名篇背诵15:自由思想与心灵的作用(杰基·罗宾逊)

 　　编者按：

　　我相信人类。
　　我相信热诚的心。
　　我相信人们的正直与诚实。
　　我相信自由社会中的美德。
　　我相信只要我们愿意为之奋斗，愿意与所存在的缺陷抗争到底，这个社会就能永远美好。
　　Free Minds and Hearts at Work
　　by Jackie Robinson
　　At the beginning of the World Series of 1947, I experienced a completely new emotion, when the National Anthem 1 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 2 here with all the others; and everything that takes place includes me.
　　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.
　　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.
　　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 3 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.
　　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 4 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 5 in me — that what I was able to attain 6 came to be because we put behind us (no matter how slowly) the dogmas of the past: to discover the truth of today; and perhaps find the greatness of tomorrow.
　　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 7 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.
　　自由思想与心灵的作用
　　杰基·罗宾逊
　　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，就像为其他人奏一样。我终于能和其他人一样，站在职业棒球大联盟球赛的赛场上，成为这一切的一部分。
　　大约一年以后，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第一次同时出现白人和黑人运动员。除我之外，还有其他黑人选手。那一刻，我一直坚守的信念终于实现了。
　　我一直坚守的信念是什么呢？首先，我知道人类不可避免会有缺陷。但只要人类有一息尚存，只要人类还能思考，这些缺陷一定会逐渐消失，无论过程会多么漫长。我并不认为我们已经到达或正在接近完美无缺的境界。完美无缺的境界并非人类社会不可或缺的一部分。有些缺陷，例如残疾、障碍和偏见，在人类社会中都存在，也就需要我们勇敢地去面对。
　　我一路上遇到的阻碍都促使我更加努力地去抗争、去奋斗。然而，如果不是我内心深处坚信我的奋斗有希望，我就根本无法坚持。我的奋斗有希望，因为这是一个自由的社会。在这里，我不止一次遇到过无法逾越的障碍，也不止一次经历过令人绝望的境况。但那时，思想与心灵的自由便能起作用，让我摆脱困境。如今我看着自己的孩子们，我知道我仍需要他们准备面对困难与歧视。
　　然而，我可以告诉他们，正因为前人的努力奋斗，他们今后不必再经受我们现在承受的某些偏见。我也告诉自己，社会进步是必然的，当我的孩子们长大成人时，现在社会上的许多教条一定会消失。因此，我可以告诉我的孩子们：你们有希望——我不敢保证什么，但肯定有希望。有自由思想的人决不会停滞不前，所以你们有希望。再也没有中世纪强大荒谬的逻辑能阻挡人类历史的潮流滚滚向前。我并不认为从事任何职业的任何人都能排除一切障碍获得成功——这样的完美不现实。但我的确有一条坚定不疑的信念——我现在所做到的一切是因为我们能够抛开从前的教条（无论多么缓慢），能探寻当下的真理，也许还能发现未来的美好。
　　我相信人类。
　　我相信热诚的心。
　　我相信人们的正直与诚实。
　　我相信自由社会中的美德。
　　我相信只要我们愿意为之奋斗，愿意与所存在的缺陷抗争到底，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陷。既然我有这个能力，我就要和这种现象抗争到底。我抗争，因为我知道这场战斗并非注定以失败告终。
　　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，我所做到的一切都市上苍的眷顾——正是我对上帝的信仰支撑着我，给我抗争的勇气。我相信被眷顾的不仅仅是我一个人，而应是、也将是我们所有人。
　　附注：杰基·罗宾逊：是一位了不起的黑人棒球运动员。