经济学人02:布尔人宣传活动家尤金·特雷布兰奇

 　　Obituary¹

　　讣告

　　Eugene Terre'Blanche

　　尤金·特雷布兰奇

　　Eugene Ney Terre'Blanche, a Boer demagogue, died on April 3rd, aged² 69

　　尤金·耐·特雷布兰奇，一名布尔人宣传活动家，卒于4月3日，终年69岁

　　On December 16th 1838, a small band of trekkers defeated a large Zulu army at the Battle of Blood River. Some say the white men prevailed because they had guns, whereas the Zulus made do with spears. But others think God intervened. Before the battle, the Afrikaners prayed, vowing³ always to commemorate⁴ that day if they won. Their descendants honoured that pledge. But a century and a half later, a disrespectful history professor at the University of South Africa suggested that the “Day of the Covenant” was nothing special and that God was not necessarily rooting for the tribe that created apartheid. Eugene Terre'Blanche was incensed⁵. With a posse of followers⁶, he burst into a lecture hall, poured hot tar⁷ on the professor and then decorated him with feathers.

　　1838年12月16日，一小队白人，历经长途跋涉，在布拉德河一役中击败了为数众多的祖鲁人军队。有人说，白人占上风是因为有枪，而祖鲁人用的却是长矛。还有人说，那是上帝的安排。战前，白人祈祷，如果打赢了这场战役，誓言要纪念胜利日。他们的后代子孙遵循着那个誓言。但是，一个半世纪后，南非大学的一个历史学教授贸然提出，“起誓日”没有什么特别之处，上帝不必眷顾那个创造隔离制度的种族。这让尤金 特雷布兰奇勃然大怒。他带着一帮地方武装分子，闯进了大学报告厅，把滚烫的柏油倾倒在教授身上，然后把羽毛沾在上面。

　　This act of showboating cruelty vaulted⁸ Mr Terre'Blanche to fame. Before that day in 1979, he was just a bearded racist⁹ in a country where such people were hardly in short supply. Few people noticed when in 1973 he founded a group called the Afrikaner Resistance Movement, better known later by its Afrikaner initials, AWB. He attracted as followers the kind of Boers who enjoyed donning absurd uniforms and playing soldiers. He adopted a flag that looked remarkably¹⁰ like a swastika, though he insisted that the design was of three interlinked 7s and represented a Christian¹¹ riposte to 666, the Number of the Beast. His ideology¹², stripped to its essentials, was that blacks were not only inferior but also a mortal threat to the Afrikaner volk. Plenty of white South Africans agreed.

　　这次张扬斗狠的举动让尤金·特雷布兰奇恶名远扬。1979年以前，他蓄着胡须，有着种族偏见，在那个国家，这样的人并不少见。几乎没有人注意到，他于1973年成立了一个号称非洲抵抗运动的组织，AWB，为该组织的首批布尔人成员所熟知。一些喜欢身穿奇装异服和摆弄武器的布尔人为他所吸引，追随着他。他选取了一面旗帜，该旗帜的标识与纳粹党所用的十字记号极为相像，尽管他坚持说，设计图案是三个连在一起的“7”，表示的是基督徒对代号为“666”的野兽所作的机敏应答。他的思想体系归根到本质，就是黑人不仅低劣等，而且对南非白人构成致命威胁。许多南非白人同意他的观点。

　　Times, however, were changing. As the 1980s rumbled¹³ on, slowly and secretly at first, the ruling National Party reached out to the African National Congress (ANC), the main black liberation movement. Mr Terre'Blanche opposed every tiny concession¹⁴. Give the black terrorists and communists an inch, he predicted, and they would destroy the country. To preserve white supremacy¹⁵, he threatened a civil war. And for a while, the world worried that he might make good on his threat.

　　然而，时代在变化。20世纪80年代滚滚而来，最初，非洲国民代表大会（非国大），主要的黑人解放运动组织，慢慢地，不知不觉地上台执政。尤金 特雷布兰奇先生对黑人运动哪怕取得的微小进步均不予妥协。他预言，对黑人进行恐怖袭击，把共产主义运动向纵深发展，他们就能摧毁整个国家。为确保白人至上，他威胁要发动内战。有段时间 ，世人担心他会言出必行。

　　Eugene Ney Terre'Blanche was born on a farm in Ventersdorp, a small town in the north, in 1941. His family was of French Huguenot stock, and was said to have been in South Africa since the 1760s. His grandfather had fought against the British during the Anglo-Boer war. The young Terre'Blanche stood out among his small-town peers, leading both the school rugby team and its debating club. On leaving school, he joined the police. He provided protection for politicians, and acted in plays staged by the Police Cultural Group, which he also ran. His thespian¹⁶ skills were the key to his success. He had a rich, chocolatey voice and genuine charisma¹⁷. Alternately thundering and whispering from the podium, he wove together biblical, historical and apocalyptic¹⁸ themes. He called Nelson Mandela “Barabbas from Robben Island”. At the peak of his notoriety, said that tens of thousands of commandos would rise up when he gave the word.

