崩溃(Things Fall Apart) (英文版)作者:奇奴阿·阿切比-第5部分

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wo　years　younger；　became　quite　inseparable　from　him　because　he　seemed　to　know　everything。　He　could　fashion　out　flutes　from　bamboo　stems　and　even　from　the　elephant　grass。　He　knew　the　names　of　all　the　birds　and　could　set　clever　traps　for　the　little　bush　rodents。　And　he　knew　which　trees　made　the　strongest　bows。
　　Even　Okonkwo　himself　became　very　fond　of　the　boy　…　inwardly　of　course。　Okonkwo　never　showed　any　emotion　openly；　unless　it　be　the　emotion　of　anger。　To　show　affection　was　a　sign　of　weakness；…　the　only　thing　worth　demonstrating　was　strength。　He　therefore　treated　Ikemefuna　as　he　treated　everybody　else　…　with　a　heavy　hand。　But　there　was　no　doubt　that　he　liked　the　boy。　Sometimes　when　he　went　to　big　village　meetings　or　munal　ancestral　feasts　he　allowed　Ikemefuna　to　acpany　him；　like　a　son；　carrying　his　stool　and　his　goatskin　bag。　And；　indeed；　Ikemefuna　called　him　father。
　　Ikemefuna　came　to　Umuofia　at　the　end　of　the　carefree　season　between　harvest　and　planting。　In　fact　he　recovered　from　his　illness　only　a　few　days　before　the　Week　of　Peace　began。　And　that　was　also　the　year　Okonkwo　broke　the　peace；　and　was　punished；　as　was　the　custom；　by　Ezeani；　the　priest　of　the　earth　goddess。
　　Okonkwo　was　provoked　to　justifiable　anger　by　his　youngest　wife；　who　went　to　plait　her　hair　at　her　friend's　house　and　did　not　return　early　enough　to　cook　the　afternoon　meal。　Okonkwo　did　not　know　at　first　that　she　was　not　at　home。　After　waiting　in　vain　for　her　dish　he　went　to　her　hut　to　see　what　she　was　doing。　There　was　nobody　in　the　hut　and　the　fireplace　was　cold。
　　〃Where　is　Ojiugo？〃　he　asked　his　second　wife；　who　came　out　of　her　hut　to　draw　water　from　a　gigantic　pot　in　the　shade　of　a　small　tree　in　the　middle　of　the　pound。
　　〃She　has　gone　to　plait　her　hair。〃
　　Okonkwo　bit　his　lips　as　anger　welled　up　within　him。
　　〃Where　are　her　children？　Did　she　take　them？〃　he　asked　with　unusual　coolness　and　restraint。
　　〃They　are　here；〃　answered　his　first　wife；　Nwoye's　mother。　Okonkwo　bent　down　and　looked　into　her　hut。　Ojiugo's　children　were　eating　with　the　children　of　his　first　wife。
　　〃Did　she　ask　you　to　feed　them　before　she　went？〃
　　〃Yes；〃　lied　Nwoye's　mother；　trying　to　minimize　Ojiugo's　thoughtlessness。
　　Okonkwo　knew　she　was　not　speaking　the　truth。　He　walked　back　to　his　obi　to　await　Ojiugo's　return。　And　when　she　returned　he　beat　her　very　heavily。　In　his　anger　he　had　forgotten　that　it　was　the　Week　of　Peace。　His　first　two　wives　ran　out　in　great　alarm　pleading　with　him　that　it　was　the　sacred　week。
　　But　Okonkwo　was　not　the　man　to　stop　beating　somebody　half…way　through；　not　even　for　fear　of　a　goddess。
　　Okonkwo's　neighbors　heard　his　wife　crying　and　sent　their　voices　over　the　pound　walls　to　ask　what　was　the　matter。　Some　of　them　came　over　to　see　for　themselves。　It　was　unheard　of　to　beat　somebody　during　the　sacred　week。
　　Before　it　was　dusk　Ezeani；　who　was　the　priest　of　the　earth　goddess；　Ani；　called　on　Okonkwo　in　his　obi。　Okonkwo　brought　out　kola　nut　and　placed　it　before　the　priest；
　　〃Take　away　your　kola　nut。　I　shall　not　eat　in　the　house　of　a　man　who　has　no　respect　for　our　gods　and　ancestors。〃
　　Okonkwo　tried　to　explain　to　him　what　his　wife　had　done；　but　Ezeani　seemed　to　pay　no　attention。　He　held　a　short　staff　in　his　hand　which　he　brought　down　on　the　floor　to　emphasize　his　points。
