我的菜园

By+Nelson+Mandela

In early 1977， the authorities announced the end of manual labor and arranged some type of work for us to do in the courtyard， so we could spend our days in our section.

The end of manual labor was liberating. I could now spend the dayreading，writingletters， discussingissueswithmy comrades，orpreparinglegal documents.

The free time also allowed me to pursue what became two of my favorite hobbies on Robben Island： gardening and tennis.

To survive in prison， one must develop ways to take satisfaction in ones daily life.

Onecanfeelfulfilledby washing ones clothes so that they are particularly clean， by sweeping a hallway so that it is empty of dust， by organizing ones cell to save as much space as possible.

Just as one takes pride in important tasks outside of prison， one can find the same pride in doing small things inside prison.

Almost from the beginning of my sentence on Robben Island， I asked the authorities for permission to start a garden in the courtyard. For years， they refused without offering a reason. But eventually they gave in， and we were able to cut out a small garden on a narrow patch of earth against the far wall.

The soil in the courtyard was dry and rocky. The courtyard had been constructed over the garage dump， and in order to start my garden， I had to remove a great many rocks to allow the plants room to grow.

At the time， some of my comrades joked that I was a miner at heart， for I spent my days in a wasteland and my free time digging in the courtyard.

The authorities supplied me with seeds. I at first planted tomatoes， chilies， and onions—hardy plants that did not require rich earth or constant care.

The early harvests were poor， but they soon improved. The authorities did not regret giving permission， for once the garden began to flourish， I often provided the wardens with some of my best tomatoes and onions.

While I have always enjoyed gardening， it was not until I was behind bars that I was able to tend my own garden.

My first experience in the garden was at Fort Hare，aspartofuniversitysmanuallabor requirement.

I worked in one of my professorsgarden and enjoyed the contact with the soil as an alternative to my intellectual labors. Once I was in Johannesburg studying and then working， I had neither the time nor the space to start a garden.

I began to order books on gardening.Istudieddifferent gardening techniques and types of fertilizers. I did not have many of thematerialsthatthebooks discussed， but I learned through trial and error.

For a time， I attempted to grow peanuts， and used different soils and fertilizers， but finally I gave up. It was one of my few failures.

A garden was one of the few things in prison that one could control. To plant a seed， watch it grow， to tend it and harvest it， offered a simple but enduring satisfaction.

The sense of being the owner of the small patch of earth offered a small taste of freedom.

In some ways I saw the garden as a metaphor for certain aspects of my life.

Leaders must also look after their gardens； they， too， plant seeds， and then watch， cultivate， and harvest results. Like gardeners， leaders must take responsibility for what they cultivate； they must mind their work， try to drive back enemies， save what can be saved， and eliminate what cannot succeed.

1977年初，当局宣布取消体力劳动，给我们安排了一些院内的工作，因此我们可以在自己的这片区域里打发时间了。

结束了体力劳动就像解放了一样。现在，我每天可以读书、写信，和我的狱友讨论问题，或者准备法律文件。

时间上的自由还让我得以继续从事在罗本岛上培养起来的两大爱好：园艺和网球。

要在狱中生存下来，你得设法使自己在日常生活中得到满足。

把衣服洗得特别干净，把门前过道打扫得一尘不染，或者把自己的牢房整理出尽可能大的空间来，通过这些方式，你就可以得到满足感。

如同在监狱外为自己完成重要任务而感到骄傲一样，在监狱内你也可以因完成一些小事而感到自豪。

几乎从刚在罗本岛服刑起，我就向當局提出申请，想在院子里开垦一块菜园。多年来，他们没有给出任何原因，却一直拒绝我的请求。但是，最终他们让步了，我们可以在远处墙根下一块狭长的地面上划出一小片地方做菜园。

院子里的土壤很干，石头也很多。这个院子在建起来之前是个废弃的停车场。为了开辟我的菜园，我得清除大量的石头，给植物留出生长的空间。

当时，一些狱友开玩笑，说我骨子里是个矿工，因为我整天待在一片荒地里，把自己的空闲时间都花费在挖院子里的废地上了。

狱方给我提供了种子。开始时，我种了番茄、辣椒和洋葱———都是些不需要肥沃土壤或经常照料的蔬菜，都是些生命力很强的植物。

早期的收成不好，但很快状况就有了改善。狱方没有后悔允许我开辟菜园，因为菜园的蔬菜长得好起来后，我就经常给看守们一些最好的番茄和洋葱。

虽然我一直喜爱园艺，但直到入狱后我才能照料自己的菜园。

我在园艺方面的第一次经历是在福特哈尔大学，那是大学时体力劳动要求的一部分。

我在一位教授家的园子里干活，在那里我享受着脑力劳动之余和土地之间的接触。自从我到约翰内斯堡学习，之后又工作以后，我就再没有时间和地方开辟菜园了。

我开始订购一些园艺方面的书籍，从中学习到了不同的园艺技术，了解了不同种类的肥料。书中提及的许多材料我没有，但我从反复试验和犯错中学到了东西。

有一段时间，我曾尝试用不同的土壤和化肥种花生，但最终我放弃了。这是我很少经历的几次失败之中的一次。

菜园是一个人在监狱中所能控制的仅有的几件事物之一。播下种子，看着它生长，照料它，然后收获果实，这一过程使人得到一种简单却持久的满足感。

做这一小片土地的主人使我感到一丝的自由。

在某些方面，我把这个菜园当作自己生活中一些方面的隐喻。

领袖人物也必须照料他们的菜园。他们也要播种，然后看管、培育，收获果实。像园丁一样，领袖人物也必须为他们培育的东西负责，他们必须在自己的工作上尽心，努力击退敌人，挽救所能挽救的一切，并取消不能获得成功的事情。