　　尤金·特雷布兰奇，1941年出生在北部小镇，温特斯多普的一个农场。他的家族一直信奉法国胡格诺派教，据说，自从18世纪60年代就定居在南非。在盎格鲁---布尔人战争中，他的祖父抗击英国人。在那个小镇上，年轻的尤金·特雷布兰奇在同龄人中卓然不同，他不仅带领着学校的橄榄球队，还主持着校园辩论会。离开学校后，他加入了警队，为从政者提供保护，并在警察的文化团体中上台表演,那个表演团也是他组织的。他的表演才能才是他成功的关健所在。他那如同巧克力糖般香甜的嗓音富于变化，整个人散发着超凡魅力，浑然天成。在舞台上，他时而声如洪钟，时而鬓鬓耳语，并将有关圣经、历史和启示录的主题混编在一起。他称纳尔逊·曼德拉为“罗奔岛的巴巴拉”。在其恶名达致顶峰之际，只要他动一动嘴皮子 ，成千上成的布尔人马上就能起兵造反。

　　In the early 1990s, when apartheid was dying, Mr Terre'Blanche tried violently to revive it. In 1993 his men crashed an armoured car through the glass fa?ade of a building near Johannesburg where the government was now openly negotiating with the ANC. Having driven out the delegates, Mr Terre'Blanche's bully¹⁹ boys held a barbecue. But when they left, the talks resumed. In March the next year, with about 100 of his followers, he invaded Bophuthatswana, a nominally²⁰ independent “homeland” created by the apartheid government as a dumping-ground for jobless blacks. They drove around in their bakkies (pick-up trucks), killing²¹ black pedestrians²² at random²³, and seemed genuinely surprised when black policemen shot back at them. After three khaki-shorted AWB thugs were killed, the rest fled in disarray²⁴. And that was that for the white counter-revolution. Some of Mr Terre'Blanche's supporters set off bombs to disrupt the poll, killing around 20 people. But that was nowhere near enough to stop millions of blacks from turning out to vote.

　　20世纪90年代早期，种族隔离制度行将就木，尤金·特雷布兰奇先生力图强行让这种制度死灰复燃。1993年，他的喽罗们撞毁一辆装甲车，穿过约翰内斯堡一道玻璃外墙，来到附近一幢大楼，那里，政府正在同非洲国民大会分开进行交涉。驱散代表后，尤金·特雷布兰奇先生手下的这些打手烧烤去了。他们一离开，谈判旋即恢复。翌年三月，在100多名手下的簇拥下，他闯入了博茨瓦纳，一个名义上的独立的“家园”，由推行种族隔离制度的政府为安置无业的黑人设立的垃圾场。他们开着皮卡车，随意枪杀步行的黑人，当黑人警察向他们开枪，予以还击时，他们看上去着实吃惊不小。三个着黄卡其布短衫的暴徒被击毙，剩余的作鸟兽散。对于白人来说，形势发生逆转。尤金·特雷布兰奇先生的支持者投放炸弹来扰乱投票，造成20人死亡。但是成百万的黑人进行投票选举已势在必行。

　　The “leader”, as he styled himself, was no nicer in private. Though he won amnesty for his political crimes, he was jailed for beating one black worker into a coma²⁵ and attempting to murder another. Yet unintentionally, he did some good. By making his cause look ridiculous, he weakened it. He fell off his horse at a parade. He wore green underpants with holes in them. He could fill a stadium and put on a show, but as a military commander, he was hopeless. Newspapers mocked him with punning headlines, such as “O volk! Terre'Blanche is back again”. Had he been less of a buffoon²⁶, South Africa's road to democracy might have been bloodier²⁷.

　　“头”，他这样称呼自己，私下里也不是那么好听。虽然他在政治上的犯罪得到大赦，但由于将一名黑人雇工打昏并力图谋杀另一名而被收监。然而，他无意中行了点好。他让其的事业招致越来越多的笑料，并日渐萎缩。游行时，他从马背跌落。他穿着多孔绿色内裤。他在体育馆内跑满全场进行表演，但是作为一支武装力量的指挥官，他陷入了绝望。报纸上用双关语的标题来嘲笑他，比如“喔，人民，特雷布兰奇又回来了”。要不是他那么搞笑的话，南非的民主进程可能会更血腥。”

　　In the late 1990s he released a CD on which he read his own poems. They were packed with images of wide farms, dry riverbeds, windswept veld, frolicking gemsbok and scratching guinea fowl²⁸. Even the birds were better off than Afrikaners, he grumbled²⁹: “Even the marsh-lourie has his sleeping-place and his fellows, his lourie-people.” How far, he wondered, would he have to travel to find his own volkstaat?

