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1、NobelLecturebyToniMorrison"Onceuponatimetherewasanoldwoman.Blindbutwise."Orwasitanoldman?Aguru,perhaps.Oragriotsoothingrestlesschildren.Ihaveheardthisstory,oroneexactlylikeit,intheloreofseveralcultures."Onceuponatimetherewasanoldwoman.Blind.Wise."IntheversionIknowthewomanis
2、thedaughterofslaves,black,American,andlivesaloneinasmallhouseoutsideoftown.Herreputationforwisdomiswithoutpeerandwithoutquestion.Amongherpeoplesheisboththelawanditstransgression.Thehonorsheispaidandtheaweinwhichsheisheldreachbeyondherneighborhoodtoplacesfaraway;tothecitywhe
3、retheintelligenceofruralprophetsisthesourceofmuchamusement.Onedaythewomanisvisitedbysomeyoungpeoplewhoseemtobebentondisprovingherclairvoyanceandshowingherupforthefraudtheybelievesheis.Theirplanissimple:theyenterherhouseandasktheonequestiontheanswertowhichridessolelyonherdif
4、ferencefromthem,adifferencetheyregardasaprofounddisability:herblindness.Theystandbeforeher,andoneofthemsays,"Oldwoman,Iholdinmyhandabird.Tellmewhetheritislivingordead."Shedoesnotanswer,andthequestionisrepeated."IsthebirdIamholdinglivingordead?"Stillshedoesn'tanswer.Sheisbli
5、ndandcannotseehervisitors,letalonewhatisintheirhands.Shedoesnotknowtheircolor,genderorhomeland.Sheonlyknowstheirmotive.Theoldwoman'ssilenceissolong,theyoungpeoplehavetroubleholdingtheirlaughter.Finallyshespeaksandhervoiceissoftbutstern."Idon'tknow",shesays."Idon'tknowwhethe
6、rthebirdyouareholdingisdeadoralive,butwhatIdoknowisthatitisinyourhands.Itisinyourhands."Heranswercanbetakentomean:ifitisdead,youhaveeitherfounditthatwayoryouhavekilledit.Ifitisalive,youcanstillkillit.Whetheritistostayalive,itisyourdecision.Whateverthecase,itisyourresponsibi
7、lity.Forparadingtheirpowerandherhelplessness,theyoungvisitorsarereprimanded,toldtheyareresponsiblenotonlyfortheactofmockerybutalsoforthesmallbundleoflifesacrificedtoachieveitsaims.Theblindwomanshiftsattentionawayfromassertionsofpowertotheinstrumentthroughwhichthatpowerisexe
8、rcised.Speculationonwhat(otherthanitsownfrailbody)thatbird-in-the-handmightsignify
