M. Hó-lâng oh chhōe | 好人僫揣 - 1. Amá 第一个上車

A Good Man Is Hard to Find /by Flannery O'Connor

http://xroads.virginia.edu/~DRBR/goodman.html

Hó-lâng oh chhōe | 好人僫揣

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1. Amá tē-it ê chiūⁿ chhia

Amá pēng bô-ài khì Florida. Yi siūⁿ boeh khì tang Tennessee thàm yi ê chhin-chiâⁿ pêng-iú; ū ki-hōe yi tō siūⁿ boeh kái-piàn Bailey ê sim-ì. Bailey sī hām yi chò-hóe tòa ê hāu-seⁿ, yi ê to̍k-seⁿ kiáⁿ. Taⁿ i chē tī toh-piⁿ ê í-á, àⁿ-sin teh tha̍k Sî-pò (Journal) ê kam-á-sek thé-io̍k-pán. "Niah, khòaⁿ chia, Bailey," yi kóng, "khòaⁿ che, tha̍k che," yi khiā tī hia, chi̍t-chhiú khǹg tī sán-sán ê kha-chhng-thâu, lēng-gōa chi̍t-chhiú tī i he bô-mo͘ ê thâu-khak chêng lāng pò-chóa. "Chia, hit-ê ka-tī hō-chò Bē-ha̍h-ê (The Misfit) ê kha-siàu ùi Liân-pang Kàm-ga̍k cháu chhut-lâi, ǹg Florida khì, chia, lí tha̍k chi̍t-ē, khòaⁿ in kóng i án-chóaⁿ tùi-thāi lâng. Lí kā tha̍k chi̍t-ē. Góa sī bē chhōa góa ê gín-á, ǹg ū hit-khoán tô-hoān ê só͘-chāi khì. Nā án-ne chò, góa ê liông-sim bē an."

Bailey kò͘ tha̍k pò-chóa, bô gia̍h thâu, só͘-í yi oa̍t-sin bīn-tùi gín-á ê lāu-bú, chi̍t-ê chhēng khin-sang piān-ho̍k ê cha-bó͘, bīn-á khoah-khoah ná chi̍t-lia̍p siáⁿ lóng m̄-chai ê ko-lē-chhài, pa̍k chi̍t-tiâu le̍k-sek thâu-kin, téng-koân ū nn̄g-ki phok-phok ná thò͘-á hīⁿ. Yi chē tī phòng-í, ná teh ùi po-lê koàn-á khat hēng-á-chiùⁿ chhī eⁿ-á. "Gín-á í-chêng bat khì kòe Florida," lāu hu-jîn kóng. "Lín tio̍h chhōa in khì pa̍t-ê só͘-chāi chò chi̍t-ê kái-piàn, thang hō͘ in khòaⁿ sè-kài bô-kāng ê pō͘-hūn, khui gán-kài. In lóng iáu m̄-bat khì tang Tennessee."

Gín-á ê lāu-bú ká-ná bô teh kā thiaⁿ, m̄-koh hit-ê 8-hòe ê cha-po͘ gín-á John Wesley, chi̍t-ê kòa ba̍k-kiàⁿ, ióng-chōng ê gín-á, kóng, "Lí nā bô-ài khì Florida, lí ná m̄ ka-tī lâu tī chhù nih?" I hām sió-mōe June Star (la̍k-goe̍h chheⁿ) chē tī tē-pán, tng-teh tha̍k pò-chóa ê gô͘-lo̍k pán.

"Yi chiah m̄ lâu tī chhù nih chò chi̍t-kang ê lú-ông," June Star kóng, n̂g-sek ê thâu gia̍h to bô gia̍h.

"Sī ah, iá chit-ê Bē-ha̍h-ê nā lia̍h tio̍h lín, lín boeh án-chóaⁿ?"

"Góa tō kòng i ê bīn," John Wesley kóng.

"Hō͘ yi 100-bān yi mā bē lâu tī chhù nih," June Star kóng. "Yi kiaⁿ tòe bô tio̍h tīn. Lán khì toeh, yi lóng boeh tòe."

"Hó lah, Sió-chiá," Amá kóng. "Kă ē-kì-tit, āu-kái lí mài koh kiò góa kā lí kńg thâu-chang."

June Star kóng yi ê thâu-mo͘ sī thian-jiân khiû ê.

Keh-kang chá-khí, Amá tē-it ê chiūⁿ chhia, chún-pī chhut-hoat. Yi kā chi̍t-kha ná hô-má ê thâu ê o͘-sek tōa kha-báng khǹg tī chi̍t-ê kak, ē-bīn koh chhàng chi̍t-ê nâ-á, lāi-té ū yi ê niau Pitty Sing (Ai-ai Haiⁿ). Yi bô-ài hō͘ niau-á ka-tī lâu tī chhù nih saⁿ-kang, in-ūi i ē su-liām yi, iá yi mā kiaⁿ i ē bô sió-sim chhè tio̍h gasuh-lô͘, ē suh tio̍h gasuh sí khì. Yin hāu-seⁿ, Bailey, bô-ài chah niau khì tòa motel.

