The electrifying speeches of Sojourner Truth - Daina Ramey Berry

翻译人员: Hua Wang 校对人员: Yifei Liu

In early 1828, Sojourner Truth approached the Grand Jury of Kingston, New York.

1828 年初，索杰纳·特鲁斯 来到纽约州金斯顿陪审团。

She had no experience with the legal system,

她对司法制度不甚了解，

no money, and no power in the eyes of the court.

在法庭看来，她人微言轻。

Ignoring the jury’s scorn,

但她无视陪审团的蔑视，

Truth said she was there to fight for custody of her five-year-old son Peter,

一心为夺回 被非法贩卖到阿拉巴马州，

who’d been illegally sold to an enslaver in Alabama.

5 岁的儿子彼得的监护权而抗争。

As the trial played out over the next several months,

数月后庭审结束，

Truth raised funds, strategized with lawyers,

期间特鲁斯自筹资金， 与律师制定策略，

and held her faith.

并且坚守信念。

Finally in the spring of 1828, Peter was returned to her care—

1828 年春天， 彼得终于回到了她的身边 ——

but Truth’s work was far from over.

但特鲁斯的使命远不止于此。

She would dedicate the rest of her life to pursuing justice

她将用余生捍卫正义

and spiritual understanding.

和宗教包容。

Truth was born into slavery as Isabella Baumfree

在 18 世纪晚期的 纽约州阿尔斯特县，

in the late 18th century in Ulster County, New York.

特鲁斯一出生就成为了奴隶， 原名伊莎贝拉·鲍姆弗里。

Although New York state had announced the abolition of slavery in 1799,

尽管纽约州于 1799 年 已经宣布废除奴隶制，

the emancipation act was gradual.

但废奴过程却进展缓慢。

Those who were currently enslaved

那些现有的奴隶们，

were forced to serve a period of indentured servitude until their mid-20s.

仍需被迫执行奴役契约 直至 25 岁左右。

Throughout this period, enslavers repeatedly sold Baumfree,

在此期间， 奴隶主曾多次出售鲍姆弗利，

tearing her from her loved ones.

强迫她与亲人分开。

Often, she was explicitly prevented from pursuing new relationships.

通常，她被明令禁止恋爱婚嫁。

Eventually, she married an enslaved man named Thomas,

然而最后， 她嫁给了一个叫托马斯的奴隶，

with whom she had three children.

并养育了三个孩子。

She was desperate to keep her new family together—

她不顾一切维系家庭的完整——

but the slow progress of abolition threatened this hope.

但缓慢的废除进程 威胁着这一希望。

Baumfree’s enslaver, John Dumont, had promised to free her by 1826.

鲍姆弗利的奴隶主，约翰·杜蒙， 承诺于 1826 年释放她。

When he failed to keep his word, Baumfree fled for her safety.

然而他却言而无信。 为了自己的安全，鲍姆弗利逃走了。

During the escape, she was only able to rescue her youngest daughter Sophia,

逃亡期间，她只救出了 小女儿索菲亚，

while her other children remained in bondage.

而她的其他孩子仍被奴役着。

It would be two years before she regained custody of Peter.

这是她获得彼得 监护权的两年前。

After that, she would wait another two years

之后，她还需要再等两年

before she saw any of her other children.

才能见到她其他的孩子。

During this time, Baumfree found solace in her faith

在此期间，鲍姆弗利 在信仰中找到了安慰

and became increasingly dedicated to religious reflection.

并逐渐专注于宗教反思。

After settling in Kingston, New York,

定居纽约金斯顿后，

she joined a Methodist community that shared her political views.

她加入了与她有着 共同政治主张的卫理公会。

She continued her practice of speaking aloud to God in private,

她私下不停地练习 对上帝大声说话，

and one night, her evening prayers took on even more sacred significance.

一天晚上，她的祷告更具神圣的意义。

Baumfree claimed to hear the voice of God, telling her to leave Kingston,

鲍姆弗利声称听到了上帝的声音， 让她离开金斯顿，

and share her holy message with others.

向人们昭示神的旨意。

Though she never learned to read or write,

鲍姆弗利目不识丁，

Baumfree became known as an electrifying orator,

但她逐渐以一位慷慨激昂的 演说家的身份而名声大噪，

whose speeches drew on Biblical references,

她的演讲取材于圣经，

spiritual ideals, and her experience of slavery.

精神理念和她的奴隶经历。

Her sermons denounced the oppression of African Americans and women in general,

她的布道通常谴责 对非裔美国人和妇女的压迫，

and became prominent in campaigns for both abolition and women’s rights.

在废奴和女权运动中 起到了重要作用。

In 1843, she renamed herself Sojourner Truth

1843 年，她更名为 索杰纳·特鲁斯，

and embarked on a legendary speaking tour.

并开启了她传奇的巡回演说之旅。

Truth saw her journey as a mission from God.

特鲁斯视这次巡讲为上帝布道。

Her faith often led her to the nation’s most hostile regions,

她的信仰使她常去 全国最敌视她的地区，

where she spoke to bigoted audiences as the only Black woman in the crowd.

在那里，她是顽固保守的听众中 唯一的黑人女性。

Truth was confident God would protect her,

特鲁斯坚信上帝会保护她，

but some crowds responded to her bravery with violence.

但一些群众用暴力 回应了她的勇敢。

During one of her sermons,

在一次布道时，

a mob of white men threatened to set fire to the tent where she was speaking.

一群白人暴徒威胁 要放火烧掉她演讲的帐篷。

In her memoir, Truth recalled steeling herself to confront them:

在回忆录中， 特鲁斯回忆自己决心直面他们：

“Have I not faith enough to go out and quell that mob…

“难道我没有足够的信心 出去镇压暴徒吗······

I felt as if I had three hearts!

我感觉我像是有三颗心！

And that they were so large, my body could hardly hold them!”

而且它们那么大， 身体几乎难以容纳！”

She placated the men with song and prayer, until they had no desire to harm her.

她用歌声和祷告安抚暴徒， 直至他们不再想伤害她。

Truth’s speeches impacted thousands of people in communities across the nation,

特鲁斯的演讲 影响了全国成千上万的人，

but her activism went far beyond public speaking.

但她的行动远不止于公开演讲。

During the Civil War, she became involved with the Union Army,

内战期间， 她加入了联邦军队，

recruiting soldiers and organizing supplies for Black troops.

从事招募士兵， 为黑人军队管理供给品的工作。

Her work was so well regarded that she was invited to meet President Lincoln.

她的工作广受好评， 甚至被邀请面见林肯总统。

She took the occasion to argue that all formerly enslaved people

她借此良机提出 所有以前被奴役的人

should be granted land by the government.

都应该被政府授予土地。

Truth continued to travel and speak well into her 80s.

直至 80 多岁， 特鲁斯仍坚持巡回演说。

Until her death in 1883, she remained an outspoken critic

在 1883 年去世前， 她一直是一位直言不讳的批评家，

who fought for her right to be heard in a hostile world.

在充满敌意的世界 为自己争取权力。

As Truth once said, “I feel safe even in the midst of my enemies;

正如特鲁斯所说， “即使我身处敌营，仍能随遇而安；

for the truth is powerful and will prevail."

因为真理攻无不克， 必将战无不胜。”