Of course, you didn’t ask to be at the center
你和我都不愿介入
of this historic conflagration any more than I did,
这个历史的冲突
but we find ourselves here nonetheless
但鬼使神差 我们介入了
by some mysterious mix of circumstances
而全世界都在注视着我们
and all the world watching.
那么 我们该怎么办呢
So, what are we to do?
他要帮助我们吗 他的问题多于答案
Is he going to help? He has far many more questions than answers.
-他刚才说什么 -我…我没听清
-What’d he just say? -Sorry. I didn’t catch it.
辛克 我对你十分坦白
Cinque, look. I’m being honest with you.
对你有任何隐瞒都是罪过
Anything less would be disrespectful.
我对你说这些是为你做准备
I’m telling you, I’m preparing you,
我想对你解释
I suppose I’m explaining to you
我们面对的是一项艰巨的任务
that the test ahead of us is an exceptionally difficult one.
我们并不孤单
We won’t be going in there alone.
的确不孤单 真理在我们这边
Alone? Indeed not. No. We have right at our side.
我们有正义
We have righteousness at our side.
有那位鲍德温先生
We have Mr. Baldwin over there.
我指的是我的祖先
I meant my ancestors.
我会回到过去
I will call into the past,
遥远的过去
far back to the beginning of time,
请求我们的祖先
and beg them to come and help me
在法庭判决时帮助我们
at the judgment.
我会把他们从过去召到现在
I will reach back and draw them into me.
他们必定会来
And they must come,
因为在这一刻 我是 他们生存的全部意义
for at this moment, I am the whole reason they have existed at all.
谢谢
Thank you.
法官大人
Your Honors,
我深感快慰
I derive much consolation
因为我的同事鲍德温先生
from the fact that my colleague, Mr. Baldwin here,
一直辩护得
has argued the case
无懈可击
in so able and so complete a manner
我已经没什么可补充的了
as to leave me scarcely anything to say.
不过
However,
我们为什么在这里
why are we here?
为什么这个简单的财产问题
How is it that a simple, plain property issue
会演变得这么严重
should now find itself so ennobled as to be argued before
以致于到美国最高法♥院♥裁决
the Supreme Court of the United States of America?
我是说 是我们害怕基层法♥院♥
I mean, do we fear the lower courts, which found for us easily,
遗漏了事实误判了我们
somehow missed the truth? Is that it?
还是我们过度害怕内战
Or is it, rather, our great and consuming fear of civil war
以致把这个简单的案子
that has allowed us to heap symbolism
加上许多象征意义
upon a simple case that never asked for it?
现在我们甚至无视
And now would have us disregard truth
眼前如山的事实
even as it stands before us, tall and proud as a mountain.
本案的事实…
The truth,
事实上 像奴隶一样饱受折磨
in truth, has been driven from this case like a slave,
在法庭中被鞭笞凌♥辱♥
flogged from court to court, wretched and destitute.
不是因为控方
And not by any great legal acumen
在法庭上有优秀的表现
on the part of the opposition, I might add.
而是因为行政机关暗中施压
But through the long, powerful arm of the executive office.
各位 本案不再仅是财物诉讼
Yea, this is no mere property case. Gentlemen, I put it to you thus.
本案是本庭最重要的诉讼案
This is the most important case ever to come before this court.
因为争论的重点在于
Because what it in fact concerns
人的本性
is the very nature of man.
啊 这几份是
These are…
这些是信件
These are transcriptions of letters
我们国务卿约翰·福塞斯
written between our Secretary of State, John Forsyth,
与西班牙女王之间的书信
and the Queen of Spain, Isabella II.
现将其呈上法庭
Now, I ask that you
供各位判决时参考
accept their perusal as part of your deliberations.
谢谢 先生
Thank you, sir.
我现在想指出的是
I would not touch on them now except to notice
这里重复出现过一个古怪的字眼
a curious phrase which is much repeated.
女王屡次指责我们的法庭不称职
The Queen again and again refers to our “incompetent courts.”
怎样的法庭才能合她意呢
Now what, I wonder, would be more to her liking?
一个判非洲人败诉的法庭
A court that finds against the Africans?
我认为不是
Well, I think not.
女王要的是这样一个法庭
And here is the fine point of it.
