Unit-7-Id-Rather-Be-Black-than-Female-课文翻译

Unit7I’dRatherBeBlackthanFemaleShirleyChisholm1.BeingthefirstblackwomanelectedtoCongresshasmademesomekindofphenomenon.TherearenineotherblacksinCongress;therearetenotherwomen.Iwasthefirsttoovercomebothhandicapsatonce.Ofthetwohandicaps,beingblackismuchlessofadrawbackthanbeingfemale.2.IfIsaidthatbeingblackisagreaterhandicapthanbeingawoman,probablynoonewouldquestionme.Why?Because“weallknow”thereisprejudiceagainstblackpeopleinAmerica.Thatthereisprejudiceagainstwomenisanideathatstillstrikesnearlyallmen—and,Iamafraid,mostwomen—asbizarre.3.PrejudiceagainstblackswasinvisibletomostwhiteAmericansformanyyears.Whenblacksfinallystartedto“mention”it,withsit-ins,boycotts,andfreedomrides,Americanswereincredulous.“Who,us?”theyaskedininjuredtones.“We’reprejudiced?”Itwasthestartofalong,painfulreeducationforwhiteAmerica.Itwilltakeyearsforwhites—includingthosewhothinkofthemselvesasliberals—todiscoverandeliminatetheracistattitudestheyallactuallyhave.4.Howmuchharderwillitbetoeliminatetheprejudiceagainstwomen?Iamsureitwillbealongerstruggle.PartoftheproblemisthatwomeninAmericaaremuchmorebrainwashedandcontentwiththeirrolesassecond-classcitizensthanblackseverwere.5.Letmeexplain.Ihavebeenactiveinpoliticsformorethantwentyyears.Forallbutthelastsix,Ihavedonethework—allthetediousdetailsthatmakethedifferencebetweenvictoryanddefeatonelectionday—whilemenreapedtherewards,whichisalmostinvariablythelotofwomeninpolitics.6.Itisstillwomen—aboutthreemillionvolunteers—whodomostofthisworkintheAmericanpoliticalworld.Thebestanyofthemcanhopeforisthehonorofbeingdistrictorcountyvice-chairman,akindofseparate-but-equalpositionwithwhichawomanisrewardedforyearsoffaithfulenvelopestuffingandcard-partyorganizing.Insuchajob,shegetsanumberoffreetripstostateandsometimesnationalmeetingsandconventions,whereherroleissupposedtobetovotethewayhermalechairmanvotes.7.WhenItriedtobreakoutofthatrolein1963andrunfortheNewYorkStateAssemblyseatfromBrooklyn’sBedfordStuyvesant,theresistancewasbitter.Fromthestartofthatcampaign,Ifacedundisguisedhostilitybecauseofmysex.8.Butitwasfouryearslater,whenIranforCongress,thatthequestionofmysexbecameamajorissue.Amongmembersofmyownparty,closedmeetingswereheldtodiscusswaysofstoppingme.9.Myopponent,thefamouscivil-rightsleaderJamesFarmertriedtoprojectablack,masculineimage;hetouredtheneighborhoodwithsoundtrucksfilledwithyoungmenwearingAfrohaircuts,dashikis,andbeards.Whilethetelevisioncrewsignoredme,theywerenotawareofaveryimportantstatistic,whichbothIandmycampaignmanager,WesleyMacD.Holder,knew.Inmydistrictthereare2.5womenforeverymanregisteredtovote.Andthoseareorganized—inPTAs,churchsocieties,cardclubs,andothersocialandservicegroups.Iwenttothemandaskedtheirhelp.Mr.Farmerstilldoesn’tquiteknowwhathithim.10.Whenabrightyoungwomangraduatestartslookingforajob,whyisthefirstquestionalways:“Canyoutype?”Ahistoryofprejudiceliesbehindthatquestion.Whyarewomenthoughtofassecretaries,notadministrators?Librariansandteachers,butnotdoctorsandlawyers?Becausetheyarethoughtofasdifferentandinferior.Thehappyhomemakerandthecontenteddarkyarebothstereotypesproducedbyprejudice.11.Womenhavenotevenreachedtheleveloftokenismthatblacksarereaching.NowomensitontheSupremeCourt.OnlytwohaveheldCabinetrank,andnonedoatpresent.Onlytwowomenholdambassadorialrank.Butwomenpredominateinthelower-paying,menial,unrewarding,dead-endjobs,andwhentheydoreachbetterpositions,theyareinvariablypaidlessthanamangetsforthesamejob.12.Ifthatisnotprejudice,whatwouldyoucallit?13.Afewyearsago,Iwastalkingwithapoliticalleaderaboutapromisingyoungwomanasacandidate.“Whyinvesttimeandefforttobuildthegirlup?”heaskedme.“Youknowshe’llonlydropoutofthegametohaveacoupleofkidsjustaboutthetimewe’rereadytorunherformayor.”14.Plentyofpeoplehavesaidsimilarthingsaboutme.Plentyofothershaveadvisedme,everytimeItriedtotakeanotherupwardstep,thatIshouldgobacktoteaching,awoman’svocation,andleavepoliticstothemen.Iloveteaching,andIamreadytogobacktoitassoonasIamconvincedthatthiscountrynolongerneedsawoman’scontribution.15.Whentherearenochildrengoingtobedhungryinthisrichnation,Imaybereadytogobacktoteaching.Whenthereisagoodschoolforeverychild,Imaybeready.Whenwedonotspendourwealthonhardwaretomurderpeople,whenwenolongertolerateprejudiceagainstminorities,andwhenthelawsagainstunfairhousingandunfairemploymentpracticesareenforcedinsteadofevaded,thentheremaybenothingmoreformetodoinpolitics.16.Butuntilthathappens—andweallknowitwillnotbethisyearornext—whatweneedismorewomeninpolitics.Becausewehaveaveryspecialcontributiontomake.Ihopethattheexampleofmysuccesswillconvinceotherwomentogetintopolitics—andnotjusttostuffenvelopes,buttorunforoffice.17.Itiswomenwhocanbringempathy,tolerance,insight,patience,andpersistencetogovernment—thequalitieswenaturallyhaveorhavehadtodevelopbecauseofoursuppressionbymen.Thewomenofanationmolditsmorals,itsreligion,anditspoliticsbythelivestheylive.Atpresent,ourcountryneedswomen’sidealismanddetermination,perhapsmoreinpoliticsthananywhereelse.1.我是首位当选国会议员的黑人妇女，这使我成了一种独特的现象。美国国会中还有九位黑人议员，十位女性议员,而我是首位同时逾越双重障碍的议员。在这两道障碍之中，身为黑人要比身为女人的障碍小很多