History's deadliest king - by Georges Nzongola-Ntalaja

翻译人员: YUE QIU 校对人员: Helen Chang

On December 12, 1904, Chief Lontulu laid 110 twigs

1904年12月12日，龙图鲁酋长 在一个外国调查团面前

in front of a foreign commission.

摆下了110根树枝。

Every twig represented a person in his village who died

每根树枝都代表一个他所在村里

because of King Leopold’s horrific regime in the Congo—

死于利奥波德二世 在刚果的可怕统治时期的人，

all in the name of rubber.

他们罪名都是：抢劫。

Chief Lontulu separated the twigs into four piles:

龙图鲁酋长把树枝分为四堆：

tribal nobles, men, women, and children—

部落贵族、男人、女人和孩子。

then proceeded to name the dead of one-by-one.

然后一个个地说出他们的名字。

His testimony joined hundreds of others to help bring an end

他的证词以及数百人其他人的证词

引致结束了历史上 最为残暴的暴行之一。

to one of the greatest atrocities in history.

Beginning in the late 1800s,

从十九世纪末开始，

European countries participated in the so-called “Scramble for Africa.”

欧洲国家竞相加入 “瓜分非洲”的活动中。

They colonized 90% of the continent,

他们殖民了90%的非洲大陆，

exploiting African resources and enriching their countries.

把掠夺而来的资源 变成自己国家的财富。

Belgium had recently become an independent kingdom.

那时，比利时刚刚 成为一个独立的王国。

Its ruler, Leopold II, wanted to acquire what he called

他们的统治者利奥波德二世 想如他所说的

“a slice of this magnificent African cake.”

“从非洲大蛋糕上分上一块”。

Meanwhile, he read colonial explorer Henry Morton Stanley’s reports

此时，他读到殖民地探险家 亨利·莫顿·史丹利

about traveling through Africa.

所写的关于非洲的游记。

Stanley emphasized the Congo basin’s majesty.

史丹利在书中强调了 刚果盆地的雄伟壮观。

So, in 1879, Leopold contracted him to return to the Congo.

于是，1879年，

利奥波德二世资助史丹利重回刚果。

There, Stanley deceived leaders into signing some 450 treaties

在刚果，史丹利欺骗 领主们签署了大概450多个协议

allowing for land use.

允许使用他们的土地。

Leopold persuaded the US and European powers to grant him ownership

利奥波德二世说服美国和欧洲势力

确保他对刚果的所有权，

of the Congo,

pledging to protect free trade in the region.

承诺保护该地区的自由贸易。

And on May 29, 1885, a territory more than 80 times the size of Belgium

到了1885年5月29日， 一块面积超过比利时国土面积80倍、

and home to 20 million people was declared his own private colony—

人口达到两千万人的土地 成为了他的私人殖民地。

by no one it actually belonged to.

而实际上，这块土地不属于任何人。

Leopold lost no time consolidating power in what he called the Congo Free State.

利奥波德二世迅速地巩固了 他在所谓的“刚果自由州”的权力。

He claimed land, raised an army,

他宣誓主权，建立了一支军队，

and forced many Congolese men to complete unpaid labor.

并且强迫许多刚果男人无偿劳动。

Things got even worse when, in 1887,

1887年，情形变得更糟

a Scottish inventor redeveloped the pneumatic tire,

一个苏格兰发明家（注：邓禄普） 设计出充气轮胎，

creating a massive international market for rubber.

一下子为橡胶开创了巨大的国际市场。

The Congo had one of the world’s largest supplies.

刚果是世界上最大的供应国之一。

Leopold seized the opportunity,

利奥波德二世抓住了这个机会，

requiring villages to meet ever-greater rubber quotas.

强迫村民们完成不断上涨的橡胶任务。

Congolese men had to harvest the material from wild vines.

刚果男人们不得不 从野生橡胶树上收割原料。

As supplies drained, they walked for days to gather enough.

当原料枯竭时， 他们要走上数天才能搜集够。

Leopold’s army entered villages and held women and children hostage

利奥波德二世的军队进入村庄， 把妇女和孩子当作人质，

until the impossible quota was met.

直到不可能的任务被完成。

Soldiers sexually violated women and deprived children of food and water.

士兵们性侵妇女， 剥夺孩子们的食物和水。

Congolese people rebelled—

刚果人民忍无可忍，发动了起义。

they refused to cooperate, fought Leopold’s soldiers,

他们拒绝合作， 与利奥波德二世的士兵作战，

hid in the forests, and destroyed rubber vines.

躲进森林，破坏橡胶园。

Leopold’s army responded to resistance or failure to meet quotas

当遭遇抵抗或生产任务未能完成，

with unflinching torture and executions.

