高英第2课课文.doc

MarrakechGeorgeOrwell Asthecorpsewentpasttheflieslefttherestauranttableinacloudandrushedafterit,buttheycamebackafewminuteslater. Thelittlecrowdofmourners-allmenandboys,nowomen-threadedtheirwayacrossthemarketplacebetweenthepilesofpomegranatesandthetaxisandthecamels,wallingashortchantoverandoveragain.Whatreallyappealstothefliesisthatthecorpseshereareneverputintocoffins,theyaremerelywrappedinapieceofragandcarriedonaroughwoodenbierontheshouldersoffourfriends.Whenthefriendsgettotheburying-groundtheyhackanoblongholeafootortwodeep,dumpthebodyinitandflingoveritalittleofthedried-up,lumpyearth,whichislikebrokenbrick.Nogravestone,noname,noidentifyingmarkofanykind.Theburying-groundismerelyahugewasteofhummockyearth,likeaderelictbuilding-lot.Afteramonthortwonoonecanevenbecertainwherehisownrelativesareburied. Whenyouwalkthroughatownlikethis-twohundredthousandinhabitantsofwhomatleasttwentythousandownliterallynothingexcepttheragstheystandupin-whenyouseehowthepeoplelive,andstillmorehoweasilytheydie,itisalwaysdifficulttobelievethatyouarewalkingamonghumanbeings.Allcolonialempiresareinrealityfoundeduponthisfact.Thepeoplehavebrownfaces-besides,therearesomanyofthem!Aretheyreallythesamefleshasyourself?Dotheyevenhavenames?Oraretheymerelyakindofundifferentiatedbrownstuff,aboutasindividualasbeesorcoralinsects?Theyriseoutoftheearth，theysweatandstarveforafewyears,andthentheysinkbackintothenamelessmoundsofthegraveyardandnobodynoticesthattheyaregone.Andeventhegravesthemselvessoonfadebackintothesoil.Sometimes,outforawalkasyoubreakyourwaythroughthepricklypear,younoticethatitisratherbumpyunderfoot,andonlyacertainregularityinthebumpstellsyouthatyouarewalkingoverskeletons. Iwasfeedingoneofthegazellesinthepublicgardens. Gazellesarealmosttheonlyanimalsthatlookgoodtoeatwhentheyarestillalive,infact,onecanhardlylookattheirhindquarterswithoutthinkingofamintsauce.ThegazelleIwasfeedingseemedtoknowthatthisthoughtwasinmymind,forthoughittookthepieceofbreadIwasholdingoutitobviouslydidnotlikeme.Itnibblednibbledrapidlyatthebread,thenlowereditsheadandtriedtobuttme,thentookanothernibbleandthenbuttedagain.Probablyitsideawasthatifitcoulddrivemeawaythebreadwouldsomehowremainhanginginmid-air.AnArabnavvyworkingonthepathnearbyloweredhisheavyhoeandsidledslowlytowardsus.Helookedfromthegazelletothebreadandfromthebreadtothegazelle,withasortofquietamazement,asthoughhehadneverseenanythingquitelikethisbefore.FinallyhesaidshylyinFrench:1couldeatsomeofthatbread. Itoreoffapieceandhestoweditgratefullyinsomesecretplaceunderhisrags.Thismanisanemployeeofthemunicipality. WhenyougothroughtheJewishQuartersyougathersomeideaofwhatthemedievalghettoeswereprobablylike.UndertheirMoorishMoorishrulerstheJewswereonlyallowedtoownlandincertainrestrictedareas,andaftercenturiesofthiskindoftreatmenttheyhaveceasedtobotheraboutovercrowding.Manyofthestreetsareagooddeallessthansixfeetwide,thehousesarecompletelywindowless,andsore-eyedchildrenclustereverywhereinunbelievablenumbers,likecloudsofflies.Downthecentreofthestreetthereisgenerallyrunningalittleriverofurine.InthebazaarhugefamiliesofJews,alldressedinthelongblackrobeandlittleblackskull-cap,areworkingindarkfly-infestedboothsthatlooklikecaves.Acarpentersitscrossleggedataprehistoriclathe,turningchairlegsatlightningspeed.Heworksthelathewithabowinhisrighthandandguidesthechiselwithhisleftfoot,andthankstoalifetimeofsittinginthispositionhisleftlegiswarpedoutofshape.Athissidehisgrandson,agedsix,isalreadystartingonthesimplerpartsofthejob. IwasjustpassingthecoppersmithsboothswhensomebodynoticedthatIwaslightingacigarette.Instantly,fromthedarkholesallround,therewasafrenziedrushofJews,manyofthemoldgrandfatherswithflowinggreybeards,allclamouringforacigarette.Evenablindmansomewhereatthebackofoneoftheboothsheardarumour