Question

Read the selections below from "Civil Peace" by Chinua Achebe and answer the question that follows.

"My friends," began Jonathan hoarsely. "I hear what you say and I thank you. If I had one hundred pounds . . ."
"Lookia my frien, no be play we come play for your house. If we make mistake and step for inside you no go like am-o."
Which of the following is the best translation of line 2?
a) "Look here my friend, we are here to play around. We won't make a mistake and go inside with ammo."
b) "Look at my friend not wanting to play with us. Maybe it's a mistake for us to talk. We should go inside and show him the ammo."
c) "Look here my friend, it's not an accident that we came to your house. If we come inside and find that we are mistaken, we won't shoot you."
d) "Look at my friend. He thinks we're just playing around. Maybe it was a mistake standing out here without ammo."

Answer 1

The best translation of the line from Chinua Achebe's 'Civil Peace' reflects a threatening undertone and suggests a potential for violence in post-civil war Nigeria. Option a

Step-by-step explanation:

The best translation of the line from Civil Peace by Chinua Achebe is Option a) "Look here my friend, we are here to play around. We won't make a mistake and go inside with ammo," which reflects a threatening undertone and suggests the potential for violence.

This interpretation aligns with the context of post-civil war Nigeria, which is the setting of the story, and underscores the theme of instability and danger pervading the lives of the characters in the aftermath of conflict. Option a