帕特里克亨利-定义自由
参见:帕特里克·亨利著名演讲的图片散文在那个和暖的早晨，年轻人随黎明一起起床，准备前往附近的车行，准备乘马车从他和安东尼·温斯顿法官昨天晚上住的旅馆出发，前往里士满最著名的建筑圣约翰教堂。1775年3月23日，这个原本普通的礼拜场所以彼得·弗朗西斯科无法想象的方式载入了美国历史的版图。当他走出旅馆时，彼得在他所去过的最大的城镇的大街上上下打量着。他在一个僻静的种植园里度过了大半生，很难想象有这么多人住在一个地方。我记得法官说是600，他想。我还是不敢相信我真的来了。对他来说，这就像是他只能梦想的生活的一个小小的体验。一阵狂风几乎把他头上的三粒玉米帽子吹掉，把它扭来扭去，顺着小路自由地滚了下去，但他的反应很快，在它逃走之前把它牢牢地固定住了。一切都很安静。蟋蟀在草地上轻声啁啾。在远处的某个地方，他隐约听到了马蹄在鹅卵石上的拍击声。在屋顶清晰的轮廓之上，高大的树木像沉默的见证者一样映衬着淡蓝色的天空。任何一个店面的窗户都没有一丝光亮。整个种群似乎还在熟睡。这个身材魁梧的年轻人——身高6英尺6英寸，快到15岁生日了——孤身一人，几乎一言不发地大步走向制服，只听到他240磅的身体下土块嘎吱嘎吱的声音。看到他不是镇上唯一清醒的人，他松了一口气。 The stable owner was there preparing for another busy day, expecting large crowds of people again from all over the Virginia colony like those over the last few days who had descended on Richmond, the seat of the Second Virginia Convention.
“早上好，先生。”彼得打破了沉默，恭敬地对着那个背对着他为骑马的客人们收集早餐燕麦的人说。那人吓了一跳，转过身来，看见彼得高大的身躯站在门口。“你也早上好。我正准备喂你的两杯美式奶油。它们是美丽的生物。彼得回答说:“是的，它们很漂亮。”“但是你今天看起来有很多马要喂，所以我要照顾我的马。”这两匹马实际上是属于法官而不是彼得的，这一点无关紧要。从彼得看到这两匹马的第一天起，他就像崇拜自己的马一样崇拜它们。他两只粗大的手各拿了一桶燕麦，向那些巨大的野兽走去。 At his height, Peter could look them in the eye. “There, there, now, I’ve brought you something to eat.” Almost in unison, the horses seemed to greet Peter with a nod as he approached. Each, in turn, nuzzled Peter’s face before dipping his massive head in the bucket. “We’ve a big day before us,” he said softly to the horses. “The Judge says we’ll be hearing great and powerful things at the church today. Then, later in the week, the judge says we’ll be headin’ back home to Hunting Tower. Do you miss Hunting Tower? Of course you do,” he answered for them. After they had finished eating, Peter entered their stall and began brushing and rubbing their ivory-colored coats. He loved feeling their well-defined muscles twitching under his deft hand. This closeness of feelings between man and beast was unusual to say the least. Having finished their rubdown, Peter then gathered their collars, bits and bridals and prepared them to be hitched to the carriage in which he and Judge Winston had ridden from Hunting Tower Plantation in Buckingham County. The judge was the local representative to this convention, a pivotal meeting that would change the course of history and waver the allegiance of the recently-reformed Virginia House of Burgesses to their motherland, England.