ofcigarettesandcamecrawlingout,gropingintheairwithhishand.InaboutaminuteIhadusedupthewholepacket.Noneofthesepeople,Isuppose,workslessthantwelvehoursaday,andeveryoneofthemlooksonacigaretteasamoreorlessimpossibleluxury. AstheJewsliveinself-containedcommunitiestheyfollowthesametradesastheArabs,exceptforagriculture.Fruitsellers,potters,silversmiths,blacksmiths,butchers,leather-workers,tailors,water-carriers,beggars,porters-whicheverwayyoulookyouseenothingbutJews.Asamatteroffacttherearethirteenthousandofthem,alllivinginthespaceofafewacres.AgoodjobHitletwasnthere.Perhapshewasonhisway,however.YouheartheusualdarkrumoursaboutJews,notonlyfromtheArabsbutfromthepoorerEuropeans. Yesvieuxmonvieux,theytookmyjobawayfrommeandgaveittoaJew.TheJews!Theyretherealrulersofthiscountry,youknow.Theyvegotallthemoney.Theycontrolthebanks,finance-everything. But,Isaid,isntitafactthattheaverageJewisalabourerworkingforaboutapennyanhour? Ah,thatsonlyforshow!Theyreallmoneylendersreally.Theyrecunning,theJews. Injustthesameway,acoupleofhundredyearsago,pooroldwomenusedtobeburnedforwitchcraftwhentheycouldnotevenworkenoughmagictogetthemselvesasquaremeal.squaremeal Allpeoplewhoworkwiththeirhandsarepartlyinvisible,andthemoreimportanttheworktheydo,thelessvisibletheyare.Still,awhiteskinisalwaysfairlyconspicuous.InnorthernEurope,whenyouseealabourerploughingafield,youprobablygivehimasecondglance.Inahotcountry,anywheresouthofGibraltaroreastofSuez,thechancesarethatyoudontevenseehim.Ihavenoticedthisagainandagain.Inatropicallandscapeoneseyetakesineverythingexceptthehumanbeings.Ittakesinthedried-upsoil,thepricklypear,thepalmtreeandthedistantmountain,butitalwaysmissesthepeasanthoeingathispatch.Heisthesamecolourastheearth,andagreatdeallessinterestingtolookat. ItisonlybecauseofthisthatthestarvedcountriesofAsiaandAfricaareacceptedastouristresorts.NoonewouldthinkofrunningcheaptripstotheDistressedAreas.Butwherethehumanbeingshavebrownskinstheirpovertyissimplynotnoticed.WhatdoesMoroccomeantoaFrenchman?AnorangegroveorajobinGovernmentservice.OrtoanEnglishman?Camels,castles,palmtrees,ForeignLegionnaires,brasstrays,andbandits.Onecouldprobablylivethereforyearswithoutnoticingthatfornine-tenthsofthepeopletherealityoflifeisanendlessback-breakingstruggletowringalittlefoodoutofanerodedsoil. MostofMoroccoissodesolatethatnowildanimalbiggerthanaharecanliveonit.Hugeareaswhichwereoncecoveredwithforesthaveturnedintoatreelesswastewherethesoilisexactlylikebroken-upbrick. Neverthelessagooddealofitiscultivated,withfrightfullabour.Everythingisdonebyhand.Longlinesofwomen,bentdoublelikeinvertedcapitalLs,worktheirwayslowlyacrossthefields,tearingupthepricklyweedswiththeirhands,andthepeasantgatheringlucerneforfodderpullsitupstalkbystalkinsteadofreapingit,thussavinganinchortwooneachstalk.Theploughisawretchedwoodenthing,sofrailthatonecaneasilycarryitononesshoulder,andfittedunderneathwitharoughironspikewhichstirsthesoiltoadepthofaboutfourinches.Thisisasmuchasthestrengthoftheanimalsisequalto.Itisusualtoploughwithacowandadonkeyyokedtogether.Twodonkeyswouldnotbequitestrongenough,butontheotherhandtwocowswouldcostalittlemoretofeed.Thepeasantspossessnonarrows,theymerelyploughthesoilseveraltimesoverindifferentdirections,finallyleavingitinroughfurrows,afterwhichthewholefieldhastobeshapedwithhoesintosmalloblongpatchestoconservewater.Exceptforadayortwoaftertherarerainstormsthereisneverenoughwater.Alongtheedgesofthefieldschannelsarehackedouttoadepthofthirtyorfortyfeettogetatthetinytrickleswhichrunthroughthesubsoil. Everyafternoonafileofveryoldwomenpassesdowntheroadoutsidemyhouse,eachcarryingaloadoffirewood.Allofthemaremummifiedwithageandthesun,andallofthemaretiny.Itseemstobegenerallythecaseinprimitivecommunitiesthatthewomen,whentheygetbeyondacertainage,shrinktothesizeofchildren.Onedaypoorcreaturewhocouldnothavebeenmorethanfourfeettallcreptpastmeunderavastloadofwood.Istoppedherandputafive-sousoupiece(alittlemorethanafarthingintoherhand.Sheansweredwithashrillwail,almostascream,whichwaspartlygratitudebutmainlysurprise.Isupposethatfromherpointofview,bytakinganynoticeofher,Iseemedalmosttobeviolatingalawofnature.Sheaccept-edherstatusasanoldwoman,thatistosayasabeastofburden.Whenafamilyistravellingitisquiteusualtoseeafatherandagrown-upsonridingaheadondonkeys,andanoldwomanfollowingonfoot,carryingthebaggage. Butwhatisstrangeaboutthesepeopleistheirinvisibility.Forseveralweeks,alwaysataboutthesametimeofday,thefileofoldwomenhadhobbledpastthehousewiththeirfirewood,andthoughtheyhadregisteredthemselvesonmyeyeballsIcannottrulysaythatIhadseenthem.Firewoodwaspassing-thatwashowIsawit.ItwasonlythatonedayIhappenedtobewalkingbehindthem,andthecuriousup-and-downmotionofaloadofwooddrewmyattentiontothehumanbeingbeneathit.ThenforthefirsttimeInoticedthepooroldearth-colouredbodies,bodiesreducedtobonesandleatheryskin,bentdoubleunderthecrushingweight.YetIsupposeIhadnotbeenfiveminutesonMoroccansoilbeforeInoticedtheoverloadingofthedonkeysandwasinfuriatedbyit.Thereisnoquestionthatthedonkeysaredamnablytreated.TheMoroccandonkeyishardlybiggerthanaSt.Bernarddog,itcarriesaloadwhichintheBritishArmywouldbeconsideredtoomuchforafifteen-handsmule,andveryoftenitspacksaddleisnottakenoffitsbackforweekstogether.Butwhatispeculiarlypitifulisthatitisthemostwillingcreatureonearth,itfollowsitsmasterlikeadoganddoesnotneedeitherbridleorhalter.Afteradozenyearsofdevotedworkitsuddenlydropsdead,whereuponitsmastertipsitintotheditchandthevillagedogshavetornitsgutsoutbeforeitiscold. Thiskindofthingmakesonesbloodboil,whereas-onthewhole-theplightofthehumanbeingsdoesnot.Iamnotcommenting,merelypointingtoafact.Peoplewithbrownskinsarenextdoortoinvisible.Anyonecanbesorryforthedonkeywithitsgalledback,butitisgenerallyowingtosomekindofaccidentifoneevennoticestheoldwomanunderherloadofsticks. AsthestorksflewnorthwardtheNegroesweremarchingsouthward-along,dustycolumn,infantry,screw-gunbatteries,andthenmoreinfantry,fourorfivethousandmeninall,windinguptheroadwithaclumpingofbootsandaclatterofironwheels. TheywereSenegalese,theblackestNegroesinAfrica,soblackthatsometimesitisdifficulttosee whereaboutsontheirnecksthehairbegins.Theirsplendidbodieswerehiddeninreach-me-downkhakiuniforms,theirfeetsquashedintobootsthatlookedlikeblocksofwood,andeverytinhatseemedtobeacoupleofsizestoosmall.Itwasveryhotandthemenhadmarchedalongway.Theyslumpedundertheweightoftheirpacksandthecuriouslysensitiveblackfaceswereglisteningwithsweat. Astheywentpast,atall,veryyoungNegroturnedandcaughtmyeye.Butthelookhegavemewasnotintheleastthekindoflookyoumightexpect.Nothostile,notcontemp