The electrifying speeches of Sojourner Truth - Daina Ramey Berry

譯者: Lilian Chiu 審譯者: Helen Chang

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

1828 年初，索潔納·特魯斯 走向紐約州金斯頓的大陪審團。

She had no experience with the legal system,

她完全沒有法律制度的相關經驗，

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

沒有錢，在法庭的眼中也沒有權。

Ignoring the jury’s scorn,

特魯斯不理會陪審團的輕蔑，

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

她說她到那裡是要為了 五歲兒子彼得的監護權而戰，

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

彼得被非法賣給了 阿拉巴馬的一名奴役者。

As the trial played out over the next several months,

隨著審判在接下來的數個月展開，

Truth raised funds, strategized with lawyers,

特魯斯募款、和律師決定策略，

and held her faith.

並保持信念。

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

終於，在 1828 年的春天， 彼得被交還給她照顧——

but Truth’s work was far from over.

但特魯斯的工作才剛開始。

She would dedicate the rest of her life to pursuing justice

她奉獻一生去追求 正義和心靈上的理解。

and spiritual understanding.

Truth was born into slavery as Isabella Baumfree

特魯斯出生就是奴隸， 本名伊莎貝拉·鮑姆佛利，

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

於十八世紀末生在 紐約州阿爾斯特郡。

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

雖然紐約州在 1799 年 宣佈廢除奴隸制度，

the emancipation act was gradual.

解放的動作卻很緩慢。

Those who were currently enslaved

當時被奴役的人被迫在大約

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

二十五歲之前都得擔任契約傭工。

Throughout this period, enslavers repeatedly sold Baumfree,

在這段期間，奴役者 屢次將鮑姆佛利賣掉，

tearing her from her loved ones.

將她和她所愛的人拆散。

Often, she was explicitly prevented from pursuing new relationships.

通常，她會被明確禁止追求新戀情。

Eventually, she married an enslaved man named Thomas,

最終，她嫁給了一名 被奴役的男子，湯瑪斯，

with whom she had three children.

他們生了三個孩子。

She was desperate to keep her new family together—

她拼了命想讓她的 新家人能夠在一起——

but the slow progress of abolition threatened this hope.

但廢除奴隸制度的進展緩慢， 威脅到她的希望。

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

鮑姆佛利的奴役者約翰·杜蒙特 答應會在 1826 年釋放她。

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

當他食言時，鮑姆佛利 為了自身安全而逃跑。

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

逃脫期間，她僅能夠救出 她最小的女兒蘇菲亞，

while her other children remained in bondage.

她其他的孩子仍然受到奴役。

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

兩年後她才重新取得 彼得的監護權。

After that, she would wait another two years

在那之後，她又等了兩年

before she saw any of her other children.

才得以見到她的其他孩子。

During this time, Baumfree found solace in her faith

在這段期間，鮑姆佛利 在信仰中找到慰藉，

and became increasingly dedicated to religious reflection.

並越來越投入宗教反思。

After settling in Kingston, New York,

在紐約州金斯頓定居之後，

she joined a Methodist community that shared her political views.

她加入了和她有相同 政治觀點的衛理公會派團體。

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

私底下，她持續大聲地對神發聲，

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

有一晚，她的晚間禱告 有了更神聖的重要性。

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

鮑姆佛利宣稱她聽到了 神的聲音，要她離開金斯頓，

and share her holy message with others.

將她的神聖訊息傳遞給他人。

Though she never learned to read or write,

雖然從來沒有學過讀寫，

Baumfree became known as an electrifying orator,

鮑姆佛利變成了激勵演說家，

whose speeches drew on Biblical references,

她的演說引述聖經的教誨、

spiritual ideals, and her experience of slavery.

靈性的理想， 及她自己的奴隸經歷。

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

她的佈道會指責對非裔美國人 和所有女性的壓迫，

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

在廢除奴隸制度和女權的 活動中變得很出名。

In 1843, she renamed herself Sojourner Truth

1843 年，她改名為索潔納·特魯斯，

and embarked on a legendary speaking tour.

踏上傳奇性的演說巡迴之旅。

Truth saw her journey as a mission from God.

特魯斯將她的旅程 視為是神指派的任務。

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

她的信仰通常會引導她進入 美國最有敵意的地區，

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

在那裡，她是唯一的黑人女性， 要對偏執已見的觀眾演說。

Truth was confident God would protect her,

特魯斯堅信神會保護她，

but some crowds responded to her bravery with violence.

但有些人用暴力來回應她的勇氣。

During one of her sermons,

在一次佈道時，一群白人暴民威脅

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

要放火燒掉她演說的帳篷場地。

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

在回憶錄中，特魯斯回想到 她自己下決心要正面面對他們：

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

「我沒有足夠的信念 出去安撫那群暴民嗎……

I felt as if I had three hearts!

我覺得我好像有三顆心！

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

這三顆心大到我的身體 幾乎無法容納它們！」

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

她用歌曲和禱告來撫慰那些人，

直到他們沒有想要傷害她的慾望。

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

特魯斯的演說影響了 全國各地數以千計的人，

but her activism went far beyond public speaking.

但她的活動遠遠不止公開演說。

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

在內戰時，她加入聯邦軍，

recruiting soldiers and organizing supplies for Black troops.

協助招募士兵，並為黑人 軍隊整理安排補給品。

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

她的工作受到高度關注， 甚至受邀與林肯總統見面。

She took the occasion to argue that all formerly enslaved people

她利用這個機會，主張政府應該

將土地授予所有先前被奴役的人。

should be granted land by the government.

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

一直到八十多歲，特魯斯 都持續不斷到各地演說，

Until her death in 1883, she remained an outspoken critic

她於 1883 年過世，在這之前 她一直都是直言不諱的評論家，

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

在這個充滿敵意的世界中， 為她的發聲權而戰。

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

如特魯斯曾經說過的：

「即使身處在敵人之中， 我也感到安全；

for the truth is powerful and will prevail."

因為強大的真相終將勝出。」