40.3 我做手勢, 講我 ē 讀 hit 張紙

40.3 Góa chò chhiú-sè, kóng góa ē tha̍k hit-tiuⁿ chóa

Bián kóng to chai, góa tùi che ì-gōa kài hoaⁿ-hí. Góa hòⁿ-kî, che hó-ūn án-chóaⁿ lâi, ná ē te̍k-pia̍t hō͘ góa, he hoaⁿ-hí koh-khah kóng bē-lâi. Chin chheng-chhó, he tek-á m̄ lak hō͘ pa̍t-lâng, kan-ta lak hō͘ góa, piáu-sī che hó-chhù sī boeh hō͘ góa. Góa siu chit-pit chîⁿ, at-tn̄g tek-á, koh tńg-khì lō͘-tâi, gia̍h-thâu khòaⁿ he thang-á. Góa khòaⁿ-tio̍h hia chhun-chhut chi̍t-ki pe̍h sut-sut ê chhiú, chhiú-tê kín-kín tian-khui koh ha̍p-óa. Khòaⁿ tio̍h che, goán ioh, he tek-khak sī chi̍t-ê tòa tī hit-keng chhù ê chi̍t-ê cha-bó͘ tùi goán piáu-sī hó-ì. Ūi-tio̍h piáu-sī kám-kek, goán chiàu Moor lâng ê lé-chiat oan-io kiâⁿ salaam lé, its àⁿ-thâu, oan-io, siang-chhiú siâm tī heng-chêng. Kòe bô kú, kāng hit-ê thang-á chhun-chhut chi̍t-ê kō͘ lô͘-tek chò ê si̍p-jī-kè, chin kín tō koh siu ji̍p-khì.

Chit-ê sìn-hō hō͘ goán siong-sìn, hit-keng chhù-lāi ū chi̍t-ê cha-bó͘ Kitok-tô͘ hu-ló͘, sī yi tùi goán chiah-nī hó. Tān ùi goán khòaⁿ tio̍h hit-ki chhiú ê pe̍h kap he chhiú-khoân, goán phah-siau chit-ê siūⁿ-hoat. Sui-bóng goán siūⁿ kóng, he khó-lêng sī poān-kàu ê Kitok-tô͘, hō͘ chú-lâng chhōa chò bó͘, in-ūi Moor cha-po͘ hèng chit-khoán cha-bó͘ khah iâⁿ Moor cha-bó͘.

Só͘-ū goán ioh ê, lóng m̄-chai sū-si̍t sī siáⁿ. Só͘-tì, chū hit-sî khai-sí, goán ûi-it ê sit-thâu tō sī kim-kim siòng hit-ê chhut-hiān si̍p-jī-kè ê thang-á, bē-su he sī goán ê pak-táu chheⁿ. M̄-koh, siōng-chió koh kòe 15-kang, goán bô koh khòaⁿ-tio̍h si̍p-jī-kè a̍h hit-ki chhiú, a̍h kî-thaⁿ sìn-hō. Sui-bóng hit-tōaⁿ sî-kan, goán chīn chin tōa-la̍t chhì boeh khak-tēng sī siáng tòa tī hit-keng chhù, lāi-bīn sī m̄-sī ū jīm-hô Kitok-kàu poān-kàu-chiá. Tān bô-lâng ē-tit thê-kiong khah chē sìn-sit, kan-ta chai-iáⁿ hia tòa chi̍t-ê hó-gia̍h, ū tē-ūi ê Moor lâng, miâ hō-chò Hadji Morato, bat sī La Pata tē-hng ê tián-ga̍k-tiúⁿ (alcaide), he sī chi̍t-ê bē sè ê koaⁿ-chit. Goán oân-choân bô siūⁿ-tio̍h hit só͘-chāi ē koh lak chîⁿ lo̍h-lâi ê sî, hut-jiân lô͘-tek koh chhut-hiān, pa̍k chi̍t-tè khah tōa kat ê pò͘, chhut-hiān ê sî-chūn kap téng-pái kāng-khoán, kàm-ga̍k khang-khang, bô pa̍t-lâng.

