英语翻译ELIAS’STORYMynameisElias.IamapoorblackworkerinSouthAfrica.ThetimewhenIfirstmetNelsonMandelawasaverydifficultperiodofmylife.Iwastwelveyearsold.Itwasin1952andMandelawastheblacklawyertowhomIwent
英语翻译
ELIAS’STORY
MynameisElias.IamapoorblackworkerinSouthAfrica.ThetimewhenIfirstmetNelsonMandelawasaverydifficultperiodofmylife.Iwastwelveyearsold.Itwasin1952andMandelawastheblacklawyertowhomIwentforadvice.Heofferedguidancetopoorblackpeopleontheirlegalproblems.Hewasgenerouswithhistime,forwhichIwasgrateful.
IneededhishelpbecauseIhadverylittleeducation.Ibeganschoolatsix.TheschoolwhereIstudiedforonlytwoyearswasthreekilometresaway.Ihadtoleavebecausemyfamilycouldnotcontinuetopaytheschoolfeesandthebusfare.Icouldnotreadorwritewell.Aftertryinghard,Igotajobinagoldmine.However,thiswasatimewhenonehadgottohaveapassbooktoliveinJohannesburg.SadlyIdidnothaveitbecauseIwasnotbornthere,andIworriedaboutwhetherIwouldbecomeoutofwork.
ThedaywhenNelsonMandelahelpedmewasoneofmyhappiest.HetoldmehowtogetthecorrectpaperssoIcouldstayinJohannesburg.Ibecamemorehopefulaboutmyfuture.IneverforgothowkindMandelawas,WhenheorganizedtheANCYouthLeague,IjoineditassoonasIcould.Hesaid:
"Thelastthirtyyearshaveseenthegreatestnumberoflawsstoppingourrightsandprogress,untiltodaywehavereachedastagewherewehavealmostnorightsatall."
Itwasthetruth.Blackpeoplecouldnotvoteorchoosetheirleaders.Theycouldnotgetthejobstheywanted.Thepartsoftowninwhichtheyhadtoliveweredecidedbywhitepeople.TheplacesoutsidethetownswheretheyweresenttolivewerethepoorestpartsofSouthAfrica.Noonecouldgrowfoodthere.InfactasNelsonMandelasaid:
"...wewereputintoapositioninwhichwehadeithertoacceptwewerelessimportant,orfightthegovernment.Wechosetoattackthelaws.Wefirstbrokethelawinawaywhichwaspeaceful;whenthiswasnotallowed..,onlythendidwedecidetoanswerviolencewithviolence."
Asamatteroffact,Idonotlikeviolence...butin1963Ihelpedhimblowupsomegovernmentbuildings.ItwasverydangerousbecauseifIwascaughtIcouldbeputinprison.ButIwashappytohelpbecauseIknewitwouldhelpusachieveourdreamofmakingblackandwhitepeopleequal.