1.1 是 án-chóaⁿ 伊 m̄ 去讀冊 ah?

THE DAUGHTER OF TIME
/by JOSEPHINE TEY

https://gutenberg.ca/ebooks/teyj-daughteroftime/teyj-daughteroftime-00-h-dir/teyj-daughteroftime-00-h.html

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Shî-Kan ê Lú-jî | 時間 ê 女兒
/by Josephine Tey

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Ta̍h Thâu-chêng: 

Chit-pún chheh ê Tâi-e̍k, tit-tio̍h Gemini chin chē ê pang-chān, tī chia seng kā i soeh-siā. Thank Yo͘u, Gemini!

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踏頭前: 

這本冊 ê 台譯, 得著 Gemini 真濟 ê 幫贊, tī chia 先 kā 伊說謝. Thank Yo͘u, Gemini!

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Chiuⁿ 1.

1.1 Sī án-chóaⁿ i m̄ khì tha̍k-chheh ah?

Grant tó  tī koânx* ê pe̍h-sek pēⁿ-chhn̂g, ba̍k-chiu kimx* siòng thian-pông, siòng kah chiok iàm-ò͘. Thian-pông chheng-khì píáu-bīn ê múi chi̍t-ê bî-sè liah-phāng, i lóng kì kah chhengx chhóx. I bat kā thian-pông khòaⁿ-chò tē-tô͘, kō͘ he chhut-hoat khì thàm-hiám: khe-lâu, tó-sū, kap tāi-lio̍k. I mā bat kō͘ he lâi ioh bī-chhai, lâi hoat-hiān chhàng tī hia ê mi̍h-kiāⁿ: lâng-bīn, chiáu-á, kap hî-á. I koh kō͘ he chò sò͘-ha̍k kè-sǹg, koh-chài hôe-bī gín-á sî ê kì-tî: tēng-lí, kak-tō͘, kap saⁿ-kak hêng. Tî-liáu siòng thian-pông, i si̍t-chāi bô siáⁿ thang chò. I chheh kah bô-ài koh khòaⁿ-tio̍h i. [* Thia̍p-im sû: koânx = koân-koân, kimx = kim-kim.]

I bat kā Sè-lia̍p Chí (細粒籽, The Midget) hō͘-sū kiàn-gī, chhiáⁿ yi kā pēⁿ-chhn̂g sió sóa tín-tāng chi̍t-ē, hó-thang hō͘ i ū thian-pông ê chi̍t-tè sin só͘-chāi khì hoat-hiān. M̄-koh, che ná chhiūⁿ ē phò-hāi pēⁿ-pâng ê chéng-chê. Tī pēⁿ-īⁿ, chéng-chê ê tiōng-iàu kan-ta pâi tī chheng-khì āu-bīn, lóng sī kài sîn-sèng, bē-sái lām-sám tit. Jīm-hô bô chéng-chê ê mi̍h-kiāⁿ lóng sī tùi pēⁿ-īⁿ ê siat-to̍k. Sī án-chóaⁿ i m̄ khì tha̍k-chheh ah? hō͘-sū mn̄g i. Sī án-chóaⁿ i m̄ khì tha̍k kóa hiah-ê in pêng-iú it-ti̍t teh sàng lâi ê, kùi koh sin ê sió-soat neh?

“Sè-kài seⁿ siuⁿ chē lâng, siá siuⁿ chē jī lah. Ta̍k hun-cheng lóng ū kúi pah-bān jī ìn chhut-lâi. Siūⁿ-tio̍h to khióng-pò͘.”

“Lí ná chhiūⁿ sī pì-kiat neh,” Sè-lia̍p Chí kóng.

