雙語閱讀：自由思想與心靈的作用

以下是本站小編整理的哲理類英語美文欣賞：自由思想與心靈的作用 ， 希望對你有所啓發。

　　Free Minds and Hearts at Work by Jackie Robinson

自由思想與心靈的作用 傑基·羅賓遜

At the beginning of the World Series of 1947, I experienced a completely new emotion, whenthe National Anthem was time, I thought, it is being played for me, as much as foranyone else. This is organized major league baseball, and I am standing here with all theothers; and everything that takes place includes me.

1947年的世界職業棒球大賽開賽那天，當美國國歌奏響的那一刻，我產生了一種全新的情感。這一次，國歌是爲我而奏，就像爲其他人奏一樣。我終於能和其他人一樣，站在職業棒球大聯盟球賽的賽場上，成爲這一切的一部分。

About a year later, I went to Atlanta, Georgia, to play in an exhibition game. On the field, forthe first time in Atlanta, there were Negroes and whites. Other Negroes, besides me. And Ithought: What I have always believed has come to be.

大約一年以後，我參加了在喬治亞州首府亞特蘭大舉辦的一次棒球表演賽。這是亞特蘭大的賽場上第一次同時出現白人和黑人運動員。除我之外，還有其他黑人選手。那一刻，我一直堅守的信念終於實現了。

And what is it that I have always believed? First, that imperfections are human. But thatwherever human beings were given room to breathe and time to think, those imperfectionswould disappear, no matter how slowly. I do not believe that we have found or even approachedperfection. That is not necessarily in the scheme of human events. Handicaps, stumblingblocks, prejudices - all of these are imperfect. Yet, they have to be reckoned with because theyare in the scheme of human events.

我一直堅守的信念是什麼呢?首先，我知道人類不可避免會有缺陷。但只要人類有一息尚存，只要人類還能思考，這些缺陷一定會逐漸消失，無論過程會多麼漫長。我 並不認爲我們已經到達或正在接近完美無缺的境界。完美無缺的境界並非人類社會不可或缺的一部分。有些缺陷，例如殘疾、障礙和偏見，在人類社會中都存在，也 就需要我們勇敢地去面對。

Whatever obstacles I found made me fight all the harder. But it would have been impossiblefor me to fight at all, except that I was sustained by the personal and deep-rooted belief thatmy fight had a chance. It had a chance because it took place in a free society. Not once was Iforced to face and fight an immovable object. Not once was the situation so cast-iron rigidthat I had no chance at all. Free minds and human hearts were at work all around me; and sothere was the probability of improvement. I look at my children now, and know that I muststill prepare them to meet obstacles and prejudices.

我一路上遇到的阻礙都促使我更加努力地去抗爭、去奮鬥。然而，如果不是我內心深處堅信我的奮鬥有希望，我就根本無法堅持。我的奮鬥有希望，因爲這是一個自 由的社會。在這裏，我不止一次遇到過無法逾越的障礙，也不止一次經歷過令人絕望的境況。但那時，思想與心靈的自由便能起作用，讓我擺脫困境。如今我看着自 己的孩子們，我知道我仍需要他們準備面對困難與歧視。

But I can tell them, too, that they will never face some of these prejudices because other peoplehave gone before them. And to myself I can say that, because progress is unalterable, manyof today's dogmas will have vanished by the time they grow into adults. I can say to mychildren: There is a chance for you. No guarantee, but a this chance has come tobe, because there is nothing static with free people. There is no Middle Ages logic so strongthat it can stop the human tide from flowing forward. I do not believe that every person, inevery walk of life, can succeed in spite of any handicap. That would be perfection. But I dobelieve - and with every fiber in me - that what I was able to attain came to be because we putbehind us (no matter how slowly) the dogmas of the past: to discover the truth of today; andperhaps find the greatness of tomorrow.

然而，我可以告訴他們，正因爲前人的努力奮鬥，他們今後不必再經受我們現在承受的某些偏見。我也告訴自己，社會進步是必然的，當我的孩子們長大成人時，現 在社會上的許多教條一定會消失。因此，我可以告訴我的孩子們：你們有希望——我不敢保證什麼，但肯定有希望。有自由思想的人決不會停滯不前，所以你們有希 望。再也沒有中世紀強大荒謬的邏輯能阻擋人類歷史的潮流滾滾向前。我並不認爲從事任何職業的任何人都能排除一切障礙獲得成功——這樣的完美不現實。但我的 確有一條堅定不疑的信念——我現在所做到的一切是因爲我們能夠拋開從前的教條(無論多麼緩慢)，能探尋當下的真理，也許還能發現未來的美好。

I believe in the human race. I believe in the warm heart. I believe in man's integrity. I believe inthe goodness of a free society. And I believe that the society can remain good only as long aswe are willing to fight for it - and to fight against whatever imperfections may fightwas against the barriers that kept Negroes out of baseball. This was the area where I foundimperfection, and where I was best able to fight. And I fought because I knew it was notdoomed to be a losing fight. It couldn't be a losing fight-not when it took place in a freesociety. And in the largest sense, I believe that what I did was done for me - that it was myfaith in God that sustained me in my fight. And that what was done for me must and will bedone for others.

我相信人類。我相信熱誠的心。我相信人們的正直與誠實。我相信自由社會中的美德。我相信只要我們願意爲之奮鬥，願意與所存在的缺陷抗爭到底，這個社會就能永遠美好。棒球比賽將黑人拒之門外就是人類社會的一種缺陷。既然我有這個能力，我就要和這種現象抗爭到底。我抗爭，因爲我知道這場戰鬥並非註定以失敗告終。這場戰鬥不會失敗——在一個自由社會中這場戰鬥不可能失敗。大而言之，我所做到的一切都市上蒼的眷顧——正是我對上帝的信仰支撐着我，給我抗爭的勇氣。我相信被眷顧的不僅僅是我一個人，而應是、也將是我們所有人。