How to be fearless in the face of authoritarianism | Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya

譯者: Lilian Chiu 審譯者: Man Chun Ma

On August 12, 2020,

2020 年八月十二日，

two groups of girls went out to protest in Minsk,

有兩群女孩在白羅斯的首都

the capital city of Belarus.

明斯克進行抗議。

They put on white clothes

她們穿上白衣，

and went barefoot out into the street.

赤腳走上街頭。

In the morning,

早上，有些女孩前往 鎮中心的科馬羅夫斯基賣場。

some went to Komarovskiy Market in the center of town.

Later that day,

那天晚些時候，

the other group gathered with flowers

另一群人帶著花，聚集在

at the eternal flame under the victory monument.

勝利紀念碑下的永恆火焰旁。

They stood together holding hands,

她們手牽手站在一起，

and they started to sing the Belarusian lullaby,

開始唱白羅斯的搖籃曲，

waiting for the police cars to arrive.

等著警車到來。

They knew the police would pick them up just like that:

她們知道警方會就這樣把她們帶走：

barefoot with flowers in their hands,

打著赤腳，手上拿著花，

that they would take them to the police station,

警察會把她們帶到警局，

beat them up and try to humiliate them.

毆打她們，並試圖羞辱她們。

And yet they did it anyway.

但，她們還是做了。

This year, something changed in Belarus,

今年，白羅斯有了改變，

a country of more than nine million people

該國有超過九百萬人口，

that has been ruled by an authoritarian leader since 1994.

從 1994 年起就由 一位獨裁領袖統治。

These young women were protesting the latest rigged election result,

這些年輕女子在抗議

最近一次的選舉結果受到操縱，

which had taken [place] just a few days earlier.

選舉進行的時間只在抗議的幾天前。

Their small expressions of protest very quickly expanded

她們的小小抗議表達方式 很快就擴展出去，

into massive, peaceful, women-led demonstrations

成為全國各地響應的、 由女性領導的大型和平示威，

all across the country.

Within just a few days,

在幾天內，

a few hundred thousand people took to the streets

有數十萬人走上街頭，

and demonstrations have continued ever since,

從此示威就持續不斷，

the likes of which Belarus has never seen before.

這樣的現象在白羅斯是前所未見。

All this despite the fact

儘管如此，

that the president proclaimed himself reelected

總統仍然宣佈自己當選，

and that more than 10,000 people have been detained,

且有超過一萬人被拘留，

hundreds tortured

數百人遭刑求，

and at least six killed.

至少有六人死亡。

Many people wonder why the people of Belarus are speaking up now.

許多人很納悶，

為什麼白羅斯人選擇現在發聲？

What makes them keep taking to the streets

是什麼原因讓他們不斷走上街頭，

despite unprecedented police violence,

不顧前所未見的警方暴力，

despite state lawlessness?

不顧國家的無法無天？

The answer I hear the most

我最常聽到的答案，

is that people have become fearless,

是人民變得無所懼，

and it's something we have become together.

當我們團結起來，就會無所懼。

Because fear is the province of one.

因為一個人才會恐懼。

It feeds on isolation.

恐懼以孤離為食。

It doesn't discriminate:

它不會歧視：

men, women, children, elderly --

男性、女性、孩童、老人——

all of us can feel fear,

所有人都會感受到恐懼，

but only as long as we are on our own.

但那是我們都只能 靠自己一個人的時候。

Fearlessness takes two.

要有兩個人，才能無所懼。

It only works if and when we show up for each other.

只有在我們能為彼此 站出來時，才會有用。

Show up so that your neighbor,

站出來，讓你的鄰居、

your colleague, your friend has courage.

你的同事、你的朋友能夠鼓起勇氣。

And they will do the same for you.

而他們將來也會為你做同樣的事。

A lot has been made of my own role in the presidential election

我因為在 2020 年 八月總統大選裡所扮演的角色，

經歷了很多事。

of August 2020.

How I stepped in to run for my husband, Sergei, when he was jailed

當我先生坐牢時， 我介入代替他競選，

and it became clear that the authorities would deny him his chance to run himself;

很顯然，

當權機關不會讓他有機會自己競選；

how I rightfully won the election

當我正當地贏得選戰，

and became the elected leader of a democratic Belarus,

成為民主白羅斯的民選領導人，

but the official results only gave me 10 percent of the vote

但官方的結果只給我 實際票數的 10%，

and I was forced into exile with my children;

我還被迫和我的孩子一起被放逐，

how I still fight for those who voted for me

我繼續為那些 投票給我的人奮戰，

and whose voice the regime wants to steal;

為政權想要消音的那些人奮戰；

how "fearless" I am.

我有多麼「無所懼」。

But there were many moments when I was frightened,

但有許多時候，我其實很害怕，

and I wanted to step down.

我想要退縮。

I was threatened

我受到威脅，被迫相信

and forced to believe that I'm alone in this fight.

我在這場仗中孤軍奮戰。

And yet the more cities I visited,

但當我造訪越多城市，

the more people showed up for the rallies,

越多人出現在集會上，

the less fear I had.

我的恐懼就變得越少。

And then in the days before the election in Minsk,

接著，在明斯克選舉的前幾天，

60,000 people came to show their support for me,

六萬人站出來表達對我的支持，

and I was no longer afraid.

我便不再害怕。

I never wanted to do any of this.

這一切從來就不是我想做的。

I was never overly political,

我以前對政治不感興趣， 也從來沒有計畫要參選。

and I never planned to run for office.

I wanted to be a mom and a wife.

只想當母親和妻子。

But by fate and the will of my people,

但，因為命運以及我國人民的心願，

I was elevated to this position.

我被推上了這個位置。

And I accept this with a sense of duty and pride.

我帶著責任感和驕傲接受了這一切。

I will not give up.

我不會放棄。

And I will show up for people, because they show up for me.

我會為人民站出來， 因為他們為我站出來。

Our courage is born from unity.

我們的勇氣來自一體同心。

Our solidarity is our strength.

我們的團結是我們的力量。

I also now understand that being fearless is a commitment.

現在，我也了解到，

無所懼是一種承諾。

It is a decision you make every single day.

它是你每天做出的決策。

It is a responsibility you take --

它是你扛起來的責任——

responsibility for one another.

為彼此扛起的責任。

In this regard, I'm no different from my fellow Belarusians.

在這方面來說， 我和白羅斯同胞沒有不同。

Their support is tangible.

他們的支持是實體的。

Their solidarity grows in progression.

他們在前進的過程中越來越團結。

When there are two of you,

當有兩個「你」時，你就會有膽量。

you are daring.

When you're 100, you are brave.

當有一百個你時，你就會勇敢。

When there are thousands of you,

當有數千個你時，你就會無所懼。

you are fearless.

And once you are tens of thousands,

一旦有數萬個你，

you become invincible.

你就所向無敵。

Thank you.

謝謝。