91. Nî-ko͘ saⁿ-ê nn̄g-ê kiâⁿ kòe kiô | 尼姑三个兩个行過橋

91. Nî-ko͘ saⁿ-ê nn̄g-ê kiâⁿ kòe kiô

Hiah-ê sin-khó͘ ê bô-miâ lú-kang, lóng í-keng bô tī-lih ah, kan-ta chhun bí-lē ê jiâu-se. Joa̍h-thiⁿ chhēng-tio̍h chin liâng-sóng, sī Shimamura chit-chióng lâng phok-sóng ê chng-thāⁿ. Che pēng m̄-sī hi-kî ê tāi-chì, m̄-koh Shimamura hut-jiân kám-kak kî-koài. Sī-kóng, chi̍t-sim hù-chhut ài só͘ chò ê tāi-chì, chóng ū chi̍t-sî ē tī bó͘ chi̍t-ê só͘-chāi phah-chhéⁿ bó͘-lâng hioh? Shimamura ùi gān-bo̍k ē-bīn kiâⁿ chhut-lâi ke-lō͘.

Sió-tìn ê ke-lō͘ ná-chhiūⁿ kó͘-chá ia̍h-chām ê tōa-lō͘ kāng-khoán ti̍t long-long. Che tāi-khài sī ùi un-chôaⁿ chng hia liân kòe-lâi ê kū ke-lō͘. Chhù-kòa téng-bīn tèng ê chhâ-liâu-á hām teh ê chio̍h-thâu, mā hām un-chôaⁿ chng ê kāng-khoán.

Gîm-chîⁿ thiāu ê iáⁿ í-keng khah po̍h. Put-ti-put-kak í-keng óa-kīn hông-hun.

In-ūi bô sáⁿ hó thang khòaⁿ, Shimamura koh chē hóe-chhia, lâi-kàu lēng-gōa chi̍t-ê sió-tìn. Chia hām tú-chiah hit-ê sió-tìn kāng-khoán. Shimamura kan-ta tī chia kiâⁿ-kiâⁿ leh, koh chia̍h chi̍t-óaⁿ ulóng-mī, hō͘ hûn-su sio-ho chi̍t-ē.

Ulóng-mī tiàm-á tī khe-hōaⁿ piⁿ, he khe tāi-khài mā sī ùi un-chôaⁿ chng lâu lo̍h-lâi ê. Ū khoaⁿ-e nî-ko͘ saⁿ-ê a̍h nn̄g-ê án-ne sio-tòe kiâⁿ kòe kiô. Ta̍k-ê lóng ta̍h chháu-ê, ū-ê kha-chiah-āu phāiⁿ le̍h-á, khòaⁿ sī tú hòa-iân tún lâi ê khoán, hō͘ lâng chi̍t-chióng chiáu-á kín boeh túiⁿ siū ê kám-kak.

"Nî-ko͘ tī chia chhut-ji̍p chin chē neh?" Shimamura mūi ulóng tiàm ê cha-bó͘-lâng.

"Sī ah. Soaⁿ lih ū chi̍t-ê nî-ko͘-am. Koh-lâi nā lo̍h tōa seh, ùi soaⁿ lih kiâⁿ chhut-lâi tō oh ah."

Kiô ê hit-pêng, tī hông-hun phú-kuiⁿ lih, í-keng sī chi̍t-phiàn pe̍h bâng-bâng.

Tī chit-ê kok-tō͘, múi kàu chhiū-hio̍h lak, léng-hong chhoe ê sî-chūn, kôaⁿ giu-giu ê o͘-im thiⁿ tō liân-sòa lâi. Tit-boeh lo̍h-seh ah. Hūiⁿ-kīn ê koân-soaⁿ lóng pe̍h bâng-bâng. He kiò chò "soaⁿ-téng tà-bū" (巡岳, sûn soaⁿ-téng). Iū-koh, óa-hái ê ūi ē thiaⁿ tio̍h hái tih háu, chhim-soaⁿ ê ūi ē thiaⁿ tio̍h soaⁿ tih tân, ká-ná hūiⁿ-hūiⁿ ê lûi-siaⁿ. Che kiò chò "hái háu soaⁿ tân" (胴鳴, hûn-su tân). Khòaⁿ tio̍h "soaⁿ-téng tà-bū", thiaⁿ tio̍h "hái háu soaⁿ tân", tō chai-iáⁿ tit-boeh lo̍h-seh ah. Shimamura siūⁿ-khí kó͘-chá chheh ū án-ne kì-chài.

--

91. 尼姑三个兩个行過橋

Hiah-ê 辛苦 ê 無名女工, 攏已經無 tī-lih ah, 干焦賰美麗 ê 皺紗. 熱天穿著真涼爽, 是 Shimamura 這種人博爽 ê 妝 thāⁿ. 這並毋是稀奇 ê 代誌, 毋過 Shimamura 忽然感覺奇怪. 是講, 一心付出愛所做 ê 代誌, 總有一時會 tī 某一个所在拍醒某人 hioh? Shimamura ùi 雁木下面行出來街路.

小鎮 ê 街路 ná 像古早驛站 ê 大路仝款直 long-long. 這大概是 ùi 溫泉庄遐連過來 ê 舊街路. 厝蓋頂面釘 ê 柴 liâu-á 和硩 ê 石頭, mā 和溫泉庄 ê 仝款.

砛簷柱 ê 影已經較薄. 不知不覺已經倚近黃昏.

因為無啥好通看, Shimamura koh 坐火車, 來到另外一个小鎮. 遮和拄才彼个小鎮仝款. Shimamura 干焦 tī 遮行行 leh, koh 食一碗 ulóng 麵, 予魂軀燒熇一下.

Ulóng 麵店仔 tī 溪岸邊, 彼溪大概 mā 是 ùi 溫泉庄流落來 ê. 有看 e 尼姑三个 a̍h 兩个 án-ne 相綴行過橋. 逐个攏踏草鞋, 有 ê 尻脊後揹笠仔, 看是拄化緣 tún 來 ê 款, 予人一種鳥仔緊欲 túiⁿ 岫 ê 感覺.

"尼姑 tī 遮出入真濟 neh?" Shimamura mūi ulóng 店 ê 查某人.

"是 ah. 山 lih 有一个尼姑庵. 閣來若落大雪, ùi 山 lih 行出來 tō 僫 ah."

橋 ê 彼爿, tī 黃昏殕 kuiⁿ lih, 已經是一遍白茫茫.

Tī 這个國度, 每到樹葉 lak, 冷風吹 ê 時陣, 寒 giu-giu ê 烏陰天 tō 連紲來. 得欲落雪 ah. Hūiⁿ 近 ê 懸山攏白茫茫. 彼叫做 "山頂罩霧" (巡岳, 巡山頂). 又閣, 倚海 ê 位會聽著海 tih 吼, 深山 ê 位會聽著山 tih 霆, ká-ná hūiⁿ-hūiⁿ ê 雷聲. 這叫做 "海吼山霆" (胴鳴, 魂軀霆). 看著 "山頂罩霧", 聽著 "海吼山霆", tō 知影得欲落雪 ah. Shimamura 想起古早冊有 án-ne 記載.

--

91.

The nameless workers, so diligent while they lived, had presently died, and only the Chijimi remained, the plaything of men like Shimamura, cool and fresh against the skin in the summer. This rather unremarkable thought struck him as most remarkable. The labor into which a heart has poured its whole love-where will it have its say, to excite and inspire, and when?

Like the old post road that was its ancestor, the main street ran without a curve through the straggling village, and no doubt on through Komako's hot spring. The roofs, with rows of stones to weigh down their shingles, were very much like the ones he already knew.

The pillars supporting the deep eaves cast dim shadows across the ground. With his hardly having noticed, afternoon had drawn on toward evenmg.

There was nothing more to see. He took a train to another village, very much like the first. Again he walked about for a time. Feeling a little chilly, he stopped for a bowl of noodles.

The noodle shop stood beside a river, probably the river that flowed past the hot spring. Shaven-headed Buddhist nuns were crossing a bridge in twos and threes to the far side. All wore rough straw sandals, and some had dome-shaped straw hats tied to their backs. Evidently on their way from a service, they looked like crows hurrying home to their nests.

"Quite a procession of them," Shimamura said to the woman who kept the shop.

"There's a nunnery up in the hills. I suppose they're getting everything done now. It will be next to impossible for them to go out once the heavy snows begin."

The mountain beyond the bridge, growing dark in the twilight, was already covered with snow.

In this snow country, cold, cloudy days succeed one another as the leaves fall and the winds grow chilly. Snow is in the air. The high mountains near and far become white in what the people of the country call "the round of the peaks." Along the coast the sea roars, and inland the mountains roar--"the roaring at the center," like a distant clap'of thunder. The round of the peaks and the roaring at the center announce that the snows are not far away. This too Shimamura had read in his old book.

--

90. Khì jiâu-se ê sán-tē khòaⁿ-khòaⁿ leh | 去皺紗 ê 產地看看 leh

90. Khì jiâu-se ê sán-tē khòaⁿ-khòaⁿ leh

Shimamura kám-kak, chit-kái túiⁿ, chiām-sî bô khó-lêng koh lâi chit-ê un-chôaⁿ e̍k-tiûⁿ. Seh ê kùi-cheh boeh kàu, i óa-kīn hóe-lô͘, ná thiaⁿ he kheh-chàn thâu-ke te̍k-pia̍t the̍h chhut-lâi, Kyoto chhut-sán ê lāu tê-kó͘, só͘ hoat chhut-lâi, ná siông-á hong ê siaⁿ. 

Tê-kó͘ téng-bīn ū an gîn ê hoe-chiáu. Siông-á hong ê siaⁿ ū nn̄g-têng, chi̍t-ê kīn, chi̍t-ê hūiⁿ. Pí hūiⁿ siông-á hong koh-khah hūiⁿ ê ūi, ká-ná ū khin-khin ê lin-liang-á siaⁿ. Shimamura kā hīⁿ-khang óa-kīn tê-kó͘ khì thiaⁿ lin-liang-á siaⁿ. 

Tī hūiⁿ-hūiⁿ lin-liang-á siaⁿ bô-thêng ê só͘-chāi, Komako ta̍h tio̍h ná lin-liang-á siaⁿ ê sè kha-pō͘ kiâⁿ kòe-lâi, hit-siang sè-sè ê kha tú-hó hō͘ Shimamura khòaⁿ tio̍h. Shimamura tio̍h chi̍t-kiaⁿ, sim-koaⁿ àm-àm tih siūⁿ, í-keng kàu bô lī-khui chit-ê só͘-chāi bē-sái ah-lah.

Chū án-ne, Shimamura siūⁿ boeh khì jiâu-se ê sán-tē khòaⁿ-khòaⁿ leh. Án-ne mā ū kiâⁿ-khui chit-ê un-chôaⁿ e̍k-tiûⁿ ê ì-bī.

M̄-koh, khe-lâu ê hā-iû ū kúi-ā ê tìn, Shimamura m̄-chai boeh khì tá chi̍t-ê hó. I bô siūⁿ boeh khòaⁿ tng-tih hoat-tián chò pháng-chit kang-gia̍p-khu ê tōa tìn, tō tī chi̍t-ê chám-jiân hi-bî ê sió chām lo̍h-chhia. Kiâⁿ bô gōa kú, tō kàu chi̍t-tiâu ná chhiūⁿ kó͘-chá ia̍h-chām ê ke-lō͘. 

Ke-ke hō͘-hō͘ ê gîm-chîⁿ lóng tn̂g-tn̂g chhun chhut-khì, chi-chhî ê thiāu-á iân-lō͘ khiā kui-pâi. Che kài sêng Edo sî-tāi ke-lō͘ ê tiàm-kha (店下, têng-á-kha), tī Seh-kok in chū kó͘ kiò chò "gān-bo̍k" (雁木). Chek seh siuⁿ kāu ê sî, che têng-á-kha tō chiâⁿ-chò óng-lâi ê thong-lō͘. Ke-lō͘ kui-pêng ê gîm-chîⁿ lóng sio-liân chò-hóe.

Gîm-chîⁿ sio-liân, chhù-téng ê seh kan-ta ē-tàng sàu khì ke-lō͘. Si̍t-chè-siāng, sī ùi chhù-téng kā seh hiù khì lō͘-tiong-ng ê seh-hōaⁿ téng-koân. Boeh kòe tōa-lō͘, soah tio̍h tī seh-hōaⁿ óe kúi-ā ūi ê pōng-khang. Chāi-tē lâng kā che kiò chò "thai-lāi-chùiⁿ" (胎內潜).

Pêⁿ-pêⁿ tī Seh-kok, Komako hia ê un-chôaⁿ chng, gîm-chîⁿ bô sio-liân, Shimamura chho͘-chhù tī chia khòaⁿ tio̍h gān-bo̍k. In-ūi hòⁿ-kî, tō kiâⁿ kòe kā khòaⁿ-māi chi̍t-ē. Kū gîm-chîⁿ kha chin àm-sàm, oai-oai ê thiāu-á kha í-keng àu. Kám-kak bē-su sī tih thau bî kúi-ā tāi hō͘ seh tâi tio̍h ê khó͘-būn ka-cho̍k. 

