索乔纳ˇ特鲁斯
(SOJOURNER TRUTH)

在俄亥俄妇女权利大会上的讲话
Address to the Ohio Women's Rights Convention

那麽ˇ我就不是女人吗?

索乔纳ˇ特鲁斯(1793ˇ1883)出生在纽约州阿尔斯特ˇ的一个奴隶家庭里ˇ名叫伊莎贝拉。在1827年纽约废除奴隶制之前ˇ她被卖给一个名叫范ˇ瓦杰纳的主人。范ˇ瓦杰纳给了她自由。她便移居到纽约市ˇ给人当佣人ˇ并参与了福音派教会活动。

在1843年ˇ她改名作索乔纳ˇ特鲁斯ˇ并开始以宗教牧师的身份周游全国。作爲一个引人注目的讲演者ˇ她宣扬、歌颂并呼吁人民接受上帝的旨义和人人皆兄弟的博爱。她的观点是宗教与废奴主义的混合体。当她发ˇ了女权运动之后ˇ她的观点还具有了女权主义的色彩。在内战斯问ˇ她代表联邦派同盟爲黑人军团募集军需品。于1864年ˇ她访问华盛顿特区ˇ在那儿帮助取ˇ市内有轨电车上的种族隔离ˇ并且在白宫受到了亚伯拉罕ˇ林肯总统的接见。

在1850年ˇ索乔纳ˇ特鲁斯参加了在马萨请塞的伍斯特召开的首届全国妇女权利大会。她是与会的唯一黑人妇女。第二年ˇ索乔纳ˇ特鲁斯参加了在阿克伦举行的俄亥俄妇女权利大会。许多与会者反对她出席ˇ担心女权运动会与不受欢迎的废奴主义混ˇ起来。当索乔纳站起来发言时ˇ会场ˇ起了一阵非难的嘘嘘声。但是ˇ当她演讲结束时ˇ从观衆中爆发出雷鸣般的掌声。

唉ˇ孩子们ˇ凡是这个吵闹的地方ˇ一定是出了什麽毛病。我ˇˇ从南方的黑人到北方的妇女ˇ大家都在谈论着权利ˇ白人绅士们很快就要吃苦头了。可是ˇ这儿的一切 都在谈论什麽呢?

在那儿的那位男人说什麽妇女上车要人帮忙ˇ过小沟得人抱着ˇ到哪儿都得爲她们让出最好的位置。可是谁也不曾帮我上车ˇ或帮我过烂泥洼ˇ或爲我让出最好的位置!那麽ˇ我就不是女人吗?看看我!看看我的胳臂。我拉过犁ˇ种过地ˇ收获过庄稼ˇ可是没有一个男人劝阻过我!那麽ˇ我就不是女人吗?我能ˇ男人一样干活ˇ一样吃喝ˇˇ如果我能够弄得到的话ˇˇ并且ˇ男人一样遭鞭打ˇ那麽ˇ我就不是女人吗?我生过十三个孩子ˇ眼睁睁地看着大多数孩子都被卖作奴隶。当我带着母亲的悲哀哭泣时ˇ除了上帝以外ˇ谁也没听到我的哭声!那麽ˇ我就不是女人吗?

于是ˇ他们大谈起脑子里的那个玩艺儿。他们管它叫什麽来着?[智力ˇ有人轻声说。]对ˇ就是那玩艺儿。天哪ˇ那跟女人的权利或黑人的权利有什么关系呢?如果我的杯子只能盛下一品托ˇ而你的杯子能盛下一夸脱ˇ那么你会小气到不爲我盛满那仅仅是你的一半大的杯子吗?

于是ˇ那儿的那位穿黑衣服的小个子男人说ˇ女人不能拥有与男人一样多的权利ˇ因爲基督不是女人ˇ那么ˇ你的基督从哪儿来的呢?你的基督是从哪儿来的呢?是从上帝和一个女人那儿来的ˇ人跟上帝不是一回事。

如果上帝创造的第一个女人能够独自把世界翻了个底朝天ˇ那么ˇ这些女人一起应当能够再把世界翻转回来ˇ使它重新恢复秩序!ˇ在ˇ女人们正疾呼要这么干ˇ男人们最好别拦着她们。难爲你们听我讲话。ˇ在ˇ老索乔纳没有什么别的话要说了。

Address to the Ohio Women's Rights Convention

Well, children, where there is so much racket there must be something out of kilter. I think that 'twixt the Negroes of the South and the women at the North, all talking about rights, the white men will be in a fix pretty soon. But what's all this here talking about?

   That man over there says that women need to be helped into carriages, and lifted over ditches, and to have the best place everywhere. Nobody ever helps me into carriages, or over mud-puddles, or gives me any best place! And ain't I a woman? Look at me! Look at my arm. I have ploughed and planted, and gathered into barns, and no man could head me! And ain't I woman? I could work as much and eat as much as a man--when I could get it--and bear the lash as well! And ain't I a woman? I have borne thirteen children, and seen them most all sold off to slavery, and when I cried out with my mother's grief, none but Jesus heard me! And ain't I a woman?

    Then they talk about this thing in the head ; what's this they call it? [Intellect, someone whispers.] That's it, honey. What's that got to do with women's rights or Negro's rights? If my cup won't hold but a pint, and yours holds a quart, wouldn't you be mean not to let me have my little half-measure full?

    Then that little man in black there, he says women can't have as much rights as men, 'cause Christ wasn't a woman! Where did your Christ come from? Where did your Christ come from? From God and a woman! Man had nothing to do with Him.

    If the first woman God ever made was strong enough to turn the world upside down all alone, these women together ought to be able to turn it back, and get it right side up again! And now they is asking to do it, the men better let them.

    Obliged to you for hearing me, and now old Sojourner ain't got nothing more to say.