Douglass,Frederick.“WhattotheSlaveIstheFourthofJuly:AnAddressDeliveredinRochester,NewYork,on5July1852.”.
弗雷德里克道格拉斯：7月4日对黑奴有何意义
FrederickDouglas弗雷德里克-道格拉斯(1817—1895)是一名杰出的演说家、作家、人道主义者和政治活动家。在废奴运动中他是一个巨人般的人物。他生为奴隶，从未见过生身父母，是在马里兰州的一个种植园中由祖母带大的。八岁时他被送到巴尔的摩当家奴。在巴尔的摩，女主人教他读书、虽然这是法律禁止的。他二十一岁时逃往纽约市和马萨诸塞州的贝得福德，在那里他将自己的姓氏改为道格拉斯(原先叫贝利)。
演讲原文
Fellow-citizens,pardonme,allowmetoask,whyamIcalledupontospeakhereto-dayWhathaveI,orthoseIrepresent,todowithyournationalindependenceArethegreatprinciplesofpoliticalfreedomandofnaturaljustice,embodiedinthatDeclarationofIndependence,extendedtousandamI,therefore,calledupontobringourhumbleofferingtothenationalaltar,andtoconfessthebenefitsandexpressdevoutgratitudefortheblessingsresultingfromyourindependencetous
公民同胞们，对不起，请允许我问一声：为什麽今天叫我在这里发言你们的国家独立与我以及我所代表的人们有何相干所以，我是否被叫到这里，向国家的祭坛奉献上我们微不足道的牺牲贡品，然后，由于你们的独立赐福了我们而要我连声谢谢、感恩戴德吗
WouldtoGod,bothforyoursakesandours,thatanaffirmativeanswercouldbetruthfullyreturnedtothesequestions!Thenwouldmytaskbelight,andmyburdeneasyanddelightful.Forwhoistheresocold,thatanation’ssympathycouldnotwarmhimWhosoobdurateanddeadtotheclaimsofgratitude,thatwouldnotthankfullyacknowledgesuchpricelessbenefitsWhosostolidandselfish,thatwouldnotgivehisvoicetoswellthehallelujahsofanation’sjubilee,whenthechainsofservitudehadbeentornfromhislimbsIamnotthatman.Inacaselikethat,thedumbmighteloquentlyspeak,andthe“lamemanleapasanhart.”
为了你们也为了我们，但愿上帝真能听到对这些问题的肯定回答。如真是这样，我的任务就容易了，身上的担子也就挑得轻松愉快了。有谁会如此铁石心肠以至于一个国家的慰问都不能使之感动有谁会如此顽固不化、缺乏感激之心而不感谢得到了这些无估价的恩惠呢又有谁是如此淡漠和自私，以至于手脚上奴役的锁链被解开时都不放开嗓门高唱这个国家欢乐的的哈利路亚呢我不是那样的人。在这样的情况下，哑巴都会开口雄辩，”瘸子会像鹿儿般欢跃”起来。
But,suchisnotthestateofthecase.Isayitwithasadsenseofthedisparitybetweenus.Iamnotincludedwithinthepaleofthisgloriousanniversary!Yourhighindependenceonlyrevealstheimmeasurabledistancebetweenus.Theblessingsinwhichyou,thisday,rejoice,arenotenjoyedincommon.—Therichinheritanceofjustice,liberty,prosperityandindependence,bequeathedbyyourfathers,issharedbyyou,notbyme.Thesunlightthatbroughtlifeandhealingtoyou,hasbroughtstripesanddeathtome.ThisFourth[of]Julyisyours,notmine.Youmayrejoice,Imustmourn.Todragamaninfettersintothegrandilluminatedtempleofliberty,andcalluponhimtojoinyouinjoyousanthems,wereinhumanmockeryandsacrilegiousirony.Doyoumean,citizens,tomockme,byaskingmetospeakto-dayIfso,thereisaparalleltoyourconduct.Andletmewarnyouthatitisdangeroustocopytheexampleofanationwhosecrimes,loweringuptoheaven,werethrowndownbythebreathoftheAlmighty,buryingthatnationinirrecoverableruin!Icanto-daytakeuptheplaintivelamentofapeeledandwoe-smittenpeople!
“BytheriversofBabylon,therewesatdown.Yea!weweptwhenwerememberedZion.Wehangedourharpsuponthewillowsinthemidstthereof.Forthere,theythatcarriedusawaycaptive,requiredofusasong;andtheywhowastedusrequiredofusmirth,saying,SingusoneofthesongsofZion.HowcanwesingtheLord’ssonginastrangelandIfIforgetthee,OJerusalem,letmyrighthandforgethercunning.IfIdonotrememberthee,letmytonguecleavetotheroofofmymouth.”
