　area　of　the　village；　close　to　the　Great　Shrine。　Wherever　he　went　he　carried　with　him　the　mark　of　his　forbidden　caste—long；　tangled　and　dirty　hair。　A　razor　was　taboo　to　him。　An　osu　could　not　attend　an　assembly　of　the　free…born；　and　they；　in　turn；　could　not　shelter　under　his　roof。　He　could　not　take　any　of　the　four　titles　of　the　clan；　and　when　he　died　he　was　buried　by　his　kind　in　the　Evil　Forest。　How　could　such　a　man　be　a　follower　of　Christ？
　　〃He　needs　Christ　more　than　you　and　I；〃　said　Mr。　Kiaga。
　　〃Then　I　shall　go　back　to　the　clan；〃　said　the　convert。　And　he　went。　Mr。　Kiaga　stood　firm；　and　it　was　his　firmness　that　saved　the　young　church。　The　wavering　converts　drew　inspiration　and　confidence　from　his　unshakable　faith。　He　ordered　the　outcasts　to　shave　off　their　long；　tangled　hair。　At　first　they　were　afraid　they　might　die。
　　〃Unless　you　shave　off　the　mark　of　your　heathen　belief　I　will　not　admit　you　into　the　church；〃　said　Mr。　Kiaga。　〃You　fear　that　you　will　die。　Why　should　that　be？　How　are　you　different　from　other　men　who　shave　their　hair？　The　same　God　created　you　and　them。　But　they　have　cast　you　out　like　lepers。　It　is　against　the　will　of　God；　who　has　promised　everlasting　life　to　all　who　believe　in　His　holy　name。　The　heathen　say　you　will　die　if　you　do　this　or　that；　and　you　are　afraid。　They　also　said　I　would　die　if　I　built　my　church　on　this　ground。　Am　I　dead？　They　said　I　would　die　if　i　took　care　of　twins。　I　am　still　alive。　The　heathen　speak　nothing　but　falsehood。　Only　the　word　of　our　God　is　true。〃
　　The　two　outcasts　shaved　off　their　hair；　and　soon　they　were　the　strongest　adherents　of　the　new　faith。　And　what　was　more；　nearly　all　the　osu　in　Mbanta　followed　their　example。　It　was　in　fact　one　of　them　who　in　his　zeal　brought　the　church　into　serious　conflict　with　the　clan　a　year　later　by　killing　the　sacred　python；　the　emanation　of　the　god　of　water。
　　The　royal　python　was　the　most　revered　animal　in　Mbanta　and　all　the　surrounding　clans。　It　was　addressed　as　〃Our　Father；〃　and　was　allowed　to　go　wherever　it　chose；　even　into　people's　beds。　It　ate　rats　in　the　house　and　sometimes　swallowed　hens'　eggs。　If　a　clansman　killed　a　royal　python　accidentally；　he　made　sacrifices　of　atonement　and　performed　an　expensive　burial　ceremony　such　as　was　done　for　a　great　man。　No　punishment　was　prescribed　for　a　man　who　killed　the　python　knowingly。　Nobody　thought　that　such　a　thing　could　ever　happen。
　　Perhaps　it　never　did　happen。　That　was　the　way　the　clan　at　first　looked　at　it。　No　one　had　actually　seen　the　man　do　it。　The　story　had　arisen　among　the　Christians　themselves。
　　But；　all　the　same；　the　rulers　and　elders　of　Mbanta　assembled　to　decide　on　their　action。　Many　of　them　spoke　at　great　length　and　in　fury。　The　spirit　of　wars　was　upon　them。　Okonkwo；　who　had　begun　to　play　a　part　in　the　affairs　of　his　motherland；　said　that　until　the　abominable　gang　was　chased　out　of　the　village　with　whips　there　would　be　no　peace。
　　But　there　were　many　others　who　saw　the　situation　differently；　and　it　was　their　counsel　that　prevailed　in　the　end。
　　〃It　is　not　our　custom　to　fight　for　our　gods；〃　said　one　of　them。　〃Let　us　not　presume　to　do　so　now。　If　a　man　kills　the　sacred　python　in　the　secrecy　of　his　hut；　the　matter　lies　between　him　and　the　god。　We　did　not　see　it。　If　we　put　ourselves　between　the　god　and　his　victim　we　may　receive　blows　intended　for　the　offender。　When　a　man　blasphemes；　what　do　we　do？　Do　we　go　and　stop　his　mouth？　No。　We　put　our　fingers　into　our　ears　to　stop　us　hearing。　That　is　a　wise　action。〃
　　〃Let　us　not　reason　like　cowards；〃　said　Okonkwo。　〃If　a　man　es　into　my　hut　and　defecates　on　the　floor；　what　do　I　do？　Do　i　shut　my　eyes？　No！　I　take　a　stick　and　break　his　head　That　is　what　a　man　does。　These　people　are　daily　pouring　filth　over　us；　and　Okeke　says　we　should　pretend　not　to　see。〃　Okonkwo　made　a　sound　full　of　disgust。　This　was　a　womanly　clan；　he　thought。　Such　a　thing　could　never　happen　in　his　fatherland；　Umuofia。
　　〃Okonkwo　has　spoken　the　truth；〃　said　another　man。　〃We　should　do　something。　But　let　us　ostracize　these　men。　We　would　then　not　be　held　accountable　for　their　abominations。〃
　　Everybody　in　the　assembly　spoke；　and　in　the　end　it　was　decided　to　ostracize　the　Christians。　Okonkwo　ground　his　teeth　in　disgust。
