被判绞刑时发表的讲话

I have, may it please the court, a few words to say. In the first place, I deny everything but what I have all along admitted, the design on my part to free the slaves. I intended certainly to have made a cleanthing of that matter, as I did last winter when I went into Missouri and there took slaves without the snapping of a gun on either side, moved them through the country, and finally left them in Canada. I designed to have done the same thing again on a larger scale. That was all I intended. I never did intend murder, or treason, or the destruction of property, or to excite or incite slaves to rebellion, or to make insurrection.
　　
　　在法庭上，我只想讲几句话。首先，除去我一直承认的解放黑奴的计划之外，我否认其他的所有指控。我确实想要完全消灭奴隶制。去年冬天我就到过密苏里接过黑奴，在双方没有交火的情况下，我就将黑奴运出了国境，最后到达加拿大。我曾打算扩大行动的规模。这就是我想做的一切。我从未考虑过谋杀、叛国、破坏私有财产或煽动奴隶发动暴乱和起义。
　　
　　I have another objection ,and that is ,it is unjust that I should suffer such a penalty. Had I interfered in the manner which I admit, and which I admit has been fairly proved(for I admire the truthfulness and candor of the greater portion of the witnesses who have testified in this case),has I so interered in behalf of the rich, the powerful, the intellingent, the so called great, or in behalf of any of their friends---either father, mother, brother, sister, wife, of children or any of that class---and suffered and sacrificed what I have in this interference, it would have been all right; and every man in this court would have deemed it an act worthy of reward rather than punishment.
　　
　　我还要提出一个异议，那就是：受到这样的惩罚对我来说是不公平的。我在法庭上所承认的事实已经得到了充分的证明，我很钦佩于证人所提供的大部分事实，它们是正确和公正的。但是，假如我所做的一切是代表那些有财富、有知识的人或所谓大人物的利益，或是代表他们的朋友、父母、兄弟、姐妹、妻子、儿女或他们所属的阶级其他任何人的利益，并因此而受到我在这件事上所遭受的痛苦和牺牲，那就没事了。那么法庭上的每个人都会认为我的行为值得奖赏，而不是惩罚。
　　
　　This court acknowledges, as I suppose, the validity of the law of God. I see a book kissed here which I suppose to be the Bible, or at least the New Testament. That teaches me that all things whatsoever I would that men should do to me, I should do even so to them. It teaches me, further, to ‘remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them.?I endeavored to act up to that instruction .i say I am yet too young to understand that God is any respecter of persons. I believe that to have interfered as I have done--as I have always freely admitted I have done--in behalf of His despised poor was not wrong, but right. Now, if it is deemed necessary that I should foreit my life for the furtherance of the ends of justice, and mingle my blood further with the blood of my children and with the blood of millions in this slave country whose rights are disregarded by wicked, cruel, and unjust enactments---I submit---so let it be done!
　　
　　我想，这法庭也承认上帝的合法性，我看到你们在这里亲吻一本书，那大概是《圣经》吧，如果不是，那么它也至少是《新约全书》。这本书教导我要把自己想要的东西施加给他人。还教导我“要像自己也被囚禁那样，不忘身陷囹圄的人们”。我曾努力实践这一训条。我想说，我还太年轻，不理解上帝竟会不公平待人。我相信，并一直坦率承认，为一些穷苦子民所做的事并没有错，相反是完全正确的。如果为了伸张正义，我就必须献生命，必须在这个被邪恶、残暴与不义的法制剥夺了一切权利的蓄奴国家里，把我的鲜血和我的几个孩子以及成千上万其他人的鲜血流在一起，那就请便吧！
　　
　　Let me say one word further. I feel entirely satisfied with the treatment I have received on my trial. Considering all the circumstances it has been more generous than I expected. But I feel no consciousness of guilt. I have stated that from the first what was my intention and what was not. I never had any design against the life of any person, nor any disposition to commit reason, or excite slaves to reble, or make any general insurrection. I never encouraged any man to do so ,but always discouraged any idea of that kind. Let me say also a work in regard to the statements made by some of those connected with me. I hear it has been stated by some of them that I have induced them to join me. But the contrary is true. I do not say this to injure them, but as regretting their weakness. There is not one of them but joined me of his own accord, and the greater part of them at their own expense. A number of them I never say ,and never had a word of conversation with till the day they came to me ; and that was for the purpose I have stated. Now I have done.
　　
　　我还有几句话要说。考虑到我现在的这种状况已经比原先预料的要好得多，对于所受到的审判，我感到很满意。但是我并没有罪恶感，从一开始我就已经陈述了自己行动的意图。我从来没有打算妨碍他人的生活，也没有想过叛国，更没有想过鼓动奴隶叛乱，或发动大规模的起义。我从未煽动任何人那样做，相反我总是阻止那种思想的传播。就那些同我相关人员的陈述，我还想说几句。他们中有人说我引诱他们加入。但事实却恰恰相反。我这样说不是为了伤害他们，而为他们的软弱感到遗憾。他们都是自愿加入，至少大部分是出于自愿。至今为止，我未曾同他们中大部人见面或交谈过。这就是我陈述的目的。现在我说完了。
　　
　　1.约翰·布朗（1800--1859），激进的废奴主义者，曾以暴力手段阻止奴隶制并构想出来一个入侵南方解放奴隶的计划，按照自己的计划来组织政府。他在一次夺取西弗吉尼亚联邦军械库的行动中失败被捕，被判处死刑，这是他在1859年11月2日临刑之前的讲话。