　　20世纪90年代晚期，他出了一张CD，里面是朗诵自己诗篇的音频。这些诗篇的意象里是宽阔的农场，干涸的河床，刮风的草场，嬉戏的大羚羊还有觅食的珍珠鸡。甚至鸟儿也比布尔人好，他咕哝着：“即便是沼泽蕉鹃也有他的栖息地，他的伙伴，他的鸟群。”他想知道，他要找到自己的布尔人国家，得走多远呢？

　　He was beaten to death last week, allegedly by two black farmworkers. The murder has sparked fears of renewed racial violence in South Africa. But the motive³⁰ was apparently³¹ personal: unpaid³² wages and, one imagines, a less than agreeable management style.

　　上个星期，他被棒杀。据说，嫌犯是农场的两名黑人雇工。谋杀让人担心，南非的种族暴力会重新燃起。但从表面上看，杀人动机纯属私人恩怨：欠发薪水，以及想当然地认为，管理方式粗暴。

1 obituary   

n.讣告，死亡公告；adj.死亡的

参考例句：

• The obituary records the whole life of the deceased.讣文记述了这位死者的生平。
• Five days after the letter came,he found Andersen s obituary in the morning paper.收到那封信五天后，他在早报上发现了安德森的讣告。

2 aged   

adj.年老的，陈年的

参考例句：

• He had put on weight and aged a little.他胖了，也老点了。
• He is aged,but his memory is still good.他已年老，然而记忆力还好。

3 vowing   

起誓，发誓（vow的现在分词形式）

参考例句：

• President Bush is vowing to help Minneapolis rebuild its collapsed bridge. 布什总统承诺将帮助明尼阿波利斯重建坍塌的大桥。
• President Bush is vowing to help Minneapolis rebuild this collapse bridge. 布什总统发誓要帮助明尼阿波利斯重建起这座坍塌的桥梁。

4 commemorate   

vt.纪念，庆祝

参考例句：

• This building was built to commemorate the Fire of London.这栋大楼是为纪念“伦敦大火”而兴建的。
• We commemorate the founding of our nation with a public holiday.我们放假一日以庆祝国庆。

5 incensed   

盛怒的

参考例句：

• The decision incensed the workforce. 这个决定激怒了劳工大众。
• They were incensed at the decision. 他们被这个决定激怒了。

6 followers   

追随者( follower的名词复数 )； 用户； 契据的附面； 从动件

参考例句：

• the followers of Mahatma Gandhi 圣雄甘地的拥护者
• The reformer soon gathered a band of followers round him. 改革者很快就获得一群追随者支持他。

7 tar   

n.柏油，焦油；vt.涂或浇柏油/焦油于

参考例句：

• The roof was covered with tar.屋顶涂抹了一层沥青。
• We use tar to make roads.我们用沥青铺路。

8 vaulted   

adj.拱状的

参考例句：

• She vaulted over the gate and ran up the path. 她用手一撑跃过栅栏门沿着小路跑去。
• The formal living room has a fireplace and vaulted ceilings. 正式的客厅有一个壁炉和拱形天花板。

9 racist   

n.种族主义者，种族主义分子

参考例句：

• a series of racist attacks 一连串的种族袭击行为
• His speech presented racist ideas under the guise of nationalism. 他的讲话以民族主义为幌子宣扬种族主义思想。

10 remarkably   

ad.不同寻常地，相当地

参考例句：

• I thought she was remarkably restrained in the circumstances. 我认为她在那种情况下非常克制。
• He made a remarkably swift recovery. 他康复得相当快。

11 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

12 ideology   

n.意识形态，(政治或社会的)思想意识

参考例句：

• The ideology has great influence in the world.这种思想体系在世界上有很大的影响。
• The ideal is to strike a medium between ideology and inspiration.我的理想是在意识思想和灵感鼓动之间找到一个折衷。

13 rumbled   

发出隆隆声，发出辘辘声( rumble的过去式和过去分词 )； 轰鸣着缓慢行进； 发现…的真相； 看穿（阴谋）

参考例句：

• The machine rumbled as it started up. 机器轰鸣着发动起来。
• Things rapidly became calm, though beneath the surface the argument rumbled on. 事情迅速平静下来了，然而，在这种平静的表面背后争论如隆隆雷声，持续不断。

