13.1 莫 koh 有罷工 tō 好 lah!

Tē 13 Chiong

13.1 Mài koh ū pā-kang tō hó lah!

Lé-pài-ji̍t, Clifford siūⁿ boeh khì chhiū-nâ kiâⁿ-kiâⁿ leh. Chá-sî chin hó-thiⁿ, lâi-á kap lí-á hut-jiân lóng khui-hoe ah, sì-kè lóng sī pe̍h phāⁿ-phāⁿ ê hoe.

Sì-kè lóng teh khui-hoe, che tùi Clifford soah chin chân-jím, i tio̍h ài lâng hû chiah ē-tit ùi lûn-í ōaⁿ kòe í-á-chhia. M̄-koh i í-keng bē-kì-tit, sīm-chì hong-sîn i ê pái-kha. Khòaⁿ i tio̍h su-iàu lâng kā chhiâu he bô kám-kak ê kha, Connie mā kám-kak sim-sng. Che ū-sî iû Bolton Tt chò, ū-sî iû Field chò.

Yi tī lō͘-téng, tī ke-jiû-chhiū só͘ chō-sêng ê chhiū lî piⁿ-á tán i. I ê chhia-á phok-leh phok-leh, ná pēⁿ-lâng bô khùi-la̍t. Lâi kàu in bó͘ chia, i kóng:

"Clifford Sià sin khiâ pe̍h-bé lâi--liáu!"

"Chhoán phīⁿ-phēⁿ, haha!" yi chhiò.

I thêng-khùn, gia̍h-ba̍k khòaⁿ he tn̂g koh kē, âng-ho-sek ê lāu chhù.

"Wragby liân ba̍k-phôe to bô nih!" i kóng. "M̄-koh, ná tio̍h ah! Góa khiâ ê sī jîn-lūi sim-chì ê sêng-kó, che pí bé khah lī-hāi."

"Góa tông-ì. Kòe-khì Plato ê lêng-hûn chiūⁿ-thiⁿ khì, sī chē siang-bé ê chiàn-chhia, chit-má tiāⁿ-tio̍h tō chē Ford ê chhia khì," yi kóng.

"A̍h-sī chē Rolls-Royce: in-ūi Plato sī kùi-cho̍k!"

"Bô m̄-tio̍h! Bē koh ū o͘-bé hông sut kap ge̍k-thāi. Plato siūⁿ bē-tio̍h lán chit-má ē-tàng cháu kah pí i ê o͘-bé kap pe̍h-bé khah kín, kin-pún m̄-bián bé, kan-ta iōng enjín!"

"Kan-ta iōng enjín kap gasolín!" Clifford kóng.

"Góa hi-bāng mê-nî kā lāu chhù siu-lí chi̍t-ē. Góa siūⁿ, tio̍h khoán chha-put-to 1,000 Eng-pōng: m̄-koh kang-thêng ê kè-siàu chin koân!" i koh pó͘-chhiong.

"Oh, hó!" Connie kóng. "Nā mài koh ū pā-kang tō hó lah!"

"In koh pā-kang ū siáⁿ iōng ah! Kan-ta ē kā che chhun-leh ê sán-gia̍p húi-tiāu: tong-jiân, hiah-ê lâng in ka-tī mā khai-sí khòaⁿ ū ah!"

"Hoān-sè in bô kòa-ì húi-tiāu sán-gia̍p," Connie kóng.

"Ah, kóng hit-lō cha-bó͘-lâng ōe! Sán-gia̍p chhī-pá in ê pak-tó͘, sui-bóng he bô hoat-tō͘ hō͘ in lak-tē-á móa-móa," i kóng, ná ū tām-po̍h-á Bolton Tt ê khiuⁿ-kháu.

"M̄-koh, téng-kang lí m̄-sī kóng, lí sī chi̍t-ê pó-siú ê bô-chèng-hú chú-gī chiá?" yi thian-chin kā mn̄g.

"Lí chai he, góa siáⁿ ì-sù bô?" i kā hoán-mn̄g. "Góa ê ì-sù sī, lâng tī su-té-hā ē-sái chiàu ka-tī ê ì-sù seng-oa̍h, ài chò siáⁿ tō chò siáⁿ, chí-iàu in mài kái-piàn seng-oa̍h hêng-sek kap thé-chè."

Connie kè-sio̍k hiòng chêng tiām-tiām kiâⁿ kúi-nā pō͘. Koh-lâi, yi kò͘-chip kóng:

"Án-ne, che ná-chhiūⁿ kóng, chí-iàu nn̄g-khak pó-chhî oân-chéng, nn̄g chhàu khì bô iàu-kín. M̄-koh, nn̄g nā chhàu, nn̄g-khak ka-tī tō ē phòa."