Tī seh ē-bīn choan-sim chò chhiú-kang ê chit-pò͘ ko͘-niû só͘ kòe ê seng-oa̍h, pēng bô yi ê sán-phín hiah-nī sóng-khoài, bêng-liāng ah. Chia hō͘ lâng ê ìn-siōng sī chin kó͘-ló ê sió-tìn. Kì-chài jiâu-se ê kó͘-chheh mā ū ín-iōng Tông-tiâu Qin Tao-yu (秦韜玉) ê si-kù [苦恨年年壓金線, 為他人作嫁衣裳 (Khó͘-hūn nî-nî ah kim-sòaⁿ, ūi pa̍t-lâng chò sin-niû saⁿ)], thiaⁿ-kóng pháng-chit-siang bô-ài chhiàⁿ chit-kang, tō sī in-ūi chit jiâu-se chin kāu-kang, kè-siàu bē ha̍h.

--

90. 去皺紗 ê 產地看看 leh

Shimamura 感覺, 這改 túiⁿ, 暫時無可能 koh 來這个溫泉浴場. 雪 ê 季節欲到, 伊倚近火爐, ná 聽 he 客棧頭家特別提出來, Kyoto 出產 ê 老茶鈷, 所發出來, ná 松仔風 ê 聲. 

茶鈷頂面有安銀 ê 花鳥. 松仔風 ê 聲有兩 têng, 一个近, 一个 hūiⁿ. 比 hūiⁿ 松仔風閣較 hūiⁿ ê 位, ká-ná 有輕輕 ê lin-liang-á 聲. Shimamura kā 耳空倚近茶鈷去聽 lin-liang-á 聲. 

Tī hūiⁿ-hūiⁿ lin-liang-á 聲無停 ê 所在, Komako 踏著 ná lin-liang-á 聲 ê 細跤步行過來, 彼雙細細 ê 跤拄好予 Shimamura 看著. Shimamura 著一驚, 心肝暗暗 tih 想, 已經到無離開這个所在袂使 ah-lah.

自 án-ne, Shimamura 想欲去皺紗 ê 產地看看 leh. Án-ne mā 有行開這个溫泉浴場 ê 意味.

毋過, 溪流 ê 下游有幾 ā 个鎮, Shimamura 毋知欲去 tá 一个好. 伊無想欲看當 tih 發展做紡織工業區 ê 大鎮, tō tī 一个嶄然稀微 ê 小站落車. 行無偌久, tō 到一條 ná 像古早驛站 ê 街路. 

家家戶戶 ê 砛簷攏長長伸出去, 支持 ê 柱仔沿路徛規排. 這蓋成 Edo 時代街路 ê tiàm-kha (店下, têng-á-kha), tī 雪國 in 自古叫做 "gān-bo̍k" (雁木). 積雪傷厚 ê 時, 這亭仔跤 tō 成做往來 ê 通路. 街路規爿 ê 砛簷攏相連做伙.

砛簷相連, 厝頂 ê 雪干焦會當掃去街路. 實際上, 是 ùi 厝頂 kā 雪 hiù 去路中央 ê 雪岸頂懸. 欲過大路, 煞著 tī 雪岸挖幾 ā 位 ê 磅空. 在地人 kā 這叫做 "thai-lāi-chùiⁿ" (胎內潜).

平平 tī 雪國, Komako 遐 ê 溫泉庄, 砛簷無相連, Shimamura 初次 tī 遮看著雁木. 因為好奇, tō 行過 kā 看覓一下. 舊砛簷跤真暗毿, 歪歪 ê 柱仔跤已經漚. 感覺袂輸是 tih 偷眯幾 ā 代予雪埋著 ê 苦悶家族. 

Tī 雪下面專心做手工 ê 織布姑娘所過 ê 生活, 並無她 ê 產品 hiah-nī 爽快, 明亮 ah. 遮予人 ê 印象是真古老 ê 小鎮. 記載皺紗 ê 古冊 mā 有引用唐朝 Qin Tao-yu (秦韜玉) ê 詩句 [苦恨年年壓金線, 為他人作嫁衣裳 (Khó͘-hūn nî-nî ah kim-sòaⁿ, ūi pa̍t-lâng chò sin-niû saⁿ)], 聽講紡織 siang 無愛倩織工, tō 是因為織皺紗真厚工, 價數袂合.

--

90.

He leaned against the brazier, provided against the coming of the snowy season, and thought how unlikely it was that he would come again once he had left. The innkeeper had lent him an old Kyota teakettle, skillfully inlaid in silver with flowers and birds, and from it came the sound of wind in the pines. 

He could make out two pine breezes, as a matter of fact, a near one and a far one. Just beyond the far breeze he heard faintly the tinkling of a bell. He put his ear ta the kettle and listened. 

Far away, where the bell tinkled on, he suddenly saw Komako's feet, tripping in time with the bell. He drew back. The time had come to leave.

He thought of going to see the Chijimi country. That excursion might set him on his way toward breaking away from this hot spring.

He did not know at which of the towns down-stream he should get off the train. Not interested in modern weaving centers, he chose a station that looked suitably lonesome and backward. After walking for a time he came out on what seemed to be the main street of an old post town.

The eaves pushing out far beyond the houses were supported by pillars along both sides of the street, and in their shade were passages for communication when the snow was deep, rather like the open lean-to the old Edo shopkeeper used for displaying his wares. With deep eaves on one side of each house, the passages stretched on down the street.

Since the houses were joined in a solid block, the snow from the roofs could only be thrown down into the street. One might more accurately say that at its deepest the snow was thrown not down but up, to a high bank of snow in the middle of the street. Tunnels were cut through for passage from one side to the other.

The houses in Komako's hot-spring village, for all of its being a part of this same snow country, were separated by open spaces, and this was therefore the first time Shimamura had seen the snow passages. He tried walking in one of them. The shade under the old eaves was dark, and the leaning pillars were beginning to rot at their bases. He walked along looking into the houses as into the gloom where generation after generation of his ancestors had endured the long snows.

He saw that the weaver maidens, giving themselves up to their work here under the snow, had lived lives far from as bright and fresh as the Chijimi they made. With an allusion to a Chinese poem, Shimamura's old book had pointed out that in harsh economic terms the making of Chijimi was quite impractical, so great was the expenditure of effort that went into even one piece. It followed that none of the Chijimi houses had been able to hire weavers from outside.

--

89. Chit-pái lâi chia tòa chin kú | 這擺來遮蹛真久

89. Chit-pái lâi chia tòa chin kú

Put-jî-kò, Shimamura thiaⁿ tio̍h Yoko tī e̍k-keng chhiùⁿ ê koa, hut-jiân siūⁿ tio̍h, chit-ê ko͘-niû nā-kóng seⁿ tī kó͘-chá, hoān-sè mā ē tī pháng-se-chhia a̍h chit-pò͘-ki piⁿ-á, pàng-siaⁿ án-ne chhiùⁿ-koa pah. Yoko ê koa khak-si̍t tō-sī hit-chióng ê koa.

Pí mo͘ koh-khah iù ê môa-si, nā bô seh ê thian-jiân sip-khì tō bô hó chhú-lí, im-léng ê kùi-cheh thōng hó. Kó͘-chá lâng tō ū án-ne ê kóng-hoat: kôaⁿ-thiⁿ chit ê môa-se, joa̍h-thiⁿ chhēng tio̍h kui-sin liâng-sóng, che sī im-iâng ê chū-jiân koan-hē. Kā Shimamura khîⁿ óa-óa ê Komako, ká-ná mā ū kin-pún-tek lāi-chāi ê liâng-sóng. In-ūi án-ne, ùi Komako hoat-siā chhut-lâi ê jia̍t-chêng, hō͘ Shimamura kám-kak khó-liân.

M̄-koh, chit-chióng ài sī bē chhiūⁿ jiâu-se án-ne lâu lo̍h sáⁿ-mih ū-hêng ê mi̍h-kiāⁿ. Hûn-su chhēng ê jiâu-se, sui-jiân sī kang-gē-phín tiong-kan siāng té-miā ê, nā kā hó-hó pó-koán, gō͘-cha̍p-nî a̍h koh-khah chá ê jiâu-se, chiàu-siâng chhēng tī hûn-su mā bē thè-sek. Iah lán-lâng ê chhin-ài, soah bô jiâu-se ê siū-miā hiah kú. Shimamua gāng-gāng án-ne siūⁿ ê sî, hut-jiân iū phû chhut ūi pa̍t-ê cha-po͘ seⁿ-kiáⁿ, chò lāu-bú ê Komako ê hêng-iáⁿ. I tio̍h chi̍t-kiaⁿ, sì-kè khòaⁿ-khòaⁿ leh, kám-kak tāi-khài ka-tī siuⁿ thiám ah-lah.

Shimamura chit-pái lâi chia tòa chin kú, ká-ná bē-kì-lih boeh túiⁿ in bó͘ hia. Pēng m̄-sī pàng bē-lī, mā m̄-sī bô ài hun-lī, kan-ta sī í-keng koàn-sì tán Komako tiāⁿ-tiāⁿ lâi hām i sio-hōe. Jî-chhiáⁿ, Komako oa̍t-lú ap-pek tui-kiû, Shimamura oa̍t-lú chek-pī ka-tī, ká-ná ka-tī bô chûn-chāi. Iā-tō-sī, bêng-chai ka-tī ko͘-toaⁿ, i kan-ta sī tai-tai tī hia bô tín-tāng. 

Komako ná ē chông ji̍p ka-tī ê seng-oa̍h, Shimamura mā bē-hiáu kái-soeh. Shimamura liáu-kái Komako ê it-chhè, m̄-koh Komako pēng bô liáu-kái Shimamura. Komako lòng tio̍h piah ê khang-hi hôe-siaⁿ, hō͘ Shimamura thiaⁿ tio̍h ká-ná sī seh lo̍h tī ka-tī ê sim-lāi. Tong-jiân, Shimamura mā bô khó-lêng it-ti̍t chiah-nī bô chām-chat.

--

89. 這擺來遮蹛真久

不而過, Shimamura 聽著 Yoko tī 浴間唱 ê 歌, 忽然想著, 這个姑娘若講生 tī 古早, 凡勢 mā 會 tī 紡紗車 a̍h 織布機邊仔, 放聲 án-ne 唱歌 pah. Yoko ê 歌確實 tō 是彼種 ê 歌.

比毛閣較幼 ê 麻絲, 若無雪 ê 天然濕氣 tō 無好處理, 陰冷 ê 季節 thōng 好. 古早人 tō 有 án-ne ê 講法: 寒天織 ê 麻紗, 熱天穿著規身涼爽, 這是陰 iâng ê 自然關係. Kā Shimamura khîⁿ 倚倚 ê Komako, ká-ná mā 有根本的內在 ê 涼爽. 因為 án-ne, ùi Komako 發射出來 ê 熱情, 予 Shimamura 感覺可憐.

毋過, 這種愛是袂像皺紗 án-ne 留落啥物有形 ê 物件. 魂軀穿 ê 皺紗, 雖然是工藝品中間上短命 ê, 若 kā 好好保管, 五十年 a̍h 閣較早 ê 皺紗, 照 siâng 穿 tī 魂軀 mā 袂退色. Iah 咱人 ê 親愛, 煞無皺紗 ê 壽命 hiah 久. Shimamua 愣愣 án-ne 想 ê 時, 忽然又浮出為別个查埔生囝, 做老母 ê Komako ê 形影. 伊著一驚, 四界看看 leh, 感覺大概家治傷忝 ah-lah.

Shimamura 這擺來遮蹛真久, ká-ná 袂記 lih 欲 túiⁿ in 某遐. 並毋是放袂離, mā 毋是無愛分離, 干焦是已經慣勢等 Komako 定定來和伊相會. 而且, Komako 越 lú 壓迫追求, Shimamura 越 lú 責備家治, ká-ná 家治無存在. 也 tō 是, 明知家治孤單, 伊干焦是呆呆 tī 遐無振動. 

Komako 那會傱入家治 ê 生活, Shimamura mā 袂曉解說. Shimamura 了解 Komako ê 一切, 毋過 Komako 並無了解 Shimamura. Komako 挵著壁 ê 空虛回聲, 予 Shimamura 聽著 ká-ná 是雪落 tī 家治 ê 心內. 當然, Shimamura mā 無可能一直 chiah-nī 無站節.

--

89.

When he heard the song Yoko sang in the bath, it had come to him that, had she been born long ago, she might have sung thus as she worked over her spools and looms, so exactly suited to the fancy was her voice.

The thread of the grass-linen, finer than animal hair, is difficult to work except in the humidity of the snow, it is said, and the dark, cold season is therefore ideal for weaving. The ancients used to add that the way this product of the cold has of feeling cool to the skin in the hottest weather is a play of the principles of light and darkness. This Komako too, who had so fastened herself to him, seemed at center cool, and the remarkable, concentrated warmth was for that fact all the more touching.

But this love would leave behind it nothing so definite as a piece of Chijimi. Though cloth to be worn is among the most short-lived of craftworks, a good piece of Chijimi, if it has been taken care of, can be worn quite unfaded a half-century and more after weaving. As Shimamura thought absently how human intimacies have not even so long a life, the image of Komako as the mother of another man's children suddenly floated into his mind. He looked around, startled. Possibly he was tired.