大多数车夫只是把他们的马绕到马厩的后面，所有来访的马车都停在那里，但彼得决定自己把马车推到前面。他抓住马车的舌头，像他这样大的人，轻松地引导着它穿过马厩正面巨大的门，然后回来找马。当他准备套上马车时，他注意到温斯顿法官正沿街走来。“早上好，彼得。我相信你睡得很好。”彼得回答说:“是的，先生，早上好。”“你吃过早餐了吗?”“没有，先生。昨晚我让旅店老板的妻子给我准备了一些饼干，我待会再吃。”我只是觉得最好准备好随时出发，因为你不喜欢开会迟到。“你很了解我，彼得，你很了解我。”彼得把马套在马车上，现在马车已经准备好把法官送到目的地。 “Excellent, Peter,” said Winston. “Then we should be getting on to the church. I have a feeling in my bones that we are about to make history today.” With the demeanor of a dedicated servant, Peter opened the door to the carriage, and the judge took his seat. Then, Peter climbed onto the driver’s station. Before giving the signal, he reached down beneath his feet to feel where he had placed the sword and pistol the judge had asked him to bring on this trip. They were still there, right where he had placed them only a few minutes before.
“快走。”彼得用温柔的声音催促着马儿，面霜立刻听从了他的命令。第三天，他们默默地骑马去了郊区，经过了里士满一些富裕居民的许多豪华住宅。圣约翰教堂很快映入眼帘，庄严地坐落在俯瞰詹姆斯河的小山上。这个教区是一个宏伟的建筑，装饰着白色的木条，门厅里矗立着一个巨大的尖顶，包围着巨大的前门。这座教堂于1741年完工，是亨利科教区的一部分，这个教区是1611年由早期定居者建立的。其他一些人也提前到了。法官的侄子帕特里克·亨利(Patrick Henry)正在和另外两个人谈话，他们的身体和身材似乎都差不多。彼得当时还不知道，他们是托马斯·杰斐逊和乔治·华盛顿。身高6英尺2英寸的华盛顿是一个特别令人印象深刻的人物，尽管他的沉默寡言不那么令人印象深刻，只是在杰斐逊和亨利进行热烈交谈时点头表示同意。今天确实会创造历史。 After the imposition of the Intolerable Acts on the continental territories by Parliament in 1774, attempting to coerce them into submission, the colonists began to resist. They started organizing themselves against Britain in a series of meetings in Virginia and Philadelphia. The debates at today’s convention over the need to establish and arm a militia would set a course that would change the destiny of the New World, but no one here could possibly imagine that. Certainly not Peter.
苏珊娜和她的父亲詹姆斯·安德森(James Anderson)也来到教堂，占据了旁听席的座位。彼得忍不住注意到他们的到来。只要看了苏珊娜一眼，他那宽阔的胸膛里的心就怦怦直跳。至少彼得是这么觉得的。尽管他们的背景使他们在社会上存在分歧，但他们之前的遭遇却给了彼得勇气。他不理会自己的膝盖，那感觉就像他经常在星期天早上的饼干上涂上果冻一样，他慢慢地向他们的全封闭式马车走去。当他走完了二十码的距离，当苏珊娜走下马车时，彼得伸出手来握住她的手。他们的手握在一起的那一刻，电暖流遍了彼得的身体。“彼得，”她说，“你总是那么绅士。你今天好吗?” “Seeing you has made me much better already.” Peter was almost shocked to hear himself speak such bold words. Susannah’s father had exited the opposite side of the carriage and walked around the back to where Peter and Susannah stood. He noticed that their eyes seemed locked on each other as he tapped Peter on the shoulder. He wasn’t entirely sure he liked that, but, after all, Peter had saved his daughter’s life. “Peter, my boy, it’s good to see you again. And I see you’re wearing the hat I gave you. Wonderful, wonderful.” “Yes, sir,” said Peter. “I save wearin’ it for special occasions like this.” “Indeed, today should be very special. It will be good to get all this nonsense out of the way at last. Come now, Susannah, we want to find good seats in the church.” As her father reached for her arm, Susannah glanced back. “Bye, Peter, I’ll see you later.” Peter’s mouth felt like he had been crossing the desert, but still managed, “Good day, Miss Susannah.” He rejoined the judge, regaining his senses and remembering his duties as bodyguard. Other dignitaries also began to arrive, and soon they were all filing into the church. Judge Winston looked at Peter and said, “You might want to take station near one of the windows today. My nephew intends to address the body with words I think important for you to hear.” During the previous days of the convention, Peter had lingered around the open windows, due to unseasonably mild temperatures, but most of the speeches that he had heard were not very inspiring. Most seemed to favor keeping relations with Great Britain as they were. But Peter knew the position that the judge’s nephew would take, and he wanted to hear every persuasive word. At his size, Peter was able to easily make his way to one of the windows. Through it, he could see the judge, Patrick Henry and the two men that Henry had been speaking to earlier. He could also see Susannah Anderson and her father. A flutter of excitement caught in his throat at just the sight of her, for this refined young lady had truly captured his affection.