"Góa bô jīn-ûi lâng sī nn̄g," i kóng. "Sīm-chì he sī thian-sài ê nn̄g mā kāng-khoán, góa chhin-ài ê sió thoân-kàu-sū."

Tī chit-ê chheng-lóng ê chá-khí, i ê sim-chêng chiâⁿ khin-sang. Pòaⁿ-thiⁿ-chiáu (lark) tī hoe-hn̂g téng-bīn ki-ki kiò, hn̄g-hn̄g naih-o hia ê khòng-tiûⁿ chēng-chēng teh puh ian-bū. Tō ná-chhiūⁿ chiàn-chêng ê sî-chūn. Connie si̍t-chāi bô-boeh sio-chèⁿ. M̄-koh, yi mā bô sim-chêng hām Clifford ji̍p chhiū-nâ khì. Só͘-í, yi tī i ê chhia-á piⁿ kiâⁿ, sim-chêng bē sóng-khoài.

"Bē," i kóng. "Bē koh ū pā-kang lah. Chit-kiāⁿ tāi-chì í-keng chhú-lí hó-sè ah."

"Sī án-chóaⁿ bē ah?"

"In-ūi pā-kang í-keng chhú-lí kah chha-put-to bô khó-lêng ah."

"M̄-koh kang-lâng kám khéng án-ne?" yi mn̄g.

"Lán bián mn̄g in. Lán tio̍h tī in bô chù-ì ê sî chhú-lí hó-sè: che sī ūi in hó, án-ne mā thang kiù sán-gia̍p."

"Mā sī ūi-tio̍h lí ka-tī hó," yi kóng.

"Chū-jiân lah! Che sī ūi-tio̍h ta̍k-ê hó. M̄-koh tùi in pí tùi góa koh-khah hó. Bô thòaⁿ-khang góa mā ē-tàng seng-oa̍h. In bē-tàng. Nā bô thòaⁿ-khang, in tio̍h bô thang chia̍h. Góa ū kî-thaⁿ ê chu-goân."

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第 13 章

13.1 莫 koh 有罷工 tō 好 lah!

禮拜日, Clifford 想欲去樹林行行 leh. 早時真好天, 梨仔 kap 李仔忽然攏開花 ah, 四界攏是白 phāⁿ-phāⁿ ê 花.

四界攏 teh 開花, 這對 Clifford 煞真殘忍, 伊著愛人扶才會得 ùi 輪椅換過椅仔車. M̄-koh 伊已經袂記得, 甚至風神伊 ê 跛跤. 看伊著需要人 kā 撨彼無感覺 ê 跤, Connie mā 感覺心酸. 這有時由 Bolton Tt 做, 有時由 Field 做.

她 tī 路頂, tī 雞榆樹所造成 ê 樹籬邊仔等伊. 伊 ê 車仔 phok-leh phok-leh 行, ná 病人無氣力. 來到 in 某遮, 伊講:

"Clifford Sià 身騎白馬來了!"

"喘 phīⁿ-phēⁿ, haha!" 她笑.

伊停睏, 攑目看彼長 koh 低, 紅熇色 ê 老厝.

"Wragby 連目皮都無 nih!" 伊講. "M̄-koh, 那著 ah! 我騎 ê 是人類心志 ê 成果, 這比馬較厲害."

"我同意. 過去 Plato ê 靈魂上天去, 是坐雙馬 ê 戰車, chit-má 定著 tō 坐 Ford ê 車去," 她講.

"抑是坐 Rolls-Royce: 因為 Plato 是貴族!"

"無毋著! 袂 koh 有烏馬 hông 捽 kap 虐待. Plato 想袂著咱 chit-má 會當走 kah 比伊 ê 烏馬 kap 白馬較緊, 根本毋免馬, 干焦用 enjín!"

"干焦用 enjín kap gasolín!" Clifford 講.

"我希望明年 kā 老厝修理一下. 我想, 著款差不多 1,000 英鎊: m̄-koh 工程 ê 價數真懸!" 伊 koh 補充.

"Oh, 好!" Connie 講. "若莫 koh 有罷工 tō 好 lah!"

"In koh 罷工有啥用 ah! 干焦會 kā 這賰 leh ê 產業毀掉: 當然, hiah-ê 人 in 家己 mā 開始看有 ah!"

"凡勢 in 無掛意毀掉產業," Connie 講.

"Ah, 講 hit-lō 查某人話! 產業飼飽 in ê 腹肚, 雖罔彼無法度予 in lak 袋仔滿滿," 伊講, ná 有淡薄仔 Bolton Tt ê 腔口.

"M̄-koh, 頂工你毋是講, 你是一个保守 ê 無政府主義者?" 她天真 kā 問.

"你知彼, 我啥意思無?" 伊 kā 反問. "我 ê 意思是, 人 tī 私底下會使照家己 ê 意思生活, 愛做啥 tō 做啥, 只要 in 莫改變生活形式 kap 體制."