“在巴比伦河之滨，我们落坐。是啊!想起锡安山，我们哭泣着。我们把我们的竖琴悬挂在柳树上，因为就在此地，将我们沦为俘虏的人要我们唱一支歌!蹂躏我们的人叫我们欢笑起来，他们说，唱一支锡安山的歌吧!但我们怎能在一块陌生的土地上唱起主的赞美歌呢噢，耶路撤冷，如果我竟忘掉了你就让我的右手瘫痪吧!如果我忘掉了你，就让我的舌头粘在上腭顶吧!”
然而，我没想到我的有些听众会说：“正是现在，你和你的废奴主义兄弟们没给公众以良好印象。如果你们能多说理少责难，多劝戒训斥，你们事业成功的希望就大得多了。”但是，我认为，当一切都显而易见时，说什麽道理就是多余的了。关于反奴隶制的纲领你们要我说明哪一点呢这个问题在哪一个枝节上我们的国民还需要点拨呢我还须着手证明奴隶也是人吗这点已属公认，没人有所怀疑。奴隶主们在实施他们政府的法律时都承认了这一点。当他们惩罚奴隶们的反抗时就承认了这一点。维吉尼亚州列出七十二项罪行，一黑人(无论他多麽不知情)犯了其中任何一项都要处以极刑，而其中只有两项才能使一个白人受到同样惩罚。这不正说明了奴隶是有道德、有理智、有责任的人吗奴隶具有人性，这也属公认。事实证明了奴隶的人性：南方的法令条例都规定禁止教育奴隶读书写字，否则将受到高额罚款和严厉的处置。假如你们能指出有谁曾对田耕作的牛马也规定过这样的法律，那麽也许我会同意讨论奴隶是否有人性。假如街上的小狗、空中的飞鸟、山上的牛羊、海里的游角、地上的爬虫都分辨不出奴隶和野兽的区别，那麽我会和你们讨论奴隶是不是人的!
Forthepresent,itisenoughtoaffirmtheequalmanhoodoftheNegrorace.Isitnotastonishingthat,whileweareploughing,plantingandreaping,usingallkindsofmechanicaltools,erectinghouses,constructingbridges,buildingships,workinginmetalsofbrass,iron,copper,silverandgold;that,whilewearereading,writingandcyphering,actingasclerks,merchantsandsecretaries,havingamonguslawyers,doctors,ministers,poets,authors,editors,oratorsandteachers;that,whileweareengagedinallmannerofenterprisescommontoothermen,digginggoldinCalifornia,capturingthewhaleinthePacific,feedingsheepandcattleonthehill-side,living,moving,acting,thinking,planning,livinginfamiliesashusbands,wivesandchildren,and,aboveall,confessingandworshippingtheChristian’sGod,andlookinghopefullyforlifeandimmortalitybeyondthegrave,wearecalledupontoprovethatwearemen!
此时此刻，只要肯定黑色人种同样具备人性也就足够了。我们耕耘、种植、收获;我们使用各种器械工具，建房、修桥、造船;我们利用各种金属，铜、铁、金、银;我们读书、写字、计算;我们当职员、商人、秘书;我们中间有律师、医生、牧师、诗人、作家、编辑、演说家和教师;我们从事其它人所从事的一切活动，在加利福尼亚开金采矿、在太平洋里捕鲸捉鱼、在山坡上放养牛羊，我们生活着、奔忙着、行动着、思考着、计划着;在家中我们是丈夫、妻子、儿女。最重要的是，我们承认和崇奉基督教的上帝，期求来世的洪福永生。而在此情况下，还要我们证明我们是人，岂不今人惊讶万分!
WouldyouhavemearguethatmanisentitledtolibertythatheistherightfulownerofhisownbodyYouhavealreadydeclaredit.MustIarguethewrongfulnessofslaveryIsthataquestionforRepublicansIsittobesettledbytherulesoflogicandargumentation,asamatterbesetwithgreatdifficulty,involvingadoubtfulapplicationoftheprincipleofjustice,hardtobeunderstoodHowshouldIlookto-day,inthepresenceofAmericans,dividing,andsubdividingadiscourse,toshowthatmenhaveanaturalrighttofreedomspeakingofitrelatively,andpositively,negatively,andaffirmatively.Todoso,wouldbetomakemyselfridiculous,andtoofferaninsulttoyourunderstanding.—Thereisnotamanbeneaththecanopyofheaven,thatdoesnotknowthatslaveryiswrongforhim.
What,amItoarguethatitiswrongtomakemenbrutes,torobthemoftheirliberty,toworkthemwithoutwages,tokeepthemignorantoftheirrelationstotheirfellowmen,tobeatthemwithsticks,toflaytheirfleshwiththelash,toloadtheirlimbswithirons,tohuntthemwithdogs,tosellthematauction,tosundertheirfamilies,toknockouttheirteeth,toburntheirflesh,tostarvethemintoobedienceandsubmissiontotheirmastersMustIarguethatasystemthusmarkedwithblood,andstainedwithpollution,iswrongNo!Iwillnot.Ihavebetteremploymentsformytimeandstrengththansuchargumentswouldimply.
