崩溃(Things Fall Apart) (英文版)作者:奇奴阿·阿切比-第8部分

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　　The　last　match　was　between　the　leaders　of　the　teams。　They　were　among　the　best　wrestlers　in　all　the　nine　villages。　The　crowd　wondered　who　would　throw　the　other　this　year。　Some　said　Okafo　was　the　better　man；　others　said　he　was　not　the　equal　of　Ikezue。　Last　year　neither　of　them　had　thrown　the　other　even　though　the　judges　had　allowed　the　contest　to　go　on　longer　than　was　the　custom。　They　had　the　same　style　and　one　saw　the　other's　plans　beforehand。　It　might　happen　again　this　year。
　　Dusk　was　already　approaching　when　their　contest　began。　The　drums　went　mad　and　the　crowds　also。　They　surged　forward　as　the　two　young　men　danced　into　the　circle。　The　palm　fronds　were　helpless　in　keeping　them　back。
　　Ikezue　held　out　his　right　hand。　Okafo　seized　it；　and　they　closed　in。　It　was　a　fierce　contest。　Ikezue　strove　to　dig　in　his　right　heel　behind　Okafo　so　as　to　pitch　him　backwards　in　the　clever　ege　style。　But　the　one　knew　what　the　other　was　thinking。　The　crowd　had　surrounded　and　swallowed　up　the　drummers；　whose　frantic　rhythm　was　no　longer　a　mere　disembodied　sound　but　the　very　heartbeat　of　the　people。
　　The　wrestlers　were　now　almost　still　in　each　other's　grip。　The　muscles　on　their　arms　and　their　thighs　and　on　their　backs　stood　out　and　twitched。　It　looked　like　an　equal　match。　The　two　judges　were　already　moving　forward　to　separate　them　when　Ikezue；　now　desperate；　went　down　quickly　on　one　knee　in　an　attempt　to　fling　his　man　backwards　over　his　head。　It　was　a　sad　miscalculation。　Quick　as　the　lightning　of　Amadiora；　Okafo　raised　his　right　leg　and　swung　it　over　his　rival's　head。　The　crowd　burst　into　a　thunderous　roar。　Okafo　was　swept　off　his　feet　by　his　supporters　and　carried　home　shoulder　high。　They　sang　his　praise　and　the　young　women　clapped　their　hands：
　　〃Who　will　wrestle　for　our　village？
　　Okafo　will　wrestle　for　our　village。　Has　he　thrown　a　hundred　men？
　　He　has　thrown　four　hundred　men。　Has　he　thrown　a　hundred　Cats？
　　He　has　thrown　four　hundred　Cats。　Then　send　him　word　to　fight　　for　us。〃
　　CHAPTER　SEVEN
　　For　three　years　Ikemefuna　lived　in　Okonkwo's　household　and　the　elders　of　Umuofia　seemed　to　have　forgotten　about　him。　He　grew　rapidly　like　a　yam　tendril　in　the　rainy　season；　and　was　full　of　the　sap　of　life。　He　had　bee　wholly　absorbed　into　his　new　family。　He　was　like　an　elder　brother　to　Nwoye；　and　from　the　very　first　seemed　to　have　kindled　a　new　fire　in　the　younger　boy。　He　made　him　feel　grown…up；　and　they　no　longer　spent　the　evenings　in　his　mother's　hut　while　she　cooked；　but　now　sat　with　Okonkwo　in　his　obi；　or　watched　him　as　he　tapped　his　palm　tree　for　the　evening　wine。　Nothing　pleased　Nwoye　now　more　than　to　be　sent　for　by　his　mother　or　another　of　his　father's　wives　to　do　one　of　those　difficult　and　masculine　tasks　in　the　home；　like　splitting　wood；　or　pounding　food。　On　receiving　such　a　message　through　a　younger　brother　or　sister；　Nwoye　would　feign　annoyance　and　grumble　aloud　about　women　and　their　troubles。
　　Okonkwo　was　inwardly　pleased　at　his　son's　development；　and　he　knew　it　was　due　to　Ikemefuna。　He　wanted　Nwoye　to　grow　into　a　tough　young　man　capable　of　ruling　his　father's　household　when　he　was　dead　and　gone　to　join　the　ancestors。
