Free Minds and Hearts at Work by Jackie Robinson
自由思想与心灵有哪些用途 杰基·罗宾逊
At the beginning of the World Series of 1947, I experienced a completely new emotion, when the National Anthem was played.This time, I thought, it is being played for me, as much as for anyone else. This is organized major league baseball, and I am standing here with all the others; and everything that takes place includes me.
1947年的世界职业棒球大赛开赛那天，当美国国歌奏响的那一刻，我产生了一种全新的情感。这一次，国歌是为我而奏，就像为别的人奏一样。我终于能和别的人一样，站在职业棒球大网盟球赛的赛场上，成为这所有的一部分。
about a year later, I went to Atlanta, Georgia, to play in an exhibition game. On the field, for the first time in Atlanta, there were Negroes and whites. Other Negroes, besides me. And I thought: What I have always believed has come to be.
大约一年将来，我参加了在乔治亚州首府亚特兰大举办的一次棒球表演赛。这是亚特兰大的赛场上首次同时出现白人和黑人运动员。除我以外，还有其他黑人选手。那一刻，我一直坚守的信念终于达成了。
And what is it that I have always believed? First, that imperfections are human. But that wherever human beings were given room to breathe and time to think, those imperfections would disappear, no matter how slowly. I do not believe that we have found or even approached perfection. That is not necessarily in the scheme of human events. Handicaps, stumbling blocks, prejudices — all of these are imperfect. Yet, they have to be reckoned with because they are in the scheme of human events.
我一直坚守的信念是什么呢？第一，我了解人类不可防止会有缺点。但只须人类有一息尚存，只须人类还能考虑，这类缺点必然会渐渐消失，无论过程会多么漫长。我并不觉得大家已经到达或正在接近完美无缺的境界。完美无缺的境界并不是人类社会必不可少的一部分。有的缺点，比如残疾、障碍和偏见，在人类社会中都存在，也就需要大家勇敢地去面对。
Whatever obstacles I found made me fight all the harder. But it would have been impossible for me to fight at all, except that I was sustained by the personal and deep-rooted belief that my fight had a chance. It had a chance because it took place in a free society. Not once was I forced to face and fight an immovable object. Not once was the situation so cast-iron rigid that I had no chance at all. Free minds and human hearts were at work all around me; and so there was the probability of improvement. I look at my children now, and know that I must still prepare them to meet obstacles and prejudices.
我一路上遇见的妨碍都促进我愈加努力地去抗争、去奋斗。然而，假如不是我内心深处坚信我的奋斗有期望，我就根本没办法坚持。我的奋斗有期望，由于这是一个自 由的社会。在这里，我不只一次遇见过没办法逾越的障碍，也不只一次历程过让人绝望的境况。但那时，思想与心灵的自由便能起用途，让我摆脱困境。现在我看着自 己的小孩们，我了解我仍需要他们筹备面对困难与歧视。
But I can tell them, too, that they will never face some of these prejudices because other people have gone before them. And to myself I can say that, because progress is unalterable, many of today's dogmas will have vanished by the time they grow into adults. I can say to my children: There is a chance for you. No guarantee, but a chance.And this chance has come to be, because there is nothing static with free people. There is no Middle Ages logic so strong that it can sTOP the human tide from flowing forward. I do not believe that every person, in every walk of life, can succeed in spite of any handicap. That would be perfection. But I do believe — and with every fiber in me — that what I was able to attain came to be because we put behind us the dogmas of the past: to discover the truth of today; and perhaps find the greatness of tomorrow.
然而，我可以告诉他们，正由于前人的努力奋斗，他们以后不必再经受大家目前承受的某些偏见。我也告诉自己，社会进步是势必的，当我的小孩们长大成人时，现 在社会上的很多教条必然会消失。因此，我可以告诉我的小孩们：你们有期望——我不敢保证什么，但一定有期望。有自由思想的人决不会停滞不前，所以你们有希 望。再也没中世纪强大荒谬的逻辑能阻挡人类历史的时尚滚滚向前。我并不觉得从事任何职业的其他人都能排除所有障碍获得成功——如此的完美不现实。但我的 确有一条坚定不疑的信念——我目前所做到的所有是由于大家可以抛开以前的教条（无论多么缓慢），能探索当下的真理，或许还能发现将来的美好。
I believe in the human race. I believe in the warm heart. I believe in man's integrity. I believe in the goodness of a free society. And I believe that the society can remain good only as long as we are willing to fight for it — and to fight against whatever imperfections may exist.My fight was against the barriers that kept Negroes out of baseball. This was the area where I found imperfection, and where I was best able to fight. And I fought because I knew it was not doomed to be a losing fight. It couldn't be a losing fight-not when it took place in a free society. And in the largest sense, I believe that what I did was done for me — that it was my faith in God that sustained me in my fight. And that what was done for me must and will be done for others.
我相信人类。我相信热诚的心。我相信大家的正直与诚实。我相信自由社会中的美德。我相信只须大家想为之奋斗，想与所存在的缺点抗争到底，这个社会就能永远美好。棒球比赛将黑人拒之门外就是人类社会的一种缺点。既然我有这个能力，我就要和这种现象抗争到底。我抗争，由于我了解这场战斗并不是注定以失败告终。这场战斗不会失败——在一个自由社会中这场战斗不可能失败。大而言之，我所做到的所有都是上苍的眷顾——正是我对上帝的信仰支撑着我，给我抗争的勇气。我相信被眷顾的不止是我自己，而应是、也将是大家所有人。
附注：杰基·罗宾逊：是一位了不起的黑人棒球运动员。
