Nelson Mandela—Leader among Leaders
纳尔逊·曼德拉——领袖中的领袖
Chief among African leaders， Nelson Mandela is one of few statesmen to have achieved almost universal prestige around the world. His role in fighting apartheid， his imprisonment on Robben Island—where he came to symbolize the struggle of oppressed people around the world—and his ability to steer South Africa through the crisis of its rebirth have earned him the international reputation of benevolent negotiator and quintessential peacemaker.
Imprisoned for 27 years for his opposition to apartheid， Mandela came out of prison in 1990 expressing no bitterness towards his tormentors. Instead， he championed reconciliation among South Africa's polarized races， espousing the principles of nation-building and cooperative governance.
Mandela was one of the few leaders capable of inspiring confidence both inside and outside the country. Few others would have managed to unite the disparate warring parties and steer South Africa from what seemed to be the brink of civil war. To some， Mandela has a near-omnipotent power at the negotiating table， carrying with him an indubitable moral authority and gentle but firm sense of fairness.
As South Africa's first democratically elected President in 1994， Mandela tackled the great challenge of uniting both the country's racial groupings and a fragmented public service system. And a significant milestone of his presidency was the constitution-making process.
Mandela is well known for taking a strong stand against the giant world powers—especially in defense of Africa. As President， he was unrestrained in embracing the ANC's former allies， in spite of criticism from the United States. His position has also made for relationships with both Russia and China， former allies of the ANC.
Since handing over the reigns of the presidency to Thabo Mbeki in 1999， Mandela has played a key role as middleman in crisis-hit areas. In particular， he sealed a peace agreement with the warring factions in Burundi， after replacing Tanzania's Julius Nyerere as chief negotiator. He was also called upon to hammer out a peace agreement in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Later on， Mbeki took over his role in that war-ravaged country， which in 2006 held its first presidential elections in over 40 decades.
In those years when Mandela was in prison， police raided the ANC's underground headquarters at Lilliesleaf Farm in Rivonia， and arrested several ANC leaders. Police found documents relating to the manufacture of explosives， Mandela's diary and copies of a draft memorandum that outlined a possible strategy for guerrilla struggle.
The Rivonia Trial began in October 1963 and Mandela joined the other accused being tried for sabotage and conspiracy to overthrow the government. Mandela's fevered four-hour statement from the dock received worldwide publicity. On 12 June 1964， all eight of the accused were sentenced to life imprisonment instead of death penalty. Mandela spent the next 18 years on Robben Island， before being transferred in 1982 to Pollsmoor prison in Cape Town and then to Victor Verster prison， where it was discovered that he was suffering from tuberculosis.
On Robben Island， Mandela， who was still kept along with other senior leaders， continued to play an important role as a political leader behind bars， maintaining contact with the ANC leadership in exile. From July 1986， Mandela initiated contact with government representatives， which led eventually to his July 1989 meeting with President P.W. Botha.
Mandela was released from jail， 11 February 1990. The first images of the President-to-be walking out of prison were relayed live via satellite to audiences across the globe. After released from the prison， Mandela led the ANC in negotiations with the South African government， which culminated in the adoption of the interim constitution in November 1993. In 1994 the ANC won the country's first multiracial elections with an overwhelming majority. Mandela's inauguration as President brought together the largest number of heads of state since the funeral of former US President John Kennedy in 1963.
During his whole life， Nelson Mandela has never wavered in his devotion to democracy， equality and learning. Despite terrible provocation， he has never answered racism with racism. His life has been an inspiration， in South Africa and throughout the world， to all who are oppressed and deprived， to all who are opposed to oppression and deprivation. In a life that symbolizes the triumph of the human spirit over man's inhumanity to man， Nelson Mandela accepted the 1993 Nobel Peace Prize on behalf of all South Africans who suffered and sacrificed so much to bring peace to Africa.
