A Narrativa de Frederick Douglass

Predgovor

Preface

Avgusta meseca

In the month of August,

1841

1841,

sem se udeležil protisuženjskega zborovanja v Nantucketu,

I attended an anti-slavery convention in Nantucket,

kjer sem imel srečo spoznati

at which it was my happiness to become acquainted with

Fredericka Douglassa,

Frederick Douglass,

pisca naslednje Pripovedi.

the writer of the following Narrative.

Skoraj vsem članom tega zbora je bil tujec;

He was a stranger to nearly every member of that body;

toda

but,

ker je bil pred kratkim ubežal iz južne ječe suženjstva

having recently made his escape from the southern prison-house of bondage,

in ker ga je gnala radovednost, da bi spoznal načela in ukrepe abolicionistov —

and feeling his curiosity excited to ascertain the principles and measures of the abolitionists, —

o katerih je kot suženj slišal le nekam nejasne opise —

of whom he had heard a somewhat vague description while he was a slave, —

se je dal pregovoriti, da se je ob omenjeni priložnosti

he was induced to give his attendance,

udeležil zborovanja,

on the occasion alluded to,

čeprav je tedaj prebival v New Bedfordu.

though at that time a resident in New Bedford.

Srečen,

Fortunate,

nadvse srečen dogodek! —

most fortunate occurrence! —

srečen za milijone njegovih vklenjenih bratov,

fortunate for the millions of his manacled brethren,

ki še vedno hlepijo po rešitvi iz svojega groznega jarma! —

yet panting for deliverance from their awful thraldom! —

srečen za stvar zamorske osvoboditve

fortunate for the cause of negro emancipation,

in vsesplošne svobode! —

and of universal liberty! —

srečen za deželo njegovega rojstva,

fortunate for the land of his birth,

za katere rešitev in blagoslov je storil že toliko! —

which he has already done so much to save and bless! —

srečen za širok krog prijateljev in znancev,

fortunate for a large circle of friends and acquaintances,

katerih sočutje in naklonjenost si je trdno pridobil s številnimi trpljenji, ki jih je prestal,

whose sympathy and affection he has strongly secured by the many sufferings he has endured,

s krepostnimi potezami svojega značaja,

by his virtuous traits of character,

s tem, da se nikoli ne neha spominjati tistih, ki so v sponah,

by his ever-abiding remembrance of those who are in bonds,

kakor bi bil vklenjen z njimi! —

as being bound with them! —

srečen za množice

fortunate for the multitudes,

v raznih delih naše republike,

in various parts of our republic,

katerih duhove je razsvetlil glede suženjstva

whose minds he has enlightened on the subject of slavery,

in ki jih je njegova ganljivost omehčala do solz

and who have been melted to tears by his pathos,

ali jih je njegova pretresljiva zgovornost zoper zasužnjevalce ljudi razvnela do krepostnega ogorčenja! —

or roused to virtuous indignation by his stirring eloquence against the enslavers of men! —

srečen zanj samega,

fortunate for himself,

saj ga je nemudoma postavil na polje javne koristnosti,

as it at once brought him into the field of public usefulness,

„svetu dal poroštvo, da je MOŽ“,

“gave the world assurance of a MAN,”

predramil dremajoče moči njegove duše

quickened the slumbering energies of his soul,

in ga posvetil velikemu delu: zlomiti šibo zatiralca

and consecrated him to the great work of breaking the rod of the oppressor,

in zatirane pustiti na svobodo!

and letting the oppressed go free!