高英第2课课文

1、MarrakechGeorgeOrwell Asthecorpsewentpasttheflieslefttherestauranttableinacloudandrushedafterit,buttheycamebackafewminuteslater. Thelittlecrowdofmourners-allmenandboys,nowomen-threadedtheirwayacrossthemarketplacebetweenthepilesofpomegranatesandthetaxisandthecamels,wallingashortchantoverandoveragain.

2、Whatreallyappealstothefliesisthatthecorpseshereareneverputintocoffins,theyaremerelywrappedinapieceofragandcarriedonaroughwoodenbierontheshouldersoffourfriends.Whenthefriendsgettotheburying-groundtheyhackanoblongholeafootortwodeep,dumpthebodyinitandflingoveritalittleofthedried-up,lumpyearth,whichisli

3、kebrokenbrick.Nogravestone,noname,noidentifyingmarkofanykind.Theburying-groundismerelyahugewasteofhummockyearth,likeaderelictbuilding-lot.Afteramonthortwonoonecanevenbecertainwherehisownrelativesareburied. Whenyouwalkthroughatownlikethis-twohundredthousandinhabitantsofwhomatleasttwentythousandownlit

4、erallynothingexcepttheragstheystandupin-whenyouseehowthepeoplelive,andstillmorehoweasilytheydie,itisalwaysdifficulttobelievethatyouarewalkingamonghumanbeings.Allcolonialempiresareinrealityfoundeduponthisfact.Thepeoplehavebrownfaces-besides,therearesomanyofthem!Aretheyreallythesamefleshasyourself?Dot

5、heyevenhavenames?Oraretheymerelyakindofundifferentiatedbrownstuff,aboutasindividualasbeesorcoralinsects?Theyriseoutoftheearth，theysweatandstarveforafewyears,andthentheysinkbackintothenamelessmoundsofthegraveyardandnobodynoticesthattheyaregone.Andeventhegravesthemselvessoonfadebackintothesoil.Sometim

6、es,outforawalkasyoubreakyourwaythroughthepricklypear,younoticethatitisratherbumpyunderfoot,andonlyacertainregularityinthebumpstellsyouthatyouarewalkingoverskeletons. Iwasfeedingoneofthegazellesinthepublicgardens. Gazellesarealmosttheonlyanimalsthatlookgoodtoeatwhentheyarestillalive,infact,onecanhard

7、lylookattheirhindquarterswithoutthinkingofamintsauce.ThegazelleIwasfeedingseemedtoknowthatthisthoughtwasinmymind,forthoughittookthepieceofbreadIwasholdingoutitobviouslydidnotlikeme.Itnibblednibbledrapidlyatthebread,thenlowereditsheadandtriedtobuttme,thentookanothernibbleandthenbuttedagain.Probablyit

8、sideawasthatifitcoulddrivemeawaythebreadwouldsomehowremainhanginginmid-air.AnArabnavvyworkingonthepathnearbyloweredhisheavyhoeandsidledslowlytowardsus.Helookedfromthegazelletothebreadandfromthebreadtothegazelle,withasortofquietamazement,asthoughhehadneverseenanythingquitelikethisbefore.Finallyhesaid

9、shylyinFrench:1couldeatsomeofthatbread. Itoreoffapieceandhestoweditgratefullyinsomesecretplaceunderhisrags.Thismanisanemployeeofthemunicipality. WhenyougothroughtheJewishQuartersyougathersomeideaofwhatthemedievalghettoeswereprobablylike.UndertheirMoorishMoorishrulerstheJewswereonlyallowedtoownlandin

10、certainrestrictedareas,andaftercenturiesofthiskindoftreatmenttheyhaveceasedtobotheraboutovercrowding.Manyofthestreetsareagooddeallessthansixfeetwide,thehousesarecompletelywindowless,andsore-eyedchildrenclustereverywhereinunbelievablenumbers,likecloudsofflies.Downthecentreofthestreetthereisgenerallyr

11、unningalittleriverofurine.InthebazaarhugefamiliesofJews,alldressedinthelongblackrobeandlittleblackskull-cap,areworkingindarkfly-infestedboothsthatlooklikecaves.Acarpentersitscrossleggedataprehistoriclathe,turningchairlegsatlightningspeed.Heworksthelathewithabowinhisrighthandandguidesthechiselwithhis

12、leftfoot,andthankstoalifetimeofsittinginthispositionhisleftlegiswarpedoutofshape.Athissidehisgrandson,agedsix,isalreadystartingonthesimplerpartsofthejob. IwasjustpassingthecoppersmithsboothswhensomebodynoticedthatIwaslightingacigarette.Instantly,fromthedarkholesallround,therewasafrenziedrushofJews,m

