纪念已故的津巴布韦作家

Late Zimbabwean Writer Remembered 纪念已故的津巴布韦作家

The death in Norway last month of Zimbabwe writer and activist¹ Chenjerai Hove rocked the African literary world. Hove, who was 59, went into exile in 2001. He had been a critic of the government of President Robert Mugabe. Fellow writers and readers agree Hove combined masterful literary technique with patriotism² and a passion for justice.

Chenjerai Hove was born to a village chief in rural Rhodesia in 1956.He was deeply horrified³ by the violence he witnessed during the 13-year war for independence against Britain that ended in 1980.

“Bones,” his most celebrated⁴ novel, chronicles a mother’s desperate search for her son, who disappeared after joining the guerilla struggle. The 1988 novel garnered⁵ him the prestigious⁶ “Noma” prize and other honors.

Jack⁷ Mapanje, a fellow Zimbabwean poet and refugee, was Hove’s longtime friend. He says pre-independence writers usually wrote in European literary styles. But “Bones” reveled in the rural rhythms and imagery of Hove’s native Shona language to tell a homegrown tale. 

“He was deeply involved [in] the African culture, the dance, the music, the drums and so on. But [was] also steeped in the oral tradition, the folktales, the proverbs, and all this. He loved that. We have lost a writer who was steeped in African traditions to tell his story about the world,” he said.

It was a story that often intertwined hope with disappointment and sorrow. Mapanje says it broke Hove’s heart to witness, what he saw as the brutality⁸ of British rule continue in an independent Zimbabwe. 

Mapanje said, “He loved the people. He loved the masses and he did not like anybody who exploited the ordinary person – so colonialism as well as the government of Mugabe. And that became part of this main theme that runs through his poetry, short stories as well as the novel itself.”

The universal struggle for justice is a constant theme throughout Hove’s four volumes of poetry, which include “Red Hills of Home” and “Rainbows in the Dust.” In 2001, Hove recited his poem “Dispute” at an international festival in Medellin, Colombia.

“The strength of the republic is not measured in unmarked cars or guns or poisons or disappearances⁹. The strength of the republic is measured in beggars’ arms, the dreams of the poor, the waste of the rich. The strength of the republic is measured in ants, not elephants in the park…”

Hove helped to found and head the Zimbabwe Writers Union, a group of dissidents that gathered in Harare’s cafes. His criticism of government repression¹⁰ was met with death threats and other intimidation¹¹ tactics. In 2001, Hove was forced into exile, without his family. He first went to France and then to the United States, where he was offered writers’ fellowships at Brown University and elsewhere.

He finally settled in Stavanger, Norway, where he was given refuge by the International Cities of Refuge Network or ICORN. The organization shelters writers and artists at risk and promotes freedom of expression.

ICORN Director Helge Lunde knew Hove well. He said Hove was not able to complete any novels in exile. 

“It was not possible for him to continue exactly as before. Of course he continued to write poetry and short stories. But he also wrote drama and a lot of journalism¹² and a lot of non-fiction. He was translating King Lear into Shona.. We will need some time to grasp the real significance of Chenjerai’s work, both as a writer-poet and as a freedom fighter, but I am very sure that his work will live on.”

Before his sudden death on July 12th, apparently¹³ from liver disease, he was working on a major book about writers in exile and the toll¹⁴ it had taken on them. Chenjerai Hove’s body was flown back to Zimbabwe for burial.

It’s clear that Hove continued to acutely feel the loss of his homeland. He wrote about this, saying, “In my long journey home, I will search for the voices that gave me the many colors of imagination and listen to the songs of the birds and rivers of my land. Nothing can take away this deep echo of desire from me.”

The death in Norway last month of Zimbabwe writer and activist Chenjerai Hove rocked the African literary world. Hove, who was 59, went into exile in 2001. He had been a critic of the government of President Robert Mugabe. Fellow writers and readers agree Hove combined masterful literary technique with patriotism and a passion for justice.

Chenjerai Hove was born to a village chief in rural Rhodesia in 1956.He was deeply horrified by the violence he witnessed during the 13-year war for independence against Britain that ended in 1980.

“Bones,” his most celebrated novel, chronicles a mother’s desperate search for her son, who disappeared after joining the guerilla struggle. The 1988 novel garnered him the prestigious “Noma” prize and other honors.

Jack Mapanje, a fellow Zimbabwean poet and refugee, was Hove’s longtime friend. He says pre-independence writers usually wrote in European literary styles. But “Bones” reveled in the rural rhythms and imagery of Hove’s native Shona language to tell a homegrown tale. 

“He was deeply involved [in] the African culture, the dance, the music, the drums and so on. But [was] also steeped in the oral tradition, the folktales, the proverbs, and all this. He loved that. We have lost a writer who was steeped in African traditions to tell his story about the world,” he said.

It was a story that often intertwined hope with disappointment and sorrow. Mapanje says it broke Hove’s heart to witness, what he saw as the brutality of British rule continue in an independent Zimbabwe. 

Mapanje said, “He loved the people. He loved the masses and he did not like anybody who exploited the ordinary person – so colonialism as well as the government of Mugabe. And that became part of this main theme that runs through his poetry, short stories as well as the novel itself.”

The universal struggle for justice is a constant theme throughout Hove’s four volumes of poetry, which include “Red Hills of Home” and “Rainbows in the Dust.” In 2001, Hove recited his poem “Dispute” at an international festival in Medellin, Colombia.