He had stayed so long that one might wonder whether he had forgotten his wife and children. He stayed not because he could not leave Komako nor because he did not want to. He had simply fallen into the habit of waiting for those frequent visits. And the more continuous the assault became, the more he began to wonder what was lacking in him, what kept him from living as completely. He stood gazing at his own coldness, so to speak. 

He could not understand how she had so lost herself. All of Komako came to him, but it seemed that nothing went out from him to her. He heard in his chest, like snow piling up, the sound of Komako, an echo beating against empty walls. And he knew that he could not go on pampering himself forever.

--

88. Jiâu-se pho͘ tī seh téng-bīn pha̍k | 皺紗鋪 tī 雪頂面曝

88. Jiâu-se pho͘ tī seh téng-bīn pha̍k

Shmamura ê kū jiâu-se tiong-kan, hoān-sè ū Meiji (明治) chho͘-kî kàu Edo (江戶) bóe-kî ê mi̍h-kiāⁿ mā bô-tek-khak.

It-ti̍t kàu taⁿ, Shimamura iáu sī kā ka-tī ê jiâu-se the̍h khì "seh pha̍k". Múi-tang lóng kā m̄-chai sáng chhēng kòe ê kū-saⁿ the̍h kàu sán-tē khì pha̍k, sui-jiân mâ-hoân, m̄-koh siūⁿ tio̍h í-chá ko͘-niû tī chek-seh tiong-kan ê iōng-sim, tō hi-bāng kā the̍h kàu chit-pò͘ ko͘-niû tòa ê só͘-chāi, iōng chāi-tē ê hong-hoat kā pha̍k-pha̍k leh. 

Pho͘ tī kāu seh téng-bīn ê pe̍h-môa jiâu-se, pha̍k tio̍h chá-khí ê ji̍t-thâu, ká-ná ní kah âng-âng, he âng, m̄-chai sī seh, a̍h sī jiâu-se. Chi̍t-ē siūⁿ tio̍h chit-khoán kéng-tì, tō kám-kak joa̍h-thiⁿ ê la-sâm lóng siau khì ah, mā ná ka-tī ê hûn-su pha̍k kah chin so͘-sóng. M̄-koh, in-ūi sī kau hō͘ Tokyo ê kū-saⁿ-tiàm khì pān, kó͘-chá pha̍k hoat sī-m̄-sī ū liû-thoân kàu taⁿ, che i tō m̄-chai ah-lah.

Chū kó͘ tō ū pha̍k se-á ê tiàm. Chit-pò͘ ko͘-niû chin-chió ka-tī pha̍k, tōa pō͘-hūn kau hō͘ pha̍k-tiàm khì pha̍k. Pe̍h-sek ê jiâu-se chit hó, ti̍t-chiap pho͘ tī seh téng-bīn pha̍k; ū sek ê jiâu-se, pháng chò sòaⁿ liáu, kòa tī tek-ko pha̍k. In-ūi tī kū-le̍k it-goe̍h kàu jī-goe̍h pha̍k, thiaⁿ-kóng mā ū-lâng pha̍k tī khàm seh ê chhân a̍h hûiⁿ. 

M̄-koán sī jiâu-se a̍h se-sòaⁿ, lóng tio̍h seng iōng chio̍h-hoe-chúi chìm chi̍t-mê, keh-kang chá-khí iōng chheng-chúi koh sé kúi-ā piàn, chūn-ta chiah the̍h khì pha̍k. Tio̍h án-ne tiông-ho̍k kúi-ā kang. 

Pe̍h jiâu-se tit-boeh pha̍k hó ê sî, hō͘ âng kì-kì ê chá-khí ji̍t-thâu pha̍k tio̍h ê hit-khoán kéng-tì, sī súi kah bô tit thang siá, chin ta̍t-tit hō͘ lâm-kok ê lâng khòaⁿ-māi chi̍t-ē, kó͘-chá lâng mā ū án-ne kì-chài. Jî-chhiáⁿ, jiâu-se pha̍k liáu mā piáu-sī chhun-thiⁿ boeh kàu Seh-kok ah. 

Jiâu-se ê sán-tē óa-kīn chit-ê un-chôaⁿ-khu. He sī tī soaⁿ-kheⁿ chiām-chiām piàn khoah ê khe-lâu ê ē-lâu, ùi Shimamura ê pâng-keng ká-ná mā khòaⁿ ē-tio̍h. Chá-chêng ū khí jiâu-se chhī-tiûⁿ ê ke-á, taⁿ lóng ū siat hóe-chhia chām, taⁿ mā sī chhut-miâ ê pháng-chit kang-gia̍p khu.

M̄-koh, Shimamura m̄-bat tī chhēng jiâu-se ê joa̍h-thiⁿ, mā m̄-bat tī chit jiâu-se ê kôaⁿ-thiⁿ lâi kàu chit-ê un-chôaⁿ e̍k-tiûⁿ, iā tō bô ki-hōe hām Komako kóng khí jiâu-se ê tāi-chì. I mā m̄-sī ē khì thàm-hóng kó͘-chá bîn-kan gē-su̍t ê hit-chióng lâng.

--

88. 皺紗鋪 tī 雪頂面曝

Shmamura ê 舊皺紗中間, 凡勢有 Meiji (明治) 初期到 Edo (江戶) 尾期 ê 物件 mā 無的確.

一直到今, Shimamura 猶是 kā 家治 ê 皺紗提去 "雪曝". 每冬攏 kā 毋知 sáng 穿過 ê 舊衫提到產地去曝, 雖然麻煩, 毋過想著以早姑娘 tī 積雪中間 ê 用心, tō 希望 kā 提到織布姑娘蹛 ê 所在, 用在地 ê 方法 kā 曝曝 leh. 

鋪 tī 厚雪頂面 ê 白麻皺紗, 曝著早起 ê 日頭, ká-ná 染 kah 紅紅, he 紅, 毋知是雪, 抑是皺紗. 一下想著這款景致, tō 感覺熱天 ê la-sâm 攏消去 ah, mā ná 家治 ê 魂軀曝 kah 真酥爽. 毋過, 因為是交予 Tokyo ê 舊衫店去辦, 古早曝法是毋是有流傳到今, 這伊 tō 毋知 ah-lah.

自古 tō 有曝紗仔 ê 店. 織布姑娘真少家治曝, 大部份交予曝店去曝. 白色 ê 皺紗織好, 直接鋪 tī 雪頂面曝; 有色 ê 皺紗, 紡做線了, 掛 tī 竹篙曝. 因為 tī 舊曆一月到二月曝, 聽講 mā 有人曝 tī 崁雪 ê 田 a̍h hûiⁿ. 

毋管是皺紗 a̍h 紗線, 攏著先用石灰水浸一暝, 隔工早起用清水 koh 洗幾 ā 遍, 捘焦才提去曝. 著 án-ne 重複幾 ā 工. 

白皺紗得欲曝好 ê 時, 予紅 kì-kì ê 早起日頭曝著 ê 彼款景致, 是媠 kah 無得通寫, 真值得予南國 ê 人看覓一下, 古早人 mā 有 án-ne 記載. 而且, 皺紗曝了 mā 表示春天欲到雪國 ah. 

皺紗 ê 產地倚近這个溫泉區. 彼是 tī 山坑漸漸變闊 ê 溪流 ê 下流, ùi Shimamura ê 房間 ká-ná mā 看會著. 早前有起皺紗市場 ê 街仔, 今攏有設火車站, 今 mā 是出名 ê 紡織工業區.

毋過, Shimamura m̄-bat tī 穿皺紗 ê 熱天, mā m̄-bat tī 織皺紗 ê 寒天來到這个溫泉浴場, 也 tō 無機會和 Komako 講起皺紗 ê 代誌. 伊 mā 毋是會去探訪古早民間藝術 ê 彼種人.

--

88.

There may have been among Shimamura's kimonos one or more woven by these mountain maidens toward the middle of the last century.

He still sent his kimonos back for "snow-bleaching." It was a great deal of trouble to return old kimonos-that had touched the skin of he could not know whom-for rebleaching each year to the country that had produced them; but when he considered the labors of those mountain maidens, he wanted the bleaching to be done properly in the country where the maidens had lived. 

The thought of the white linen, spread out on the deep snow, the cloth and the snow glowing scarlet in the rising sun, was enough to make him feel that the dirt of the summer had been washed away, even that he himself had been bleached clean. It must be added, however, that a Tokyo shop took care of the details for him, and he had no way of knowing that the bleaching had really been done in the old manner.

From ancient times there were houses that specialized in bleaching. The weavers for the most part did not do their own. White Chijimi was spread out on the snow after it was woven, colored Chijimi bleached on frames while still in thread. The bleaching season came in January and February under the lunar calendar, and snow-covered fields and gardens were the bleaching grounds.

The cloth or thread was soaked overnight in ash water. The next morning it was washed over and over again, wrung, and put out to bleach. 

The process was repeated day after day, and the sight when, as the bleaching came to an end, the rays of the rising sun turned the white Chijimi blood-red was quite beyond description, Shimamura had read in an old book. It was something to be shown to natives of warmer provinces. And the end of the bleaching was a sign that spring was coming to the snow country.

The land of the Chijimi was very near this hot spring, just down the river, where the valley began to widen out. Indeed it must almost have been visible from Shimamura's window. All of the Chijimi market towns now had railway stations, and the region·was still a well-known weaving center.

Since Shimamura had never come to the snow country in midsummer, when he wore Chijimi, or in the snowy season, when it was woven, he had never had occasion to talk of it to Komako; and she hardly seemed the person to ask about the fate of an old folk art.

--

87. Seh sī jiâu-se ê kin-goân | 雪是皺紗 ê 根源

87. Seh sī jiâu-se ê kin-goân

Shimamura siūⁿ khí, kū-nî té hit-ê chiò tio̍h chá-khí seh ê kiàⁿ, tō koh lia̍h hit-ê kiàⁿ-tâi khòaⁿ chi̍t-ē. Kiàⁿ lāi-té kāng-khoán phû-hiān peng-léng ê seh-hoe, ná chi̍t-tiâu chi̍t-tiâu pe̍h-sòaⁿ, phiau lo̍h tī saⁿ-niá hiàn-khui tng-tih boah ām-kún ê Komako sì-chiu.

Komako ê phôe-hu, ná tú sé kòe, chheng-khì liu-liu. Shimamura chi̍t-kù bô-ì-tiong ê ōe hō͘ yi sán-seng gō͘-hōe, che chin siūⁿ bē-kàu. Che khak-si̍t sī yi bô hoat-tō͘ pâi-tî ê pi-ai.

Âng-hio̍h ji̍t-chiām piàn àm-chhiah-sek ê hūiⁿ soaⁿ, tī chit-tiûⁿ chho͘-seh tang-tiong, iū-koh oa̍h-thiàu khí-lâi.

Phi chi̍t-iân po̍h seh ê sam-á-nâ, sam-á-chhiū chi̍t-châng chi̍t-châng chin hun-bêng, chhiū-chiam kí hiàng thiⁿ-téng, thêng-thêng khiā tī seh tē.

Tī seh lih pháng-se, tī seh lih chit-pò͘, iōng seh-chúi sé, tī seh téng pha̍k. Ùi pháng-se kàu chit-pò͘, lóng tī seh lih chìn-hêng. "Ū seh tō ū jiâu-se, seh sī jiâu-se ê kin-goân", kó͘-chá-lâng án-ne siá tī chheh lih.

Che sī chng lih ê hū-jîn-lâng tī tn̂g-tn̂g lo̍h-seh kùi-cheh ê chhiú-kang khang-khòe. Shimamura mā bat tī kū-saⁿ-tiàm chhōe chit-chióng Seh-kok ê jiâu-se pò͘, boeh the̍h lâi chò joa̍h-thiⁿ ê saⁿ. In-ūi bú-tō ê koan-hē, i ū se̍k-sāi keng-êng Nō (能)-kio̍k hì-ho̍k ê kó͘-bu̍t tiàm, sīm-chì pài-thok in, nā ū chit-liāu hó ê jiâu-se, sûi-sî the̍h lâi khòaⁿ. Chiah-nī kah-ì jiâu-se, i mā bat iōng he chò lāi-té-saⁿ chhēng.

Thiaⁿ-kóng, í-chêng múi-tang kàu chhun-thiⁿ, chek seh khai-sí iûⁿ ê sî, pha̍k se ê lî-á chi̍t-ē thiat-tiāu, jiâu-se tō chiūⁿ-chhī. Tōa to͘-chhī ê pò͘-chng thâu-ke, lóng hūiⁿ-hūiⁿ lâi kàu chia, pún-tē sīm-chì ūi in chún-pī tòa ê só͘-chāi. 

Ko͘-niû-á pòaⁿ-nî lâi iōng-sim chit chhut ê jiâu-se, ūi tio̍h boeh chiūⁿ-chhī, hù-kīn chhun-chng ê lâm-lú mā lóng chi̍p-óa lâi. Piáu-ián a̍h sī cha̍p-hòe ê tiàm chi̍t-keng koh chi̍t-keng, bē-su nî-cheh hiah lāu-jia̍t. Jiâu-se téng-koân lóng kat chi̍t-tiuⁿ chóa-pâi, siá chit-pò͘ ko͘-niû ê miâ-jī hām chū-só͘, kin-kì phín-chit phêng-tēng téng-kip. Che mā chiâⁿ-chò soán sin-pū ê kin-kì. 