　　〃Listen　to　me；〃　he　said　when　Okonkwo　had　spoken。　〃You　are　not　a　stranger　in　Umuofia。　You　know　as　well　as　I　do　that　our　forefathers　ordained　that　before　we　plant　any　crops　in　the　earth　we　should　observe　a　week　in　which　a　man　does　not　say　a　harsh　word　to　his　neighbor。　We　live　in　peace　with　our　fellows　to　honor　our　great　goddess　of　the　earth　without　whose　blessing　our　crops　will　not　grow。　You　have　mitted　a　great　evil。〃　He　brought　down　his　staff　heavily　on　the　floor。　〃Your　wife　was　at　fault；　but　even　if　you　came　into　your　obi　and　found　her　lover　on　top　of　her；　you　would　still　have　mitted　a　great　evil　to　beat　her。〃　His　staff　came　down　again。　〃The　evil　you　have　done　can　ruin　the　whole　clan。　The　earth　goddess　whom　you　have　insulted　may　refuse　to　give　us　her　increase；　and　we　shall　all　perish。〃　His　tone　now　changed　from　anger　to　mand。　〃You　will　bring　to　the　shrine　of　Ani　tomorrow　one　she…goat；　one　hen；　a　length　of　cloth　and　a　hundred　cowries。〃　He　rose　and　left　the　hut。
　　Okonkwo　did　as　the　priest　said。　He　also　took　with　him　a　pot　of　palm…wine。　Inwardly；　he　was　repentant。　But　he　was　not　the　man　to　go　about　telling　his　neighbors　that　he　was　in　error。　And　so　people　said　he　had　no　respect　for　the　gods　of　the　clan。　His　enemies　said　his　good　fortune　had　gone　to　his　head。　They　called　him　the　little　bird　nza　who　so　far　forgot　himself　after　a　heavy　meal　that　he　challenged　his　chi。
　　No　work　was　done　during　the　Week　of　Peace。　People　called　on　their　neighbors　and　drank　palm…wine。　This　year　they　talked　of　nothing　else　but　the　nso…ani　which　Okonkwo　had　mitted。　It　was　the　first　time　for　many　years　that　a　man　had　broken　the　sacred　peace。　Even　the　oldest　men　could　only　remember　one　or　two　other　occasions　somewhere　in　the　dim　past。
　　Ogbuefi　Ezeudu；　who　was　the　oldest　man　in　the　village；　was　telling　two　other　men　who　came　to　visit　him　that　the　punishment　for　breaking　the　Peace　of　Ani　had　bee　very　mild　in　their　clan。
　　〃It　has　not　always　been　so；〃　he　said。　〃My　father　told　me　that　he　had　been　told　that　in　the　past　a　man　who　broke　the　peace　was　dragged　on　the　ground　through　the　village　until　he　died。　But　after　a　while　this　custom　was　stopped　because　it　spoiled　the　peace　which　it　was　meant　to　preserve。〃
　　〃Somebody　told　me　yesterday；〃　said　one　of　the　younger　men；　〃that　in　some　clans　it　is　an　abomination　for　a　man　to　die　during　the　Week　of　Peace。〃
　　〃It　is　indeed　true；〃　said　Ogbuefi　Ezeudu。　〃They　have　that　custom　in　Obodoani。　If　a　man　dies　at　this　time　he　is　not　buried　but　cast　into　the　Evil　Forest。　It　is　a　bad　custom　which　these　people　observe　because　they　lack　understanding。　They　throw　away　large　numbers　of　men　and　women　without　burial。　And　what　is　the　result？　Their　clan　is　full　of　the　evil　spirits　of　these　unburied　dead；　hungry　to　do　harm　to　the　living。〃
　　After　the　Week　of　Peace　every　man　and　his　family　began　to　clear　the　bush　to　make　new　farms。　The　cut　bush　was　left　to　dry　and　fire　was　then　set　to　it。　As　the　smoke　rose　into　the　sky　kites　appeared　from　different　directions　and　hovered　over　the　burning　field　in　silent　valediction。　The　rainy　season　was　approaching　when　they　would　go　away　until　the　dry　season　returned。
　　Okonkwo　spent　the　next　few　days　preparing　his　seed…yams。　He　looked　at　each　yam　carefully　to　see　whether　it　was　good　for　sowing。　Sometimes　he　decided　that　a　yam　was　too　big　to　be　sown　as　one　seed　and　he　split　it　deftly　along　its　length　with　his　sharp　knife。　His　eldest　son；　Nwoye；　and　Ikemefuna　helped　him　by　fetching　the　yams　in　long　baskets　from　the　barn　and　in　counting　the　prepared　seeds　in　groups　of　four　hundred。　Sometimes　Okonkwo　gave　them　a　few　yams　each　to　prepare。　But　he　always　found　fault　with　their　effort；　and　he　said　so　with　much　threatening。
