I. J. Singer 소설 "The Brothers Ashkenazi"에서

I. J. Singer, "The Brothers Ashkenazi" (Yiddish ed., 1937;

English translation by Joseph Singer, 1980)

 

 

다른 나라 사람들의 문화, 특히 종교나 관습에 관한 어떤 면을 보는 데에는

역시 소설만 한 것도 없다. 이 소설의 경우는 유태교와 유태인에 대해서다.

 

Page 53:

 

   "I'll do it first thing in the morning, Reb Haim," the servant

replied.

   "Add, 'God willing,' you boor!" Haim Alter cautioned him.

"How can sinful man be sure that there will be a tomorrow?"

   "God willing," Samuel Leibush said, appalled at his own

ignorance.

 

P 68:

 

   But most of all, Nissan hated his father's God, that cruel

and vengeful being who demanded total obeisance, eternal

service, mental and physical self-torture and privation, and

the surrender of all choice and will. No matter what you did

for Him, it wasn't enough.

 

P 77:

 

   As at most Jewish weddings, quarrels erupted at the last

minute. Haim Alter had failed to hand over the 2,000 rubles

due on the dowry, as had been agreed....

   "Reb Abraham Hersh," he implored, "I give you my word

of honor that I'll settle up directly after the wedding, so

help me!"

   "With a dowry, there are no promoses," Abraham Hersh

said. "Unless the two thousand is on the table, I'm taking

the groom straight home."

 

P 162:

 

   He knew how to make an impact when he chose to,

Simah Meir did. Just as he could remain isolated from

people when he didn't need them, he also knew how to

turn on the charm and be cordial, sweet, and caring as

necessary when he was after something.

 

P 174:

 

   Learning of his son's deeds, Abraham Hersh took off

his boots and tore the lapel of his gabardine. He ordered

Sarah Leah to getch him a low stool, and he sat down to

obseve a period of mourning for a son who had left the

fath, which was tentamount to dying.

   He sat on the low stool and studied the Book of Job.

 

P 427, 마지막 문장:

 

   In the swiftly falling dusk, a flock of birds formed in the

shape of a crescent and cawed against the ominus sky.