Goán chò kap téng-pái kāng-khoán ê chhì-giām, hit saⁿ-ê tāi-seng kok-pia̍t khì, jiân-āu góa. Tek-á hiòng góa, tī góa óa-kīn ê sî lak lo̍h-lâi. Góa tháu-kat, hoat-hiān lāi-bīn ū 40-ê Sepanga kim-pè, koh ū chi̍t-tiuⁿ chóa siá Arab-bûn, siōng-bóe koh ōe chi̍t-ê tōa-tōa ê si̍p-jī-kè. Góa ǹg si̍p-jī-kè chim chi̍t-ē, the̍h kim-pè, koh tńg-lâi lō͘-tâi, jiân-āu goán lóng koh kiâⁿ salaam lé. Koh chi̍t-pái, hit-ki chhiú chhut-hiān, góa chò chhiú-sè, kóng góa ē tha̍k hit-tiuⁿ chóa, jiân-āu thang-á tō koaiⁿ khí-lâi. Sui-bóng sim hoaⁿ-hí, goán lóng tùi hoat-seng ê tāi-chì kám-kak put-kái. Goán tiong-kan bô-lâng ē-hiáu Arab-bûn, tùi chóa-tiâu siá siáⁿ chhiong-móa hòⁿ-kî, tān boeh chhōe ē-hiáu tha̍k ê lâng koh-khah khùn-lân.

Chòe-āu, góa koat-tēng khì pài-thok chi̍t-ê poān-kàu-chiá. I sī Murcia lâng, tùi góa piáu-ta̍t tōa siān-ì, pó-chèng i ē pó-siú góa kau-hù ê pì-bi̍t. Tùi ū-ê poān-kàu ê lâng, nā ū ì-sù koh tńg-khì Kitok-kàu thó͘-tē, in ē chah chi̍t-tiuⁿ iû hu-ló͘ siá ê chèng-su, jīm-hô hêng-sek ê chèng-su, siá kóng, che sī siān-liông ê lâng, tùi Kitok-tô͘ jîn-chû, it-ti̍t teh chhōe ki-hōe boeh tô-cháu. Ū-ê the̍h che chèng-bêng sī chin-sim, tān mā ū-lâng iōng che chò kan-khiáu. In-ūi in nā khì Kitok-kàu ê thó͘-tē chhiúⁿ-kiap, nā hông chang tio̍h a̍h lia̍h khì koaiⁿ, i tō the̍h-chhut chèng-bêng, kóng ùi che ē-tit chèng-bêng, in ê bo̍k-tek sī boeh lâu tī Kitok-kàu ê thó͘-tē, ūi-tio̍h che chiah chham-ka Turk lâng ê chhiúⁿ-kiap. Kō͘ chit-chióng hong-hoat, i tô-pī siōng tāi-seng ê put-lī, tī siū siong-hāi chìn-chêng koh kap Kàu-hōe hô-kái, jiân-āu tán ki-hōe tńg-khì Barbary, it-chhè hôe-ho̍k goân-iūⁿ.  Put-jî-kò, mā ū kî-thaⁿ lâng, cheng-chhú chit-chióng chèng-bêng, tiong-si̍t sú-iōng, lâu lo̍h-lâi tòa tī Kitok-kàu thó͘-tē. 

Góa chit-ê pêng-iú tō sī chit-chióng poān-kàu-chiá, i ū góa só͘-ū tông-phōaⁿ ê chèng-bêng, goán tī chèng-su chīn-liōng tùi i ê piáu-hiān kóng hó-ōe. Moor lâng nā hoat-hiān i ê chèng-su, tiāⁿ-tio̍h ē kā i oa̍h-oa̍h sio-sí.