大家都站起来发言，然后又回到自己的座位上。其中一些声音激起了轻微的掌声，或者是一声“来，来”。他们都不怎么引人注目，直到帕特里克·亨利从47号座位上站起来，坚定而自信地大步走到会场中央，转身向代表们讲话。“没有人，总统先生，”亨利开始对国会大会的主席佩顿·伦道夫说，他的语气几乎带着歉意，“比我更重视刚才在众议院发表讲话的那些非常尊敬的先生们的爱国主义精神和能力。但是不同的人看待同一事物的角度往往不同;因此，我希望，尽管我的意见与那些可敬的先生们的性格截然相反，但我还是毫无保留地畅所欲言，说出我的看法，不要被认为是对他们的不敬。”亨利的声音开始提高。“现在不是搞仪式的时候。摆在众议院面前的问题对这个国家来说是一个可怕的时刻。就我个人而言，我认为这只不过是一个自由还是奴役的问题; and in proportion to the magnitude of the subject ought to be the freedom of the debate....” Peter watched as Henry began to circle the room, making eye contact with as many delegates as possible, without speaking a word. “Mr. President,” Henry resumed, “it is natural to man to indulge in the illusions of hope. We are apt to shut our eyes against a painful truth, and listen to the song of that siren till she transforms us into beasts. Is this the part of wise men, engaged in a great and arduous struggle for liberty?” With that utterance, the young patriot held out his arms from his sides as if asking the question of all there assembled.
“我们是否愿意成为那些有眼睛却看不见，有耳朵却听不见的人，这些事情与他们暂时的救赎息息相关?”就我而言，无论精神上有多痛苦，我都愿意知道全部真相;知道最坏的情况，并做好准备。”亨利的双臂垂到身体两侧，肩膀耷拉下来。他沉默地站了一会儿，彼得不知道他是不是说完了。然后，他举起双臂，双手举过头顶，望着天花板继续说道:“我不知道如何判断未来，只能通过过去。根据过去的情况来判断，我倒想知道，在过去十年里，英国内阁的行为中，有什么能够证明那些先生们乐于用来安慰自己和下议院议员们的希望是正确的呢?”彼得扫视了一下房间。一些听众只是无动于衷地坐着，其他人则点头表示同意，包括温斯顿法官、托马斯·杰斐逊和乔治·华盛顿。至于杰斐逊，他脸上露出了一丝微笑。 Peter took a moment to further survey the visitors’ gallery until his eyes rested on Susannah. She was shaking her head, and Peter was a bit disheartened by that. He was drawing his own conclusions, and they were much different from what hers appeared to be. At that moment, as if hearing his thoughts, she looked toward the window where Peter was standing, and when her eyes met his, she couldn’t help but smile demurely. “Suffer not yourselves to be betrayed with a kiss. Ask yourselves how this gracious reception of our petition comports with those warlike preparations, which cover our water and darken our land,” the young orator pleaded. Henry was again moving around the room with arms waving, the tone of his voice imploring answers to his questions. Peter, too, was being swept up in the emotional pleadings. “Let us not deceive ourselves, sir. These are the implements of war and subjugation; the last arguments to which kings resort.” Fatigued, Henry dropped his arms once again to his side. He looked as though he had been beaten, but he had not. For when he spoke again, his voice bellowed, reverberating off the interior of the church with persuading emphasis. “They are meant for us; they can be meant for no other. They are sent over to bind and rivet upon us those chains which the British ministry has been so long forging. And what do we have to oppose them?”
