早在愛荷華州時(shí)
my mother used to read to me the writings of MartinLuther King
我的母親曾經(jīng)讀馬丁?路德?金的著作給我聽
In Dr. King's "Letter from a Birmingham Jail"
金牧師在"寄自伯明翰監(jiān)獄的信"中
he writes about the need to understand the urgency of the present
寫了他對現(xiàn)實(shí)緊迫性的理解的需要
He writes about an experience with a white moderate --
他寫道與一位白人溫和派人士
an ally of the civil rights movement --
民權(quán)運(yùn)動盟友的交流
who wrote to him saying that he, Dr. King was in too great a hurry
此人寫信給他 說他金牧師過于性急
and that "the lessons of Christ take time to come to earth"
而且"基督的教義傳播人世 總要花費(fèi)時(shí)日"
African Americans, the white moderate said
這位溫和派人士認(rèn)為 非裔美國人
would eventually -- eventually -- be granted their civil rights
最終 最終會獲得民權(quán)
Dr. King responded, and I quote
金牧師回應(yīng)說 我在此引用他的話
"Such an attitude stems from a tragic misconception of time
"這樣的態(tài)度乃源自對時(shí)間的可悲誤解"
and a strangely irrational notion that there is something in the flow of time
"源自一種不合理的奇特觀念 認(rèn)為在時(shí)間之流當(dāng)中"
that will inevitably cure all ills
"會有什么東西必將療治所有的邪惡"
Actually, time itself is neutral
"實(shí)際上 時(shí)間是中立的東西"
It can be used destructively or constructively
"它可以用于建設(shè) 也可以用于破壞"
More and more I feel that the people of ill will have used time
"我越發(fā)覺得 邪惡的人之利用時(shí)間"
much more effectively than the people of goodwill
"將會比善良的人更其有效"
We will have to repent in this generation not merely
"我們得在這一代進(jìn)行懺悔 不僅因"
for the hateful words and actions of the bad people
"壞人們充滿仇恨的言辭與行為"
but for the appalling silence of the good people"
"也因好人們駭人聽聞的沉默"