Nā bô chū sè-hàn tō khai-sí o̍h pháng-chit, kàu liáu cha̍p-gō͘/la̍k, sīm-chì jī-sì/gō͘ ê cha-bó͘, sī bô-hoat-tō͘ chit chhut hó phín-chit ê jiâu-se. Nî-hòe chi̍t-ē chē, chit chhut-lâi ê pò͘ mā bô kong-chhái. 

Ko͘-niû-á ūi tio̍h cheⁿ boeh tio̍h-téng, lóng phah-piàⁿ khó͘-liān, ùi kū-le̍k cha̍p-goe̍h khai-sí thiu-se, it-ti̍t kàu keh-nî jī-goe̍h chiah kiat-sok pha̍k-pò͘. Tī chit-tōaⁿ peng-seh kî-kan bô pa̍t-hāng tāi-chì, só͘-í chò liáu te̍k-pia̍t iōng-sim. 

--

87. 雪是皺紗 ê 根源

Shimamura 想起, 舊年底彼个照著早起雪 ê 鏡, tō koh 掠彼个鏡台看一下. 鏡內底仝款浮現冰冷 ê 雪花, ná 一條一條白線, 飄落 tī 衫領現開當 tih 抹頷頸 ê Komako 四周.

Komako ê 皮膚, ná 拄洗過, 清氣溜溜. Shimamura 一句無意中 ê 話予她產生誤會, 這真想袂到. 這確實是她無法度排除 ê 悲哀.

紅葉日漸變暗赤色 ê hūiⁿ 山, tī 這場初雪當中, 又閣活跳起來.

披一沿薄雪 ê 杉仔林, 杉仔樹一叢一叢真分明, 樹尖指向天頂, 騰騰徛 tī 雪地.

Tī 雪 lih 紡紗, tī 雪 lih 織布, 用雪水洗, tī 雪頂曝. Ùi 紡紗到織布, 攏 tī 雪 lih 進行. "有雪 tō 有皺紗, 雪是皺紗 ê 根源", 古早人 án-ne 寫 tī 冊 lih.

這是庄 lih ê 婦人 lâng tī 長長落雪季節 ê 手工 khang-khòe. Shimamura mā bat tī 舊衫店揣這種雪國 ê 皺紗布, 欲提來做熱天 ê 衫. 因為舞蹈 ê 關係, 伊有熟似經營 Nō (能) 劇戲服 ê 古物店, 甚至拜託 in, 若有質料好 ê 皺紗, 隨時提來看. Chiah-nī 佮意皺紗, 伊 mā bat 用 he 做內底衫穿.

聽講, 以前每冬到春天, 積雪開始溶 ê 時, 曝紗 ê 簾仔一下撤掉, 皺紗 tō 上市. 大都市 ê 布莊頭家, 攏 hūiⁿ-hūiⁿ 來到遮, 本地甚至為 in 準備蹛 ê 所在. 

姑娘仔半年來用心織出 ê 皺紗, 為著欲上市, 附近村庄 ê 男女 mā 攏集倚來. 表演抑是雜貨 ê 店一間 koh 一間, 袂輸年節 hiah 鬧熱. 皺紗頂懸攏結一張紙牌, 寫織布姑娘 ê 名字和住所, 根據品質評定等級. 這 mā 成做選新婦 ê 根據. 

若無自細漢 tō 開始學紡織, 到了十五六, 甚至二四五 ê 查某, 是無法度織出好品質 ê 皺紗. 年歲一下濟, 織出來 ê 布 mā 無光彩. 

姑娘仔為著爭欲著頂, 攏拍拚苦練, ùi 舊曆十月開始抽紗, 一直到隔年二月才結束曝布. Tī 這段冰雪期間無別項代誌, 所以做了特別用心. 

--

87.

He remembered the snowy morning toward the end of the year before, and glanced at the mirror. The cold peonies floated up yet larger, cutting a white outline around Komako. Her kimono was open at the neck, and she was wiping at her throat with a towel.

Her skin was as clean as if it had just been laundered. He had not dreamed that she was a woman who would find it necessary to take offense at such a trivial remark, and that very fact lent her an irresistible sadness.

The mountains, more distant each day as the russet of the autumn leaves had darkened, came brightly back to life with the snow.

The cedars, under a thin coating of snow, rose sheer from the white ground to the sky, each cut off sharply from the rest.

The thread was spun in the snow, and the cloth woven in the snow, washed in the snow, and bleached in the snow. Everything, from the first spinning of the thread to the last finishing touches, was done in the snow. "There is Chijimi linen because there is snow," someone wrote long ago. "Snow is the mother of Chijimi."

The Chijimi grass-linen of this snow country was the handwork of the mountain maiden through the long, snowbound winters. Shimamura searched for the cloth in old-clothes shops to use for summer kimonos. Through acquaintances in the dance world, he had found a shop that specialized in old No robes, and he had a standing order that when a good piece of Chijimi came in he was to see it.

In the old days, it is said, the early Chijimi fair was held in the spring, when the snow had melted and the snow blinds were taken down from the houses. People came from far and near to buy Chijimi, even wholesalers from the great commercial cities, Edo, Nagoya, and Osaka; and the inns at which they stayed were fixed by tradition. 

Since the labors of half a year were on display, youths and maidens gathered from all the mountain villages. Sellers' booths and buyers' booths were lined up side by side, and the market took on the air of a festival. With prizes awarded for the best pieces of weaving, it came also to be sort of competition for husbands. 

The girls learned to weave as children, and they turned out their best work between the ages of perhaps fourteen and twenty-four. As they grew older they lost the touch that gave tone to the finest Chijimi. 

In their desire to be numbered among the few outstanding weavers, they put their whole labor and love into this product of the long snowbound months--the months of seclusion and boredom, between October, under the old lunar calender, when the spmmng began, and mid-February of the following year, when the last bleaching was finished.

--

86. Âng-hio̍h mā kiat-sok ah | 紅葉 mā 結束 ah

86. Âng-hio̍h mā kiat-sok ah

Shimamura sim-lāi tio̍h chi̍t-kiaⁿ, siūⁿ-kóng, Komako gō͘-hōe ah-lah. I ba̍k-chiu kheh-kheh, bô kóng sáⁿ.

"Chin pi-ai ah."

Komako chū-giân chū-gí, hûn-su kiu-kiu, phak tī tatami.

Tāi-khài khàu thiám ah, yi iōng gîn ê thâu-mo͘-chiam chha̍k tatami, jiân-āu sut-leh kiâⁿ chhut pâng-keng.

Shimamura bē-tàng chhut-khì jek yi. Hō͘ Komako án-ne kóng, i mā kòe-ì bē-khì.

M̄-koh, chi̍t-ē-á liáu, Komako koh neh-kha-bóe tún lâi, tī thoah-mûi gōa-kháu chiam-siaⁿ kóng: "Neh, lâi-khì sé-e̍k hó-m̄?"

"Aah."

"Pháiⁿ-sè. Góa siūⁿ thong ah-lah."

Khòaⁿ khoán yi sī khiā tī cháu-lông, bē kiâⁿ ji̍p pâng-keng. Shimamura mô͘-kin the̍h leh, kiâⁿ chhut-khì. Komako bô khòaⁿ i, thâu lê-lê kiâⁿ tī thâu-chêng, bē-su hoān-chōe hông lia̍h tio̍h ê hoān-lâng. M̄-koh, tī e̍k-keng kā hûn-su chìm sio liáu, yi iū-koh piàn kah chhia̍k-chhia̍k-tiô, bô siūⁿ boeh khùn.

Keh-kang chá-khí, Shimamura khì hō͘ liām-iâu ê siaⁿ phah chhéⁿ.

I tng-tih chēng-chēng thiaⁿ liām-iâu, kiàⁿ-tâi chêng ê Komako oa̍t-thâu kòe-lâi, chhiò chi̍t-ē, kóng:

"He sī Mûi-hoe-pâng ê lâng-kheh. Cha-àm iàn-hōe liáu in ū kiò góa kòe-khì."

"Sī liām-iâu-hōe ê thoân-thé lí-hêng lah hoⁿh?"

"Hmh."

"Lo̍h-seh bōe?"

"Hmh." Komako khiā khí-lâi, "siat" chi̍t-ē thoah-khui thang-á chêng ê thoah-mûi hō͘ i khòaⁿ, kóng:

"Âng-hio̍h mā kiat-sok ah."

"Ùi thang-á keh khòaⁿ chhut-khì, phú-phú ê thiⁿ-téng tng-tih lo̍h ná gô-mo͘ ê tōa seh. Sì-kè m̄-chai ná ē hiah-nī chēng. Shimamura gia̍h ài-khùn-ba̍k khòaⁿ thiⁿ-téng. 

Chhiùⁿ liām-iâu ê lâng mā tih kòng-kó͘.

--

86. 紅葉 mā 結束 ah

Shimamura 心內著一驚, 想講, Komako 誤會 ah-lah. 伊目睭瞌瞌, 無講啥.

"真悲哀 ah."

Komako 自言自語, 魂軀勼勼, 仆 tī tatami.

大概哭忝 ah, 她用銀 ê 頭毛簪鑿 tatami, 然後 sut-leh 行出房間.

Shimamura 袂當出去 jek 她. 予 Komako án-ne 講, 伊 mā 過意袂去.

毋過, 一下仔了, Komako koh neh 跤尾 tún 來, tī 挩 mûi 外口尖聲講: "Neh, 來去洗浴好毋?"

"Aah."

"歹勢. 我想通 ah-lah."

看款她是徛 tī 走廊, 袂行入房間. Shimamura 毛巾提 leh, 行出去. Komako 無看伊, 頭 lê-lê 行 tī 頭前, 袂輸犯罪 hông 掠著 ê 犯人. 毋過, tī 浴間 kā 魂軀浸燒了, 她又閣變 kah chhia̍k-chhia̍k 趒, 無想欲睏.

隔工早起, Shimamura 去予念謠 ê 聲拍醒.

伊當 tih 靜靜聽念謠, 鏡台前 ê Komako 越頭過來, 笑一下, 講:

"彼是梅花房 ê 人客. 昨暗宴會了 in 有叫我過去."

"是念謠會 ê 團體旅行 lah hoⁿh?"

"Hmh."

"落雪未?"

"Hmh." Komako 徛起來, "siat" 一下挩開窗仔前 ê 挩 mûi 予伊看, 講:

"紅葉 mā 結束 ah."

"Ùi 窗仔格看出去, 殕殕 ê 天頂當 tih 落 ná 鵝毛 ê 大雪. 四界毋知那會 hiah-nī 靜. Shimamura 攑愛睏目看天頂. 

唱念謠 ê 人 mā tih 摃鼓.

--

86.

Shimamura felt a stabbing in his chest as he saw what the mistake had been. He lay silent, his eyes closed.

"It makes me very sad," she murmured to herself. Her head was on her knees, and her body was bent into a tight ball.

When she had wept herself out, she sat jabbing at the floor mat with a silver hair-ornament. Presently she slipped from the room.

Shimamura could not bring himself to follow her. She had reason to feel hurt.

But soon she was back, her bare feet quiet in the corridor. "Are you going for a bath?" she called from outside the door. It was a high, thin little voice.

"If you want."

"I'm sorry. I've reconsidered."

She showed no sign of coming m. Shimamura picked up his towel and stepped into the hall. She walked ahead of him with her eyes on the floor, like a criminal being led away. As the bath warmed her, however, she became strangely gay and winsome, and sleep was out of the question.

The next morning Shimamura awoke to a voice reciting a No play.

He lay for a time listening. Kamoko turned and smiled from the mirror.

"The guests in the Plum Room. I was called there after my first party. Remember?"

"A No club out on a trip?"

"Yes."

"It snowed?"

"Yes." She got up and threw open the sliding

door in front of the window. "No more maple leaves."

From the gray sky, framed by the window, the snow floated toward them in great flakes, like white peonies. There was something quietly unreal about it. Shimamura stared with the vacantness that comes from lack of sleep.

The No reciters had taken out a drum.

--

85. Lí sī chi̍t-ê hó cha-bó͘ neh | 你是一个好查某 neh

85. Lí sī chi̍t-ê hó cha-bó͘ neh

Kòe chi̍t-khùn, Shimamura bô-thâu bô-bóe kóng chi̍t-kù:

"Lí sī chi̍t-ê hó ko͘-niû neh."

"Án-nóa kóng? Tá-ūi hó?"

"Sī hó ko͘-niû ah."

"Án-ne oh? Thó-ià neh. Lí kóng sáⁿ ah? Khah chèng-keng leh." Komako kā bīn oa̍t khui, ná iô Shimamura, ná tu̍h kúi-kù, tō tiām khì.

Koh-lâi, yi iū ka-tī kâm-chhùi tih chhiò.