Yi chē tī āu-chō ê tiong-ng, John Wesley kap June Star tī yi ê nn̄g-pêng. Bailey hām gín-á ê lāu-bú hām eⁿ-á chē thâu-chêng, in tī 8:45 lī-khui Atlanta, chhia ê lí-têng-pió sī 55890. Amá kā sò͘-jī kì lo̍h-lâi, in-ūi yi jīn-ûi, tán tńg lâi ê sî, chai-iáⁿ lóng-chóng cháu gōa-chē mai, sī chi̍t-ê chhù-bī ê tāi-chì. Keng-kòe 20 hun-cheng, in chiah sái kàu kau-khu ê só͘-chāi.

Lāu hu-jîn ka-tī an-tah kah chin sù-sī, pe̍h-sek ê mî chhiú-thò thǹg lo̍h-lâi, kap yi ê chhiú-thê-pau chò-hóe khǹg tī āu-piah-thang thâu-chêng ê kè-á téng. Gín-á ê lāu-bú iáu sī chhēng khin-sang ê piān-ho̍k, thâu-khak iáu-sī pa̍k chi̍t-tiâu le̍k-sek ê thâu-kin, m̄-koh Amá tì chi̍t-téng hái-kun-nâ, chháu-pian ê chúi-chhiú bō, bō-á kîⁿ kat chi̍t-sok pe̍h-sek ê chí-lô-lân, chhēng chi̍t-su ū ìn chi̍t-ê sió pe̍h-tiám ê hai-kun-nâ iûⁿ-chong. Yi ê ām-niá hām chhiú-ńg-bóe sī pe̍h po-lê-se koh kheng hoe-piⁿ, tī ām-niá-chhùi yi pín chi̍t-sok kiô-sek pò͘ chò ê chí-lô-lân, lāi-bīn pau hiuⁿ-pau. Nā ū saⁿ-tn̂g nn̄g-té, jīm-hô lâng khòaⁿ yi sí tī kong-lō͘, lóng chi̍t-ē tō chai yi chāi-seⁿ sī chi̍t-ūi hu-jîn.

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1. Amá 第一个上車

Amá 並無愛去 Florida. 她想欲去東 Tennessee 探她 ê 親 chiâⁿ 朋友; 有機會她 tō 想欲改變 Bailey ê 心意. Bailey 是和她做伙蹛 ê 後生, 她 ê 獨生囝. 今伊坐 tī 桌邊 ê 椅仔, àⁿ 身 teh 讀時報 (Journal) ê 柑仔色體育版. "Niah, 看 chia, Bailey," 她講, "看 che, 讀 che," 她徛 tī hia, 一手囥 tī 瘦瘦 ê 尻川頭, 另外一手 tī 伊 he 無毛 ê 頭殼前弄報紙. "Chia, 彼个 ka-tī 號做 Bē-ha̍h-ê (The Misfit) ê 跤數 ùi 聯邦監獄走出來, ǹg Florida 去, chia, 你讀一下, 看 in 講伊按怎對待人. 你 kā 讀一下. 我是袂 chhōa 我 ê 囡仔, ǹg 有彼款逃犯 ê 所在去. 若 án-ne 做, 我 ê 良心袂安."

Bailey 顧讀報紙, 無攑頭, 所以她越身面對囡仔 ê 老母, 一个穿輕鬆便服 ê 查某, 面仔闊闊 ná 一粒啥 lóng 毋知 ê 高麗菜, 縛一條綠色頭巾, 頂懸有兩支 phok-phok ná 兔仔耳. 她坐 tī 膨椅, ná teh ùi 玻璃罐仔 khat 杏仔醬飼嬰仔. "囡仔以前 bat 去過 Florida," 老夫人講. "恁著 chhōa in 去別个所在做一个改變, 通予 in 看世界無仝 ê 部份, 開眼界. In lóng 猶 m̄-bat 去東 Tennessee."

囡仔 ê 老母 ká-ná 無 teh kā 聽, m̄-koh 彼个 8 歲 ê 查埔囡仔 John Wesley, 一个掛目鏡, 勇壯 ê 囡仔, 講, "你若無愛去 Florida, 你那毋 ka-tī 留 tī 厝 nih?" 伊和小妹 June Star (六月星) 坐 tī 地板, tng-teh 讀報紙 ê 娛樂版.

"她才毋留 tī 厝 nih 做一工 ê 女王," June Star 講, 黃色 ê 頭攑 to 無攑.

"是 ah, iá 這个 Bē-ha̍h-ê 若掠著恁, 恁欲按怎?"

"我 tō 摃伊 ê 面," John Wesley 講.

"予她 100 萬她 mā 袂留 tī 厝 nih," June Star 講. "她驚綴無著陣. 咱去 toeh, 她 lóng 欲綴."

"好 lah, 小姐," Amá 講. "Kă 會記得, 後改你莫koh 叫我 kā 你捲頭鬃.

