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Nelson Roulihlahla Mandela set a standard of conduct to which leaders of any age should 2)aspire. His birthday this year marked still another 3)milestone in a life that few, perhaps not even Mandela himself, could have imagined.
The boy who, like all other boys in his rural South African village of Qunu, herded sheep and kicked around a soccer ball in the rolling hills, may have dared to dream, but in those early years of the 20th century, no young black South African like himself, even one of royal 4)lineage, would have dreamed the dream of his journey from prisoner to president of his country and icon of the world.
And yet, the dream of freedom propelled Mandela into the practice of law and into the streets aboveground and underground and finally into the docks, challenging an unjust system that took away 27 years of his life but not his dream of freedom.
Throughout his years in prison, Mandela never wavered in his determination to free his people from their 5)oppressive existence or compromised in his demands.
“Prison,” he once said, “far from breaking our spirits, made us more determined to continue with this battle.” And continue it they did, despite being treated like common criminals—Mandela’s eyes were permanently damaged from the effects of having to dig in a rock 6)quarry.
Mandela and the legions of political prisoners on Robben Island liberated themselves from the oppression of the prison bars by preparing for their country’s liberation, even though they knew not when. That preparation led Robben Island prison to become known as “Mandela University,” and the students included other struggle 7)stalwarts, some of whom—like 8)Govan Mbeki and 9)Walter Sisulu—have passed on, and some of whom—like President Jacob Zuma—are now running the country.
And it was from behind prison bars that Mandela, lacking contact with his African National Congress party in exile, initiated talks with the white minority regime that eventually led to the release of all political prisoners—Mandela among the last—and the ultimate release of his people from 10)bondage.
But while all of that has led to Mandela’s 11)iconic stature, what elevates him above so many of the world’s leaders and those in his own country is his 12)humility. “I didn’t want to be presented in a way that omits the dark spots in my life,” he said a few years after his release from prison, but before he became South Africa’s first president elected by all the people. A troubled marriage to Winnie Madikizela Mandela that ended in divorce and a failure to respond aggressively to the HIV/AIDS crisis during his 13)presidency could be considered among the “dark spots.”
But they are far outweighed by his embrace of Winnie after their divorce and his eventual outspoken advocacy for HIV/AIDS treatment and against the 14)stigma 15)afflicting so many who are infected with the disease.
He also set a standard for the behavior of a political leader. His philosophy: “Success in politics demands that you must take your people into confidence about your views and state them very clearly, very politely, very calmly, but nevertheless state them openly.” A timeless message with a global reach.
Mandela also set a new standard on a continent where all too many of its leaders were known to only leave office 16)feet first. Mandela honored his word and stepped down after serving a single, five-year 17)term. Moreover, in addition to living his values, Mandela has left a written record of them in volumes that will be available for generations.
In the last few weeks before July leading up to Mandela’s 93rd birthday, the Nelson Mandela Foundation has been emailing a quote a day from the Nelson Mandela Centre of Memory. And as I read them each day, I could not help thinking how they need to be read by all of us, no matter where we live or where we call home, but especially by Mandela’s countrymen and South Africa’s leaders, as the country is challenged increasingly on a daily basis to live up to its promise.
It is also 18)incumbent upon those who came of age in Mandela’s lifetime to make sure that the youth whom he championed as keepers of the dream are equipped with the values he lived by to ensure his legacy. The words he spoke back on July 19, 1998 (on the occasion of his 80th birthday) are as relevant today as they were then: “All South Africans,” he said, “should rededicate ourselves to turning this into the land of our dreams.”