"Góa bô hó lah. Góa ē kan-khó͘, lí túiⁿ hó lah. Góa í-keng bô saⁿ thang ōaⁿ ah-lah. Múi-kái lâi chia, góa chóng siūⁿ boeh ōaⁿ chi̍t-su sin ê iàn-hōe kimono, lóng chhēng liáu-liáu ah, chit-su sī ùi pêng-iú hia chioh lâi ê. Sī pháiⁿ ko͘-niû, tio̍h bô?"

Shimamura bô ìn ōe.

"Chit-chióng ko͘-niû, tá-ūi tih hó?" Komako ê siaⁿ sió-khóa khê-âu:

"Thâu chi̍t-kái tú tio̍h lí, kám-kak lí chin thó-ià. Bô-lâng kóng-ōe chhiūⁿ lí hiah sit-lé. Hit-sî chin-chiàⁿ thó-ià lí."

Shimamura kan-ta tìm-thâu.

"Ai-ah. Chit-lō tāi-chì góa it-ti̍t bô kóng, lí chai bô? Kàu cha-bó͘ kóng chhut chit-lō tāi-chì, he tō hāi ah."

"Bô iàu-kín."

"Sī oh?" Komako ká-ná tih oa̍t-thâu khòaⁿ ka-tī, kú-kú tiām chi̍t-khùn. Hit-ê cha-bó͘ sèⁿ-miā ê un-loán thoân kàu Shimamura chia lâi.

"Lí sī chi̍t-ê hó cha-bó͘ neh."

"Án-nóa hó?"

"Sī hó cha-bó͘ lah."

"Lí sī koài lâng!" Komako giâ keng-thâu cha̍h bīn, m̄-chai án-nóa, yi gia̍h chi̍t-ki chhiú-kut, kóng:

"He sī sáⁿ ì-sù? Lí kóng, sáⁿ ì-sù?"

Shimamura kan-ta tio̍h-kiaⁿ khòaⁿ Komako.

"Lí kóng. Tō sī án-ne, lí chiah lâi chia. Lí tih chhiò góa. Kó-jiân lí sī tih chhiò góa."

Kui-bīn âng kì-kì, lia̍h Shimamura kim-kim khòaⁿ, Komako ê keng-thâu hut-jiân khí chùn, bīn-sek hoán pe̍h, ba̍k-sái kō-kō lìn.

"Chhìn-sim ah, ū-kàu chhìn-sim." Yi hian-phōe khí-lâi, kha-chiah-phiaⁿ ǹg i chē leh.

--

85. 你是一个好查某 neh

過一睏, Shimamura 無頭無尾講一句:

"你是一个好姑娘 neh."

"Án-nóa 講? Tá 位好?"

"是好姑娘 ah."

"Án-ne oh? 討厭 neh. 你講啥 ah? 較正經 leh." Komako kā 面越開, ná 搖 Shimamura, ná tu̍h 幾句, tō 恬去.

閣來, 她又家治含喙 tih 笑.

"我無好 lah. 我會艱苦, 你 túiⁿ 好 lah. 我已經無衫通換 ah-lah. Múi 改來遮, 我總想欲換一軀新 ê 宴會 kimono, 攏穿了了 ah, 這軀是 ùi 朋友遐借來 ê. 是歹姑娘, 著無?"

Shimamura 無應話.

"這種姑娘, tá 位 tih 好?" Komako ê 聲小可 khê 喉:

"頭一改拄著你, 感覺你真討厭. 無人講話像你 hiah 失禮. 彼時真正討厭你."

Shimamura 干焦 tìm 頭.

"Ai-ah. Chit-lō 代誌我一直無講, 你知無? 到查某講出 chit-lō 代誌, 彼 tō 害 ah."

"無要緊."

"是 oh?" Komako ká-ná tih 越頭看家治, 久久恬一睏. 彼个查某性命 ê 溫暖傳到 Shimamura 遮來.

"你是一个好查某 neh."

"Án-nóa 好?"

"是好查某 lah."

"你是怪人!" Komako 夯肩頭閘面, 毋知 án-nóa, 她攑一支手骨, 講:

"彼是啥意思? 你講, 啥意思?"

Shimamura 干焦著驚看 Komako.

"你講. Tō 是 án-ne, 你才來遮. 你 tih 笑我. 果然你是 tih 笑我."

規面紅 kì-kì, 掠 Shimamura 金金看, Komako ê 肩頭忽然起顫, 面色反白, 目屎 kō-kō 輾.

"凊心 ah, 有夠凊心." 她掀被起來, 尻脊骿 ǹg 伊坐 leh.

--

85.

"You're a good girl."

"Why? Why am I good? What's good about me?"

"You're a good girl."

"Don't tease me. It's wrong of you." She looked aside, and she spoke in broken phrases, like little blows, as she rocked him back and forth.

She laughed softly to herself.

"I'm not good at all. It's not easy having you here. You'd best go home. Each time I come to see you I want to put on a new kimono, and now I have none left. This one is borrowed. So you see I'm not really good at all."

Shimamura did not answer.

"And what do you find good in me?" Her voice was a little husky. "The first day I met you I thought I had never seen anyone I disliked more. People just don't say the sort of things you said. I hated you."

Shimamura nodded.

"Oh? You understand then why I've not mentioned it before? When a woman has to say these things, she has gone as far as she can, you know."

"But it's all right."

"Is it?" They were silent for some moments. Komako seemed to be looking back on herself, and the awareness of a woman's being alive carne to Shimamura in her warmth.

"You're a good woman."

"How am I good?"

"A good woman."

"What an odd person." Her face was hidden from him, as though she were rubbing her jaw against an itching shoulder. Then suddenly, Shimamura had no idea why, she raised herself angrily to an elbow.

"A good woman--what do you mean by that? What do you mean?" 

He only stared at her.

"Admit it. That's why you came to see me. You were laughing at me. You were laughing at me after all."

She glared at him, scarlet with anger. Her shoulders were shaking. But the flush receded as quickly as it had come, and tears were falling over her blanched face.

"I hate you. How 1 hate you." She rolled out of bed and sat with her back to him.

--

84. Àm-bong-bong lim, chiú bē phang | 暗摸摸啉, 酒袂芳

84. Àm-bong-bong lim, chiú bē phang

Tiān-hóe téng ū chi̍t-tiâu soh-á sûi kàu chím-thâu piⁿ.

"Tha̍k-chhek boeh khùn ê sî, che kā khiú chi̍t-ē tō koaiⁿ-teng." Komako ná lāng hit-tiâu soh-á, koh ná ka-têng chú-hū án-ne pháiⁿ-sè pháiⁿ-sè chē leh.

"Ká-ná hô͘-lî boeh chhut-kè neh."

"Tō-sī án-ne kóng meh."

"Boeh tī chia tòa sì-nî hioh?"

"Iah, mā í-keng tòa pòaⁿ-nî ah, chiâⁿ kín neh."

Thiaⁿ ē-tio̍h lâu-kha ê khùn-siaⁿ, iū bô sáⁿ ōe hó koh kóng, Shimamura tō khiā khí-lâi.

Komako cháu khì khui-mûi, kā thâu thàm chhut-khì, gia̍h thâu khòaⁿ thiⁿ:

"Tit-boeh lo̍h-seh ah. Âng-hio̍h kùi-cheh mā tit-boeh soah ah." Yi ná kóng ná kiâⁿ kàu mûi gōa:

"Chia sī soaⁿ-khu, âng-hio̍h bōe soah tō lo̍h-seh."

"Án-ne, góa lâi-khì ah. Lí hó-hó heⁿh-khùn."

"Góa sàng lí túiⁿ, sàng kàu kheh-chàn mûi-kháu."

Put-jî-kò, yi iū hām Shimamura tâng-chê kiâⁿ-ji̍p kheh-chàn, kóng:

"Lí hó-hó heⁿh-khùn." tō bô khòaⁿ-e lâng-iáⁿ. Kòe chi̍t-ē-á, yi phâng nn̄g-poe móa-móa ê léng chiú, ji̍p-lâi i ê pâng-keng, hoah kóng:

"Lâi, lim lah! Kā lim lo̍h."

"Lâng lóng khùn ah, lí tá chhōe lâi ê chiú?"

"Hmh, góa chai tá-ūi ū chiú."

Khòaⁿ lâi, Komako tih tah-chiú ê sî í-keng ū lim kòe,  tú-chiah hit-lō chùi khoán koh chhut-lâi ah. Yi ba̍k-chiu bui-bui, khòaⁿ chiú chhoat chhut-lâi.

"M̄-koh, àm-bong-bong lim, chiú bē phang."

Shimamura asálih kā tu kòe-lâi ê chiú chi̍t-chhùi lim loeh.

Chit-sut-á chiú, pún-chiâⁿ sī bē chùi, hoān-sè tī gōa-kháu kiâⁿ ê sî léng tio̍h, chek-sî heng-khám ut-ut, chiú chhèng kàu thâu-khak. I chai ka-tī ká-ná bīn-sek hoán-pe̍h, tō ba̍k-chiu kheh-kheh tó lo̍h-lâi, Komako sûi kòe-lâi kā ho̍k-sāi. Kòe chi̍t-khùn, Shimamura kám-kak tio̍h cha-bó͘ sio-thǹg-thǹg ê hûn-su, tō ná gín-á án-ne, an-sim bô kò͘-lī ah.

Komako kiàn-siàu tak-tak, yi he tōng-chok, ná-chhiūⁿ bōe seⁿ-kiáⁿ ê ko͘-niû phō pa̍t-lâng ê gín-á, gia̍h-thâu khòaⁿ gín-á khùn ê khoán.

--

84. 暗摸摸啉, 酒袂芳

電火頂有一條索仔垂到枕頭邊.

"讀冊欲睏 ê 時, 這 kā 搝一下 tō 關燈." Komako ná 弄彼條索仔, koh ná 家庭主婦 án-ne 歹勢歹勢坐 leh.

"Ká-ná 狐狸欲出嫁 neh."

"Tō 是 án-ne 講 meh."

"欲 tī 遮蹛四年 hioh?"

"Iah, mā 已經蹛半年 ah, 誠緊 neh."

聽會著樓跤 ê 睏聲, 又無啥話好 koh 講, Shimamura tō 徛起來.

Komako 走去開 mûi, kā 頭探出去, 攑頭看天:

"得欲落雪 ah. 紅葉季節 mā 得欲煞 ah." 她 ná 講 ná 行到 mûi 外:

"遮是山區, 紅葉未煞 tō 落雪."

"Án-ne, 我來去 ah. 你好好 heⁿh 睏."

"我送你 túiⁿ, 送到客棧 mûi 口."

不而過, 她又和 Shimamura 同齊行入客棧, 講:

"你好好 heⁿh 睏." tō 無看 e 人影. 過一下仔, 她捀兩杯滿滿 ê 冷酒, 入來伊 ê 房間, 喝講:

"來, 啉 lah! Kā 啉落."

"人攏睏 ah, 你 tá 揣來 ê 酒?"

"Hmh, 我知 tá 位有酒."

看來, Komako tih 搭酒 ê 時已經有啉過,  拄才 hit-lō 醉款 koh 出來 ah. 她目睭 bui-bui, 看酒 chhoat 出來.

"毋過, 暗摸摸啉, 酒袂芳."

Shimamura asálih kā tu 過來 ê 酒一喙啉 loeh.

這屑仔酒, 本成是袂醉, 凡勢 tī 外口行 ê 時冷著, 即時胸坎鬱鬱, 酒衝到頭殼. 伊知家治 ká-ná 面色反白, tō 目睭瞌瞌倒落來, Komako 隨過來 kā 服侍. 過一睏, Shimamura 感覺著查某燒燙燙 ê 魂軀, tō ná 囡仔 án-ne, 安心無顧慮 ah.

Komako 見笑 tak-tak, 她 he 動作, ná 像未生囝 ê 姑娘抱別人 ê 囡仔, 攑頭看囡仔睏 ê 款.

--

84.

A thin string ran from Komako's pillow to the ceiling.

"I turn the light out with this when I'm reading." She tugged at the string. Gentle and subdued, the proper housewife again, she was not quite able even so to hide her discomposure.

"Lonely as the fox's lady out at night, aren't you."

"I really am."

"And do you mean to live here four years?" 

"But it's going on a year already. It won't be long."

Shimamura was nervous. He thought he could hear the breathing of the family below, and he had run out of things to talk about. He stood up to leave.

Komako slid the door half shut behind him. She glanced up at the sky. "It's beginning to look like snow. The end of the maple leaves." She recited a line of poetry* as she stepped outside: "Here in our mountains, the snow falls even on the maple leaves." [* The line is from a Kabuki play.]

"Well, good night."

"Wait. I'll see you back to the hotel. As far as the door, no farther."

But she followed him inside.

"Go on to bed." She slipped away, and a few minutes later she was back with two glasses filled to the brim with sake.

"Drink," she ordered as she stepped into the room. "We're going to have a drink."

"But aren't they asleep? Where did you find it?"

"I know where they keep it." She had quite obviously had herself a drink as she poured from the vat. The earlier drunkenness had come back. With narrowed eyes, she watched the sake spill over on her hand. "It's no fun, though, swallowing the stuff down in the dark."

Shimamura drank meekly from the cup that was thrust at him.

