我的菜園

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，當(dāng)局宣布取消體力勞動，給我們安排了一些院內(nèi)的工作，因此我們可以在自己的這片區(qū)域里打發(fā)時間了。

結(jié)束了體力勞動就像解放了一樣?，F(xiàn)在，我每天可以讀書、寫信，和我的獄友討論問題，或者準(zhǔn)備法律文件。

時間上的自由還讓我得以繼續(xù)從事在羅本島上培養(yǎng)起來的兩大愛好：園藝和網(wǎng)球。

要在獄中生存下來，你得設(shè)法使自己在日常生活中得到滿足。

把衣服洗得特別干凈，把門前過道打掃得一塵不染，或者把自己的牢房整理出盡可能大的空間來，通過這些方式，你就可以得到滿足感。

如同在監(jiān)獄外為自己完成重要任務(wù)而感到驕傲一樣，在監(jiān)獄內(nèi)你也可以因完成一些小事而感到自豪。

幾乎從剛在羅本島服刑起，我就向當(dāng)局提出申請，想在院子里開墾一塊菜園。多年來，他們沒有給出任何原因，卻一直拒絕我的請求。但是，最終他們讓步了，我們可以在遠處墻根下一塊狹長的地面上劃出一小片地方做菜園。

院子里的土壤很干，石頭也很多。這個院子在建起來之前是個廢棄的停車場。為了開辟我的菜園，我得清除大量的石頭，給植物留出生長的空間。

當(dāng)時，一些獄友開玩笑，說我骨子里是個礦工，因為我整天待在一片荒地里，把自己的空閑時間都花費在挖院子里的廢地上了。

獄方給我提供了種子。開始時，我種了番茄、辣椒和洋蔥———都是些不需要肥沃土壤或經(jīng)常照料的蔬菜，都是些生命力很強的植物。

早期的收成不好，但很快狀況就有了改善。獄方?jīng)]有后悔允許我開辟菜園，因為菜園的蔬菜長得好起來后，我就經(jīng)常給看守們一些最好的番茄和洋蔥。

雖然我一直喜愛園藝，但直到入獄后我才能照料自己的菜園。

我在園藝方面的第一次經(jīng)歷是在福特哈爾大學(xué)，那是大學(xué)時體力勞動要求的一部分。

我在一位教授家的園子里干活，在那里我享受著腦力勞動之余和土地之間的接觸。自從我到約翰內(nèi)斯堡學(xué)習(xí)，之后又工作以后，我就再沒有時間和地方開辟菜園了。

我開始訂購一些園藝方面的書籍，從中學(xué)習(xí)到了不同的園藝技術(shù)，了解了不同種類的肥料。書中提及的許多材料我沒有，但我從反復(fù)試驗和犯錯中學(xué)到了東西。

有一段時間，我曾嘗試用不同的土壤和化肥種花生，但最終我放棄了。這是我很少經(jīng)歷的幾次失敗之中的一次。

菜園是一個人在監(jiān)獄中所能控制的僅有的幾件事物之一。播下種子，看著它生長，照料它，然后收獲果實，這一過程使人得到一種簡單卻持久的滿足感。

做這一小片土地的主人使我感到一絲的自由。

在某些方面，我把這個菜園當(dāng)作自己生活中一些方面的隱喻。

領(lǐng)袖人物也必須照料他們的菜園。他們也要播種，然后看管、培育，收獲果實。像園丁一樣，領(lǐng)袖人物也必須為他們培育的東西負(fù)責(zé)，他們必須在自己的工作上盡心，努力擊退敵人，挽救所能挽救的一切，并取消不能獲得成功的事情。