　　〃Do　you　think　you　are　cutting　up　yams　for　cooking？〃　he　asked　Nwoye。　〃If　you　split　another　yam　of　this　size；　I　shall　break　your　jaw。　You　think　you　are　still　a　child。　I　began　to　own　a　farm　at　your　age。　And　you；〃　he　said　to　Ikemefuna；　〃do　you　not　grow　yams　where　you　e　from？〃
　　Inwardly　Okonkwo　knew　that　the　boys　were　still　too　young　to　understand　fully　the　difficult　art　of　preparing　seed…yams。　But　he　thought　that　one　could　not　begin　too　early。　Yam　stood　for　manliness；　and　he　who　could　feed　his　family　on　yams　from　one　harvest　to　another　was　a　very　great　man　indeed。　Okonkwo　wanted　his　son　to　be　a　great　farmer　and　a　great　man。　He　would　stamp　out　the　disquieting　signs　of　laziness　which　he　thought　he　already　saw　in　him。
　　〃I　will　not　have　a　son　who　cannot　hold　up　his　head　in　the　gathering　of　the　clan。　I　would　sooner　strangle　him　with　my　own　hands。　And　if　you　stand　staring　at　me　like　that；〃　he　swore；　〃Amadiora　will　break　your　head　for　you！〃
　　Some　days　later；　when　the　land　had　been　moistened　by　two　or　three　heavy　rains；　Okonkwo　and　his　family　went　to　the　farm　with　baskets　of　seed…yams；　their　hoes　and　machetes；　and　the　planting　began。　They　made　single　mounds　of　earth　in　straight　lines　all　over　the　field　and　sowed　the　yams　in　them。
　　Yam；　the　king　of　crops；　was　a　very　exacting　king。　For　three　or　four　moons　it　demanded　hard　work　and　constant　attention　from　cock…crow　till　the　chickens　went　back　to　roost。　The　young　tendrils　were　protected　from　earth…heat　with　rings　of　sisal　leaves。　As　the　rains　became　heavier　the　women　planted　maize；　melons　and　beans　between　the　yam　mounds。　The　yams　were　then　staked；　first　with　little　sticks　and　later　with　tall　and　big　tree　branches。　The　women　weeded　the　farm　three　times　at　definite　periods　in　the　life　of　the　yams；　neither　early　nor　late。
　　And　now　the　rains　had　really　e；　so　heavy　and　persistent　that　even　the　village　rain…maker　no　longer　claimed　to　be　able　to　intervene。　He　could　not　stop　the　rain　now；　just　as　he　would　not　attempt　to　start　it　in　the　heart　of　the　dry　season；　without　serious　danger　to　his　own　health。　The　personal　dynamism　required　to　counter　the　forces　of　these　extremes　of　weather　would　be　far　too　great　for　the　human　frame。
　　And　so　nature　was　not　interfered　with　in　the　middle　of　the　rainy　season。　Sometimes　it　poured　down　in　such　thick　sheets　of　water　that　earth　and　sky　seemed　merged　in　one　gray　wetness。　It　was　then　uncertain　whether　the　low　rumbling　of　Amadiora's　thunder　came　from　above　or　below。　At　such　times；　in　each　of　the　countless　thatched　huts　of　Umuofia；　children　sat　around　their　mother's　cooking　fire　telling　stories；　or　with　their　father　in　his　obi　warming　themselves　from　a　log　fire；　roasting　and　eating　maize。　It　was　a　brief　resting　period　between　the　exacting　and　arduous　planting　season　and　the　equally　exacting　but　light…hearted　month　of　harvests。
　　Ikemefuna　had　begun　to　feel　like　a　member　of　Okonkwo's　family。　He　still　thought　about　his　mother　and　his　three…year…old　sister；　and　he　had　moments　of　sadness　and　depression　But　he　and　Nwoye　had　bee　so　deeply　attached　to　each　other　that　such　moments　became　less　frequent　and　less　poignant。　Ikemefuna　had　an　endless　stock　of　folk　tales。　Even　those　which　Nwoye　knew　already　were　told　with　a　new