English 中文网 漫画网 爱新闻iNews 翻译论坛
中国网站品牌栏目(频道)
当前位置: Language Tips > 新闻选读

曼德拉昔日看守忆两人忘年之交
Mandela's Robben Island jailer describes their unlikely friendship

[ 2013-12-09 10:05] 来源:中国日报网     字号 [] [] []  
免费订阅30天China Daily双语新闻手机报:移动用户编辑短信CD至106580009009

曼德拉昔日在罗本岛的看守、陪他熬过漫漫铁窗生涯的克里斯托·布兰德近日动情回忆了两人之间的交情。看似水火不相容的黑人政治犯和白人狱警缔结了一段感人的忘年交。

在曼德拉27年的铁窗生涯中,有18年是在罗本岛上度过的。布兰德1978年开始在罗本岛工作,那时他18岁,曼德拉60岁。曼德拉的人格魅力感化了这位狱警,布兰德越来越喜欢曼德拉,并偷偷给他“特殊待遇”,比如给他带来面包和他最喜欢的润发油。布兰德甚至将曼德拉尚是婴儿的小孙女悄悄带进监狱,让他得以享受天伦之乐。

布兰德回忆说,他曾经和曼德拉开了个玩笑。“我对曼德拉说,你死后我们必须把你安葬在罗本岛。他只是笑了笑说:‘为什么?吸引游客?’他说:‘那样你应该可以赚很多钱,但我想我必须得回古努(曼德拉故乡)。’他就是这样和我开玩笑的。”

曼德拉昔日看守忆两人忘年之交

 

He was with Nelson Mandela during all those years the anti-apartheid icon was imprisoned on Robben Island. And, like millions around the world, he has been hit hard by Mandela's death. Yet this South African was not one of Mandela's fellow prisoners. Christo Brand was his jailer.

The two men — the black political prisoner and the white Afrikaans warden — forged an unlikely but enduring friendship.

They last met about two years ago when Brand, now in his 50s, brought his wife, son and grandson to see Mandela in Cape Town in a Sunday afternoon visit that lasted nearly three hours.

They had "nice chats about the past, about his family. He wanted to pick up my grandchild, to hold him, which he was a little bit shy to go to him. You could see he really reached out for touching a child at that moment," Brand recalled.

"When I got the message when he passed away, it was very sad for me," Brand told The Associated Press on Saturday. "But I think he was successful and he did what he wanted to do. I wanted him to go in peace and I am thinking of the family today, what they go through."

Brand started to work on Robben Island in 1978 when he was 18 and Mandela was 60. Mandela spent 18 of his 27 years in prison on Robben Island.

Eventually Brand grew to like Mandela and smuggled in special treats like bread and Mandela's favorite hair pomade. Brand even sneaked in Mandela's infant granddaughter so that the prisoner could hold her.

For his part, Mandela encouraged Brand to continue his education and maintained an interest in him and his family.

Years later, when Mandela was president, he took special care to single out Brand for recognition while Brand was a lowly civil servant while South Africa's new constitution was being drafted. Mandela flew in by helicopter and entered the room where members of parliament were debating the new constitution, said Brand.

Mandela went around the room shaking hands with parliamentarians but when he saw Brand, who was distributing documents, Mandela lifted his arms and warmly greeted him.

"He immediately made a big announcement to everyone: 'You know who is this person? This person was my warden, this person was my friend.'" Brand said he felt very humble and proud at that moment. After that when the parliamentarians went out for a group photo, Mandela insisted that Brand be in the photo. "He said 'No, no. You must stand next to me, we belong together.'"

Brand once again works on Robben Island which is no longer a prison but a bustling tourist attraction. He and other former guards and prisoners tell visitors about the new South Africa's racial reconciliation.

Brand said he shared a joke with Mandela about his final resting place.

"I say to Mandela that we must bury you on Robben Island. Then he just laughed. He said 'Why? For tourist attraction?' He said 'You should have made money. But I think I must go to Qunu.' That was him making a joke."

(来源:中国日报网爱新闻iNews 编辑:丹妮)

 

 
中国日报网英语点津版权说明:凡注明来源为“中国日报网英语点津:XXX(署名)”的原创作品,除与中国日报网签署英语点津内容授权协议的网站外,其他任何网站或单位未经允许不得非法盗链、转载和使用,违者必究。如需使用,请与010-84883631联系;凡本网注明“来源:XXX(非英语点津)”的作品,均转载自其它媒体,目的在于传播更多信息,其他媒体如需转载,请与稿件来源方联系,如产生任何问题与本网无关;本网所发布的歌曲、电影片段,版权归原作者所有,仅供学习与研究,如果侵权,请提供版权证明,以便尽快删除。
 

关注和订阅

人气排行

翻译服务

中国日报网翻译工作室

我们提供:媒体、文化、财经法律等专业领域的中英互译服务
电话:010-84883468
邮件:translate@chinadaily.com.cn