漫漫自由路

By+Nelson+Mandela

I was not born with a hunger to be free. I was born free—free in every way that I could know. Free to run in the fields near my mother's hut， free to swim in the clear stream that ran through my village， free to roast mealies1） under the stars and ride the broad backs of slow-moving bulls. As long as I obeyed my father and abided by2） the customs of my tribe， I was not troubled by the laws of man or God.

It was only when I began to learn that my boyhood freedom was an illusion， when I discovered as a young man that my freedom had already been taken from me， that I began to hunger for it. At first， as a student， I wanted freedom only for myself， the transitory3） freedoms of being able to stay out at night， read what I pleased， and go where I chose. Later， as a young man in Johannesburg， I yearned for the basic and honorable freedoms of achieving my potential， of earning my keep， of marrying and having a family—the freedom not to be obstructed4） in a lawful life.

But then I slowly saw that not only was I not free， but my brothers and sisters were not free. I saw that it was not just my freedom that was curtailed5）， but the freedom of everyone who looked like I did. That is when I joined the African National Congress， and that is when the hunger for my own freedom became the greater hunger for the freedom of my people. It was this desire for the freedom of my people to live their lives with dignity and self-respect that animated my life， that transformed a frightened young man into a bold one， that drove a law-abiding attorney6） to become a criminal， that turned a family-loving husband into a man without a home， that forced a life-loving man to live like a monk. I am no more virtuous or self-sacrificing than the next man， but I found that I could not even enjoy the poor and limited freedoms I was allowed when I knew my people were not free. Freedom is indivisible； the chains on any one of my people were the chains on all of them， the chains on all of my people were the chains on me.

It was during those long and lonely years that my hunger for the freedom of my own people became a hunger for the freedom of all people， white and black. I knew as well as I knew anything that the oppressor must be liberated just as surely as the oppressed. A man who takes away another man's freedom is a prisoner of hatred， he is locked behind the bars of prejudice and narrow-mindedness. I am not truly free if I am taking away someone else's freedom， just as surely as I am not free when my freedom is taken from me. The oppressed and the oppressor alike are robbed of their humanity.

When I walked out of prison， that was my mission， to liberate the oppressed and the oppressor both. Some say that has now been achieved. But I know that that is not the case. The truth is that we are not yet free； we have merely achieved the freedom to be free， the right not to be oppressed. We have not taken the final step of our journey， but the first step on a longer and even more difficult road. For to be free is not merely to cast off one's chains， but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others. The true test of our devotion to freedom is just beginning.

I have walked that long road to freedom. I have tried not to falter7）； I have made missteps along the way. But I have discovered the secret that after climbing a great hill， one only finds that there are many more hills to climb. I have taken a moment here to rest， to steal a view of the glorious vista8） that surrounds me， to look back on the distance I have come. But I can rest only for a moment， for with freedom comes responsibilities， and I dare not linger， for my long walk is not yet ended.

我不是一生下來就渴求自由。我生下來就是自由的，可以自由地去做所有我能想到的事：自由地在母親住的那個茅屋附近的原野上奔跑，自由地在流經我們村莊的那條清澈小溪里游泳，自由地在星空下烤玉米棒，自由地騎在寬闊的牛背上慢悠悠地前行。只要我聽父親的話，遵守部落的習俗，任何人或神的律條都不會為難我。

直到我開始認識到自己兒童時代的自由只不過是種假象，認識到成為年輕人的我其實早就被剝奪了自由時，我才開始渴求自由。起初，當我還是一名學生時，我只是渴求個人的、短暫的自由：可以晚上待在外面，可以讀想讀的書，可以去想去的地方。后來在約翰內斯堡，成為年輕人的我開始渴求一些基本的、崇高的自由：可以施展抱負，可以自食其力，可以結婚成家——享受這些在遵紀守法的生活中不受束縛的自由。