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40.3 我做手勢, 講我 ē 讀 hit 張紙

免講 to 知, 我對 che 意外 kài 歡喜. 我好奇, che 好運按怎來, 那會特別 hō͘ 我, he 歡喜 koh-khah 講袂來. 真清楚, he 竹仔毋 lak hō͘ 別人, kan-ta lak hō͘ 我, 表示 che 好處是欲 hō͘ 我. 我收這筆錢, 遏斷竹仔, koh 轉去露台, 攑頭看 he 窗仔. 我看著 hia 伸出一支白 sut-sut ê 手, 手蹄緊緊展開 koh 合倚. 看著 che, 阮臆, he 的確是一个蹛 tī hit 間厝 ê 一个查某對阮表示好意. 為著表示感激, 阮照 Moor 人 ê 禮節彎腰行 salaam 禮, its àⁿ 頭, 彎腰, 雙手 siâm tī 胸前. 過無久, 仝彼个窗仔伸出一个 kō͘ 蘆竹做 ê 十字架, 真緊 tō koh 收入去.

這个信號 hō͘ 阮相信, hit 間厝內有一个查某 Kitok 徒俘虜, 是她對阮 chiah-nī 好. 但 ùi 阮看著 hit 支手 ê 白 kap he 手環, 阮拍消這个想法. 雖罔阮想講, he 可能是叛教 ê Kitok 徒, hō͘ 主人娶做某, 因為 Moor 查埔 hèng 這款查某 khah 贏 Moor 查某.

所有阮臆 ê, lóng 毋知事實是啥. 所致, 自彼時開始, 阮唯一 ê 穡頭 tō 是金金相彼个出現十字架 ê 窗仔, 袂輸 he 是阮 ê 北斗星. M̄-koh, 上少 koh 過 15 工, 阮無 koh 看著十字架 a̍h hit 支手, a̍h 其他信號. 雖罔 hit 段時間, 阮盡真大力試欲確定是 siáng 蹛 tī hit 間厝, 內面是毋是有任何 Kitok 教叛教者. 但無人 ē-tit 提供 khah 濟信息, kan-ta 知影 hia 蹛一个好額, 有地位 ê Moor 人, 名號做 Hadji Morato, bat 是 La Pata 地方 ê 典獄長 (alcaide), he 是一个袂細 ê 官職. 阮完全無想著彼所在 ē koh lak 錢落來 ê 時, 忽然蘆竹 koh 出現, 縛一塊 khah 大結 ê 布, 出現 ê 時陣 kap 頂擺仝款, 監獄空空, 無別人.

阮做 kap 頂擺仝款 ê 試驗, hit 三个代先各別去, 然後我. 竹仔向我, tī 我倚近 ê 時 lak 落來. 我敨結, 發現內面有 40 个 Sepanga 金幣, koh 有一張紙寫 Arab 文, 上尾 koh 畫一个大大 ê 十字架. 我 ǹg 十字架唚一下, 提金幣, koh 轉來露台, 然後阮 lóng koh 行 salaam 禮. Koh 一擺, hit 支手出現, 我做手勢, 講我 ē 讀 hit 張紙, 然後窗仔 tō 關起來. 雖罔心歡喜, 阮 lóng 對發生 ê 代誌感覺不解. 阮中間無人會曉 Arab 文, 對紙條寫啥充滿好奇, 但欲揣會曉讀 ê 人 koh-khah 困難.

最後, 我決定去拜託一个叛教者. 伊是 Murcia 人, 對我表達大善意, 保證伊 ē 保守我交付 ê 祕密. 對 ū-ê 叛教 ê 人, 若有意思 koh 轉去 Kitok 教土地, in ē 扎一張由俘虜寫 ê 證書, 任何形式 ê 證書, 寫講, che 是善良 ê 人, 對 Kitok 徒仁慈, 一直 teh 揣機會欲逃走. Ū-ê 提 che 證明是真心, 但 mā 有人用 che 做奸巧. 因為 in 若去 Kitok 教 ê 土地搶劫, 若 hông 㨑著 a̍h 掠去關, 伊 tō 提出證明, 講 ùi che ē-tit 證明, in ê 目的是欲留 tī Kitok 教 ê 土地, 為著 che 才參加 Turk 人 ê 搶劫. Kō͘ 這種方法, 伊逃避上代先 ê 不利, tī 受傷害進前 koh kap 教會和解, 然後等機會轉去 Barbary, 一切回復原樣.  不而過, mā 有其他人, 爭取這種證明, 忠實使用, 留落來蹛 tī Kitok 教土地. 

