博炮作文网

第31章 勇敢的呼声西雅图酋长谈话 1（第1页）

he“AlternateStatement”ofChiefSeattle

西雅图酋长

ChiefSeattle

西雅图酋长（1786—1866），杜瓦米许族印第安人，勇武且善于领导，以酋长身份统治德奥米什和苏卡米什等6个部落。西雅图早年受法国传教士的影响，信仰天主教。他的父亲与当地白人建立了友好关系，而他多年来一直维护着这种关系。1855年他与白人签订了《埃利澳特港条约》，并建立印第安人保留地，当时美国政府要将当地土人驱逐到“保留地”定居。本文就是西雅图在美国政府压力下所给予的答复。

AceintheHole

Understandthesenewwordsbeforeyoureadthisarticle。

1。startlev。使吓一跳；使惊奇

2。arrestv。吸引

3。budn。芽，萌芽

Yonderskythathaswettearsofcomassionuonmyeoleforcenturiesuntold，andwhichtousaearschangelessandeternal，maychange。Todayisfair。Tomorrowitmaybeovercastwithclouds。Mywordsarelikethestarsthatneverchange。WhateverSeattlesays，thegreatchiefatWashingtoncanrelyuonwithasmuchcertaintyashecanuonthereturnofthesunortheseasons。

WhiteChiefsaysthatBigChiefatWashingtonsendsusgreetingsoffriendshiandgoodwill。Thisiskindofhimforweknowhehaslittleneedofourfriendshiinreturn。Hiseolearemany。Theyarelikethegrassthatcoversvastrairies。Myeolearefew。Theyresemblethescatteringtreesofastorm-swetlain。Thegreat，andIresume—good，WhiteChiefsendsuswordthathewishestobuyourlandsbutiswillingtoallowusenoughtolivecomfortably。Thisindeedaearsjust，evengenerous，fortheRedMannolongerhasrightsthatheneedsresect，andtheoffermaybewisealso，aswearenolongerinneedofanextensivecountry。

Therewasatimewhenoureolecoveredthelandasthewavesofawind-ruffledseacoveritsshell-avedfloor，butthattimelongsinceassedawaywiththegreatnessoftribesthatarenowbutamournfulmemory。Iwillnotdwellon，normournover，ouruntimelydecay，norreroachmyalefacebrotherswithhasteningit，aswetoomayhavebeensomewhattoblame。

Youthisimulsive。Whenouryoungmengrowangryatsomerealorimaginarywrong，anddisfiguretheirfaceswithblackaint，itdenotesthattheirheartsareblack，andthattheyareoftencruelandrelentless，andouroldmenandoldwomenareunabletorestrainthem。Thusithaseverbeen。ThusitwaswhentheWhiteManbegantoushourforefatherseverwestward。Butletushoethatthehostilitiesbetweenusmayneverreturn。Wewouldhaveeverythingtoloseandnothingtogain。Revengebyyoungmenisconsideredgain，evenatthecostoftheirownlives，butoldmenwhostayathomeintimesofwar，andmotherswhohavesonstolose，knowbetter。

OurgoodfatherinWashington—forIresumeheisnowourfatheraswellasyours，sinceKingGeorgehasmovedhisboundariesfurthernorth—ourgreatandgoodfather，Isay，sendsuswordthatifwedoashedesireshewillrotectus。Hisbravewarriorswillbetousabristlingwallofstrength，andhiswonderfulshisofwarwillfillourharbors，sothatourancientenemiesfartothenorthward—theHaidasandTsimshians，willceasetofrightenourwomen，childrenandoldmen。Heinrealityhewillbeourfatherandwewillbehischildren。

Butcanthateverbe？YourGodisnotourGod！YourGodlovesyoureoleandhatesmine！Hefoldshisstrongrotectingarmslovinglyaboutthealefaceandleadshimbythehandasafatherleadsaninfantson。But，HehasforsakenHisRedchildren，iftheyreallyareHis。

OurGod，theGreatSirit，seemsalsotohaveforsakenus。YourGodmakesyoureolewaxstrongereveryday。Soontheywillfillalltheland。Oureoleareebbingawaylikearaidlyrecedingtidethatwillneverreturn。TheWhiteMan’sGodcannotloveoureoleorHewouldrotectthem。Theyseemtobeorhanswhocanlooknowhereforhel。Howthencanwebebrothers？HowcanyourGodbecomeourGodandrenewourroserityandawakeninusdreamsofreturninggreatness？

IfwehaveacommonHeavenlyFather，Hemustbeartial，forHecametoHisalefacechildren。WeneversawHim。HegaveyoulawsbuthadnowordforHisRedchildrenwhoseteemingmultitudesoncefilledthisvastcontinentasstarsfillthefirmament。No，wearetwodistinctraceswithsearateoriginsandsearatedestinies。Thereislittleincommonbetweenus。

Toustheashesofourancestorsaresacredandtheirrestinglaceishallowedground。Youwanderfarfromthegravesofyourancestorsandseeminglywithoutregret。

YourreligionwaswrittenuontabletsofstonebytheironfingerofyourGodsothatyoucouldnotforget。TheRedMancouldnevercomrehendorrememberit。Ourreligionisthetraditionsofourancestors—thedreamsofouroldmen，giventheminsolemnhoursofthenightbytheGreatSirit；andthevisionsofoursachems，andiswrittenintheheartsofoureole。