对书的渴望
<p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="policeman">policeman</span> <span word="peered">peered</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="through">through</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="open">open</span> <span word="window">window</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="our">our</span> <span word="car">car</span>. “<span word="Can">Can</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="borrow">borrow</span>...?” <span word="he">he</span> <span word="began">began</span>. <span word="My">My</span> <span word="heart">heart</span> <span word="sank">sank</span>.</p><p><span word="This">This</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="our">our</span> <span word="sixth">sixth</span> <span word="police">police</span> <span word="checkpoint">checkpoint</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="hour">hour</span>. <span word="We">We</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="Marange">Marange</span> <span word="district">district</span>, <span word="Zimbabwe">Zimbabwe</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="eastern">eastern</span> <span word="diamond">diamond</span> <span word="heartland">heartland</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="sand">sand</span>, <span word="silhouetted">silhouetted</span> <span word="baobabs">baobabs</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="ever">ever</span>-<span word="present">present</span> <span word="security">security</span> <span word="forces">forces</span> <span word="made">made</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="eerie">eerie</span> <span word="place">place</span>.</p><p><span word="Diamonds">Diamonds</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="first">first</span> <span word="found">found</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="area">area</span> <span word="in">in</span> 2006, <span word="sparking">sparking</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="massive">massive</span> <span word="gem">gem</span> <span word="rush">rush</span>. <span word="Students">Students</span> <span word="threw">threw</span> <span word="schoolbooks">schoolbooks</span> <span word="into">into</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="bushes">bushes</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="hurry">hurry</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="dig">dig</span>, <span word="their">their</span> <span word="teachers">teachers</span> <span word="following">following</span> <span word="them">them</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="crazed">crazed</span> <span word="search">search</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="instant">instant</span> <span word="riches">riches</span>.</p><p><span word="In">In</span> <span word="late">late</span> 2008, <span word="President">President</span> <span word="Robert">Robert</span> <span word="Mugabe">Mugabe</span> <span word="ordered">ordered</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="controversial">controversial</span> <span word="military">military</span> <span word="clampdown">clampdown</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="reassert">reassert</span> <span word="state">state</span> <span word="control">control</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="authorities">authorities</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="been">been</span> <span word="battling">battling</span> <span word="ever">ever</span> <span word="since">since</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="get">get</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="diamonds">diamonds</span> <span word="certified">certified</span> <span word="blood">blood</span>-<span word="free">free</span>. <span word="Foreigners">Foreigners</span> <span word="venturing">venturing</span> <span word="into">into</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="area">area</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="viewed">viewed</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="suspicion">suspicion</span>: <span word="They">They</span> <span word="might">might</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="diamond">diamond</span> <span word="buyers">buyers</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="illegal">illegal</span> <span word="dealers">dealers</span>.</p><p><span word="With">With</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="policeman">policeman</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="eyes">eyes</span> <span word="upon">upon</span> <span word="me">me</span>, <span word="I">I</span> <span word="steeled">steeled</span> <span word="myself">myself</span>. <span word="I">I</span> <span word="knew">knew</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="like">like</span> <span word="most">most</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="Zimbabwe">Zimbabwe</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="civil">civil</span> <span word="servants">servants</span>, <span word="policemen">policemen</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="badly">badly</span> <span word="underpaid">underpaid</span>. (<span word="In">In</span> <span word="fact">fact</span>, <span word="public">public</span> <span word="service">service</span> <span word="unions">unions</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="clamoring">clamoring</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="share">share</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="state">state</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="diamond">diamond</span> <span word="wealth">wealth</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="put">put</span> <span word="into">into</span> <span word="long">long</span> <span word="overdue">overdue</span> <span word="salary">salary</span> <span word="increases">increases</span>.)</p><p>“... <span word="one">one</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="your">your</span> <span word="books">books</span>?” <span word="the">the</span> <span word="policeman">policeman</span> <span word="finished">finished</span>. <span word="He">He</span> <span word="pointed">pointed</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="dashboard">dashboard</span>.</p><p><span word="My">My</span> <span word="books">books</span>! <span word="I">I</span>’<span word="d">d</span> <span word="almost">almost</span> <span word="forgotten">forgotten</span> <span word="them">them</span>. <span word="Before">Before</span> <span word="leaving">leaving</span> <span word="home">home</span>, <span word="I">I</span> <span word="had">had</span> <span word="bundled">bundled</span> <span word="three">three</span> <span word="paperbacks">paperbacks</span> <span word="into">into</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="car">car</span>, <span word="hoping">hoping</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="while">while</span> <span word="away">away</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="hot">hot</span> <span word="journey">journey</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="pleasant">pleasant</span> <span word="read">read</span>.</p>
页:
[1]