但是，后來我慢慢發現，不僅我沒有自由，我的兄弟姐妹也沒有自由。我發現，不只是我的自由受到限制，所有與我外表相似的人的自由也受到了限制。正是在這個時候，我加入了非洲人國民大會；也正是在這個時候，我對個人自由的渴求變成了更大的對同胞自由的渴求。我渴求我的同胞能夠體面地、有自尊地活著，正是這種渴求讓我的人生充滿活力，讓一個擔驚受怕的年輕人變得勇敢無畏，讓一個遵紀守法的律師變成罪犯，讓一個熱愛家庭的丈夫落得無家可歸，讓一個熱愛生活的人活得像個僧人。我并不比別人高尚或樂于自我犧牲，但當我知道我的同胞沒有自由時，我發現我甚至都無法安享我能享有的那點可憐的、有限的自由。因為自由是不可分割的，我的任何一位同胞受到束縛就等于是所有同胞受到束縛，所有同胞受到束縛就等于是我受到束縛。

正是在那些漫長而孤獨的牢獄歲月里，我對同胞自由的渴求轉變為對所有人（白人和黑人）自由的渴求。因為我深知，壓迫者也必須像被壓迫者一樣得到同樣的解放。奪走他人自由的人是仇恨的囚徒，被囚禁在偏見和狹隘的牢籠里。假如我剝奪了別人的自由，那我就不能算是真正自由的，正如當我的自由被剝奪，我便必定不自由一樣。被壓迫者和壓迫者是極為相似的，因為他們都被剝奪了人性。

出獄后，解放被壓迫者和壓迫者成了我的使命。有些人說，這個使命現在已經完成了。但我知道，事實并非如此。事實是，我們還沒有獲得自由；我們只是獲得了爭取自由的自由，獲得了不受壓迫的權利。我們還沒有走完奮斗旅程的最后一步，而只是在更漫長甚至更艱難的旅程中邁出了第一步。因為，要獲得自由并不僅僅是擺脫個人的束縛，更是要在活著的時候能夠尊重和增進他人的自由。我們致力于自由的努力所受到的真正考驗才剛剛開始。

我已經走過了漫漫的自由之路。我一直努力做到不畏縮。一路走來，我也曾數次失足。但我發現一個秘密：爬上一座大山后，你只會發現前面還有更多的山要爬。我已經在此處休息了片刻，悄悄看了看周圍的壯美景色，回首望了望已經走過的路。但我只能稍息片刻，因為伴隨自由而來的是責任；我不敢就此停留，因為我的漫漫自由路還沒有走完。

曼德拉的牢獄生活

在暗無天日的牢獄中度過27年，受著白人獄警的歧視和欺侮，幾乎無法與親人通信，與妻女也僅見過寥寥數面，若換了尋常人，恐怕早已崩潰。但曼德拉并非常人，他深知何為生活，懂得從生活瑣事中得到滿足。他在自傳《漫漫自由路》中寫道：“To survive in prison， one must develop ways to take satisfaction in one's daily life. One can feel fulfilled by washing one's clothes so that they are particularly clean， by sweeping a hallway so that it is empty of dust， by organizing one's cell to conserve as much space as possible. The same pride one takes in more consequential （重要的） tasks outside of prison one can find in doing small things inside prison.”他甚至還在監獄里開辟了一方菜園，用自己辛勤的汗水澆灌出豐收的果實。他懂得勞動的意義、學習的意義和鍛煉的意義，所以一直擁有勤勞的品格、不凡的遠見和健康的身體。即使在監獄中，他也從未放棄過斗爭，不僅為獄中同胞爭取權利，還與獄外的組織保持聯系。他的行為甚至感動了幾位獄警，獲得了他們的幫助。這27年的生活并未消磨他的斗志，反而讓他的思想得到升華，使之站在更高的高度，從一位民族英雄蛻變為一個時代的偉人。

1. mealie [?mi?li] n. <南非> [～s]玉米

2. abide by： 遵守（法律、決定等）；信守（諾言等）

3. transitory [?tr?ns?tri] adj. 短暫的，片刻的，曇花一現的

4. obstruct [?b?str?kt] vt. 阻礙，阻止

5. curtail [k???te?l] vt. 減少，削減；<古>剝奪

6. attorney [??t??ni] n. <美>律師

7. falter [?f??lt?（r）] vi. 動搖，猶豫；畏縮

8. vista [?v?st?] n. 遠景

譯 / 趙青奇