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第14章

the kite runner-第14章

小说: the kite runner 字数: 每页4000字

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e a kid living in the Wazir Akbar Khan section of Kabul; you knew about Assef and his famous stainless…steel brass knuckles; hopefully not through personal experience。 Born to a German mother and Afghan father; the blond; blue…eyed Assef towered over the other kids。 His well…earned reputation for savagery preceded him on the streets。 Flanked by his obeying friends; he walked the neighborhood like a Khan strolling through his land with his eager…to…please entourage。 His word was law; and if you needed a little legal education; then those brass knuckles were just the right teaching tool。 I
saw him use those knuckles once on a kid from the Karteh…Char district。 I will never forget how Assef s blue eyes glinted with a light not entirely sane and how he grinned; how he _grinned_; as he pummeled that poor kid unconscious。 Some of the boys in Wazir Akbar Khan had nicknamed him Assef _Goshkhor_; or Assef  the Ear Eater。  Of course; none of them dared utter it to his face unless they wished to suffer the same fate as the poor kid who had unwittingly inspired that nickname when he had fought Assef over a kite and ended up fishing his right ear from a muddy gutter。 Years later; I learned an English word for the creature that Assef was; a word for which a good Farsi equivalent does not exist:
 sociopath。 
Of all the neighborhood boys who tortured Ali; Assef was by far the most relentless。 He was; in fact; the originator of the Babalu jeer; _Hey; Babalu; who did you eat today? Huh? e on; Babalu; give us a smile!_ And on days when he felt particularly inspired; he spiced up his badgering a little; _Hey; you flat…nosed Babalu; who did you eat today? Tell us; you slant…eyed donkey!_
Now he was walking toward us; hands on his hips; his sneakers kicking up little puffs of dust。
 Good morning; _kunis_!  Assef exclaimed; waving。  Fag;  that was another of his favorite insults。 Hassan retreated behind me as the three older boys closed in。 They stood before us; three tall boys dressed in jeans and T…shirts。 Towering over us all; Assef crossed his thick arms on his chest; a savage sort of grin on his lips。 Not for the first time; it occurred to me that Assef might not be entirely sane。 It also occurred to me how lucky I was to have Baba as my father; the sole reason; I believe; Assef had mostly refrained from harassing me too much。
He tipped his chin to Hassan。  Hey; Flat…Nose;  he said。  How is Babalu? 
Hassan said nothing and crept another step behind me。
 Have you heard the news; boys?  Assef said; his grin never faltering。  The king is gone。 Good riddance。 Long live the president! My father knows Daoud Khan; did you know that; Amir? 
 So does my father;  I said。 In reality; I had no idea if that was true or not。
 So does my father;  Assef mimicked me in a whining voice。 Kamal and Wali cackled in unison。 I wished Baba were there。
 Well; Daoud Khan dined at our house last year;  Assef went on。  How do you like that; Amir? 
I wondered if anyone would hear us scream in this remote patch of land。 Baba s house was a good kilometer away。 I wished we d stayed at the house。
 Do you know what I will tell Daoud Khan the next time he es to our house for dinner?  Assef said。  I m going to have a little chat with him; man to man; _mard_ to _mard_。 Tell him what I told my mother。 About Hitler。 Now; there was a leader。 A great leader。
A man with vision。 I ll tell Daoud Khan to remember that if they had let Hitler finish what he had started; the world be a better place now 
 Baba says Hitler was crazy; that he ordered a lot of innocent people killed;  I heard myself say before I could clamp a hand on my mouth。
Assef snickered。  He sounds like my mother; and she s German; she should know better。 But then they want you to believe that; don t they? They don t want you to know the truth。 
I didn t know who  they  were; or what truth they were hiding; and I didn t want to find out。 I wished I hadn t said anything。 I wished again I d look up and see Baba ing up the hill。
 But you have to read books they don t give out in school;  Assef said。  I have。 And my eyes have been opened。 Now I have a vision; and I m going to share it with our new president。 Do you know what it is? 
I shook my head。 He d tell me anyway; Assef always answered his own questions。
His blue eyes flicked to Hassan。  Afghanistan is the land of Pashtuns。 It always has been; always will be。 We are the true Afghans; the pure Afghans; not this Flat…Nose here。 His people pollute our homeland; our watan。 They dirty our blood。  He made a sweeping; grandiose gesture with his hands。  Afghanistan for Pashtuns; I say。 That s my vision。 

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