纳尔逊·曼德拉是仅有的几位享有国际声誉的非洲领导人之一。对抗种族隔离，幽禁罗宾岛，成为全世界被压迫民众反抗斗争的代表，经历复兴危机的南非导航，所有这些使得曼德拉成为一位享有国际声望、具有亲和力和典范作用的斡旋者。
由于反对种族隔离，曼德拉历经了二十七年的铁窗生涯。1990年出狱的他并没有向世人表露他的狱中之苦，而是去支持南非各极化分裂种族间的团结运动，主张建立国家、协作管理。
无论在国内国外，曼德拉都能为他人点燃信心之火，这样的领导人并不多见。其他的领导者都没能将敌对各党团结起来，也没能将南非从内战的边缘引开。对一些人来讲，谈判桌上的曼德拉有着几近无所不能的力量、不容置疑的道德威信和温和而坚定的公正感。
1994年，这位南非第一位由民主选举产生的总统，勇挑重担，团结国内各种族团体，整修破碎的公共服务体系。宪法的出台便是他任期内的一项具有里程碑意义的重要成果。
曼德拉以其面对世界强国的坚决态度而闻名，尤其在为坚决保护非洲利益辩护时。作为总统，曼德拉不顾美国的批评之声，仍自由地与非洲国民大会的前任各同盟国友好往来。他与俄罗斯和中国这些非洲国民大会的前任盟国建立了联系。
自从1999年曼德拉将总统权利移交给塔博·姆贝基之后，他便在危机高发地区充当起中间人这个关键角色。特别是当他取代了作为主要斡旋者的坦桑尼亚的朱利叶斯·尼雷尔之后，曼德拉曾在布隆迪各敌对派系之间达成过一项和平协议。同时，曼德拉还被委以为刚果民主共和国的和平协定出谋划策的使命。后来，姆贝基接替了曼德拉的这一任务，2006年，在那个经历了战争蹂躏的国家里，举行了过去四十多年来从未有过的首次总统选举。
当年曼德拉被捕入狱时，警方曾搜捕过非洲国民大会位于利沃尼亚的利利斯利弗农场的地下总部，并且抓捕过几名非洲国民大会的领导人。警方发现了一些制造爆炸物的相关资料、曼德拉的日记、以及几份关于游击斗争可行性策略的备忘录草稿。
1963年10月的利沃尼亚审判中，曼德拉与其他人一同被指控试图从事破坏活动以及共谋推翻政府。曼德拉在被告席上长达四个小时的激昂陈述得到了全世界的关注。1964年6月12日，八名被告人被判处终身监禁，并没有被处以死刑。随后的十八年里，曼德拉都是在罗宾岛的监狱里度过的。1982年他被转往位于开普敦的帕士摩监狱，随后又转到了维克沃斯特监狱，在那里曼德拉患上了肺结核并饱受病痛的折磨。
在罗宾岛的监狱里，曼德拉仍旧与其他高级领导者们团结在一起，与被流放的非洲国民大会的领导人们保持联系，在监狱中继续发挥着政治领袖的重要作用。从1986年7月起，曼德拉开始与政府代表联系，最终促成了1989年7月与总统博塔的会面。
1990年2月11日，曼德拉出狱。这位未来的总统步出监狱的第一批图像通过卫星传送给了全球的观众。出狱后， 曼德拉领导非洲国民大会与南非政府进行谈判协商，使政府在1993年11月同意采用过渡宪法。1994年，非洲国民大会在南非举行的第一届多种族选举中获得了压倒性的胜利。曼德拉总统就职典礼聚集了世界各国首脑。这也是自1963年参加美国前总统约翰·肯尼迪的葬礼以来，各国首脑出席人数最多的一次。
纳尔逊·曼德拉一生都从未动摇过为民主、平等、学习而献身的信仰。尽管饱经沧桑，曼德拉却从未以牙还牙，从未用种族歧视报复种族歧视。对于那些在南非乃至全世界受压迫和剥削但不甘于受压迫和剥削的人来说，曼德拉的一生能够赋予他们灵感与启示。他的一生成为了人类精神战胜非人道残害的象征。1993年，纳尔逊·曼德拉代表受苦受难、为非洲带来和平的全体南非人民，接受了诺贝尔和平奖。
译者感言
纳尔逊·曼德拉，一位被誉为“活着的传奇”的时代巨人。他的一生都在为南非的民族独立与团结而战，他将自己的全部奉献给了那片他毕生挚爱的热土。曼德拉的身上体现了一种坚不可摧的执着信念，一股永不熄灭的火热激情。二十七载的铁囚生涯非但没有将他击垮，反而磨炼了他的性情，坚定了他的政治信念。监狱中的曼德拉团结所有能够团结的人，这是因为他深切地认识到在南非这样一个多种族的国度里，要想反对种族隔离制，民族团结便是头等重任。1990年出狱的曼德拉已是一位72岁高龄的老人了，然而他的心仍旧如同27年前一样斗志昂扬。他再一次投身到南非民族团结的阵营中去，最终获得了大选的成功，成为了南非历史上的第一位黑人总统。曼德拉是领袖中的领袖，伟人中的强者。1993年的诺贝尔和平奖便是全世界人民对这位民族战士的最高献礼。