Sè-lia̍p Chí tō sī Ingham Hō͘-sū, si̍t-chè-siōng yi ê sin-koân 157, sin-châi pí-lē lóng chin sù-phòe. Grant kiò yi Sè-lia̍p Chí, sī ūi-tio̍h boeh mí-pó͘ ka-tī ê sim-lí; in-ūi i taⁿ khì hō͘ chit-ê i goân-pún ū hoat-tō͘ chi̍t-chhiú la̍k khí-lâi ê Dresden hûi ang-á kā i koán lâi koán khì. Tong-jiân, che sī kóng, tī i iáu ū hoat-tō͘ siang-kha ta̍h thô͘-kha ê sî. M̄-nā in-ūi yi kiò i siáⁿ ē-sái chò, siáⁿ bē-sái chò, koh-khah sī in-ūi yi khinx sangx tō ē-tàng liú-la̍k i he 180-thóng ê sin-khu, hō͘ i kám-kak kài bô bīn-chú. Tùi Sè-lia̍p Chí lâi kóng, tāng-liōng hián-jiân bô sǹg siáⁿ-mih. Yi phiaⁿ chhn̂g-chū khin-sang chū-chāi, he iu-ngá bē-su sńg lián pôaⁿ-á pá-hì ê ián-oân.

Yi kau-pan ê sî, chiap-chhiú chiàu-kò͘ i ê sī Amazon, chi̍t-ê chhiú-kut ná soaⁿ-mô͘-kú chhiū-oe ê lú chiàn-sū. Amazon tō sī Darroll Hō͘-sū, chhut-sin chū Gloucester Kūn, ta̍k-piàn chúi-sian khui-hoe ê sî, yi tō su-liām kò͘-hiong. (Sè-lia̍p Chí lâi-chū Lytham St Anne’s, yi bô hit-chióng bô-liâu ê chúi-sian hiong-chhiû.) Yi ê chhiú tōa koh jiû-nńg, ba̍k-chiu tōa kah ná un-jiû ê gû-bó ba̍k, chóng-sī ká-ná kài tông-chêng lí, m̄-koh sió-khóa lô-tōng tō ē hō͘ yi chhoán phīⁿ-phēⁿ, ná chhiūⁿ thiu-hong pump. Chóng-ê lâi kóng, Grant kám-kak hông ná sí mi̍h-á án-ne tùi-thāi, pí hông tòng-chò bô tāng-liōng ê mi̍h-kiāⁿ koh-khah hō͘ i bô bīn-chú.

Grant ē tó tī chhn̂g, hō͘ Sè-lia̍p Chí kap Amazon chiàu-kò͘, sī in-ūi i poa̍h-lo̍h chi̍t-ê tē-pán mn̂g. Che tong-jiân sī chòex bô bīn-chú ê tāi-chì; kap che pí khí-lâi, Amazon ê phīⁿ-phēⁿ chhoán kap Sè-lia̍p Chí ê khin-sang liú-la̍k lóng bô sǹg siáⁿ ah. Poa̍h-lo̍h tē-pán mn̂g sī chòe-ko ê hàm-kó͘: ná é-káu hì hiah hó-chhiò, tōng-tu̍t, hong-tông. Tī i ùi chèng-siông kiâⁿ-ta̍h ê pêⁿ-bīn siau-sit ê hit-sî, i tng-teh piàⁿ-miā jiok Benny Skoll, á Benny koh tú-hó tī aū chi̍t-ê oat-kak kap Williams Sûn-chó lòng kah sio-lám, án-ne chiah hō͘ Grant tī chi̍t-chióng bē kham-tit ê chōng-hóng tit-tio̍h sió-khóa ê an-ùi.

Benny taⁿ í-keng “ji̍p-khì,” tio̍h koaiⁿ 3-nî, peh-sèⁿ lóng chin móa-ì, tān Benny nā piáu-hiān hó, i ū khó-lêng tit-tio̍h kiám-hêng. M̄-koh tùi tī pēⁿ-īⁿ ê Grant lâi kóng, piáu-hiān hó mā bē-tit thê-chá thè-īⁿ.