利奥波德二世的军队用

冷酷的拷打和处决来回应。

Because guns and ammunition were expensive,

因为枪支弹药非常昂贵，

officers ordered soldiers to prove they used their bullets in the line of duty

军官要求士兵们 砍下他们杀死的人的一只手，

by removing a hand from anyone they killed.

来证明子弹是用于执行任务。

However, many soldiers hunted using their guns.

然而，很多士兵使用枪支来狩猎。

To avoid harsh penalties and account for lost bullets,

为了避免严厉的惩罚 和丢失子弹的责任，

they cut off living people’s hands.

他们从活人的身上砍下手。

They also used this practice as punishment.

他们还用这种方式作为惩罚的手段。

If rubber quotas weren’t met,

如果橡胶任务没有完成，

soldiers would sever people’s hands and bring them to their commanders

士兵们会砍断人们的手，

把它们代替橡胶交给他们的指挥官。

instead of rubber.

The regime dramatically upended daily life and agriculture,

这种统治极大地改变了 日常生活和农业生产，

causing widespread starvation and disease.

导致饥饿和疾病广泛传播。

Meanwhile, King Leopold built monuments and private estates

而与此同时，利奥波德二世 却用他攫取的财富

with the wealth he extracted.

建立起纪念碑和私人庄园。

Soon, people brought international attention to the horrific abuses

很快，利奥波德二世的 “刚果自由州”的人民

of Leopold’s Congo Free State.

所遭受的非人虐待引起了国际关注。

In 1890, American journalist George Washington Williams

1890年，美国记者 乔治·华盛顿·威廉姆斯

accused King Leopold of “deceit, fraud, robberies, arson,

指控利奥波德二世 “欺骗、欺诈、抢劫、纵火、

murder, slave-raiding, and [a] general policy of cruelty.”

谋杀、抢劫奴隶， 和残忍的一贯政策。”

In 1903, Diplomat Roger Casement wrote a report that corroborated

1903年，外交官罗杰·凯门特 撰写了一份报告，

证实了暴政的性质和规模。

the nature and scale of the atrocities.

It was published the following year.

这份报告于次年出版。

In response, Leopold appointed his own commission to investigate the accusations.

作为回应，利奥波德二世派出了 自己的代表团调查这些指控。

They heard numerous witness statements in the Congo— Chief Lontulu’s included.

代表团听到了刚果无数目击者的证词，

这其中，就包括龙图鲁酋长。

The report only confirmed the worst.

最终的报告证明事实 比已出版的报告还严重。

Facing pressure, Leopold relinquished control of the Congo

面对压力，利奥波德二世 放弃了对刚果的控制，

to the Belgian government in 1908.

于1908年，把权力 移交给了比利时政府。

But this did not mean justice.

但是，这一切并不意味着正义来临。

The Belgian state awarded Leopold 50 million francs

因为，比利时政府授予 利奥波德二世5000万法郎

“in testimony for his great sacrifice in favor of the Congo.”

作为“他为刚果所付出的 巨大牺牲的证明”。

He died the following year.

利奥波德二世于第二年 （1909年）去世。

Crowds booed his funeral procession.

人群对他的送葬队伍发出嘘声。

For more than 50 years following, the Congo remained a Belgian colony,

在接下来的超过50年的岁月里， 刚果始终是比利时的殖民地。

until declaring independence in 1960.

直到1960年，刚果宣布独立。

That year, the Congo elected its first prime minister, Patrice Lumumba.

当年，刚果选举出第一个总理 ——帕特里斯·卢蒙巴。

But months later, he was unseated in a US and Belgium backed coup.

但是几个月后，他就被 美国和比利时支持的政变赶下了台。

In early 1961, Lumumba was assassinated under Belgian supervision.

1961年初，卢蒙巴在 比利时的“监护”下遇刺身亡。

The coup launched the country into a decades-long dictatorship.

政变把刚果带入了 长达数十年的独裁统治。

Around 10 million Congolese people are thought to have died

据信，大概有一千万刚果人死于

during Leopold’s occupation and looting of the Congo.

利奥波德二世占领、 抢劫刚果的时期。

Despite this devastation, calls for reparations have gone unanswered.

尽管遭受了巨大的破坏，

补偿刚果人民的呼声 犹如泥牛入海，没有响应。

To this day, throughout Belgium can be found the monuments King Leopold built

时至今日，在整个比利时 随处都可以看到

利奥波德二世那些建立在 难以置信的残暴基石之上的纪念碑。

on a foundation of inconceivable cruelty.