作家按语：《传教士和他的女儿》（原书名：裸拜）！故事叙述富有的喜欢生物硏究的英国青年亨利，32年走进神奇的贵州山区，他宣扬真爱，拯救生命、制止血腥与残杀…在边远的贵州山区建立了基督教堂，传播主的福音，他的美德和仁爱精神，使他受到众多山里基督徒的裸拜和崇敬！作品引领喜欢旅游和民族风情的欧洲人、美国人进入美丽的贵州山区，去领略那里与世无争的宁静和鲜为人知的民族风情……中国解放后，当共产党人要驱逐亨利牧师时，桀骜的双溪坪教徒爆发了反抗……许多扑朔迷离的山村故事，皆在此书中！
传教士和他的女儿
Zongming Zhang
张宗銘 著
Translated by Tangjin Xiao
肖唐金 译
Ah Cai went towards
Now Ah Cai was depressed and angry. She wanted to look for a safe place first, where she could have the baby inside removed. The trip was dangerous indeed. It was about
Daddy had told her that torches were necessary in the woods and mountains, for many beasts were afraid of the power of fire. There were some animals that were not frightened at the sight of torches, though, such as bears and boas.
Daddy mentioned that he and other hunters once met frightening bears on the missions of treatment. These beasts just yelled at people, and were ready at any time to attack them.
Ah Cai was afraid of cobras and boas. Once she went out for herb collecting with her mother, and saw a big boa huddling around a rock with its tongue held out. That was a scaring sight.
Daddy also told her that once he and two hunters walked in a valley and saw a boa 6 meters long slide past them. They just stopped and waited until the boa had disappeared.
Ah Cai wanted to get near Bailang, where dogs would bark. Dogs were good weapons against wolves and bears in the mountains. But as she moved on, she heard wolves yell. She was frightened. She wondered: should she have the baby removed just tonight?
The yells of wolves got louder and louder. Ah Cai tripped all the way at the sound.
Ah Cai was about to put down her belongings and run away when she heard the voice of Henry:
“Where are you, Ah Cai? I’m Henry the British Christian. What can I do for you?”
Ah Cai felt happy and excited at the voice. Henry’s voice was sweet now. It wasn’t a wolf’s yell, nor was it a monster’s threat. Henry was surely a kindhearted man. He gave salt to others and helped them with treatment. He could even cleanse the others’ wounds with salt and wine. What a good man he was!
With these thoughts Ah Cai began to trust Henry. She shouted, “Henry the British Christian! I’m Ah Cai. I need your help.”
Henry came out of a bush. He picked up the torch and gave it back to Ah Cai. Ah Cai smiled a happy smile. She hadn’t smiled for a long time. Then, Henry took out the curved knife from Ah Cai’s waist and cut some branches nearby. He made a bonfire.
Ah Cai sat down, and patted on her legs, saying, “Henry, you must be very tired. Please take a rest and sleep here with my legs as your pillow.”
Henry was happy. He knelt down devoutly and prayed, looking up at the sky, “Dear Lord, thank you for guiding me all the way and leading Ah Cai towards me!”
He was really tired. But he didn’t sleep on Ah Cai’s legs. He took out a blanket from his bag and put it on Ah Cai’s back. Then he lay down behind her and slept by the fire amid the yells of wolves.
Ah Cai put some more branches in the fire. She got the branches near her. Then, she took out the musk and touched her belly for a long time…
It was almost daybreak. Henry woke up and heard the moans of Ah Cai. He smelled blood in the smoke. Ah Cai had a plant in her mouth but she was groaning painfully.
Henry got up and saw Ah Cai split up her legs. Her skirt was stained with blood all over. He realized that Ah Cai had done an abortion. That was guilty in the eyes of Henry. He prayed, “Dear Lord, Ah Cai has destroyed a life. What should I do for her?”
Ah Cai looked pale. She pleaded to Henry, “Henry, I need your help. Please don’t leave me alone, ok?”
Henry knew God couldn’t punish Ah Cai at such a time, and God was asking him to help her. With this thought, Henry nodded without hesitations.
Ah Cai realized that her actions could be fatal in the wilderness. She might die, but she wanted to live on. Henry could help her. He was a great Christian. Was he an angel sent by God? Was he a god himself? He looked frightening, but he was kindhearted in reality. He was attractive somewhat like Qiusheng, but he was much better than Qiusheng. He was not evil, nor was he dishonest. He was the best help for her now. With this thought, she asked Henry again:
“Please don’t leave me until I have closed my eyes, ok?”
She realized that Henry understood what she meant. She went on:
“If I die, please bury me under this pine tree, and cut off a lock of hair from my head, telling my parents that their indecent daughter…”
She sobbed and couldn’t continue her word. Anyway, she was only 17. She still looked forward to sweet love, happy marriage and bright future. She was once the target for many young hunters in the mountains. Her glory was once unprecedented. If she hadn’t lost her virginity and had married Wei Lang according to the arrangement, there would have been a picture much different from today. She was bleeding between her legs. She had used too much musk. If Mom was beside her, she could be saved.
She was sad to realize that she might have to die so young. Henry was a foreigner, and he surely didn’t know how to stop her bleeding with herbs.
Henry found Ah Cai sob painfully and sadly. He asked, “Ah Cai, don’t you know you have done something guilty? Don’t you know your actions could be fatal? Tell me what I can do for you.”
At this Ah Cai suddenly replied, “Cut off a lock of my hair!”