我這个朋友 tō 是這種叛教者, 伊有我所有同伴 ê 證明, 阮 tī 證書盡量對伊 ê 表現講好話. Moor 人若發現伊 ê 證書, 定著 ē kā 伊活活燒死.

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40.3

It is needless to say I rejoiced over this godsend, and my joy was not less than my wonder as I strove to imagine how this good fortune could have come to us, but to me specially; for the evident unwillingness to drop the reed for any but me showed that it was for me the favour was intended. I took my welcome money, broke the reed, and returned to the terrace, and looking up at the window, I saw a very white hand put out that opened and shut very quickly. From this we gathered or fancied that it must be some woman living in that house that had done us this kindness, and to show that we were grateful for it, we made salaams after the fashion of the Moors, bowing the head, bending the body, and crossing the arms on the breast. Shortly afterwards at the same window a small cross made of reeds was put out and immediately withdrawn. /

This sign led us to believe that some Christian woman was a captive in the house, and that it was she who had been so good to us; but the whiteness of the hand and the bracelets we had perceived made us dismiss that idea, though we thought it might be one of the Christian renegades whom their masters very often take as lawful wives, and gladly, for they prefer them to the women of their own nation. /

In all our conjectures we were wide of the truth; so from that time forward our sole occupation was watching and gazing at the window where the cross had appeared to us, as if it were our pole-star; but at least fifteen days passed without our seeing either it or the hand, or any other sign and though meanwhile we endeavoured with the utmost pains to ascertain who it was that lived in the house, and whether there were any Christian renegade in it, nobody could ever tell us anything more than that he who lived there was a rich Moor of high position, Hadji Morato by name, formerly alcaide of La Pata, an office of high dignity among them. But when we least thought it was going to rain any more cianis from that quarter, we saw the reed suddenly appear with another cloth tied in a larger knot attached to it, and this at a time when, as on the former occasion, the baño was deserted and unoccupied.

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We made trial as before, each of the same three going forward before I did; but the reed was delivered to none but me, and on my approach it was let drop. I untied the knot and I found forty Spanish gold crowns with a paper written in Arabic, and at the end of the writing there was a large cross drawn. I kissed the cross, took the crowns and returned to the terrace, and we all made our salaams; again the hand appeared, I made signs that I would read the paper, and then the window was closed. We were all puzzled, though filled with joy at what had taken place; and as none of us understood Arabic, great was our curiosity to know what the paper contained, and still greater the difficulty of finding someone to read it. /

At last I resolved to confide in a renegade, a native of Murcia, who professed a very great friendship for me, and had given pledges that bound him to keep any secret I might entrust to him; for it is the custom with some renegades, when they intend to return to Christian territory, to carry about them certificates from captives of mark testifying, in whatever form they can, that such and such a renegade is a worthy man who has always shown kindness to Christians, and is anxious to escape on the first opportunity that may present itself. Some obtain these testimonials with good intentions, others put them to a cunning use; for when they go to pillage on Christian territory, if they chance to be cast away, or taken prisoners, they produce their certificates and say that from these papers may be seen the object they came for, which was to remain on Christian ground, and that it was to this end they joined the Turks in their foray. In this way they escape the consequences of the first outburst and make their peace with the Church before it does them any harm, and then when they have the chance they return to Barbary to become what they were before. Others, however, there are who procure these papers and make use of them honestly, and remain on Christian soil. /

This friend of mine, then, was one of these renegades that I have described; he had certificates from all our comrades, in which we testified in his favour as strongly as we could; and if the Moors had found the papers they would have burned him alive.

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