纳尔逊•罗利赫拉赫拉•曼德拉树立了一项任何年代的领袖都应该追求的行为标准。今年他的生日标志着其人生的另一个里程碑，他这一生的经历是极少数人，甚至是曼德拉本人，也未曾想象过的。
像所有生活在南非曲努村的其他男孩一样，这个男孩放羊，在起伏的群山间踢着足球满山跑。他也许敢于梦想，但是在20世纪初的那些年头里，没有像他一样的年轻南非黑人，甚至有着皇家血统的南非黑人，有过这样的幻想：从囚犯成为国家总统，成为世界标志性人物之一。
然而，对自由的梦想驱使曼德拉从事律师行业，行走在公开的以及秘密的街道，最后到达码头去挑战一个不公平的制度，为此他失去了人生中27年的时间，但牢狱生涯并没夺走他追求自由的梦想。
在狱中的那些年里，曼德拉那将人民从压迫中解放出来的决心从未动摇过，这种渴望也未曾让步。
他曾经说过：“监狱没有摧毁我们的精神，反而让我们更有决心去继续这场战斗。”尽管被当做普通囚犯那样对待，他们仍然继续战斗——由于不得不在采石场里挖岩石，曼德拉的眼睛受到了永久性伤害。
曼德拉及罗宾岛上的一群政治囚犯为他们国家的解放而时刻准备着，虽然不知道什么时候才能实现，但凭借此信念，他们将自己从监狱铁栅的压迫中解放出来。他们所做的准备让罗宾岛监狱成为“曼德拉大学”，名声大噪。其中一些学生及其他斗争的坚定分子——如戈文•姆贝基及沃尔特•西苏鲁如今已经去世，还有一些——如总统雅各布•祖玛正在管理着这个国家。
因为身陷牢狱，曼德拉与其流亡中的非洲国民大会党缺少联系，他开始与少数白人政权谈话，最终促成所有政治囚犯的释放——曼德拉是最后一批被释放的囚犯之一——以及人民脱离奴役的最终解放。
这些事迹造就了曼德拉的榜样地位，但是使得他地位超越如此多世界领导人及南非国家领导人的是他的谦卑。“我不想以抹掉人生污点的方式出现在人们面前，”在获释几年但尚未成为南非人民选举出来的第一任总统之前，他如此说道。与温妮•马迪基泽拉•曼德拉离婚收场的糟糕婚姻，以及在总统任职期间没有强有力地回应艾滋病危机可说是他人生中的一些“污点”。
但这些都被他后来的努力远远超过了：他与温妮离婚后的拥抱，还有他最终直言宣扬积极治疗艾滋病患者及反对歧视艾滋病感染者的主张。
此外，他也为政治领袖的行为设定了一个标准。他的哲学是：“要在政治上取得成功，你一定要使人民对你的观点有信心，并且要非常清楚、礼貌、平静而又公开地表述你的观点。”这是一个跨越国界的永恒信息。
曼德拉也为这个太多不死不退位的领袖的国家设定了一个新标准。曼德拉兑现了自己的承诺，五年的总统任期满后就让位了。并且，除了以身作则，曼德拉还书面记录了他的价值观，使其得以世代流传。
在7月前几个星期（曼德拉即将迎来其93岁生日），纳尔逊•曼德拉基金会每天都从纳尔逊•曼德拉记忆中心引用一句话作为邮件内容并发出。我每天读着这些话语，禁不住去想我们所有人都应该去读一读这些话，不管我们身在何方，家住何处，特别是曼德拉的国民以及南非的领袖们，因为这个国家目前每天都面临着兑现自身承诺的挑战。
对那些在曼德拉时期成长起来的人来说，确保那些被曼德拉推崇为“梦想守护者”的年轻人能够传承他的价值观，保证遗产得以流传，是义不容辞的事情。曼德拉在1998年7月19日（他80岁生日那天）所说的那些话在今天仍然有很大的参考意义：“所有南非人，”他说，“都应该再次奉献自我，致力于把我们的这片土地建设成我们的梦想家园。”
The boy who, like all other boys in his rural South African village of Qunu, herded sheep and kicked around a soccer ball in the rolling hills, may have dared to dream, but in those early years of the 20th century, no young black South African like himself, even one of royal 4)lineage, would have dreamed the dream of his journey from prisoner to president of his country and icon of the world.
And yet, the dream of freedom propelled Mandela into the practice of law and into the streets aboveground and underground and finally into the docks, challenging an unjust system that took away 27 years of his life but not his dream of freedom.
Throughout his years in prison, Mandela never wavered in his determination to free his people from their 5)oppressive existence or compromised in his demands.
“Prison,” he once said, “far from breaking our spirits, made us more determined to continue with this battle.” And continue it they did, despite being treated like common criminals—Mandela’s eyes were permanently damaged from the effects of having to dig in a rock 6)quarry.
Mandela and the legions of political prisoners on Robben Island liberated themselves from the oppression of the prison bars by preparing for their country’s liberation, even though they knew not when. That preparation led Robben Island prison to become known as “Mandela University,” and the students included other struggle 7)stalwarts, some of whom—like 8)Govan Mbeki and 9)Walter Sisulu—have passed on, and some of whom—like President Jacob Zuma—are now running the country.
And it was from behind prison bars that Mandela, lacking contact with his African National Congress party in exile, initiated talks with the white minority regime that eventually led to the release of all political prisoners—Mandela among the last—and the ultimate release of his people from 10)bondage.
But while all of that has led to Mandela’s 11)iconic stature, what elevates him above so many of the world’s leaders and those in his own country is his 12)humility. “I didn’t want to be presented in a way that omits the dark spots in my life,” he said a few years after his release from prison, but before he became South Africa’s first president elected by all the people. A troubled marriage to Winnie Madikizela Mandela that ended in divorce and a failure to respond aggressively to the HIV/AIDS crisis during his 13)presidency could be considered among the “dark spots.”
But they are far outweighed by his embrace of Winnie after their divorce and his eventual outspoken advocacy for HIV/AIDS treatment and against the 14)stigma 15)afflicting so many who are infected with the disease.
He also set a standard for the behavior of a political leader. His philosophy: “Success in politics demands that you must take your people into confidence about your views and state them very clearly, very politely, very calmly, but nevertheless state them openly.” A timeless message with a global reach.