Connie 繼續向前恬恬行幾若步. Koh 來, 她固執講:

"Án-ne, 這 ná 像講, 只要卵殼保持完整, 卵臭去無要緊. M̄-koh, 卵若臭, 卵殼家己 tō 會破."

"我無認為人是卵," 伊講. "甚至彼是天使 ê 卵 mā 仝款, 我親愛 ê 小傳教士."

Tī 這个清朗 ê 早起, 伊 ê 心情誠輕鬆. 半天鳥 (lark) tī 花園頂面 ki-ki 叫, 遠遠 naih-o 遐 ê 礦場靜靜 teh puh 煙霧. Tō ná 像戰前 ê 時陣. Connie 實在無欲相諍. M̄-koh, 她 mā 無心情和 Clifford 入樹林去. 所以, 她 tī 伊 ê 車仔邊行, 心情袂爽快.

"袂," 伊講. "袂 koh 有罷工 lah. 這件代誌已經處理好勢 ah."

"是按怎袂 ah?"

"因為罷工已經處理 kah 差不多無可能 ah."

"M̄-koh 工人敢肯 án-ne?" 她問.

"咱免問 in. 咱著 tī in 無注意 ê 時處理好勢: 這是為 in 好, án-ne mā 通救產業."

"Mā 是為著你家己好," 她講.

"自然 lah! 這是為著逐个好. M̄-koh 對 in 比對我 koh 較好. 無炭空我 mā 會當生活. In 袂當. 若無炭空, in 著無通食. 我有其他 ê 資源."

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Chapter 13 **

13.1

On Sunday Clifford wanted to go into the wood. It was a lovely morning, the pear-blossom and plum had suddenly appeared in the world in a wonder of white here and there.

It was cruel for Clifford, while the world bloomed, to have to be helped from chair to bath-chair. But he had forgotten, and even seemed to have a certain conceit of himself in his lameness. Connie still suffered, having to lift his inert legs into place. Mrs Bolton did it now, or Field.

She waited for him at the top of the drive, at the edge of the screen of beeches. His chair came puffing along with a sort of valetudinarian slow importance. As he joined his wife he said:

’Sir Clifford on his roaming steed!’

’Snorting, at least!’ she laughed.

He stopped and looked round at the facade of the long, low old brown house.

’Wragby doesn’t wink an eyelid!’ he said. ‘But then why should it! I ride upon the achievements of the mind of man, and that beats a horse.’

’I suppose it does. And the souls in Plato riding up to heaven in a two-horse chariot would go in a Ford car now,’ she said.

’Or a Rolls-Royce: Plato was an aristocrat!’

’Quite! No more black horse to thrash and maltreat. Plato never thought we’d go one better than his black steed and his white steed, and have no steeds at all, only an engine!’

’Only an engine and gas!’ said Clifford.

’I hope I can have some repairs done to the old place next year. I think I shall have about a thousand to spare for that: but work costs so much!’ he added.

’Oh, good!’ said Connie. ‘If only there aren’t more strikes!’

’What would be the use of their striking again! Merely ruin the industry, what’s left of it: and surely the owls are beginning to see it!’

’Perhaps they don’t mind ruining the industry,’ said Connie.

’Ah, don’t talk like a woman! The industry fills their bellies, even if it can’t keep their pockets quite so flush,’ he said, using turns of speech that oddly had a twang of Mrs Bolton.

’But didn’t you say the other day that you were a conservative-anarchist,’ she asked innocently.

’And did you understand what I meant?’ he retorted. ‘All I meant is, people can be what they like and feel what they like and do what they like, strictly privately, so long as they keep the FORM of life intact, and the apparatus.’

Connie walked on in silence a few paces. Then she said, obstinately:

’It sounds like saying an egg may go as addled as it likes, so long as it keeps its shell on whole. But addled eggs do break of themselves.’

’I don’t think people are eggs,’ he said. ‘Not even angels’ eggs, my dear little evangelist.’

He was in rather high feather this bright morning. The larks were trilling away over the park, the distant pit in the hollow was fuming silent steam. It was almost like old days, before the war. Connie didn’t really want to argue. But then she did not really want to go to the wood with Clifford either. So she walked beside his chair in a certain obstinacy of spirit.

’No,’ he said. ‘There will be no more strikes, it. The thing is properly managed.’

’Why not?’

’Because strikes will be made as good as impossible.’

’But will the men let you?’ she asked.

’We shan’t ask them. We shall do it while they aren’t looking: for their own good, to save the industry.’

’For your own good too,’ she said.

’Naturally! For the good of everybody. But for their good even more than mine. I can live without the pits. They can’t. They’ll starve if there are no pits. I’ve got other provision.’

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