13、anyofthemoldgrandfatherswithflowinggreybeards,allclamouringforacigarette.Evenablindmansomewhereatthebackofoneoftheboothsheardarumour ofcigarettesandcamecrawlingout,gropingintheairwithhishand.InaboutaminuteIhadusedupthewholepacket.Noneofthesepeople,Isuppose,workslessthantwelvehoursaday,andeveryoneoft

14、hemlooksonacigaretteasamoreorlessimpossibleluxury. AstheJewsliveinself-containedcommunitiestheyfollowthesametradesastheArabs,exceptforagriculture.Fruitsellers,potters,silversmiths,blacksmiths,butchers,leather-workers,tailors,water-carriers,beggars,porters-whicheverwayyoulookyouseenothingbutJews.Asam

15、atteroffacttherearethirteenthousandofthem,alllivinginthespaceofafewacres.AgoodjobHitletwasnthere.Perhapshewasonhisway,however.YouheartheusualdarkrumoursaboutJews,notonlyfromtheArabsbutfromthepoorerEuropeans. Yesvieuxmonvieux,theytookmyjobawayfrommeandgaveittoaJew.TheJews!Theyretherealrulersofthiscou

16、ntry,youknow.Theyvegotallthemoney.Theycontrolthebanks,finance-everything. But,Isaid,isntitafactthattheaverageJewisalabourerworkingforaboutapennyanhour? Ah,thatsonlyforshow!Theyreallmoneylendersreally.Theyrecunning,theJews. Injustthesameway,acoupleofhundredyearsago,pooroldwomenusedtobeburnedforwitchc

17、raftwhentheycouldnotevenworkenoughmagictogetthemselvesasquaremeal.squaremeal Allpeoplewhoworkwiththeirhandsarepartlyinvisible,andthemoreimportanttheworktheydo,thelessvisibletheyare.Still,awhiteskinisalwaysfairlyconspicuous.InnorthernEurope,whenyouseealabourerploughingafield,youprobablygivehimasecond

18、glance.Inahotcountry,anywheresouthofGibraltaroreastofSuez,thechancesarethatyoudontevenseehim.Ihavenoticedthisagainandagain.Inatropicallandscapeoneseyetakesineverythingexceptthehumanbeings.Ittakesinthedried-upsoil,thepricklypear,thepalmtreeandthedistantmountain,butitalwaysmissesthepeasanthoeingathisp

19、atch.Heisthesamecolourastheearth,andagreatdeallessinterestingtolookat. ItisonlybecauseofthisthatthestarvedcountriesofAsiaandAfricaareacceptedastouristresorts.NoonewouldthinkofrunningcheaptripstotheDistressedAreas.Butwherethehumanbeingshavebrownskinstheirpovertyissimplynotnoticed.WhatdoesMoroccomeant

20、oaFrenchman?AnorangegroveorajobinGovernmentservice.OrtoanEnglishman?Camels,castles,palmtrees,ForeignLegionnaires,brasstrays,andbandits.Onecouldprobablylivethereforyearswithoutnoticingthatfornine-tenthsofthepeopletherealityoflifeisanendlessback-breakingstruggletowringalittlefoodoutofanerodedsoil. Mos

21、tofMoroccoissodesolatethatnowildanimalbiggerthanaharecanliveonit.Hugeareaswhichwereoncecoveredwithforesthaveturnedintoatreelesswastewherethesoilisexactlylikebroken-upbrick. Neverthelessagooddealofitiscultivated,withfrightfullabour.Everythingisdonebyhand.Longlinesofwomen,bentdoublelikeinvertedcapital

22、Ls,worktheirwayslowlyacrossthefields,tearingupthepricklyweedswiththeirhands,andthepeasantgatheringlucerneforfodderpullsitupstalkbystalkinsteadofreapingit,thussavinganinchortwooneachstalk.Theploughisawretchedwoodenthing,sofrailthatonecaneasilycarryitononesshoulder,andfittedunderneathwitharoughironspi

23、kewhichstirsthesoiltoadepthofaboutfourinches.Thisisasmuchasthestrengthoftheanimalsisequalto.Itisusualtoploughwithacowandadonkeyyokedtogether.Twodonkeyswouldnotbequitestrongenough,butontheotherhandtwocowswouldcostalittlemoretofeed.Thepeasantspossessnonarrows,theymerelyploughthesoilseveraltimesoverind

