以下是網站上對此書的簡介：
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie是二十九歲的奈及利亞女作家，她的祖父母即是死於內戰。三年前以處女作The Purple Hibiscus入圍柑橘獎，今年終以本書獲得大獎。
2007年 Orange Broadband Prize for Fiction 柑橘小說獎得獎作品！本次獲獎的是奈吉利亞籍的 Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie，年僅二十九歲。她的處女作《Purple Hibiscus》就曾經入圍2004年的柑橘小說獎決選名單，以及當年的布克獎初選名單。
本書背景是1960年代，書中所寫的是奈吉利亞的比亞法拉省（Biafra）欲爭取獨立而引發的慘烈內戰。內戰發生在1967年到1970年之間。她以內戰為經，三個主角的生命歷程為緯，刻畫出奈吉利亞的歷史傷痛、種族與階級間的衝突、殖民主義的終結，以及最簡單也最複雜的主題－愛。
2007的柑橘獎入圍作品被譽為少見的優秀名單，評審特別讚許本書，給予很高的評價，「Adichie的小說展現了巨大的震撼力。這是本感人且重要的小說，書中的非洲題材和遭人遺忘的戰爭也是獲得我們青睞的原因。我們很高興一部講述非洲苦難和生存的小說能夠獲獎。」
第一段練習：
原文
Richard said little at the parties Susan took him to. When she introduced him, she always added that he was a writer, and he hoped the other guests assumed he was distant in the way writers were, although he feared they saw through him and knew he simply felt out of place. But they were pleasant to him; they would be to anyone who was Susan’s companion, as long as Susan continued to engage them with her wit, her laughter, her green eyes that sparkled in a face flushed from glasses of wine.
譯作練習
陪同蘇珊一起參加派對時，理查總是沉默寡言。蘇珊每每介紹他時，總不忘補充說明他是個作家，他也希望賓客們認為他有作家那種不愛交際的脾性，雖然心裡害怕被人一眼看穿自己只是感到無所適從。所幸大夥對他都很客氣；他們對蘇珊帶來的朋友總是客氣的，只要蘇珊一直用她的妙語如珠，她的巧笑倩兮，和不勝酒力的酡紅臉上那對明亮綠眸吸引住他們的目光。
第二段練習：
原文
"Kedu afa gi? What’s your name?’ Master asked, startling him.
Ugwu stood up.
‘What’s your name?’ Master asked again and sat up straight. He filled the armchair, his thick hair that stood high on his head, his muscled arms, his broad shoulders; Ugwu had imagined an older man, somebody frail, and now he felt a sudden fear that he might not please this master who looked so youthfully, who looked as if he needed nothing.
‘Ugwu, sah.’
‘Ugwu. And you’ve come from Obukpa?’
‘From Opi, sah.’
‘You could be anything from twelve to thirty.’ Master narrowed his eyes. ‘Probably thirteen.’ He said thirteen in English.
‘Yes, sah.’
Master turned back to his book. Ugwu stood there. Master flipped past some pages and looked up. ‘Ngwa, go to the kitchen; there should be something you can eat in the fridge.’
‘Yes, sah.’
譯作練習
「Kedu afa gi？你叫什麼名字？」主人問。
尤烏嚇了一跳，站起身來。
「你叫什麼名字？」主人坐正了些，又問一次。主人身材高大，塞得那張扶手椅毫無空隙，濃密的頭髮高聳蓬亂，手臂肌肉強健，肩膀寬闊。尤烏想像過主人的樣子，也許是個年紀稍大且身體虛弱的男人，但對方看起來身強體壯，似乎並不需要旁人服侍，尤烏忽然擔憂起來，自己可能派不上用場了。
「尤烏，先森。」
「尤烏。你是從歐布克帕來的嗎？」
「從歐必來的，先森。」
「我看不出你多大年紀，十二到三十歲都有可能。」主人瞇起眼睛打量他。「大概十三歲吧。」他用英文說出十三這個數字。
「是的，先森。」
主人又埋頭看起書來。尤烏站在原地。主人翻了幾頁，抬眼看他。「Ngwu，到廚房去看看，冰箱裡頭應該有些東西，你餓了可以吃。」
「好的，先森。」
第三段練習：
原文
Ugwu entered the kitchen cautiously, placing one foot slowly after the other. When he
saw the white thing, almost as tall as he was, he knew it was the fridge. He aunty had told
him about it. A cold barn, she had said, that kept food from going off. He opened it and
gasped as the cool air rushed into his face. Oranges, bread, beer, soft drinks: many things in
packets and cans were arranged on different levels and, at the top, a roasted, shimmering
chicken, whole but for a leg. Ugwu reached out and touched the chicken. The fridge breathed
heavily in his ears. He touched the chicken again and licked his finger before he yanked the
other leg off, eating it until he had only the cracked, sucked pieces of bones left in his
hand. Next, he broke off some bread, a chunk that he would have been excited to share with
his siblings if a relative had visited and brought it as a gift. He ate quickly, before Master
could come in and change his mind. He had finished eating and was standing by the sink,
trying to remember what his aunty had told him about opening it to have water gush out like
a spring, when Master walked in. He had put on a print shirt and a pair of trousers. His toes,
which peeked through leather slippers, seemed feminine, perhaps because they were so
clean; they belonged to feet that always wore shoes.
譯作練習
尤烏小心翼翼的走進廚房，慎重的邁出每一步。一看到那個幾乎和自己同高的白色巨物，他立刻認出那就是冰箱。阿姨和他提過這東西。阿姨說，這是一種冷的儲藏室，可以保存食物不致腐壞。拉開冰箱門，撲面而來的冷風讓他倒吸了一口氣。柳橙、麵包、啤酒、飲料……不同的層架上排列著林林總總、裝成小盒或小罐的食物，最上層則是隻油光閃亮、缺了一條腿的烤全雞。尤烏伸手碰一下那隻雞。冰箱在他耳邊轟隆作響。他再次摸摸烤雞，將手指放進嘴裡舔了舔，隨即扯下另一隻雞腿狼吞虎嚥的吃起來，直到手裡只剩一堆連汁都吸得乾乾淨淨的雞骨頭為止。他又撕了些麵包。每回有親戚帶麵包來他家做客，他總是滿心興奮的和兄弟姊妹一同分享麵包大餐。他吃得很快，不讓主人有機會到廚房來收回成命。飽餐一頓之後，他站在水槽邊，試著回想阿姨說過的開關方法，好讓水像山泉一般湧出。此時主人走了進來，身上穿著印花恤衫和長褲。皮拖鞋前端露出的腳趾看起來有點像女人。可能是因為太過整齊乾淨了吧，只有天天穿鞋的人才能擁有這樣的腳趾頭。
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