　　He　wanted　him　to　be　a　prosperous　man；　having　enough　in　his　barn　to　feed　the　ancestors　with　regular　sacrifices。　And　so　he　was　always　happy　when　he　heard　him　grumbling　about　women。　That　showed　that　in　time　he　would　be　able　to　control　his　women…folk。　No　matter　how　prosperous　a　man　was；　if　he　was　unable　to　rule　his　women　and　his　children　（and　especially　his　women）　he　was　not　really　a　man。　He　was　like　the　man　in　the　song　who　had　ten　and　one　wives　and　not　enough　soup　for　his　foo…foo。
　　So　Okonkwo　encouraged　the　boys　to　sit　with　him　in　his　obi；　and　he　told　them　stories　of　the　land—masculine　stories　of　violence　and　bloodshed。　Nwoye　knew　that　it　was　right　to　be　masculine　and　to　be　violent；　but　somehow　he　still　preferred　the　stories　that　his　mother　used　to　tell；　and　which　she　no　doubt　still　told　to　her　younger　children—stories　of　the　tortoise　and　his　wily　ways；　and　of　the　bird　eneke…nti…oba　who　challenged　the　whole　world　to　a　wrestling　contest　and　was　finally　thrown　by　the　cat。　He　remembered　the　story　she　often　told　of　the　quarrel　between　Earth　and　Sky　long　ago；　and　how　Sky　withheld　rain　for　seven　years；　until　crops　withered　and　the　dead　could　not　be　buried　because　the　hoes　broke　on　the　stony　Earth。　At　last　Vulture　was　sent　to　plead　with　Sky；　and　to　soften　his　heart　with　a　song　of　the　suffering　of　the　sons　of　men。　Whenever　Nwoye's　mother　sang　this　song　he　felt　carried　away　to　the　distant　scene　in　the　sky　where　Vulture；　Earth's　emissary；　sang　for　mercy。　At　last　Sky　was　moved　to　pity；　and　he　gave　to　Vulture　rain　wrapped　in　leaves　of　coco…yam。　But　as　he　flew　home　his　long　talon　pierced　the　leaves　and　the　rain　fell　as　it　had　never　fallen　before。　And　so　heavily　did　it　rain　on
　　Vulture　that　he　did　not　return　to　deliver　his　message　but　flew　to　a　distant　land；　from　where　he　had　espied　a　fire。　And　when　he　got　there　he　found　it　was　a　man　making　a　sacrifice。　He　warmed　himself　in　the　fire　and　ate　the　entrails。
　　That　was　the　kind　of　story　that　Nwoye　loved。　But　he　now　knew　that　they　were　for　foolish　women　and　children；　and　he　knew　that　his　father　wanted　him　to　be　a　man。　And　so　he　feigned　that　he　no　longer　cared　for　women's　stories。　And　when　he　did　this　he　saw　that　his　father　was　pleased；　and　no　longer　rebuked　him　or　beat　him。　So　Nwoye　and　Ikemefuna　would　listen　to　Okonkwo's　stories　about　tribal　wars；　or　how；　years　ago；　he　had　stalked　his　victim；　overpowered　him　and　obtained　his　first　human　head。　And　as　he　told　them　of　the　past　they　sat　in　darkness　or　the　dim　glow　of　logs；　waiting　for　the　women　to　finish　their　cooking。　When　they　finished；　each　brought　her　bowl　of　foo…foo　and　bowl　of　soup　to　her　husband。　An　oil　lamp　was　lit　and　Okonkwo　tasted　from　each　bowl；　and　then　passed　two　shares　to　Nwoye　and　Ikemefuna。
　　In　this　way　the　moons　and　the　seasons　passed。　And　then　the　locusts　came。　It　had　not　happened　for　many　a　long　year。　The　elders　said　locusts　came　once　in　a　generation；　reappeared　every　year　for　seven　years　and　then　disappeared　for　another　lifetime。　They　went　back　to　their　caves　in　a　distant　land；　where　they　were　guarded　by　a　race　of　stunted　men。　And　then　after　another　lifetime　these　men　opened　the　caves　again　and　the　locusts　came　to　Umuofia。
　　They　came　in　the　cold　harmattan　season　after　the　harvests　had　been　gathered；　and　ate　up　all　the　wild　grass　in　the　fields。
　　Okonkwo　and　the　two　boys　were　working　on　the　red　outer　walls　of　the　pound。　This　was　one　of　the　lighter　tasks　of　the　after…harvest　season。　A　new　cover　of　thick　palm　branches　and　palm　leaves　was　set　on　the　walls　to　protect　them　from　the　next　rainy　season。　Okonkwo　worked　on　the　outside　of　the　wall　and　the　boys　worked　from　within。　There　were　little　holes　from　one　side　to　the　other　in　the　upper　levels　of　the　wall；　and　through　these　Okonkwo　passed　the　rope；　or　tie…tie；　to　the　boys　and　they　passed　it　round　the　wooden　stays　and　then　back　to　him；…　and　in　this　way　the　cover　was　strengthened　on　the　wall。