24、ifferentdirections,finallyleavingitinroughfurrows,afterwhichthewholefieldhastobeshapedwithhoesintosmalloblongpatchestoconservewater.Exceptforadayortwoaftertherarerainstormsthereisneverenoughwater.Alongtheedgesofthefieldschannelsarehackedouttoadepthofthirtyorfortyfeettogetatthetinytrickleswhichrunthr

25、oughthesubsoil. Everyafternoonafileofveryoldwomenpassesdowntheroadoutsidemyhouse,eachcarryingaloadoffirewood.Allofthemaremummifiedwithageandthesun,andallofthemaretiny.Itseemstobegenerallythecaseinprimitivecommunitiesthatthewomen,whentheygetbeyondacertainage,shrinktothesizeofchildren.Onedaypoorcreatu

26、rewhocouldnothavebeenmorethanfourfeettallcreptpastmeunderavastloadofwood.Istoppedherandputafive-sousoupiece(alittlemorethanafarthingintoherhand.Sheansweredwithashrillwail,almostascream,whichwaspartlygratitudebutmainlysurprise.Isupposethatfromherpointofview,bytakinganynoticeofher,Iseemedalmosttobevio

27、latingalawofnature.Sheaccept-edherstatusasanoldwoman,thatistosayasabeastofburden.Whenafamilyistravellingitisquiteusualtoseeafatherandagrown-upsonridingaheadondonkeys,andanoldwomanfollowingonfoot,carryingthebaggage. Butwhatisstrangeaboutthesepeopleistheirinvisibility.Forseveralweeks,alwaysataboutthes

28、ametimeofday,thefileofoldwomenhadhobbledpastthehousewiththeirfirewood,andthoughtheyhadregisteredthemselvesonmyeyeballsIcannottrulysaythatIhadseenthem.Firewoodwaspassing-thatwashowIsawit.ItwasonlythatonedayIhappenedtobewalkingbehindthem,andthecuriousup-and-downmotionofaloadofwooddrewmyattentiontotheh

29、umanbeingbeneathit.ThenforthefirsttimeInoticedthepooroldearth-colouredbodies,bodiesreducedtobonesandleatheryskin,bentdoubleunderthecrushingweight.YetIsupposeIhadnotbeenfiveminutesonMoroccansoilbeforeInoticedtheoverloadingofthedonkeysandwasinfuriatedbyit.Thereisnoquestionthatthedonkeysaredamnablytrea

30、ted.TheMoroccandonkeyishardlybiggerthanaSt.Bernarddog,itcarriesaloadwhichintheBritishArmywouldbeconsideredtoomuchforafifteen-handsmule,andveryoftenitspacksaddleisnottakenoffitsbackforweekstogether.Butwhatispeculiarlypitifulisthatitisthemostwillingcreatureonearth,itfollowsitsmasterlikeadoganddoesnotn

31、eedeitherbridleorhalter.Afteradozenyearsofdevotedworkitsuddenlydropsdead,whereuponitsmastertipsitintotheditchandthevillagedogshavetornitsgutsoutbeforeitiscold. Thiskindofthingmakesonesbloodboil,whereas-onthewhole-theplightofthehumanbeingsdoesnot.Iamnotcommenting,merelypointingtoafact.Peoplewithbrown

32、skinsarenextdoortoinvisible.Anyonecanbesorryforthedonkeywithitsgalledback,butitisgenerallyowingtosomekindofaccidentifoneevennoticestheoldwomanunderherloadofsticks. AsthestorksflewnorthwardtheNegroesweremarchingsouthward-along,dustycolumn,infantry,screw-gunbatteries,andthenmoreinfantry,fourorfivethou

33、sandmeninall,windinguptheroadwithaclumpingofbootsandaclatterofironwheels. TheywereSenegalese,theblackestNegroesinAfrica,soblackthatsometimesitisdifficulttosee whereaboutsontheirnecksthehairbegins.Theirsplendidbodieswerehiddeninreach-me-downkhakiuniforms,theirfeetsquashedintobootsthatlookedlikeblocks

34、ofwood,andeverytinhatseemedtobeacoupleofsizestoosmall.Itwasveryhotandthemenhadmarchedalongway.Theyslumpedundertheweightoftheirpacksandthecuriouslysensitiveblackfaceswereglisteningwithsweat. Astheywentpast,atall,veryyoungNegroturnedandcaughtmyeye.Butthelookhegavemewasnotintheleastthekindoflookyoumightexpect.Nothostile,notcontemp