Mandela’s Garden1

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In early 1977,the authorities announced the end of manual labor and arranged some type of work for us to do in the courtyard,so we could spend our days in our section.The end of manual labor was liberating.I could now spend the day reading,writing letters,discussing issues with my comrades,or preparing legal documents.The free time also allowed me to pursue what became two of my favorite hobbies on Robben Island: gardeningand tennis.

1977 年年初，當局宣布取消苦力，為我們安排了些庭院做工的差事，這樣我們便可各司其職，以此度日。取消苦力就是擺脫束縛?，F下我可以每天讀書，寫信，和獄友探討大情小事，抑或準備法律文件。我也可以在羅本島利用閑暇時光做最喜歡的兩件事：種菜，打網球。

2 To survive in prison,one must develop ways to take satisfaction in one’s daily life.One can feel fulfliled by washing one’s clothes so that they are particularly clean,by sweeping a hallway so that it is empty of dust,by organizing one’s cell to save as much space as possible.Just as one takes pride in important tasks outside of prison,one can find the same pride in doing small things inside prison.

2 要在監(jiān)獄中生存，必須想方設法安于日常生活。洗衣服洗得特別干凈，打掃走廊打掃得一塵不染，獄房整理出盡可能多的空間，這些都能讓人心滿意足。像在獄外執(zhí)行重要任務能讓人感到自豪一樣，在獄內做些小事也會感到同樣的自豪。

3 Almost from the beginning of my sentence on Robben Island,I asked the authorities for permission to start a garden in the courtyard.For years,they refused without offering a reason.But eventually they gave in,and we were able to cut out a small garden on a narrow patch of earth against the far wall.

3 幾乎從在羅本島服刑之初，我就請求當局批準我們在庭院經營一個菜園。幾年來，他們一直拒絕而不解釋理由。

4 The soil in the courtyard was dry and rocky.The courtyard had been constructed over a garbage dump,and in order to start my garden,I had to remove a great many rocks to allow the plants room to grow.At the time,some of my comrades joked that I was a miner at heart,for I spent my days in a wasteland and my free time digging in the courtyard.

4 院內的土壤干燥多石。庭院建在一片垃圾場上，為開墾菜園，讓蔬菜有地方生長，我得清理大量的石塊。當時，一些獄友開玩笑，說我實際上就是一個礦工，因為我整日和荒地打交道，閑暇時間全花在了挖土上。

5 The authorities supplied me with seeds.I at first planted tomatoes,chilies,and onions—hardyplants that did not require rich earth or constant care.The early harvests were poor,but they soon improved.The authorities did not regret giving permission,for once the garden began to flourish,I often provided the warders with some of my best tomatoes and onions.

5 當局將菜種供應給我。起初我種一些番茄、辣椒和洋蔥——這些植物適應力強，無須肥沃的土地和頻繁的照料。起初的收成可憐，不久卻見了起色。菜園一經豐收，我便經常挑一些最好的番茄和洋蔥送給獄吏，這樣就沒讓當局因準予開墾而后悔。

6 While I have always enjoyed gardening,it was not until I was behind barsthat I was able to tend my own可最終他們讓了步，我們可以在遠處墻根下一塊狹窄的土地上開墾一個小菜園。garden.My first experience in the garden was at Fort Hare where,as part of the university’s manual labor requirement,I worked in one of my professors’gardens and enjoyed the contact with the soil as an alternative to my intellectual labors.Once I was in Johannesburg studying and then working,I had neither the time nor the space to start a garden.

6 雖然我一直喜歡種菜，但直到進了監(jiān)獄，我才有機會照料我自己的菜園。我首次與種菜結緣是在福特海爾大學，當時是應學校體力勞動的要求，我在一位教授的菜園工作，與土地親密接觸，樂在其中，算是對腦力勞動的調劑。隨著去約翰內斯堡學習，后來參加工作，我就既沒空，也沒地方再經營菜園了。

7 I began to order books on gardening.I studied different gardening techniques and types of fertilizers.I did not have many of the materials that the books discussed,but I learned through trial and error.For a time,I attempted to grow peanuts,and used different soils and fertilizers,but finally I gave up.It was one of my few failures.

7 我開始訂購園藝學書籍，鉆研各種各樣的園藝技能，了解品種各異的肥料。書中介紹的許多材料我都沒有，但我不斷摸索，鉆研學習。我一度嘗試種植花生，配用不同的土壤、肥料，但最終放棄了。這是我為數不多的一次失敗。

8 In some ways,I saw the garden as a metaphor for certain aspects of my life.Leaders must also look after their gardens; they,too,plant seeds,and then watch,cultivate,and harvest the results.Like gardeners,leaders must take responsibility for what they cultivate;they must mind their work,try to drive back enemies,save what can be saved,and eliminate what cannot succeed.

8 在有些方面，我會將菜園看作生活的暗喻。做領袖一定也要照管好自己的菜園；他們也要下種，勘察，培育，收獲。領袖如同園藝師，必須對自己培育的東西負責；必須心懷事業(yè)，力求擊退敵人，拯救可拯救的一切，摒棄無法實現的事情。

9 I wrote Winnietwo letters about a particularly beautiful tomato plant,how I made it grow from a tender seedlingto a strong plant that produced deep red fruit.But then,either through some mistake or lack of care,the plant began to wither and decline,and nothing I did would bring it back to health.When it finally died,I removed the roots from the soil,washed them,and buried them in a corner of the garden.

9 我給溫妮寫了兩封信，關于一棵長得格外漂亮的番茄植株的信，寫我如何將它從一株纖嫩的幼苗培育成一棵結實強壯、結出深紅果實的植株。但后來可能出了問題，抑或疏于照料，植株開始凋零枯萎，無論我做什么也無法讓它恢復健康。最后它凋亡了，我拔出土壤中的根，清洗后埋在菜園的一處角落里。

10 I told her this small story at great length.I do not know what she read into that letter,but when I wrote it I had a mixture of feelings: I did not want our relationship to go the way of that plant,and yet I felt that I had been unable to nourish many of the most important relationships in my life.Sometimes there is nothing one can do to save something that must die.■

10 我把這個小故事詳詳細細地告訴溫妮，不知她在信中會讀出什么。但我在寫信時五味雜陳：我不想我們的關系像那棵植株一樣發(fā)展，可我又感覺到對于維系生活中許多最為重要的關系，自己已無能為力。有時，注定消亡的事物無可挽救。 □