It was not usual for him to get drunk on so little; but perhaps he was chilled from the walk. He began to feel sick. His head was whirling, and he could almost see himself going pale. He closed his eyes and fell back on the quilt. Komako put her arms around him in alarm. A childlike feeling of security came to him from the warmth of her body.

She seemed ill at ease, like a young woman, still childless, who takes a baby up in her arms. She raised her head and looked down, as at the sleeping child.

--

83. Pâng-keng chhin-chhiūⁿ chi̍t-ê hô͘-lî siū | 房間親像一个狐狸岫

83. Pâng-keng chhin-chhiūⁿ chi̍t-ê hô͘-lî siū

"Lí tī chia sió tán chi̍t-ē. Góa khì jī-lâu khui tiān-hóe."

"Bián lah." Shimamura mā tī o͘-àm tiong peh lâu-thui, oa̍t-thâu khòaⁿ loeh, tī hiah-ê sò͘-phok khùn-bīn ê hit-pêng, goân-lâi sī bē thn̂g-á ê tiàm.

Ná bîn-ke-chhù ê jī-lâu, ū sì-keng kū-tatami pâng.

"Góa chi̍t-ê lâng, án-ne sùiⁿ chiâⁿ khoah." Komako kóng. Keh-keng-pang chiâu thoah khui, chhù lih ê kū khì-kū tī pâng-keng thia̍p tīⁿ-tīⁿ. Mûi-ian hun o͘ ê thoah-mûi tiong-kan, pho͘ chi̍t-ê Komako khùn ê ūi, piah téng kòa iàn-hōe chhēng ê kimono, chhin-chhiūⁿ sī chi̍t-ê hô͘-lî siū.

Komako chāi-chāi chē tī tatami, kā kan-ta chi̍t-ê thiap-chē ê hutón (蒲団), lâu hō͘ Shimamura.

"Ai-ah, âng kì-kì." Yi chiò-kiàⁿ khòaⁿ chi̍t-ē, kóng:

"Ná ē chùi kah chit-lō khoán?"

Koh-lâi, ná bong saⁿ-á-kūi téng, ná kóng:

"Che sī góa ê ji̍t-kì."

"Bē chió neh."

Yi ùi piⁿ-á the̍h chhut chi̍t-ê kô͘ hoe-chóa ê a̍p-á, móa-móa lóng sī hun.

"Lóng sī lâng-kheh hō͘ góa ê, góa kā khǹg tī chhiú-úiⁿ a̍h io-tòa chah tún-lâi. Sui-jiân jiâu-jiâu, m̄-koh bô lah-sap. Tāi-khài kok-chióng pâi-chú lóng ū." Ná kóng ná sak kàu Shimamura bīn-chêng, chhiau hō͘ khòaⁿ:

"Ai-ah, bô hoan-á-hóe. Góa kái-hun ah, soah bô hoan-á-hóe."

"Bŏa-kín. Lí tih chò châi-hông?"

"Hmh. Khòaⁿ âng-hio̍h ê lâng-kheh chi̍t-ē chē, tō thêng lo̍h-lâi ah." Komako oa̍t-thâu kā saⁿ-á-kūi chêng ê chò châi-hông ê mi̍h-kiāⁿ sak piⁿ-á khì.

Che tāi-khài sī yi tī Tokyo seng-oa̍h lâu lo̍h-lâi ê hûn-jiah pah. He lé-táu ê ti̍t-bûn saⁿ-á-kūi hām bêng-kùi ê chu-chhat chiam-sòaⁿ-a̍p, iáu koh khǹg tī chit-ê chheⁿ-chhìn ê jī-lâu, tō hām tī sai-hū chhù ê hit-keng ná kū chóa-a̍p-á ê lâu-kông kāng-khoán, khòaⁿ tio̍h chin chhe-liâng.

--

83. 房間親像一个狐狸岫

"你 tī 遮小等一下. 我去二樓開電火."

"免 lah." Shimamura mā tī 烏暗中 peh 樓梯, 越頭看 loeh, tī hiah-ê 素樸睏面 ê 彼爿, 原來是賣糖仔 ê 店.

Ná 民家厝 ê 二樓, 有四間舊 tatami 房.

"我一个人, án-ne sùiⁿ 誠闊." Komako 講. 隔間枋 chiâu 挩開, 厝 lih ê 舊器具 tī 房間疊滇滇. 煤煙薰烏 ê 挩 mûi 中間, 鋪一个 Komako 睏 ê 位, 壁頂掛宴會穿 ê kimono, 親像是一个狐狸岫.

Komako 在在坐 tī tatami, kā 干焦一个疊坐 ê hutón (蒲団), 留予 Shimamura.

"Ai-ah, 紅 kì-kì." 她照鏡看一下, 講:

"那會醉 kah chit-lō 款?"

閣來, ná 摸衫仔櫃頂, ná 講:

"這是我 ê 日記."

"袂少 neh."

她 ùi 邊仔提出一个糊花紙 ê 盒仔, 滿滿攏是薰.

"攏是人客予我 ê, 我 kā 囥 tī 手 úiⁿ a̍h 腰帶扎 tún 來. 雖然皺皺, 毋過無垃圾. 大概各種牌子攏有." Ná 講 ná 捒到 Shimamura 面前, 搜予看:

"Ai-ah, 無番仔火. 我改薰 ah, 煞無番仔火."

"Bŏa 緊. 你 tih 做裁縫?"

"Hmh. 看紅葉 ê 人客一下濟, tō 停落來 ah." Komako 越頭 kā 衫仔櫃前 ê 做裁縫 ê 物件捒邊仔去.

這大概是她 tī Tokyo 生活留落來 ê 痕跡 pah. He lé-táu ê 直紋衫仔櫃和名貴 ê 朱漆針線盒, 猶閣囥 tī 這个生凊 ê 二樓, tō 和 tī 師傅厝 ê 彼間 ná 舊紙盒仔 ê 樓栱仝款, 看著真淒涼.

--

83.

"Wait here. I'll turn on the light upstairs."

"It's all right." Shimamura climbed the stairs in the dark. As he looked back, he saw the candy shop beyond the homely sleeping faces.

The matting was worn in the four rustic rooms on the second floor.

"It's a little large, I have to admit, for just one person." The partitions between the rooms had been taken down, and Komako's bedding lay small and solitary inside the sliding doors, their paper panels yellowed with age, that separated the rooms from the skirting corridor. Old furniture and tools, evidently the property of the family she lived with, were piled in the far room. Party kimonos hung from pegs along the wall. The whole suggested a fox's or badger's lair to Shimamura.

Komako sat down solidly in the slightly raised alcove and offered him the only cushion.

"Bright red." She peered into the mirror. "Am I really so drunk?" She fumbled through the top drawer of the dresser. "Here. My diary."

"As long as this, is it?"

She took up a small figured-paper box filled to the top with assorted cigarettes.

"I push them up my sleeve or inside my obi when a guest gives them to me, and some of them are a little smashed. They're clean, though. I make up for wrinkles by having every variety to offer." She stirred up the contems to demonstrate that he could have his choice.

"But I don't have a match. I don't need matches now that I've stopped smoking."

"It's all right. How is the sewing?"

"I try to work at it, but the guests for the maple leaves keep me busy." She turned to put away the sewing that lay in from of the dresser.

The fine-grained chest of drawers and the expensive vermilion-lacquered sewing-box, relics perhaps of her years in Tokyo, were as they had been in the attic that so resembled an old paper box; but they seemed sadly out of place in these dilapidated second-floor rooms.

--

82. Yi khó-lêng ē piàn-chò góa ê hū-tam | 她可能會變做我 ê 負擔

82. Yi khó-lêng ē piàn-chò góa ê hū-tam

"Góa m̄-sī kóng sńg-chhiò. M̄-chai án-nóa, góa khòaⁿ tio̍h yi, chóng-sī kám-kak, í-āu yi khó-lêng ē piàn-chò góa ê hū-tam. Tō-kóng sī lí, lí nā kah-ì yi, lí tio̍h hó-hó kā koan-chhat, lí mā ē án-ne siūⁿ." Komako kā chhiú hōaⁿ tī Shimamura ê keng-thâu, óa kòe-lâi, hut-jiân iū iô-thâu, kóng:

"M̄-tio̍h. Nā tú tio̍h lí chit-khoán ê lâng, yi hoān-sè tō bē khí-siáu. Lí kā góa chit-ê hū-tam chih kòe lah, hó bô?"

"M̄-thang o͘-pe̍h kóng."

"Lí siūⁿ-kóng góa kóng chiú-ōe? Siūⁿ tio̍h yi tī lí sin-piⁿ, ē hō͘ lí thiàⁿ-sioh, góa tō ē-tàng tī chit-ê soaⁿ-khu hòng-tōng. Án-ne tō chiâⁿ sóng."

"Oeh!"

"Mài chhap góa." Komako kín kiâⁿ kúi-ā pō͘, "tòng" chi̍t-siaⁿ, soah khì chông tio̍h jia-hō͘ ê mûi-pang, chia sī yin chhù.

"In siūⁿ kóng lí bē tún lâi."

"Hmh, góa lâi khui." 

Kng khí ki-ki koāiⁿ-koāiⁿ ê mûi-kha, kā sak khui, Komako khin-siaⁿ kóng:

"Ji̍p-lâi chē chi̍t-ē."

"Chit-ê sî-chūn..."

"Chhù lih ê lâng lóng khùn khì ah-lah."

Shimamura soah tiû-tî khí-lâi.

"Nā bô, góa sàng lí túiⁿ khì."

"M̄-bián lah."

"Bē-sái. Lí iáu m̄-bat khòaⁿ kòe góa chit-má ê pâng-keng."

Ùi chàu-kha mûi chi̍t ji̍p-khì, ba̍k-chêng khòaⁿ tio̍h chi̍t-ke-hóe-á khùn kah hoâiⁿ-tó ti̍t-ke̍h, kah pún-tē seh-khò͘ hit-khoán chit-liāu, í-keng thè-sek, tēng khì ê mî-phōe. Chhù-chú ang-á-bó͘ hām chi̍t-ê cha̍p-chhit/peh hòe ê ko͘-niû, iáu-ū gō͘/la̍k ê gín-á, tī àm-ûiⁿ ê teng-hóe ē-bīn sûi-lâng sûi hong-hiàng tih khùn. Sàn-chhiah ê tiong-kan, mā chhiong-móa tio̍h oa̍h-la̍t.

Shimamura chhèng tio̍h chi̍t-chūn bîn-chhn̂g ê sio khùi, siūⁿ boeh thè chhut gōa-kháu, Komako tī āu-piah í-keng "kho-lok" kā mûi koaiⁿ khí-lâi, koh khi-khi kho̍k-kho̍k ta̍h tē-pán ji̍p-khì, Shimamura tō ta̍h gín-á ê chím-thâu phāng neh-kha neh-chhiú kiâⁿ, ū chi̍t-chióng kî-koài ê sóng-khoài tī sim-koaⁿ chùn.

--

82. 她可能會變做我 ê 負擔

"我毋是講耍笑. 毋知 án-nóa, 我看著她, 總是感覺, 以後她可能會變做我 ê 負擔. Tō 講是你, 你若佮意她, 你著好好 kā 觀察, 你 mā 會 án-ne 想." Komako kā 手扞 tī Shimamura ê 肩頭, 倚過來, 忽然又搖頭, 講:

"毋著. 若拄著你這款 ê 人, 她凡勢 tō 袂起痟. 你 kā 我這个負擔 chih 過 lah, 好無?"

"毋通烏白講."

"你想講我講酒話? 想著她 tī 你身邊, 會予你疼惜, 我 tō 會當 tī 這个山區放蕩. Án-ne tō 誠爽."

"Oeh!"

"莫 chhap 我." Komako 緊行幾 ā 步, "tòng" 一聲, 煞去傱著遮雨 ê mûi 枋, 遮是 姻厝.

"In 想講你袂 tún 來."

"Hmh, 我來開." 

扛起 ki-ki koāiⁿ-koāiⁿ ê mûi 跤, kā 捒開, Komako 輕聲講:

"入來坐一下."

"這个時陣..."

"厝 lih ê 人攏睏去 ah-lah."

Shimamura 煞躊 tî 起來.

"若無, 我送你 túiⁿ 去."

"毋免 lah."

"袂使. 你猶 m̄-bat 看過我這馬 ê 房間."

Ùi 灶跤 mûi 一入去, 目前看著一家伙仔睏 kah 橫倒直扴, 蓋本地雪褲彼款質料, 已經退色, tēng 去 ê 棉被. 厝主翁仔某和一个十七八歲 ê 姑娘, 猶有五六个囡仔, tī 暗 ûiⁿ ê 燈火下面隨人隨方向 tih 睏. 散赤 ê 中間, mā 充滿著活力.

Shimamura 衝著一陣眠床 ê 燒氣, 想欲退出外口, Komako tī 後壁已經 "kho-lok" kā mûi 關起來, koh khi-khi kho̍k-kho̍k 踏地板入去, Shimamura tō 踏囡仔 ê 枕頭縫 neh 跤 neh 手行, 有一種奇怪 ê 爽快 tī 心肝顫.

--

82.