“The strength of the republic is not measured in unmarked cars or guns or poisons or disappearances. The strength of the republic is measured in beggars’ arms, the dreams of the poor, the waste of the rich. The strength of the republic is measured in ants, not elephants in the park…”

Hove helped to found and head the Zimbabwe Writers Union, a group of dissidents that gathered in Harare’s cafes. His criticism of government repression was met with death threats and other intimidation tactics. In 2001, Hove was forced into exile, without his family. He first went to France and then to the United States, where he was offered writers’ fellowships at Brown University and elsewhere.

He finally settled in Stavanger, Norway, where he was given refuge by the International Cities of Refuge Network or ICORN. The organization shelters writers and artists at risk and promotes freedom of expression.

ICORN Director Helge Lunde knew Hove well. He said Hove was not able to complete any novels in exile. 

“It was not possible for him to continue exactly as before. Of course he continued to write poetry and short stories. But he also wrote drama and a lot of journalism and a lot of non-fiction. He was translating King Lear into Shona.. We will need some time to grasp the real significance of Chenjerai’s work, both as a writer-poet and as a freedom fighter, but I am very sure that his work will live on.”

Before his sudden death on July 12th, apparently from liver disease, he was working on a major book about writers in exile and the toll it had taken on them. Chenjerai Hove’s body was flown back to Zimbabwe for burial.

It’s clear that Hove continued to acutely feel the loss of his homeland. He wrote about this, saying, “In my long journey home, I will search for the voices that gave me the many colors of imagination and listen to the songs of the birds and rivers of my land. Nothing can take away this deep echo of desire from me.”

1 activist   

n.活动分子，积极分子

参考例句：

• He's been a trade union activist for many years.多年来他一直是工会的积极分子。
• He is a social activist in our factory.他是我厂的社会活动积极分子。

2 patriotism   

n.爱国精神，爱国心，爱国主义

参考例句：

• His new book is a demonstration of his patriotism.他写的新书是他的爱国精神的证明。
• They obtained money under the false pretenses of patriotism.他们以虚伪的爱国主义为借口获得金钱。

3 horrified   

a.(表现出)恐惧的

参考例句：

• The whole country was horrified by the killings. 全国都对这些凶杀案感到大为震惊。
• We were horrified at the conditions prevailing in local prisons. 地方监狱的普遍状况让我们震惊。

4 celebrated   

adj.有名的，声誉卓著的

参考例句：

• He was soon one of the most celebrated young painters in England.不久他就成了英格兰最负盛名的年轻画家之一。
• The celebrated violinist was mobbed by the audience.观众团团围住了这位著名的小提琴演奏家。

5 garnered   

v.收集并（通常）贮藏（某物），取得，获得( garner的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Mr. Smith gradually garnered a national reputation as a financial expert. 史密斯先生逐渐赢得全国金融专家的声誉。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He has garnered extensive support for his proposals. 他的提议得到了广泛的支持。 来自辞典例句

6 prestigious   

adj.有威望的，有声望的，受尊敬的

参考例句：

• The young man graduated from a prestigious university.这个年轻人毕业于一所名牌大学。
• You may even join a prestigious magazine as a contributing editor.甚至可能会加入一个知名杂志做编辑。

7 jack   

n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克

参考例句：

• I am looking for the headphone jack.我正在找寻头戴式耳机插孔。
• He lifted the car with a jack to change the flat tyre.他用千斤顶把车顶起来换下瘪轮胎。

8 brutality   

n.野蛮的行为，残忍，野蛮

参考例句：

• The brutality of the crime has appalled the public. 罪行之残暴使公众大为震惊。
• a general who was infamous for his brutality 因残忍而恶名昭彰的将军

9 disappearances   

n.消失( disappearance的名词复数 )；丢失；失踪；失踪案

参考例句：

• Most disappearances are the result of the terrorist activity. 大多数的失踪案都是恐怖分子造成的。 来自辞典例句
• The espionage, the betrayals, the arrests, the tortures, the executions, the disappearances will never cease. 间谍活动、叛党卖国、逮捕拷打、处决灭迹，这种事情永远不会完。 来自英汉文学

10 repression   

n.镇压，抑制，抑压

参考例句：

• The repression of your true feelings is harmful to your health.压抑你的真实感情有害健康。
• This touched off a new storm against violent repression.这引起了反对暴力镇压的新风暴。

11 intimidation   

n.恐吓，威胁

参考例句：

• The Opposition alleged voter intimidation by the army.反对党声称投票者受到军方的恐吓。
• The gang silenced witnesses by intimidation.恶帮用恐吓的手段使得证人不敢说话。

12 journalism   

n.新闻工作，报业

参考例句：

• He's a teacher but he does some journalism on the side.他是教师，可还兼职做一些新闻工作。
• He had an aptitude for journalism.他有从事新闻工作的才能。

13 apparently   

adv.显然地；表面上，似乎

参考例句：

• An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽，豁然开朗。
• He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。

14 toll   

n.过路(桥)费；损失，伤亡人数；v.敲(钟)

参考例句：

• The hailstone took a heavy toll of the crops in our village last night.昨晚那场冰雹损坏了我们村的庄稼。
• The war took a heavy toll of human life.这次战争夺去了许多人的生命。