Grant bô koh siòng thian-pông, kā ba̍k-chiu sóa thán-piⁿ khòaⁿ khì chhn̂g-thâu kūi téng-bīn hit-tha̍h chheh, he Sè-lia̍p Chí put-sî kin i tio̍h khì tha̍k ê, sin tiámx, kùi somx ê hit-tha̍h chheh. Siōng téng-bīn hit-pún, chheh-phôe ū Valetta tē-hng ê súi siòng, he hún-âng sek kài bô chū-jiân. Che sī Lavinia Fitch ta̍k-nî lóng ē thui-chhut ê, oân-bí lú chú-kak ê hùn-tàu kò͘-sū. Ùi chheh-phôe ê Grand Harbour (Tōa Káng) tô͘-phìⁿ lâi khòaⁿ, hiān-chú-sî ê lú chú-kak, m̄-koán kiò Valerie a̍h Angela a̍h Cecile a̍h Denise, tiāⁿ-tio̍h sī chi̍t-ê hái-kun ke-āu. I bat hian chit-pún chheh, kan-ta sī ūi-tio̍h boeh tha̍k Lavinia siá tī lāi-bīn ê tah-sim ōe.

“Kōaⁿ-chúi kap Lê-kau” sī Silas Weekley ê 700-gōa ia̍h ê hiong-thó͘ sió-soat, lāi-bīn móax sī chhân-thô͘ kap soa-thio ê khì-bī. Ùi tē-it tōaⁿ lâi khòaⁿ, he chêng-sè chū Silas ê tē-it pún chheh í-lâi tō bô siáⁿ si̍t-chit ê piàn-hòa: lāu-bú tī lâu-téng chò tē-11 ê goe̍h-lāi, lāu-pē chū tē-9 ê gín-á í-lâi tō thiám oaiⁿx tó tī lâu-kha, tōa hau-seⁿ tī gû-tiâu khi-phiàn Chèng-hú, tōa cha-bó͘ kiáⁿ tī chháu-tui kap ài-jîn chò sán-khùi, kî-thaⁿ ta̍k-lâng lóng tiāmx bih tī chhek-chhng. Hō͘-chúi ùi hm̂-á chhù-téng tih-lo̍h, sái-tui ê pûi-liāu chhèng cheng-khì. Silas chiông-lâi m̄-bat kā pûi-liāu làu-kau khì. Cheng-khì sī che tô͘-bīn lāi-té ûi-it “hiòng koân” ê goân-sò͘, che mā bē-sái koài Silas. Ká-sú ē-tit hoat-hiān “hiòng-ē” chhèng-ian ê cheng-khì, Silas tiāⁿ-tio̍h ē kā chhái-iōng.

Tī Silas chheh-thò kiông-lia̍t tùi-pí ê kng kap iáⁿ ē-bīn, sī chi̍t-pún siat-kè iu-ngá ê chheh, chhiong-móa Edward sî-tāi ê hoe-chháu kap Baroque ê bô-liâu tô͘-iūⁿ, chheh-miâ hō-chò “Yi Kha Chéng-thâu-á ê Lin-long-á.” He sī Rupert Rouge ké-gâu teh tâm-lūn siâ-ok. Rupert Rouge chóng sī tī chêng 3-ia̍h ín lí tōa-chhiò. Tāi-khài kàu tē-3 ia̍h, lí tō ē hoat-hiān, Rupert sī ùi hit-ê chin-chiàⁿ ko-chhiú (m̄-koh bô siâ-ok) ê George Bernard Shaw hia o̍h lâi ê, piáu-hiān ki-tì ê siōng kán-tan hong-hoat, tō sī sú-iōng he pân-gî koh lī-piān ê pō͘-sò͘, its* chū siong mâu-tún. Chū án-ne liáu-āu, lí tō ē-tàng tī 3-kù ōe chìn-chêng tō chai-iáⁿ chhiò-khoe boeh lâi ah. [* its = iā-tō-sī]

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章 1.

1.1 是 án-chóaⁿ 伊 m̄ 去讀冊 ah?