越来越多的代表点头表示同意，彼得能感觉到自己的脑袋也跟着点头。“我们应该诉诸于恳求和谦卑的恳求吗?”我恳求您，先生，我们不要欺骗自己。先生，我们已经做了一切可以做的事情来避免现在即将到来的风暴。我们已经请愿了;我们提出了抗议;我们恳求过;我们已拜倒在王座面前，恳请王座出面制止内阁和议会的暴政。”亨利的声音越来越大，手势也越来越夸张。“我们的请愿被忽视了; our remonstrances have produced additional violence and insult; our supplications have been disregarded; and we have been spurned, with contempt, from the foot of the throne!” Henry allowed himself a moment to turn completely around and cast his eyes across the sea of delegates. His eyes glanced out the window where Peter was standing, and the two men exchanged a brief look of acknowledgement. Henry began to speak more rapidly. “If we wish to be free – if we mean to preserve inviolate those inestimable privileges for which we have been so long contending, if we mean not basely to abandon the noble struggle in which we have been so long engaged, and which we have pledged ourselves never to abandon until the glorious object of our contest shall be obtained – we must fight! I repeat it, sir, we must fight.” Henry grabbed a nearby banister that separated him from some of the delegates. He gazed at the men he knew to be in favor of appeasement and lowered his face to theirs, his eyes fierce with passion. “An appeal to arms and to the God of hosts is all that is left us!” Henry turned to face the rest of the body assembled there. “They tell us, sir, that we are weak, unable to cope with so formidable an adversary.” Everyone knew that he was referring to those men he had just personally addressed. “But when shall we be stronger? Will it be the next week, or the next year? Will it be when we are totally disarmed, and when a British guard shall be stationed in every house?”
有些代表开始竭力听清楚演说者现在已有所缓和的语调中的每一个字。彼得也把头伸到窗外，这样做的另一个好处是更容易看到苏珊娜。"难道我们要仰面躺着抱着虚幻的希望幻影，直到敌人把我们的手脚捆起来，才能获得有效的抵抗手段吗"亨利的声音逐渐提高，他进一步恳求他的听众:“先生，这场战斗并不只属于强者;它属于那些警惕、积极、勇敢的人。此外，先生，我们没有选择。如果我们卑鄙到想要这样做，现在退出竞争已经太晚了。没有退路，只有屈服和奴役!我们的锁链已锻造!波士顿平原上都能听到它们的叮当声! The war is inevitable ... and let it come! I repeat, sir, let it come!” It was all Peter could do to contain himself. He so dearly wanted to cheer, yet he knew it was not his place to demonstrate in such a manner. Some shouts of affirmation issued from within the church. Other delegates yelled in the negative. Patrick Henry just stood silent, waiting for their voices to be still. When he spoke again, his voice was measured. “It is in vain, sir, to extenuate the matter. Gentlemen may cry, ‘Peace, Peace,’ but there is no peace. The war is actually begun!” His voice intensified. “The next gale that sweeps from the North will bring to our ears the clash of resounding arms.” Continuing to scale, Henry’s voice now reached a thunderous climax. “Our brethren are already in the field! Why stand we here idle? What is it that gentlemen wish? What would they have?” Henry once again circled the room. “Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery?” He returned to the center of the room, his eyes raised skyward. “Forbid it, Almighty God!” With arms raised above his head, Patrick Henry made his final declaration. “I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!” These last words were delivered as thunder, while he remained in his pose.