"I'm not joking. Whenever I look at her, I feel as though I have a heavy load and can't get rid of it. Somehow I always feel that way. If you're really fond of her, take a good look at her. You'll see what I mean." She laid her hand on his shoulder and leaned toward him. Then, abruptly, she shook her head. "No, that's not what I want. If she were to fall into the hands of someone like you, she might not go crazy after all. Why don't you take my load for me?"

"You're going a little too far."

"You think I'm drunk and talking nonsense? I'm not. I would know she was being well taken care of, and I could go pleasantly to seed here in the mountains. It would be a fine, quiet feeling."

"That's enough."

"Just leave me alone." In her flight, she ran into the closed door of the house she lived in.

"They've decided you're not coming home."

"But I can open it." The door sounded old and dry as she lifted it from the groove and pushed it back.

"Come on in."

"But think of the hour." "Everyone will be asleep."

Shimamura hesitated.

"I'll see you back to the inn, then."

"I can go by myself."

"But you haven't seen my room."

They stepped through the kitchen door, and the sleeping figures of the family lay sprawled before them. The thin mattresses on the floor were covered with cheap striped cloth, now faded, of the sort often used for "mountain trousers." The mother and father and five or six children, the oldest a girl perhaps sixteen, lay under a scorched lampshade. Heads faced in every direction. There was drab poverty in the scene, and yet under it there lay an urgent, powerful vitality.

As if thrown back by the warm breath of all the sleepers, Shimamura started toward the door.

 Komako noisily closed it in his face, however, and went in through the kitchen. She made no attempt to soften her footsteps. Shimamura followed stealthily past the children's pillows, a strange thrill rising in his chest.

--

81. Lí boeh tit-tio̍h hit-ê ko͘-niû bô? | 你欲得著彼个姑娘無?

81. Lí boeh tit-tio̍h hit-ê ko͘-niû bô?

Yoko it-ti̍t hām gín-á kóng-ōe. Yi lī-khui e̍k-keng liáu-āu, he siaⁿ-im iáu chhiūⁿ phín-á siaⁿ lâu tī hia se̍h. Mûi chêng chhit kah o͘ koh kim ê tē-pán téng, chi̍t-kha tông-bo̍k ê samisen siuⁿ-á tī chhiu-thiⁿ àm-mê ê che̍k-chēng tiong-kan khǹg tī hia, ín-khí Shimamura ê hòⁿ-kî. I chù-ì khòaⁿ siuⁿ-á téng ê lâng-miâ ê sî, Komako ùi sé-óaⁿ-pôaⁿ ê siaⁿ hit-pêng kiâⁿ kòe-lâi.

"Lí tih khòaⁿ sáⁿ?"

"Chit-lâng tī chia keh-mê?"

"Sáng? Ah, he oh? Lí chin gōng neh. Chit-ê mi̍h-kiāⁿ ē-tàng mo͘h leh kiâⁿ-lâi kiâⁿ-khì? Ū-sî-á kúi-ā kang lóng khǹg tī chia." Yi chi̍t-ē chhiò, tō kan-khó͘ kah ba̍k-chiu kheh-kheh chhoán-khùi. Pàng lo̍h chhiú giú tio̍h ê kûn-ki, yi siàng hō͘ Shimamura:

"Neh, lí sàng góa túiⁿ hó bô?"

"Ná tio̍h túiⁿ?"

"Bē-sái, bē-sái, tio̍h túiⁿ. Kin-á-ji̍t sī pún-tē-lâng ê iàn-hōe, ta̍k-ê lóng khì sòa-thoaⁿ, kan-ta chhun góa. Ka-chài chia iáu ū pa̍t-ê iàn-hōe, nā bô cha-bó͘-phōaⁿ túiⁿ ê sî chhōe góa tâng-chê sé un-chôaⁿ, góa koh bô tī chhù, án-ne bē-sái."

Sui-bóng chùi bâng-bâng, Komako iáu ē-tàng liú-lia̍h kiâⁿ lo̍h-kiā:

"Lí kā hit-ê ko͘-niû khì kah khàu neh."

"Án-ne kóng, yi khak-si̍t sió-khóa tih siáu neh."

"Lí án-ne khòaⁿ lâng, kám chin hó-sńg?"

"He m̄-sī lí seng kóng ê? Yi siūⁿ tio̍h lí kóng yi ē khí-siáu, chiah khì kah khàu chhut-lâi."

"Nā án-ne tō bô-iàu-kín."

"Kòe bô cha̍p-hun-cheng, yi tō tī e̍k-keng, iōng hó-thiaⁿ ê siaⁿ-im chhiùⁿ-koa."

"Tī e̍k-keng chhiùⁿ-koa sī hit-ê ko͘-niû ê koài-phiah."

"Yi téng-chin kiû góa, tio̍h hó-hó chiàu-kò͘ lí."

"Sam-pat. M̄-koh, chit-lō tāi-chì, lí ná tio̍h the̍h lâi kā góa tián?"

"Kā lí tián? Kî-koài, góa bē liáu-kái, nā kóng tio̍h hit-ê ko͘-niû ê tāi-chì, lí tō hiah-nī bín-kám?"

"Lí boeh tit-tio̍h hit-ê ko͘-niû bô?"

"Lí khòaⁿ, kóng tùi tá-ūi khì ah?"

--

81. 你欲得著彼个姑娘無?

Yoko 一直和囡仔講話. 她離開浴間了後, 彼聲音猶像品仔聲留 tī 遐踅. Mûi 前拭 kah 烏 koh 金 ê 地板頂, 一跤桐木 ê samisen 箱仔 tī 秋天暗暝 ê 寂靜中間囥 tī 遐, 引起 Shimamura ê 好奇. 伊注意看箱仔頂 ê 人名 ê 時, Komako ùi 洗碗盤 ê 聲彼爿行過來.

"你 tih 看啥?"

"這人 tī 遮隔暝?"

"Sáng? Ah, 彼 oh? 你真戇 neh. 這个物件會當 mo͘h leh 行來行去? 有時仔幾 ā 工攏囥 tī 遮." 她一下笑, tō 艱苦 kah 目睭瞌瞌喘氣. 放落手搝著 ê 裙裾, 她摔予 Shimamura:

"Neh, 你送我 túiⁿ 好無?"

"那著 túiⁿ?"

"袂使, 袂使, 著 túiⁿ. 今仔日是本地人 ê 宴會, 逐个攏去紲攤, 干焦賰我. 佳哉遮猶有別个宴會, 若無查某伴 túiⁿ ê 時揣我同齊洗溫泉, 我 koh 無 tī 厝, án-ne 袂使."

雖罔醉茫茫, Komako 猶會當扭掠行落崎:

"你 kā 彼个姑娘氣 kah 哭 neh."

"Án-ne 講, 她確實小可 tih 痟 neh."

"你 án-ne 看人, 敢真好耍?"

"彼毋是你先講 ê? 她想著你講她會起痟, 才氣 kah 哭出來."

"若 án-ne tō 無要緊."

"過無十分鐘, 她 tō tī 浴間, 用好聽 ê 聲音唱歌."

"Tī 浴間唱歌是彼个姑娘 ê 怪癖."

"她頂真求我, 著好好照顧你."

"三八. 毋過, chit-lō 代誌, 你那著提來 kā 我展?"

"Kā 你展? 奇怪, 我袂了解, 若講著彼个姑娘 ê 代誌, 你 tō hiah-nī 敏感?"

"你欲得著彼个姑娘無?"

"你看, 講對 tá 位去 ah?"

--

81.

She chattered on as she dressed the child and led it from the bath, and even when she was gone her voice seemed to echo on like a flute. On the worn floor of the hallway, polished to a dark glow, a geisha had left behind a samisen box, the very embodiment of quiet in the late autumn night. As Shimamura was looking for the owner's name, Komako came out from the direction of the clattering dishes.

"What are you looking at?"

"Is she staying the night?"

"Who? Oh, her. Don't be foolish. You think we carry these with us whereycr we go, do you? Sometimes we leave them at an inn for days on end." She laughed, but almost immediately she was breathing painfully and her eyes were screwed tightly shut. Dropping her long skirts, she fell against Shimamura. "Take me home, please."

"You don't have to go, do you?"

"It's no good. I have to go. The rest went on to

other parties and left me behind. No one will say anything if I don't stay too long--I had business here. But if they stop by my house on their way to the bath and find me away, they'll start talking."

Drunk though she was, she walked briskly down the steep hill.

"You made that girl weep."

"She does seem a trifle crazy."

"And do you enjoy making such remarks?" 

"But didn't you say it yourself? She remembered how you said she would go crazy, and it was then that she broke down-mostly out of resentment, I suspect."

"Oh? It's all right, then."

"And not ten minutes later she was in the bath, singing in fine voice."

"She's always liked to sing in the bath."

"She said very seriously that I must be good to you."

"Isn't she foolish, though? But you didn't have to tell me."

"Tell you? Why is it that you always seem so touchy when that girl is mentioned?"

"Would you like to have her?"

"See? What call is there for a remark like that?" 

--

80. Yi kā gín-á sé hûn-su koh chhiùⁿ-koa | 她 kā 囡仔洗魂軀 koh 唱歌

80. Yi kā gín-á sé hûn-su koh chhiùⁿ-koa

Yoko ê ba̍k-sái ùi ba̍k-kîⁿ tih lo̍h, ùi tatami khioh chi̍t-chiah sè-chiah ia̍h-á, koh ná khàu ná kóng:

"Koma-Chan kóng góa tit-boeh khí-siáu ah." Kóng-liáu hut leh kiâⁿ chhut pâng-keng.

Shimamura kám-kak chi̍t-chūn chheⁿ-léng.

Tú boeh kā Yoko tēⁿ sí ê ia̍h-á khui thang-á hiat chhut-khì, I khòaⁿ tio̍h chiú-chùi ê Komako io thèⁿ koân, àⁿ hiàng lâng-kheh tih hoah-kûn. Thiⁿ-téng í-keng khàm o͘-hûn. Shimamura kiâⁿ khì lāi-tiûⁿ ê un-chôaⁿ e̍k-keng.

Yoko mā chhōa kheh-chàn ê gín-á lâi kàu keh-piah ê cha-bó͘ e̍k-keng.

Yi thè gín-á thùiⁿ saⁿ, koh kā sé hûn-su, kóng-ōe chhin-chhiat, ká-ná sin lāu-bú, siaⁿ-im tiⁿ-bi̍t, hó-thiaⁿ.

Hit-sî, kāng-khoán ê siaⁿ-im, yi tih chhiùⁿ-koa:

"Chhut-lâi āu-bóe khòaⁿ-māi leh,

Lâi-á chhiū ū saⁿ-châng,

Sam-á chhiū ū saⁿ-châng,

Lóng-chóng sī la̍k-châng,

Ē-bīn ū o͘-a 

Tī hia chò-siū,

Téng-bīn ū chhek-chiáu-á 

Tī hia chò-siū,

Chhiū-nâ ê tō͘-kâu tih chhiùⁿ sáⁿ,

Sam-á pêng-iú lâi pài-bōng,

Chi̍t-ki, chi̍t-ki, koh chi̍t-ki."

Che sī cha-bó͘ gín-á phah-kiû ê koa. He iù-chíⁿ, khin-khoài, oa̍h-thiàu, koh hoaⁿ-hí ê siaⁿ-tiāu, hō͘ Shimamura kám-kak ná sī tú-chiah hit-ê Yoko tī bāng-tiong chhut-hiān.

--

80. 她 kā 囡仔洗魂軀 koh 唱歌

Yoko ê 目屎 ùi 目墘滴落, ùi tatami 抾一隻細隻蝶仔, koh ná 哭 ná 講:

"Koma-Chan 講我得欲起痟 ah." 講了忽 leh 行出房間.

Shimamura 感覺一陣生冷.

拄欲 kā Yoko 捏死 ê 蝶仔開窗仔㧒出去, 伊看著酒醉 ê Komako 腰 thèⁿ 懸, àⁿ 向人客 tih 喝拳. 天頂已經崁烏雲. Shimamura 行去內場 ê 溫泉浴間.

Yoko mā chhōa 客棧 ê 囡仔來到隔壁 ê 查某浴間.

她替囡仔 thùiⁿ 衫, koh kā 洗魂軀, 講話親切, ká-ná 新老母, 聲音甜蜜, 好聽.

彼時, 仝款 ê 聲音, 她 tih 唱歌:

"出來後尾看覓 leh,

梨仔樹有三叢,

杉仔樹有三叢,

攏總是六叢,

下面有烏鴉 

Tī 遐做岫,

頂面有粟鳥仔 

Tī 遐做岫,

樹林 ê 杜猴 tih 唱啥,

杉仔朋友來拜墓,

一枝, 一枝, koh 一枝."

這是查某囡仔拍球 ê 歌. He 幼茈, 輕快, 活跳, koh 歡喜 ê 聲調, 予 Shimamura 感覺 ná 是拄才彼个 Yoko tī 夢中出現.

--

80.

There were tears in the corners of Yoko's eyes. She sniffled as she slapped at a small moth on the matting. "Komako says I'll go crazy." With that she slipped from the room.

Shimamura felt a chill come over him.

As he opened the window to throw out the moth, he caught a glimpse of the drunken Komako playing parlor games with a guest. She leaned forward half from her seat, as though to push her advantage home by force. The sky had clouded over. Shimamura went down for a bath.