Mandela also set a new standard on a continent where all too many of its leaders were known to only leave office 16)feet first. Mandela honored his word and stepped down after serving a single, five-year 17)term. Moreover, in addition to living his values, Mandela has left a written record of them in volumes that will be available for generations.
In the last few weeks before July leading up to Mandela’s 93rd birthday, the Nelson Mandela Foundation has been emailing a quote a day from the Nelson Mandela Centre of Memory. And as I read them each day, I could not help thinking how they need to be read by all of us, no matter where we live or where we call home, but especially by Mandela’s countrymen and South Africa’s leaders, as the country is challenged increasingly on a daily basis to live up to its promise.
It is also 18)incumbent upon those who came of age in Mandela’s lifetime to make sure that the youth whom he championed as keepers of the dream are equipped with the values he lived by to ensure his legacy. The words he spoke back on July 19, 1998 (on the occasion of his 80th birthday) are as relevant today as they were then: “All South Africans,” he said, “should rededicate ourselves to turning this into the land of our dreams.”
纳尔逊•罗利赫拉赫拉•曼德拉树立了一项任何年代的领袖都应该追求的行为标准。今年他的生日标志着其人生的另一个里程碑，他这一生的经历是极少数人，甚至是曼德拉本人，也未曾想象过的。
像所有生活在南非曲努村的其他男孩一样，这个男孩放羊，在起伏的群山间踢着足球满山跑。他也许敢于梦想，但是在20世纪初的那些年头里，没有像他一样的年轻南非黑人，甚至有着皇家血统的南非黑人，有过这样的幻想：从囚犯成为国家总统，成为世界标志性人物之一。
然而，对自由的梦想驱使曼德拉从事律师行业，行走在公开的以及秘密的街道，最后到达码头去挑战一个不公平的制度，为此他失去了人生中27年的时间，但牢狱生涯并没夺走他追求自由的梦想。
在狱中的那些年里，曼德拉那将人民从压迫中解放出来的决心从未动摇过，这种渴望也未曾让步。
他曾经说过：“监狱没有摧毁我们的精神，反而让我们更有决心去继续这场战斗。”尽管被当做普通囚犯那样对待，他们仍然继续战斗——由于不得不在采石场里挖岩石，曼德拉的眼睛受到了永久性伤害。
曼德拉及罗宾岛上的一群政治囚犯为他们国家的解放而时刻准备着，虽然不知道什么时候才能实现，但凭借此信念，他们将自己从监狱铁栅的压迫中解放出来。他们所做的准备让罗宾岛监狱成为“曼德拉大学”，名声大噪。其中一些学生及其他斗争的坚定分子——如戈文•姆贝基及沃尔特•西苏鲁如今已经去世，还有一些——如总统雅各布•祖玛正在管理着这个国家。
因为身陷牢狱，曼德拉与其流亡中的非洲国民大会党缺少联系，他开始与少数白人政权谈话，最终促成所有政治囚犯的释放——曼德拉是最后一批被释放的囚犯之一——以及人民脱离奴役的最终解放。
这些事迹造就了曼德拉的榜样地位，但是使得他地位超越如此多世界领导人及南非国家领导人的是他的谦卑。“我不想以抹掉人生污点的方式出现在人们面前，”在获释几年但尚未成为南非人民选举出来的第一任总统之前，他如此说道。与温妮•马迪基泽拉•曼德拉离婚收场的糟糕婚姻，以及在总统任职期间没有强有力地回应艾滋病危机可说是他人生中的一些“污点”。
但这些都被他后来的努力远远超过了：他与温妮离婚后的拥抱，还有他最终直言宣扬积极治疗艾滋病患者及反对歧视艾滋病感染者的主张。
此外，他也为政治领袖的行为设定了一个标准。他的哲学是：“要在政治上取得成功，你一定要使人民对你的观点有信心，并且要非常清楚、礼貌、平静而又公开地表述你的观点。”这是一个跨越国界的永恒信息。
曼德拉也为这个太多不死不退位的领袖的国家设定了一个新标准。曼德拉兑现了自己的承诺，五年的总统任期满后就让位了。并且，除了以身作则，曼德拉还书面记录了他的价值观，使其得以世代流传。
在7月前几个星期（曼德拉即将迎来其93岁生日），纳尔逊•曼德拉基金会每天都从纳尔逊•曼德拉记忆中心引用一句话作为邮件内容并发出。我每天读着这些话语，禁不住去想我们所有人都应该去读一读这些话，不管我们身在何方，家住何处，特别是曼德拉的国民以及南非的领袖们，因为这个国家目前每天都面临着兑现自身承诺的挑战。
对那些在曼德拉时期成长起来的人来说，确保那些被曼德拉推崇为“梦想守护者”的年轻人能够传承他的价值观，保证遗产得以流传，是义不容辞的事情。曼德拉在1998年7月19日（他80岁生日那天）所说的那些话在今天仍然有很大的参考意义：“所有南非人，”他说，“都应该再次奉献自我，致力于把我们的这片土地建设成我们的梦想家园。”