许多代表都站起来欢呼鼓掌，重复着亨利的话，其中包括华盛顿、杰斐逊和温斯顿法官。一些人高举拳头，高喊:“叛国!和“叛徒!”其他人仍然坐着。彼得从未如此激动过。他用眼角余光看到安德森一家站起来，朝前门走去。彼得挤过聚集在他周围的人群，挤向窗户，好让他们也能听见。他跑到教堂前面，正好赶上安德森一家出去。“那个演讲难道不引人注目吗?”彼得喊道。“但你不完全同意吗?” Susannah’s father pushed past Peter brusquely, preferring not to engage in conversation. His daughter turned, and the eyes with which Peter had been so enchanted glared back at him. “If that foolishness is truly what you think, Peter Francisco, then you are also a fool – a fool on a fool’s errand! So, go back to your foolish friends. But I warn you, this course will render nothing but heartache and despair. Good day.” “But what about freedom from slav – ” Peter started to protest, but stopped abruptly when he saw a young man emerge from the crowd and help Susannah into the carriage with her father. The man said something to Susannah, which to Peter was inaudible. Looking him over, Peter could see that his charcoal suit had been tailored to fit and the cravat with lace at the ends appeared so tight around his neck that his large Adam’s apple protruded out over the knot. His sandy blonde hair peeked through a tan tri-corn rim, just above his crooked nose that didn’t really seem to fit his face.他很高彼得想，但他看起来还是比我矮八到九英寸，而且他肯定得多吃点。苏珊娜腼腆地对他咧嘴一笑。“噢,乔治!你真是个绅士，”苏珊娜故意说，声音大得足以让彼得听到。“我们当然需要更多像你这样的男人，知道殖民地需要什么，知道如何对待一位女士。“乔治·卡灵顿!”你好，我的孩子!很高兴见到你!”安德森先生说着，朝乔治的方向脱帽致意。“我很欣赏你的骑士精神。总有一天你会成为一个好丈夫。我当然希望我的苏珊娜能嫁给像你这样的人。 Please give your parents my regards.” Susannah’s father barely took a breath before calling, “Let’s get going, driver!” As a cloud of dust kicked up behind the carriage wheels, Peter stood there feeling crushed, as though someone had just hit him in the chest with a twenty-pound blacksmith’s hammer. While Peter watched George saunter away, he narrowed his eyes and glared at the back of his head until the crowd that still lingered outside the church swallowed his lanky figure. Out of the corner of his eye, Peter noticed Patrick Henry talking as he made his way through the large wooden doors at the front of the church. His inspiring speech began to drift back into Peter’s thoughts. One word stood out more than any of the others.自由．彼得在脑子里一遍又一遍地播放这个词。这到底是什么意思?这对我意味着什么?如果我是自由的，我能来去自如吗?有一天我能拥有房产吗?我能娶苏珊娜·安德森这样的女孩吗?
彼得沉思地瘫倒在附近的一个树桩上，用他的大手托着头，垂头丧气地盯着前面的路。帕特里克·亨利的话在他的脑海里回荡，就像海浪拍打着小船，他们的潮起潮落就像彼得此时此刻所经历的情感潮起潮落。他低头看着詹姆斯河——近十年前，他还是个小男孩时，就在这条河上被葡萄牙海盗抛弃了。我的家人现在在哪里?他想知道。他们在做什么?他才五岁，如此天真的年纪，就被剥夺了宝贵的自由礼物。彼得想起了他身后的漫漫长路，想起了从他那么年轻、那么害怕的时候起他所走过的旅程。现在，彼得把恐惧放在一边，也不考虑安德森夫妇的反应，他在灵魂深处知道，自由是非常值得为之奋斗的。更重要的是，他知道这是值得为之牺牲的。要继续阅读，访问travisbowman.com．您还可以找到关于彼得·弗朗西斯科的图片和深入信息，以及关于故事片的详细信息!
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