　　The　women　had　gone　to　the　bush　to　collect　firewood；　and　the　little　children　to　visit　their　playmates　in　the　neighboring　pounds。　The　harmattan　was　in　the　air　and　seemed　to　distill　a　hazy　feeling　of　sleep　on　the　world。　Okonkwo　and　the　boys　worked　in　plete　silence；　which　was　only　broken　when　a　new　palm　frond　was　lifted　on　to　the　wall　or　when　a　busy　hen　moved　dry　leaves　about　in　her　ceaseless　search　for　food。
　　And　then　quite　suddenly　a　shadow　fell　on　the　world；　and　the　sun　seemed　hidden　behind　a　thick　cloud。　Okonkwo　looked　up　from　his　work　and　wondered　if　it　was　going　to　rain　at　such　an　unlikely　time　of　the　year。　But　almost　immediately　a　shout　of　joy　broke　out　in　all　directions；　and　Umuofia；　which　had　dozed　in　the　noon…day　haze；　broke　into　life　and　activity。
　　〃Locusts　are　descending；〃　was　joyfully　chanted　everywhere；　and　men；　women　and　children　left　their　work　or　their　play　and　ran　into　the　open　to　see　the　unfamiliar　sight。　The
　　locusts　had　not　e　for　many；　many　years；　and　only　the　old　people　had　seen　them　before。
　　At　first；　a　fairly　small　swarm　came。　They　were　the　harbingers　sent　to　survey　the　land。　And　then　appeared　on　the　horizon　a　slowly…moving　mass　like　a　boundless　sheet　of　black　cloud　drifting　towards　Umuofia。　Soon　it　covered　half　the　sky；　and　the　solid　mass　was　now　broken　by　tiny　eyes　of　light　like　shining　star　dust。　It　was　a　tremendous　sight；　full　of　power　and　beauty。
　　Everyone　was　now　about；　talking　excitedly　and　praying　that　the　locusts　should　camp　in　Umuofia　for　the　night。　For　although　locusts　had　not　visited　Umuofia　for　many　years；　everybody　knew　by　instinct　that　they　were　very　good　to　eat。　And　at　last　the　locusts　did　descend。　They　settled　on　every　tree　and　on　every　blade　of　grass；　they　settled　on　the　roofs　and　covered　the　bare　ground。　Mighty　tree　branches　broke　away　under　them；　and　the　whole　country　became　the　brown…earth　color　of　the　vast；　hungry　swarm。
　　Many　people　went　out　with　baskets　trying　to　catch　them；　but　the　elders　counseled　patience　till　nightfall。　And　they　were　right。　The　locusts　settled　in　the　bushes　for　the　night　and　their　wings　became　wet　with　dew。　Then　all　Umuofia　turned　out　in　spite　of　the　cold　harmattan；　and　everyone　filled　his　bags　and　pots　with　locusts。　The　next　morning　they　were　roasted　in　clay　pots　and　then　spread　in　the　sun　until　they　became　dry　and　brittle。　And　for　many　days　this　rare　food　was　eaten　with　solid　palm…oil。
　　Okonkwo　sat　in　his　obi　crunching　happily　with　Ikemefuna　and　Nwoye；　and　drinking　palm…wine　copiously；　when　Ogbuefi　Ezeudu　came　in。　Ezeudu　was　the　oldest　man　in　this　quarter　of　Umuofia。　He　had　been　a　great　and　fearless　warrior　in　his　time；　and　was　now　accorded　great　respect　in　all　the　clan。　He　refused　to　join　in　the　meal；　and　asked　Okonkwo　to　have　a　word　with　him　outside。　And　so　they　walked　out　together；　the　old　man　supporting　himself　with　his　stick。　When　they　were　out　of　earshot；　he　said　to　Okonkwo：
　　〃That　boy　calls　you　father。　Do　not　bear　a　hand　in　his　death。〃　Okonkwo　was　surprised；　and　was　about　to　say　something　when　the　old　man　continued：
　　〃Yes；　Umuofia　has　decided　to　kill　him。　The　Oracle　of　the　Hills　and　the　Caves　has　pronounced　it。　They　will　take　him　outside