Grant 倒 tī koânx* ê 白色 病床, 目睭 kimx* 相天篷, 相 kah 足厭惡. 天篷 清氣 表面 ê 每一个 微細 liah-phāng, 伊 lóng 記 kah chhengx chhóx. 伊 bat kā 天篷 看做 地圖, kō͘ he 出發 去探險: 溪流, 島嶼, kap 大陸. 伊 mā bat kō͘ he 來 ioh 謎猜, 來發現 藏 tī hia ê 物件: 人面, 鳥仔, kap 魚仔. 伊 koh kō͘ he 做 數學計算, koh-chài 回味 囡仔時 ê 記持: 定理, 角度, kap 三角形. 除了 相 天篷, 伊實在 無啥 thang 做. 伊慼 kah 無愛 koh 看著伊. [* 疊音詞: koânx = koân-koân, kimx = kim-kim.]

伊 bat kā Sè-lia̍p Chí (細粒籽, The Midget) 護士建議, 請她 kā 病床 小徙 振動一下, hó-thang hō͘ 伊 有天篷 ê 一塊 新所在 去發現. M̄-koh, che ná 像 ē 破害 病房 ê 整齊. Tī 病院, 整齊 ê 重要 kan-ta 排 tī 清氣 後面, lóng 是 kài 神聖, bē-sái lām-sám tit. 任何 無整齊 ê 物件 lóng 是 tùi 病院 ê 褻瀆. 是 án-chóaⁿ 伊 m̄ 去讀冊 ah? 護士問伊. 是 án-chóaⁿ 伊 m̄ 去讀 kóa hiah-ê in 朋友 一直 teh 送來 ê, 貴 koh 新 ê 小說 neh?

“世界 生 siuⁿ chē 人, 寫 siuⁿ chē 字 lah. Ta̍k 分鐘 lóng 有幾百萬字 印出來. 想著 to 恐怖.”

“你 ná 像 是 秘結 neh,” Sè-lia̍p Chí 講.

Sè-lia̍p Chí tō 是 Ingham 護士, 實際上 她 ê 身懸 157, 身材比例 lóng 真四配. Grant 叫她 Sè-lia̍p Chí, 是為著 boeh 彌補 ka-tī ê 心理; 因為 伊 今 去 hō͘ 這个 伊原本 有法度 一手 la̍k 起來 ê Dresden 瓷尪仔 kā 伊 管來管去. 當然, che 是講, tī 伊 iáu 有法度 雙跤 踏塗跤 ê 時. M̄-nā 因為她 叫伊 啥 ē-sái 做, 啥 bē-sái 做, koh-khah 是因為 她 khinx sangx tō ē-tàng liú-la̍k 伊 he 180-thóng ê 身軀, hō͘ 伊感覺 kài 無面子. Tùi Sè-lia̍p Chí 來講, 重量 顯然無算 siáⁿ-mih. 她抨床苴 輕鬆自在, he 優雅 袂輸 sńg lián 盤仔把戲 ê 演員.

她交班 ê 時, 接手 照顧伊 ê 是 Amazon, 一个 手骨 ná 山毛櫸 樹椏 ê 女戰士. Amazon tō 是 Darroll 護士, 出身自 Gloucester Kūn, ta̍k-piàn 水仙開花 ê 時, 她 tō 思念故鄉. (Sè-lia̍p Chí 來自 Lytham St Anne’s, 她無 彼種 無聊 ê 水仙鄉愁.) 她 ê 手大 koh 柔軟, 目睭大 kah ná 溫柔 ê 牛母目, 總是 ká-ná kài 同情你, m̄-koh 小可勞動 tō ē hō͘ 她 喘 phīⁿ-phēⁿ, ná 像抽風 pump. Chóng-ê 來講, Grant 感覺 hông ná 死 mi̍h-á án-ne 對待, 比 hông tòng-chò 無重量 ê 物件 koh-khah hō͘ 伊 無面子.