What,then,remainstobearguedIsitthatslaveryisnotdivine;thatGoddidnotestablishit;thatourdoctorsofdivinityaremistakenThereisblasphemyinthethought.Thatwhichisinhuman,cannotbedivine!WhocanreasononsuchapropositionTheythatcan,may;Icannot.Thetimeforsuchargumentispassed.
那麽，还剩下什麽需要论证呢要证明奴隶制不是天意、上帝并没有建立它吗要证明我们的神学博士们是错的吗这样想本身就是亵渎。非人道的东西不会是天意!有谁能够以此为题作出论证那些能做到这一点的人也许会这样做，但我不能。现在已不是作此论证的时候了。
Atatimelikethis,scorchingirony,notconvincingargument,isneeded.O!hadItheability,andcouldIreachthenation’sear,Iwould,to-day,pouroutafierystreamofbitingridicule,blastingreproach,witheringsarcasm,andsternrebuke.Foritisnotlightthatisneeded,butfire;itisnotthegentleshower,butthunder.Weneedthestorm,thewhirlwind,andtheearthquake.Thefeelingofthenationmustbequickened;theconscienceofthenationmustberoused;theproprietyofthenationmustbestartled;thehypocrisyofthenationmustbeexposed;anditscrimesagainstGodandmanmustbeproclaimedanddenounced.
今日此刻，需要的是灼热的钢铁，而非今人信服的论证。啊!要是我有此能力，要是我能让全国都听到我的呼声，今天我就会以滚滚巨流之势发出我尖刻无情的嘲笑、粉碎一切的谴责，摧枯拉朽的讽刺，声色俱厉的训斥。因为我们需要的不是光亮。而是火焰;我们需要的不是和风细雨，而是电闪雷鸣。我们要风暴，要飓风，要地震。国家的感情必须激励，国家的良知必须唤醒，国家的温良必须打破，国家的虚伪必须揭露。它对上帝和人类犯下的罪行必须公之于众，加以迎头痛击。
What,totheAmericanslave,isyour4thofJulyIanswer:adaythatrevealstohim,morethanallotherdaysintheyear,thegrossinjusticeandcrueltytowhichheistheconstantvictim.Tohim,yourcelebrationisasham;yourboastedliberty,anunholylicense;yournationalgreatness,swellingvanity;yoursoundsofrejoicingareemptyandheartless;yourdenunciationsoftyrants,brassfrontedimpudence;yourshoutsoflibertyandequality,hollowmockery;yourprayersandhymns,yoursermonsandthanksgivings,withallyourreligiousparade,andsolemnity,are,tohim,merebombast,fraud,deception,impiety,andhypocrisy—athinveiltocoverupcrimeswhichwoulddisgraceanationofsavages.Thereisnotanationontheearthguiltyofpractices,moreshockingandbloody,thanarethepeopleoftheseUnitedStates,atthisveryhour.
你们的7月4日对美国黑奴有何意义我的回答是：一年之中，没有哪一天比今日更使他们感到让自己无时不被沦为牺牲品的那种滔天的不公和残忍了。对他们来说，你们的庆典是欺人之道;你们鼓吹的自由是放肆的亵渎;你们的国家的伟大是虚荣的浮夸;你们的喜庆欢悦是空虚和无情的;你们对暴君的谴责是不要脸的厚颜无耻;你们自由平等的欢呼声是空洞的冒牌货;你们的祈祷和赞美诗，你们的布道和感恩，加上所有的宗教游*和仪式，不过是面对上帝的装腔作态、虚假欺骗、不虔的亵渎和虚伪的做作——不过是在野蛮人都会感到羞耻的罪行上覆盖的一层薄薄的纱巾。此时此刻，世界上还没有任何一个野蛮民族，没有任何一个其它民族，像美国人那样犯下了如此骇人听闻、鲜血淋淋的罪恶勾当。
Gowhereyoumay,searchwhereyouwill,roamthroughallthemonarchiesanddespotismsoftheoldworld,travelthroughSouthAmerica,searchouteveryabuse,andwhenyouhavefoundthelast,layyourfactsbythesideoftheeverydaypracticesofthisnation,andyouwillsaywithme,that,forrevoltingbarbarityandshamelesshypocrisy,Americareignswithoutarival.
不论你们走到哪里，不论你们在哪里寻觅，游遍旧大陆的所有君主国和专制国家，踏遍整个南美洲，收集所有残忍的记录直至穷尽;然后把你们的调查结果与美国每天发生的事作个比较，你们就会与我一样得出结论：在令人发指的野蛮和厚颜无耻的伪善方面，美国的确是举世无双了。