14 concession   

n.让步，妥协；特许(权)

参考例句：

• We can not make heavy concession to the matter.我们在这个问题上不能过于让步。
• That is a great concession.这是很大的让步。

15 supremacy   

n.至上；至高权力

参考例句：

• No one could challenge her supremacy in gymnastics.她是最优秀的体操运动员，无人能胜过她。
• Theoretically,she holds supremacy as the head of the state.从理论上说，她作为国家的最高元首拥有至高无上的权力。

16 thespian   

adj.戏曲的；n.演员；悲剧演员

参考例句：

• If you enjoy acting in plays,join your school's thespian club.如果你喜欢戏剧表演，就加入你学校的戏剧社团。
• The actress demonstrated thespian talents at her first audition.这位女演员第一次试镜就展现出戏剧天分。

17 charisma   

n.(大众爱戴的)领袖气质，魅力

参考例句：

• He has enormous charisma. He is a giant of a man.他有超凡的个人魅力，是个伟人。
• I don't have the charisma to pull a crowd this size.我没有那么大的魅力，能吸引这么多人。

18 apocalyptic   

adj.预示灾祸的，启示的

参考例句：

• The air is chill and stagnant,the language apocalyptic.空气寒冷而污浊，语言则是《启示录》式的。
• Parts of the ocean there look just absolutely apocalyptic.海洋的很多区域看上去完全像是世界末日。

19 bully   

n.恃强欺弱者，小流氓；vt.威胁，欺侮

参考例句：

• A bully is always a coward.暴汉常是懦夫。
• The boy gave the bully a pelt on the back with a pebble.那男孩用石子掷击小流氓的背脊。

20 nominally   

在名义上，表面地； 应名儿

参考例句：

• Dad, nominally a Methodist, entered Churches only for weddings and funerals. 爸名义上是卫理公会教徒，可只去教堂参加婚礼和葬礼。
• The company could not indicate a person even nominally responsible for staff training. 该公司甚至不能指出一个名义上负责职员培训的人。

21 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

22 pedestrians   

n.步行者( pedestrian的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Several pedestrians had come to grief on the icy pavement. 几个行人在结冰的人行道上滑倒了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Pedestrians keep to the sidewalk [footpath]! 行人走便道。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

23 random   

adj.随机的；任意的；n.偶然的(或随便的)行动

参考例句：

• The list is arranged in a random order.名单排列不分先后。
• On random inspection the meat was found to be bad.经抽查，发现肉变质了。

24 disarray   

n.混乱，紊乱，凌乱

参考例句：

• His personal life fell into disarray when his wife left him.妻子离去后，他的个人生活一片混乱。
• Our plans were thrown into disarray by the rail strike.铁路罢工打乱了我们的计划。

25 coma   

n.昏迷，昏迷状态

参考例句：

• The patient rallied from the coma.病人从昏迷中苏醒过来。
• She went into a coma after swallowing a whole bottle of sleeping pills.她吃了一整瓶安眠药后就昏迷过去了。

26 buffoon   

n.演出时的丑角

参考例句：

• They pictured their manager as a buffoon.他们把经理描绘成一个小丑。
• That politician acted like a buffoon during that debate.这个政客在那场辩论中真是丑态百出。

27 bloodier   

adj.血污的( bloody的比较级 )；流血的；屠杀的；残忍的

参考例句：

28 fowl   

n.家禽，鸡，禽肉

参考例句：

• Fowl is not part of a traditional brunch.禽肉不是传统的早午餐的一部分。
• Since my heart attack,I've eaten more fish and fowl and less red meat.自从我患了心脏病后，我就多吃鱼肉和禽肉，少吃红色肉类。

29 grumbled   

抱怨( grumble的过去式和过去分词 )； 发牢骚； 咕哝； 发哼声

参考例句：

• He grumbled at the low pay offered to him. 他抱怨给他的工资低。
• The heat was sweltering, and the men grumbled fiercely over their work. 天热得让人发昏，水手们边干活边发着牢骚。

30 motive   

n.动机，目的；adv.发动的，运动的

参考例句：

• The police could not find a motive for the murder.警察不能找到谋杀的动机。
• He had some motive in telling this fable.他讲这寓言故事是有用意的。

31 apparently   

adv.显然地；表面上，似乎

参考例句：

• An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽，豁然开朗。
• He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。

32 unpaid   

adj.未付款的，无报酬的

参考例句：

• Doctors work excessive unpaid overtime.医生过度加班却无报酬。
• He's doing a month's unpaid work experience with an engineering firm.他正在一家工程公司无偿工作一个月以获得工作经验。