Grant ē 倒 tī 床, hō͘ Sè-lia̍p Chí kap Amazon 照顧, 是因為 伊跋落 一个 地板門. Che 當然是 chòex 無面子 ê 代誌; kap che 比起來, Amazon ê phīⁿ-phēⁿ 喘 kap Sè-lia̍p Chí ê 輕鬆 liú-la̍k lóng 無算啥 ah. 跋落 地板門 是最高 ê 譀古: ná é-káu 戲 hiah 好笑, 撞突, 荒唐. Tī 伊 ùi 正常行踏 ê 平面 消失 ê 彼時, 伊 tng-teh 拚命 jiok Benny Skoll, á Benny koh 拄好 tī 後一个斡角 kap  Williams 巡佐 挵 kah 相攬, án-ne chiah hō͘ Grant tī 一種 袂堪得 ê 狀況 得著 小可 ê 安慰.

Benny taⁿ 已經 "入去,” 著關 3 年, 百姓 lóng 真滿意, tān Benny 若表現好, 伊有可能 得著減刑. M̄-koh tùi tī 病院 ê Grant 來講, 表現好 mā bē-tit 提早退院.

Grant 無 koh 相天篷, kā 目睭 徙坦邊 看去 床頭櫃 頂面 hit-tha̍h 冊, he Sè-lia̍p Chí 不時跟伊 著去讀 ê, 新 tiámx, 貴 somx ê 彼疊冊. 上頂面 彼本, 冊皮有 Valetta 地方 ê 媠相, he 粉紅色 kài 無自然. 這是 Lavinia Fitch 逐年 lóng ē 推出 ê, 完美 女主角 ê 奮鬥故事. Ùi 冊皮 ê Grand Harbour (大港) 圖片 來看, 現此時 ê 女主角, m̄-koán 叫 Valerie a̍h Angela a̍h Cecile a̍h Denise, 定著是 一个 海軍 家後. 伊 bat 掀 這本冊, kan-ta 是為著 boeh 讀 Lavinia 寫 tī 內面 ê 貼心話.

“汗水 kap 犁溝” 是 Silas Weekley ê 700 外頁 ê 鄉土小說, 內面 móax 是田塗 kap 沙挑 ê 氣味. Ùi 第一段 來看, he 情勢 自 Silas ê 第一本冊 以來 tō無啥 實質 ê 變化: 老母 tī 樓頂 做第 11 个月內, 老爸 自第9 个囡仔 以來 tō 忝 oaiⁿx 倒 tī 樓跤, 大後生 tī 牛牢 欺騙政府, 大查某囝 tī 草堆 kap 愛人 做瘦氣, 其他逐人 lóng tiāmx bih tī 粟倉. 雨水 ùi 茅仔厝頂 滴落, 屎堆 ê 肥料 chhèng 蒸氣. Silas 從來 m̄-bat kā 肥料 làu-kau 去. 蒸氣是 che 圖面內底 唯一 “向懸” ê 元素, che mā bē-sái 怪 Silas. 假使 ē-tit 發現 “向下” chhèng 煙 ê 蒸氣, Silas 定著 ē kā 採用.

Tī Silas 冊套 強烈對比 ê 光 kap 影 下面, 是一本 設計優雅 ê 冊, 充滿 Edward 時代 ê 花草 kap Baroque ê 無聊圖樣, 冊名號做 “她跤指頭仔 ê Lin-long-á.” 彼是 Rupert Rouge ké-gâu teh 談論邪惡. Rupert Rouge 總是 tī 前 3 頁 引你 大笑. 大概 到第 3 頁, 你 tō ē 發現, Rupert 是 ùi 彼个 真正高手 (m̄-koh 無邪惡) ê George Bernard Shaw hia 學來 ê, 表現機智 ê 上簡單方法, tō 是使用 he 便宜 koh 利便 ê 步數, its* 自相矛盾. 自 án-ne 了後, 你 tō ē-tàng tī 3 句話進前 tō 知影 笑詼 boeh 來 ah. [* its = iā-tō-sī]

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1.

1.1

Grant lay on his high white cot and stared at the ceiling. Stared at it with loathing. He knew by heart every last minute crack on its nice clean surface. He had made maps of the ceiling and gone exploring on them; rivers, islands, and continents. He had made guessing games of it and discovered hidden objects; faces, birds, and fishes. He had made mathematical calculations of it and rediscovered his childhood; theorems, angles, and triangles. There was practically nothing else he could do but look at it. He hated the sight of it.