像她国内一样的法庭
What Her Majesty wants is a court that behaves just like her courts,
供这个11岁女童嬉戏的法庭
the courts this 11-year-old child plays with
在魔术王国西班牙里
in her magical kingdom called Spain.
一个听话的法庭
A court that will do what it is told.
一个可以当玩具来玩的法庭
A court that can be toyed with like a doll.
一个刚好也是 我们的总统
A court, as it happens, of which our own President,
范布伦引以为荣的法庭
Martin Van Buren, would be most proud.
谢谢
Thank you.
这是总统办公室出版的刊物
This is a publication of the office of the President.
叫”行政评论” 我想你们都阅读过
It’s called The Executive Review, and I’m sure you all read it.
起码总统希望你们都阅读过
At least I’m sure the President hopes you all read it.
这是最近的一♥期♥ 里面有一篇文章
This is a recent issue, and there’s an article in here
作者署名为南方的明眼人
written by “a keen mind of the South,” who…
可能是我的前副总统卡胡恩
My former Vice President, John Calhoun, perhaps.
有可能是他吗
Could it be?
他宣称从来没有一个文明社会
Who asserts that “there has never existed a civilized society
没有人压♥迫♥人的现象
“in which one segment did not thrive upon the labor of another.
历史上证据确凿
“As far back as one chooses to look,
从圣经时代到现在
“to ancient times, to biblical times,
历史都是这样
“history bears this out.
甚至在伊甸园 只有两个人时
“In Eden, where only two were created,
依然是一个听命于另一个
“even there, one was pronounced subordinate to the other.
奴隶制度源远流长 既非罪孽亦非不道德
Slavery has always been with us and is neither sinful nor immoral.
与战争和对抗一样 是人之本性
“Rather, as war and antagonism are the natural states of man,
奴隶制度也是自然难免的
“so, too, slavery, as natural as it is inevitable.”
但我不敢苟同南方的明眼人
Well, gentlemen, I must say I differ with the keen minds of the South
以及持同样观点的现任总统
and with our President, who apparently shares their views,
我对人性的看法是
offering that the natural state of mankind is instead,
我知道这是个有争议的观点
and I know this is a controversial idea,
是自♥由♥
is freedom.
自♥由♥
Is freedom.
证据是男人 妇女或孩子一旦失去自♥由♥
And the proof is the length to which a man,
必会千方百计去夺回
woman or child will go to regain it, once taken.
他将挣脱枷锁
He will break loose his chains.
歼灭其敌人
He will decimate his enemies.
他将百折不挠
He will try and try and try,
排除万难 冲破偏见
against all odds, against all prejudices,
就为了回家
to get home.
辛克 你愿意就请你站起来
Cinque, would you stand up, if you would,
让大家都能看到你
so everyone can see you.
他是黑人 这显而易见
This man is black. We can all see that.
但另一点大家也容易看到吗
But can we also see as easily that which is equally true?
他是这里唯一真正的英雄
That he is the only true hero in this room.
如果他是白人 他不会在这里
Now, if he were white, he wouldn’t be standing before this court,
在法庭上为生存挣求
fighting for his life.
如果他是白人或英国人的奴隶
If he were white and his enslavers were British,
他将得到
he wouldn’t be able to stand,
大批勋章
so heavy the weight of the medals and honors
而我们会对他大加赞扬
we would bestow upon him.
创作歌♥曲颂扬他
Songs would be written about him.
大作家会把他大书特书
The great authors of our times would fill books about him.
我们的学校
His story would be told
会把他的事迹在课堂上讲述
and retold in our classrooms.
经我们努力他会家喻户晓
Our children, because we would make sure of it,
我们的后代会视他为伟人
would know his name as well as they know Patrick Henry’s.
但如果南方诸君的观点正确
Yet, if the South is right,
我们将如何面对这令人尴尬 令人烦恼的
what are we to do with that embarrassing, annoying document,
独♥立♥宣言
the Declaration of Independence?
值以骄傲的
What of its conceits?
人人生来平等
“All men created equal,” “inalienable rights,”
生存 自♥由♥
“life, liberty,”
都是他们不可侵犯的天赋权利 等等
and so on and so forth?
我们究竟该怎样处理此案

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