In the women's bath next door, Yoko was bathing the innkeeper's little daughter.

Her voice was gentle as she undressed the child and bathed it-soothing and agreeable, like the voice of a young mother.

Presently she was singing in that same voice:

"See, out in back,

Three pears, three cedars,

Six trees in all.

Crows' nests below,

Sparrows' nests above.

And what is it they're singing?

'Hakamairi itcho, itcho, itcho ya.' "*

[* In imitation of the birds. Literally: "To the cemetery, a hundred yards, a hundred yards, a hundred yards again."]

It was a song little girls sang as they bounced rubber balls. The quick, lively manner in which Yaka rolled off the nonsense-words made Shimamura wonder if he might not have seen the earlier Yaka in a dream.

--

79. Góa kan-ta boeh chiàu-kò͘ chi̍t-ê lâng | 我干焦欲照顧一个人

79. Góa kan-ta boeh chiàu-kò͘ chi̍t-ê lâng

Shimamura koh siūⁿ khí, tī hóe-chhia téng chiàu-kò͘ sai-hū ê hāu-seⁿ hit-sî ê Yoko ê sin-iáⁿ, tī he téng-chin ê kám-chêng tiong, lâu-lō͘ chhut Yoko ê goān-bāng. Siūⁿ tio̍h che, Shimamura khin-khin bî-chhiò.

"Nā án-ne, chit-kái lí sī siūⁿ boeh khì o̍h chò hō͘-sū?"

"Góa í-keng boaih chò hō͘-sū ah."

"Chiah-nī bô-kin sī bē-sái neh."

"Ai-ah, kóng sáⁿ-mih kin, put-koán lah." Yoko ná ìn-chhùi ná chhiò.

He chhiò-siaⁿ koân koh chheng, thiaⁿ-tio̍h hō͘ lâng sim-suiⁿ, he m̄-sī gōng-ōe. M̄-koh, he kan-ta khang-khang khok chi̍t-ē Shimamura ê sim, tō siau khì ah.

"Ū sáⁿ hó-chhiò ê?"

"Sī ah, góa kan-ta boeh chiàu-kò͘ chi̍t-ê lâng."

"Hāⁿ-á?"

"Koh-lâi góa m̄ chò ah."

"Sī oh?" Shimamura koh kám-kak ì-gōa, tō chēng-chēng kóng:

"Thiaⁿ-kóng, lí ta̍k-kang lóng khì kiô-be̍h-hûiⁿ hia pài-bōng."

"Heⁿh."

"Lí siūⁿ-kóng, chit-sì-lâng bē koh chiàu-kò͘ pa̍t-ê pēⁿ-lâng, a̍h-sī pài pa̍t-lâng ê bōng?"

"Bē."

"Lí pàng ē khui hit-ê bōng, cháu khì Tokyo hioh?"

"Ai-ah, pháiⁿ-sè. Chhiáⁿ chhōa góa khì Tokyo lah."

"Komako kóng, lí kài gâu chia̍h-chhò͘. Hit-ê lâng kám m̄-sī Komako ê bī-hun-hu?"

"Lí sī kóng Yokio? O͘-pe̍h-kóng! O͘-pe̍h kóng!"

"Lí sī án-nóa ē chheh Komako?"

"Koma-Chan?" Ká-ná kiò khiā tī bīn-chêng ê lâng, Yoko ba̍k-chiu tián tōa khòaⁿ Shimamura, kóng:

"Chhiáⁿ lí hó-hó chiàu-kò͘ Koma-Chan."

"Góa sáⁿ mā chò bē kàu ah."

--

79. 我干焦欲照顧一个人

Shimamura koh 想起, tī 火車頂照顧師傅 ê 後生彼時 ê Yoko ê 身影, tī he 頂真 ê 感情中, 流露出 Yoko ê 願望. 想著這, Shimamura 輕輕微笑.

"若 án-ne, 這改你是想欲去學做護士?"

"我已經 boaih 做護士 ah."

"Chiah-nī 無根是袂使 neh."

"Ai-ah, 講啥物根, 不管 lah." Yoko ná 應喙 ná 笑.

彼笑聲懸 koh 清, 聽著予人心 suiⁿ, 彼毋是戇話. 毋過, he 干焦空空硞一下 Shimamura ê 心, tō 消去 ah.

"有啥好笑 ê?"

"是 ah, 我干焦欲照顧一个人."

"Hāⁿ-á?"

"閣來我毋做 ah."

"是 oh?" Shimamura koh 感覺意外, tō 靜靜講:

"聽講, 你逐工攏去蕎麥 hûiⁿ 遐拜墓."

"Heⁿh."

"你想講, 這世人袂 koh 照顧別个病人, 抑是拜別人 ê 墓?"

"袂."

"你放會開彼个墓, 走去 Tokyo hioh?"

"Ai-ah, 歹勢. 請 chhōa 我去 Tokyo lah."

"Komako 講, 你蓋 gâu 食醋. 彼个人敢毋是 Komako ê 未婚夫?"

"你是講 Yokio? 烏白講! 烏白講!"

"你是 án-nóa 會慼 Komako?"

"Koma-Chan?" Ká-ná 叫徛 tī 面前 ê 人, Yoko 目睭展大看 Shimamura, 講:

"請你好好照顧 Koma-Chan."

"我啥 mā 做袂到 ah."

--

79.

Shimamura smiled. This perhaps explained the earnestness with which she had taken care of the music teacher's son on the train.

"And you still want to be a nurse?"

"I won't be a nurse now."

"But you'll have to make up your mind. This indecisiveness will never do."

"Indecisiveness? It has nothing to do with indecisiveness." Her laugh threw back the accusation.

Her laugh, like her voice, was so high and clear that it was almost lonely. There was not a suggestion in it of the dull or the simple-minded; but it struck emptily at the shell of Shimamura's heart, and fell away in silence.

"What's funny?"

"But there has only been one man I could possibly nurse."

Again Shimamura was startled.

"I could never again."

"I see." His answer was quiet. He had been caught off guard. "They say you spend all your time at the cemetery."

"I do."

"And for the rest of your life you can never nurse anyone else, or visit anyone else's grave?"

"Never again."

"How can you leave the grave and go off to Tokyo, then?"

"I'm sorry. Do take me with you."

"Komako says you're frightfully jealous. Wasn't the man her fiance?"

"Yukio? It's a lie. It's a lie."

"Why do you dislike Komako, then?" "Komako." She spoke as if calling to someone in the same room, and she gazed hotly at Shimamura. "Be good to Komako."

"But I can do nothing for her."

--

78. Chhiáⁿ lí chhōa góa khì Tokyo | 請你 chhōa 我去 Tokyo

78. Chhiáⁿ lí chhōa góa khì Tokyo

Yoko ê hûn-su ká-ná mā boeh chùn ah. Yi ê bīn ká-ná sī hûi-hiám ê piáu-chêng peh kòe-lâi. Shimamura khòaⁿ khì pa̍t-ūi, chhiò-chhiò kóng:

"Hoān-sè góa kín túiⁿ Tokyo khah hó neh."

"Góa mā boeh khì Tokyo."

"Tang-sî?"

"Tang-sî lóng ē-sái."

"Nā án-ne, góa túiⁿ ê sî chhōa lí khì, hó bô?"

"Hó, chhiáⁿ lí chhōa góa khì." Kóng sī khin-sang, m̄-koh kháu-khì téng-chin. Shimamura tio̍h chi̍t-kiaⁿ.

"Tio̍h ài lín chhù ê lâng tông-ì."

"Chhù ê lâng? Góa kan-ta chi̍t-ê sió-tī tī thih-lō͘ chò-kang. Tāi-chì góa ka-tī koat-tēng tō ē-sái."

"Tokyo ū tá-ūi thang khì?"

"Bô."

"Lí ū hām yi chham-siâng bô?"

"Sī kóng Koma-Chan hioh? Góa chheh Koma-Chan, m̄ kā yi kóng."

Án-ne kóng liáu, ká-ná khah tháu-khùi ah, yi ba̍k-chiu sió-khóa tâm-tâm, gia̍h thâu khòaⁿ i. Shimamura kám-siū tio̍h chi̍t-chióng kî-koài ê khip-ín-le̍k, m̄-chai sáⁿ iân-kò͘, soah tian-tò tiám to̍h tùi Komako ê jia̍t-lia̍t ài-chêng. Chhōa chi̍t-ē m̄-chai sin-sè ê ko͘-niû ká-ná su-phun án-ne túiⁿ khì Tokyo, hoān-sè sī tùi Komako ê chi̍t-chióng chhim-chhim ê siā-chōe, mā sī tùi i ka-tī ê chhú-hoa̍t.

"Án-ne tòe chi̍t-ê cha-po͘-lâng cháu, lí kám bē kiaⁿ?"

"Boeh kiaⁿ sáⁿ?"

"Khì Tokyo boeh tòa tah, boeh chhòng sáⁿ, lí lóng bô tiāⁿ-tio̍h, án-ne kám bē hûi-hiám?"

"Cha-bó͘-lâng boeh chhòng sáⁿ lóng ē-sái." Yoko kā siaⁿ-bóe súi-súi giâ koân, lia̍h i kim-kim khòaⁿ:

"Lí iōng góa chò lú-tiong, hó bô?"

"Sáⁿ? Chò lú-tiong?"

"Góa mā bô kah-ì chò lú-tiong."

"Chìn-chêng tī Tokyo ê sî, lí chò sáⁿ?"

"Chò hō͘-sū."

"Tī pēⁿ-īⁿ a̍h ha̍k-hāu?"

"M̄-sī, kan-ta sī siūⁿ boeh chò."

--

78. 請你 chhōa 我去 Tokyo

Yoko ê 魂軀 ká-ná mā 欲顫 ah. 她 ê 面 ká-ná 是危險 ê 表情 peh 過來. Shimamura 看去別位, 笑笑講:

"凡勢我緊 túiⁿ Tokyo 較好 neh."

"我 mā 欲去 Tokyo."

"當時?"

"當時攏會使."

"若 án-ne, 我 túiⁿ ê 時 chhōa 你去, 好無?"

"好, 請你 chhōa 我去." 講是輕鬆, 毋過口氣頂真. Shimamura 著一驚.

"著愛恁厝 ê 人同意."

"厝 ê 人? 我干焦一个小弟 tī 鐵路做工. 代誌我家治決定 tō 會使."

"Tokyo 有 tá 位通去?"

"無."

"你有和她參詳無?"

"是講 Koma-Chan hioh? 我慼 Koma-Chan, 毋 kā 她講."

Án-ne 講了, ká-ná 較敨氣 ah, 她目睭小可澹澹, 攑頭看伊. Shimamura 感受著一種奇怪 ê 吸引力, 毋知啥緣故, 煞顛倒點 to̍h 對 Komako ê 熱烈愛情. Chhōa 一个毋知身世 ê 姑娘 ká-ná 私奔 án-ne túiⁿ 去 Tokyo, 凡勢是對 Komako ê 一種深深 ê 謝罪, mā 是對伊家治 ê 處罰.

"Án-ne 綴一个查埔人走, 你敢袂驚?"

"欲驚啥?"

"去 Tokyo 欲蹛 tah, 欲創啥, 你攏無定著, án-ne 敢袂危險?"

"查某人欲創啥攏會使." Yoko kā 聲尾媠媠夯懸, 掠伊金金看:

"你用我做女中, 好無?"

"啥? 做女中?"

"我 mā 無佮意做女中."

"進前 tī Tokyo ê 時, 你做啥?"

"做護士."

"Tī 病院 a̍h 學校?"

"毋是, 干焦是想欲做."

--

78.

It seemed that the girl's whole body must soon be trembling. Shimamura looked away, fearful that a dangerous light would be breaking out on the too-earnest face.

He laughed. "I think I'd best go back to Tokyo soon."

"I'm going to Tokyo myself."

"When?"

"It doesn't matter."

"Shall I see you to Tokyo when I go back?"

"Please do." The seriousness was intense, and at the same time her tone suggested that the matter was after all trivial. Shimamura was startled.

"If it will be all right with your family."

"The brother who works on the railroad is all the family I have. I can decide for myself."

"Have you made arrangements in Tokyo?" 

"No."

"Have you talked to Komako, then?"

"To Komako? I don't like Komako. I haven't talked to her."

She looked up at him with moist eyes-a sign perhaps that her defenses were breaking down--and he found in them an uncanny sort of beauty. But at that moment his affection for Komako welled up violently. To run off to Tokyo, as if eloping, with a nondescript woman would somehow be in the nature of an intense apology to Komako, and a penance for Shimamura himself.

"It doesn't frighten you to go off alone with a man?"

"Why should it?"

"It doesn't seem dangerous to go to Tokyo without at least deciding where you will stay and what you might want to do?"

"A woman by herself can always get by." There was a delicious lilt in her speech. Her eyes were fixed on his as she spoke again: "You won't hire me as a maid?"

"Really, now. Hire you as a maid?" 

"But I don't want to be a maid." 

"What were you in Tokyo before?" 

"A nurse."

"You were in a hospital? Or in nursing school?" 

"I just thought I'd like to be a nurse." 

--