He had suggested to The Midget that she might turn his bed round a little so that he could have a new patch of ceiling to explore. But it seemed that that would spoil the symmetry of the room, and in hospitals symmetry ranked just a short head behind cleanliness and a whole length in front of Godliness. Anything out of the parallel was hospital profanity. Why didn’t he read? she asked. Why didn’t he go on reading some of those expensive brand-new novels that his friends kept on bringing him.

‘There are far too many people born into the world, and far too many words written. Millions and millions of them pouring from the presses every minute. It’s a horrible thought.’

‘You sound constipated,’ said The Midget.

[Pg 8]The Midget was Nurse Ingham, and she was in sober fact a very nice five-feet two, with everything in just proportion. Grant called her The Midget to compensate himself for being bossed around by a piece of Dresden china which he could pick up in one hand. When he was on his feet, that is to say. It was not only that she told him what he might or might not do, but she dealt with his six-feet-odd with an off-hand ease that Grant found humiliating. Weights meant nothing, apparently, to The Midget. She tossed mattresses around with the absent-minded grace of a plate spinner. /

When she was off-duty he was attended to by The Amazon, a goddess with arms like the limb of a beech tree. The Amazon was Nurse Darroll, who came from Gloucestershire and was homesick each daffodil season. (The Midget came from Lytham St Anne’s, and there was no daffodil nonsense about her.) She had large soft hands and large soft cow’s eyes and she always looked very sorry for you, but the slightest physical exertion set her breathing like a suction-pump. On the whole Grant found it even more humiliating to be treated as a dead weight than to be treated as if he was no weight at all.

Grant was bed-borne, and a charge on The Midget and The Amazon, because he had fallen through a trap-door. This, of course, was the absolute in humiliation; compared with which the heavings of The Amazon and the light slingings of The Midget were a mere corollary. To fall through a trap-door was the ultimate in absurdity; pantomimic, bathetic, grotesque. At the moment of his disappearance from the normal level of perambulation he had been in hot pursuit of Benny Skoll, and the fact that Benny had careered round the next corner slap into[Pg 9] the arms of Sergeant Williams provided the one small crumb of comfort in an intolerable situation.

Benny was now ‘away’ for three years, which was very satisfactory for the lieges, but Benny would get time off for good behaviour. In hospitals there was no time off for good behaviour.

Grant stopped staring at the ceiling, and slid his eyes sideways at the pile of books on his bedside table; the gay expensive pile that The Midget had been urging on his attention. The top one, with the pretty picture of Valetta in unlikely pink, was Lavinia Fitch’s annual account of a blameless heroine’s tribulations. In view of the representation of the Grand Harbour on the cover, the present Valerie or Angela or Cecile or Denise must be a naval wife. He had opened the book only to read the kind message that Lavinia had written inside.

The Sweat and the Furrow was Silas Weekley being earthy and spade-conscious all over seven hundred pages. The situation, to judge from the first paragraph, had not materially changed since Silas’s last book: mother lying-in with her eleventh upstairs, father laid-out after his ninth downstairs, eldest son lying to the Government in the cow-shed, eldest daughter lying with her lover in the hay-loft, everyone else lying low in the barn. The rain dripped from the thatch, and the manure steamed in the midden. Silas never omitted the manure. It was not Silas’s fault that its steam provided the only up-rising element in the picture. If Silas could have discovered a brand of steam that steamed downwards, Silas would have introduced it.

Under the harsh shadows and highlights of Silas’s jacket was an elegant affair of Edwardian curlicues and[Pg 10] Baroque nonsense, entitled Bells on Her Toes. Which was Rupert Rouge being arch about vice. Rupert Rouge always seduced you into laughter for the first three pages. About Page Three you noticed that Rupert had learned from that very arch (but of course not vicious) creature George Bernard Shaw that the easiest way to sound witty was to use that cheap and convenient method, the paradox. After that you could see the jokes coming three sentences away.

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