Ain’t I a Woman? About the author

 

 

Where there is so much ¹⁾racket, there must be something ²⁾out of  kilter. I think that between 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 a woman needs to be helped into carriages and lifted over ditches and have the best place everywhere. Nobody ever helps me into carriages or over mud puddles¹ or gives me any best place. And ain’t I a woman?

Look at me. Look at my arm! I have plowed² and I have planted and gathered into ³⁾barns and no man could head me. And ain’t I a woman?

I could work as much and eat as much as any man - when I could get it - and bear the lash³ as well. And ain’t I a woman?

I have born 13 children and I seen 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 do they call it? Intellect, yes that’s it. Now what’s that got to do with women’s rights or Negroes, rights? If my cup won’t hold but a pint⁴ and yours holds a quarter wouldn’t you be mean not to let me have my little old 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. Now where did Christ come from? Where did 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 ⁴⁾upside down ⁵⁾all alone, these women together ought to be able to turn it back and get it right side up again.

And now they’re asking to do it, and the men better let ’em. CE

 

 

22、难道我不是女人吗？

 

这里那么吵闹，一定是有什么不对劲的地方。南方的黑奴和北方妇女没有一个不在谈论权利。再这样下去，白人男子汉们可要有难了。但是，我们这样喋喋不休，到底在争论些什么呢？

那位男士刚才说，女人上马车、过沟渠，都要男人扶，处处都要求坐最好的座位，然而从未有人扶我上过马车，跨过泥潭，给我留过一个好位置。难道我不是女人吗？

看看我，瞧瞧我的手臂吧！我耕过田、种过地、收过谷，这些没有人能比我强。难道我不是女人吗？

我能和男人干同样多的活儿、吃同样多的饭--如果我有可能挨鞭子的话--我也能忍受同样的鞭打。难道我不是女人吗？

我生过十三个孩子，眼睁睁地看着他们中的大多数被卖给别人当奴隶。当我为此痛不欲生的时候，除了耶稣以外，没有人听到我的哭泣。难道我不是女人吗？

于是他们谈论脑子里的这个东西。他们称这个是什么来着？智慧，对，就是它。但那和女权或者黑人人权有什么关系呢？如果我的杯子只能装一品脱的东西，而你的却能装一夸脱，你如果不给我的装满是不是显得有些吝啬？

于是那个身着黑衣的年轻男子说女人不能和男人拥有同等的权利，因为基督不是女人。那么请问你的基督从何而来？你的基督从何而来？他是上帝和一个女人的结晶！男人和他有什么关系！如果上帝创造的第一个女人强壮到能独个儿把世界搞得天翻地覆的话，那么，在座这么多的女人联合起来也应该能把世界翻个个儿，再把它正过来。

既然现在她们要求这样做，男人最好成全她们。 CE

 

 

1) racket [5rAkit] n. 喧嚣，吵闹

2) out of kilter 失去平衡

3) barn [ba:n] n. 谷仓

4) upside down 颠倒，混乱

5) all alone 独立地，独个儿地

1 puddles   

n.水坑， （尤指道路上的）雨水坑( puddle的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The puddles had coalesced into a small stream. 地面上水洼子里的水汇流成了一条小溪。
• The road was filled with puddles from the rain. 雨后路面到处是一坑坑的积水。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 plowed   

v.耕( plow的过去式和过去分词 )；犁耕；费力穿过

参考例句：

• They plowed nearly 100,000 acres of virgin moorland. 他们犁了将近10万英亩未开垦的高沼地。 来自辞典例句
• He plowed the land and then sowed the seeds. 他先翻土，然后播种。 来自辞典例句

3 lash   

v.系牢；鞭打；猛烈抨击；n.鞭打；眼睫毛

参考例句：

• He received a lash of her hand on his cheek.他突然被她打了一记耳光。
• With a lash of its tail the tiger leaped at her.老虎把尾巴一甩朝她扑过来。

4 pint   

n.品脱

参考例句：

• I'll have a pint of beer and a packet of crisps, please.我要一品脱啤酒和一袋炸马铃薯片。
• In the old days you could get a pint of beer for a shilling.从前，花一先令就可以买到一品脱啤酒。