Back in Iowa
早在爱荷华州时
my mother used to read to me the writings of Martin Luther King
我的母亲曾经读马丁?路德?金的著作给我听
In Dr. King's "Letter from a Birmingham Jail"
金牧师在"寄自伯明翰监狱的信"中
he writes about the need to understand the urgency of the present
写了他对现实紧迫性的理解的需要
He writes about an experience with a white moderate --
他写道与一位白人温和派人士
an ally of the civil rights movement --
民权运动盟友的交流
who wrote to him saying that he, Dr. King was in too great a hurry
此人写信给他 说他金牧师过于性急
and that "the lessons of Christ take time to come to earth"
而且"基督的教义传播人世 总要花费时日"
African Americans, the white moderate said
这位温和派人士认为 非裔美国人
would eventually -- eventually -- be granted their civil rights
最终 最终会获得民权
Dr. King responded, and I quote
金牧师回应说 我在此引用他的话
"Such an attitude stems from a tragic misconception of time
"这样的态度乃源自对时间的可悲误解"
and a strangely irrational notion that there is something in the flow of time
"源自一种不合理的奇特观念 认为在时间之流当中"
that will inevitably cure all ills
"会有什么东西必将疗治所有的邪恶"
Actually, time itself is neutral
"实际上 时间是中立的东西"
It can be used destructively or constructively
"它可以用于建设 也可以用于破坏"
More and more I feel that the people of ill will have used time
"我越发觉得 邪恶的人之利用时间"
much more effectively than the people of goodwill
"将会比善良的人更其有效"
We will have to repent in this generation not merely
"我们得在这一代进行忏悔 不仅因"
for the hateful words and actions of the bad people
"坏人们充满仇恨的言辞与行为"
but for the appalling silence of the good people"
"也因好人们骇人听闻的沉默"