June Star 講她 ê 頭毛是天然虯 ê.

隔工早起, Amá 第一个上車, 準備出發. 她 kā 一跤 ná 河馬 ê 頭 ê 烏色大 kha-báng 囥 tī 一个角, 下面 koh 藏一个籃仔, 內底有她 ê 貓 Pitty Sing (哀哀哼). 她無愛予貓仔 ka-tī 留 tī 厝 nih 三工, 因為伊會思念她, iá 她 mā 驚伊會無小心 chhè 著 gasuh 爐, 會欶著 gasuh 死去. 姻後生, Bailey, 無愛扎貓去蹛 motel.

她坐 tī 後座 ê 中央, John Wesley kap June Star tī 她 ê 兩爿. Bailey 和囡仔 ê 老母和嬰仔坐頭前, in tī 8:45 離開 Atlanta, 車 ê 里程錶是 55890. Amá kā 數字記落來, 因為她認為, 等轉來 ê 時, 知影 lóng 總走偌濟 mai, 是一个趣味 ê 代誌. 經過 20 分鐘, in 才駛到郊區 ê 所在.

老夫人 ka-tī 安搭 kah 真四序, 白色 ê 棉手套褪落來, kap 她 ê 手提包做伙囥 tī 後壁窗頭前 ê 架仔頂. 囡仔 ê 老母猶是穿輕鬆 ê 便服, 頭殼猶是縛一條綠色 ê 頭巾, m̄-koh Amá 戴一頂海軍藍, 草編 ê 水手帽, 帽仔墘 kat 一束白色 ê 紫羅蘭, 穿一軀有印一个小白點 ê 海軍藍洋裝. 她 ê 頷領和手䘼尾是白玻璃紗 koh 框花邊, tī 頷領喙她鉼一束茄色布做 ê 紫羅蘭, 內面包香包. 若有三長兩短, 任何人看她死 tī 公路, lóng 一下 tō 知她在生是一位夫人.

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1.

THE GRANDMOTHER didn't want to go to Florida. She wanted to visit some of her connections in east Tennessee and she was seizing at every chance to change Bailey's mind. Bailey was the son she lived with, her only boy. He was sitting on the edge of his chair at the table, bent over the orange sports section of the Journal. "Now look here, Bailey," she said, "see here, read this," and she stood with one hand on her thin hip and the other rattling the newspaper at his bald head. "Here this fellow that calls himself The Misfit is aloose from the Federal Pen and headed toward Florida and you read here what it says he did to these people. Just you read it. I wouldn't take my children in any direction with a criminal like that aloose in it. I couldn't answer to my conscience if I did."

Bailey didn't look up from his reading so she wheeled around then and faced the children's mother, a young woman in slacks, whose face was as broad and innocent as a cabbage and was tied around with a green head-kerchief that had two points on the top like rabbit's ears. She was sitting on the sofa, feeding the baby his apricots out of a jar. "The children have been to Florida before," the old lady said. "You all ought to take them somewhere else for a change so they would see different parts of the world and be broad. They never have been to east Tennessee."

The children's mother didn't seem to hear her but the eight-year-old boy, John Wesley, a stocky child with glasses, said, "If you don't want to go to Florida, why dontcha stay at home?" He and the little girl, June Star, were reading the funny papers on the floor.

"She wouldn't stay at home to be queen for a day," June Star said without raising her yellow head.

"Yes and what would you do if this fellow, The Misfit, caught you?" the grandmother asked.

"I'd smack his face," John Wesley said.

"She wouldn't stay at home for a million bucks," June Star said. "Afraid she'd miss something. She has to go everywhere we go."

"All right, Miss," the grandmother said. "Just remember that the next time you want me to curl your hair."

June Star said her hair was naturally curly.

The next morning the grandmother was the first one in the car, ready to go. She had her big black valise that looked like the head of a hippopotamus in one corner, and underneath it she was hiding a basket with Pitty Sing, the cat, in it. She didn't intend for the cat to be left alone in the house for three days because he would miss her too much and she was afraid he might brush against one of the gas burners and accidentally asphyxiate himself. Her son, Bailey, didn't like to arrive at a motel with a cat.

She sat in the middle of the back seat with John Wesley and June Star on either side of her. Bailey and the children's mother and the baby sat in front and they left Atlanta at eight forty-five with the mileage on the car at 55890. The grandmother wrote this down because she thought it would be interesting to say how many miles they had been when they got back. It took them twenty minutes to reach the outskirts of the city.

The old lady settled herself comfortably, removing her white cotton gloves and putting them up with her purse on the shelf in front of the back window. The children's mother still had on slacks and still had her head tied up in a green kerchief, but the grandmother had on a navy blue straw sailor hat with a bunch of white violets on the brim and a navy blue dress with a small white dot in the print. Her collars and cuffs were white organdy trimmed with lace and at her neckline she had pinned a purple spray of cloth violets containing a sachet. In case of an accident, anyone seeing her dead on the highway would know at once that she was a lady.

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