On August 12, 2020, two groups of girls went out to protest in Minsk, the capital city of Belarus. They put on white clothes and went barefoot out into the street. In the morning, some went to Komarovskiy Market in the center of town. Later that day, the other group gathered with flowers at the eternal flame under the victory monument. They stood together holding hands, and they started to sing the Belarusian lullaby, waiting for the police cars to arrive. They knew the police would pick them up just like that: barefoot with flowers in their hands, that they would take them to the police station, beat them up and try to humiliate them. And yet they did it anyway.
2020 年八月十二日, 有兩群女孩在白羅斯的首都 明斯克進行抗議。 她們穿上白衣, 赤腳走上街頭。 早上,有些女孩前往 鎮中心的科馬羅夫斯基賣場。 那天晚些時候, 另一群人帶著花,聚集在 勝利紀念碑下的永恆火焰旁。 她們手牽手站在一起, 開始唱白羅斯的搖籃曲, 等著警車到來。 她們知道警方會就這樣把她們帶走: 打著赤腳,手上拿著花, 警察會把她們帶到警局, 毆打她們,並試圖羞辱她們。 但,她們還是做了。
This year, something changed in Belarus, a country of more than nine million people that has been ruled by an authoritarian leader since 1994. These young women were protesting the latest rigged election result, which had taken [place] just a few days earlier. Their small expressions of protest very quickly expanded into massive, peaceful, women-led demonstrations all across the country.
今年,白羅斯有了改變, 該國有超過九百萬人口, 從 1994 年起就由 一位獨裁領袖統治。 這些年輕女子在抗議 最近一次的選舉結果受到操縱, 選舉進行的時間只在抗議的幾天前。 她們的小小抗議表達方式 很快就擴展出去, 成為全國各地響應的、 由女性領導的大型和平示威,
Within just a few days, a few hundred thousand people took to the streets and demonstrations have continued ever since, the likes of which Belarus has never seen before. All this despite the fact that the president proclaimed himself reelected and that more than 10,000 people have been detained, hundreds tortured and at least six killed.
在幾天內, 有數十萬人走上街頭, 從此示威就持續不斷, 這樣的現象在白羅斯是前所未見。 儘管如此, 總統仍然宣佈自己當選, 且有超過一萬人被拘留, 數百人遭刑求, 至少有六人死亡。
Many people wonder why the people of Belarus are speaking up now. What makes them keep taking to the streets despite unprecedented police violence, despite state lawlessness? The answer I hear the most is that people have become fearless, and it's something we have become together.
許多人很納悶, 為什麼白羅斯人選擇現在發聲? 是什麼原因讓他們不斷走上街頭, 不顧前所未見的警方暴力, 不顧國家的無法無天? 我最常聽到的答案, 是人民變得無所懼, 當我們團結起來,就會無所懼。
Because fear is the province of one. It feeds on isolation. It doesn't discriminate: men, women, children, elderly -- all of us can feel fear, but only as long as we are on our own. Fearlessness takes two. It only works if and when we show up for each other. Show up so that your neighbor, your colleague, your friend has courage. And they will do the same for you.
因為一個人才會恐懼。 恐懼以孤離為食。 它不會歧視: 男性、女性、孩童、老人—— 所有人都會感受到恐懼, 但那是我們都只能 靠自己一個人的時候。 要有兩個人,才能無所懼。 只有在我們能為彼此 站出來時,才會有用。 站出來,讓你的鄰居、 你的同事、你的朋友能夠鼓起勇氣。 而他們將來也會為你做同樣的事。
A lot has been made of my own role in the presidential election of August 2020. How I stepped in to run for my husband, Sergei, when he was jailed and it became clear that the authorities would deny him his chance to run himself; how I rightfully won the election and became the elected leader of a democratic Belarus, but the official results only gave me 10 percent of the vote and I was forced into exile with my children; how I still fight for those who voted for me and whose voice the regime wants to steal; how "fearless" I am.
我因為在 2020 年 八月總統大選裡所扮演的角色, 經歷了很多事。 當我先生坐牢時, 我介入代替他競選, 很顯然, 當權機關不會讓他有機會自己競選; 當我正當地贏得選戰, 成為民主白羅斯的民選領導人, 但官方的結果只給我 實際票數的 10%, 我還被迫和我的孩子一起被放逐, 我繼續為那些 投票給我的人奮戰, 為政權想要消音的那些人奮戰; 我有多麼「無所懼」。
But there were many moments when I was frightened, and I wanted to step down. I was threatened and forced to believe that I'm alone in this fight. And yet the more cities I visited, the more people showed up for the rallies, the less fear I had. And then in the days before the election in Minsk, 60,000 people came to show their support for me, and I was no longer afraid.
但有許多時候,我其實很害怕, 我想要退縮。 我受到威脅,被迫相信 我在這場仗中孤軍奮戰。 但當我造訪越多城市, 越多人出現在集會上, 我的恐懼就變得越少。 接著,在明斯克選舉的前幾天, 六萬人站出來表達對我的支持, 我便不再害怕。
I never wanted to do any of this. I was never overly political, and I never planned to run for office. I wanted to be a mom and a wife. But by fate and the will of my people, I was elevated to this position. And I accept this with a sense of duty and pride. I will not give up. And I will show up for people, because they show up for me. Our courage is born from unity. Our solidarity is our strength.
這一切從來就不是我想做的。 我以前對政治不感興趣, 也從來沒有計畫要參選。 只想當母親和妻子。 但,因為命運以及我國人民的心願, 我被推上了這個位置。 我帶著責任感和驕傲接受了這一切。 我不會放棄。 我會為人民站出來, 因為他們為我站出來。 我們的勇氣來自一體同心。 我們的團結是我們的力量。
I also now understand that being fearless is a commitment. It is a decision you make every single day. It is a responsibility you take -- responsibility for one another. In this regard, I'm no different from my fellow Belarusians. Their support is tangible. Their solidarity grows in progression. When there are two of you, you are daring. When you're 100, you are brave. When there are thousands of you, you are fearless. And once you are tens of thousands, you become invincible.
現在,我也了解到, 無所懼是一種承諾。 它是你每天做出的決策。 它是你扛起來的責任—— 為彼此扛起的責任。 在這方面來說, 我和白羅斯同胞沒有不同。 他們的支持是實體的。 他們在前進的過程中越來越團結。 當有兩個「你」時,你就會有膽量。 當有一百個你時,你就會勇敢。 當有數千個你時,你就會無所懼。 一旦有數萬個你, 你就所向無敵。
Thank you.
謝謝。