　　That　night　a　bell…man　went　through　the　length　and　breadth　of　Mbanta　proclaiming　that　the　adherents　of　the　new　faith　were　thenceforth　excluded　from　the　life　and　privileges　of　the　clan。
　　The　Christians　had　grown　in　number　and　were　now　a　small　munity　of　men；　women　and　children；　self…assured　and　confident。　Mr。　Brown；　the　white　missionary；　paid　regular　visits　to　them。　〃When　I　think　that　it　is　only　eighteen　months　since　the　Seed　was　first　sown　among　you；〃　he　said；　〃I　marvel　at　what　the　Lord　hath　wrought。〃
　　It　was　Wednesday　in　Holy　Week　and　Mr。　Kiaga　had　asked　the　women　to　bring　red　earth　and　white　chalk　and　water　to　scrub　the　church　for　Easter；　and　the　women　had　formed　themselves　into　three　groups　for　this　purpose。　They　set　out　early　that　morning；　some　of　them　with　their　water…pots　to　the　stream；　another　group　with　hoes　and　baskets　to　the　village　earth　pit；　and　the　others　to　the　chalk　quarry。
　　Mr。　Kiaga　was　praying　in　the　church　when　he　heard　the　women　talking　excitedly。　He　rounded　off　his　prayer　and　went　to　see　what　it　was　all　about。　The　women　had　e　to　the　church　with　empty　waterpots。　They　said　that　some　young　men　had　chased　them　away　from　the　stream　with　whips。　Soon　after；　the　women　who　had　gone　for　red　earth　returned　with　empty　baskets。　Some　of　them　had　been　heavily　whipped。　The　chalk　women　also　returned　to　tell　a　similar　story。
　　〃What　does　it　all　mean？〃　asked　Mr。　Kiaga；　who　was　greatly　perplexed。
　　〃The　village　has　outlawed　us；〃　said　one　of　the　women。　〃The　bell…man　announced　it　last　night。　But　it　is　not　our　custom　to　debar　anyone　from　the　stream　or　the　quarry。〃
　　Another　woman　said；　〃They　want　to　ruin　us。　They　will　not　allow　us　into　the　markets。　They　have　said　so。〃
　　Mr。　Kiaga　was　going　to　send　into　the　village　for　his　men…converts　when　he　saw　them　ing　on　their　own。　Of　course　they　had　all　heard　the　bell…man；　but　they　had　never　in　all　their　lives　heard　of　women　being　debarred　from　the　stream。
　　〃e　along；〃　they　said　to　the　women。　〃We　will　go　with　you　to　meet　those　cowards。〃　Some　of　them　had　big　sticks　and　some　even　machetes。
　　But　Mr。　Kiaga　restrained　them。　He　wanted　first　to　know　why　they　had　been　outlawed。
　　〃They　say　that　Okoli　killed　the　sacred　python；〃　said　one　man。
　　〃It　is　false；〃　said　another。　〃Okoli　told　me　himself　that　it　was　false。〃
　　Okoli　was　not　there　to　answer。　He　had　fallen　ill　on　the　previous　night。　Before　the　day　was　over　he　was　dead。　His　death　showed　that　the　gods　were　still　able　to　fight　their　own　battles。　The　clan　saw　no　reason　then　for　molesting　the　Christians。
　　CHAPTER　NINETEEN
　　The　last　big　rains　of　the　year　were　falling。　It　was　the　time　for　treading　red　earth　with　which　to　build　walls。　It　was　not　done　earlier　because　the　rains　were　too　heavy　and　would　have　washed　away　the　heap　of　trodden　earth；　and　it　could　not　be　done　later　because　harvesting　would　soon　set　in；　and　after　that　the　dry　season。
　　It　was　going　to　be　Okonkwo's　last　harvest　in　Mbanta。　The　seven　wasted　and　weary　years　were　at　last　dragging　to　a　close。　Although　he　had　prospered　in　his　motherland　Okonkwo　knew　that　he　would　have　prospered　even　more　in　Umuofia；　in　the　land　of　his　fathers　where　men　were　bold　and　warlike。　In　these　seven　years　he　would　have　climbed　to　the　utmost　heights。　And　so　he　regretted　every　day　of　his　exile。　His　mother's　kinsmen　had　been　very　kind　to　him；　and　he　was　grateful。　But　that　did　not　alter　the　facts。　He　had　called　the　first　child　born　to　him　in　exile　Nneka—〃Mother　is　Supreme〃—out　of　politeness　to　his　mother's　kinsmen。　But　two　years　later　when　a　son　was　born　he　called　him　Nwofia—〃Begotten　in　the　Wilderness。〃
　　As　soon　as　he　entered　his　last　year　in　exile　Okonkwo　sent　money　to　Obierika　to　build　him　two　huts　in　his　old　pound　where　he　and　his　family　would　live　until　he　built　more　huts　and　the　outside　wall　of　his　pound。　He　could　not　ask　another　man　to　build　his　own　obi　for　him；　nor　the　walls　of　his　pound。　Those　things　a　man　built　for　himself　or　inherited　from　his　father。
　　As　the　last　heavy　rains　of　the　year　began　to　fall；　Obierika　sent　word　that　the　two　huts　had　been　built　and　Okonkwo　began　to　prepare　for　his　return；　after　the　rains。　He　would　have　liked　to　return　earlier　and　build　his　pound　that　year　before　the　rains　stopped；　but　in　doing　so　he　would　have　taken　something　from　the　full　penalty　of　seven　years。　And　that　could　not　be。　So　he　waited　impatiently　for　the　dry　season　to　e。
　　It　came　slowly。　The　rain　became　lighte