2010年11月，南非首位黑人总统曼德拉（Nelson Mandela）推出其回忆录《与自我的对话》（Conversations with Myself），以纪念其获释20年。他在书中写道，自己年轻时曾是一个集懦弱、犯罪和轻率于一身的乡下男孩，并且试图掩盖懦弱。书中收录了他的笔记、信件以及日记，27年铁窗生涯的记录，毫无保留地将一个“非圣贤”的曼德拉展现人前。

Nelson Mandela may well be the most admired human being alive. In fact, it's difficult to imagine who could compete with him for the title. He went from being prisoner to president, and in the process became an icon.

纳尔逊·曼德拉可以说是当今世上最受景仰的人。事实上很难想象，谁能跟他竞逐这个头衔。他从阶下囚成为总统，在这过程中，他成为了民众偶像。

The most revealing are two notebooks with drafts of letters he wrote from Robben Island, South Africa's Alcatraz, where he was serving a life sentence for sabotage. He was allowed to send and receive one letter every six months. And the letters revealed that his passion for his wife Winnie never waned. “What a masterpiece!” he wrote, after she sent him a picture of herself. “The picture has aroused all the tender feelings in me and softened the grimness that is all around. It has sharpened my longing for you and our sweet and peaceful home.”

与自我对话 Conversations with Myself　　最真情流露的是两本笔记，内有他在罗宾岛写的信件草稿；那是南非的恶魔岛，他因为颠覆国家罪被判在那里服无期徒刑。他获准每六个月寄收一封信。这些书信透露出他对太太云妮的爱从不曾退减。“真是一幅杰作！”在云妮给他寄去其照片后，他写道。“照片激起我心中的万般柔情，抚慰这周遭一切的冷酷。其加深了我对你，还有对我们和谐宁静的家的渴望。”

Winnie had become Mandela's voice on the outside and the apartheid regime came down on her with a vengeance. She was repeatedly thrown into jail and tortured. The struggle was now not only devastating their lives, their two young daughters had been effectively abandoned. Mandela was incredibly blunt about what awaited them. “My Darlings,” he wrote. “Once again, our beloved Mommy has been arrested and now she and Daddy are away in jail. You may live like orphans, without your own home and parents. You will get no birthday or Christmas parties, no presents or new dresses, no shoes or toys.”

监狱外，云妮是曼德拉的代言人，种族隔离政府向她报复。她多次被送入狱，遭受折磨。这样的煎熬不仅毁了他们的生活，两个年幼女儿实际上也处于无人照料的境地。曼德拉对她们所要面对的命运也毫不讳言。他写道：“亲爱的宝贝，我们亲爱的妈妈再次被捕了。现在她和爸爸遥在监狱中，你们可能会过着像孤儿般的生活，无家无父母照料。没办法庆祝生日或办圣诞晚会，没有礼物或新裙，没有新鞋子或玩具。”

He never doubted that the racist regime would be overthrown. So even back then, he started preparing. First move learn the language of the oppressor, Afrikaans.

他深信种族歧视政府会被推翻，所以当时他就开始作准备了。第一步是学习压迫者的语言：南非荷兰语。

The language of the enemy?

学习敌人的语言？

Mac Maharaj (Fellow Prisoner): And he said to me, “Mac, do you agree that we are now in a protracted war?” I said, “Yes.” He says, “You've got to understand the general on the other side. To understand him, you've got to know his language.”

麦·哈拉杰（狱友）：他跟我说：“麦，你同意我们打的是持久战吗？”我说：“同意。”他说：“你得了解敌方将领的想法。想了解他，你就得学习他的语言。”

The book contains defiant letters Mandela wrote to the authorities, reminding them that, as political prisoners, they had rights and should be treated with dignity. In response, he got a visit from a general, who was intent on putting Mandela in his place.

书中收录了曼德拉抗议当局的信件，提醒当局即使他们是政治犯，也有人权，必须受到尊重。结果一位军官前来探访他，想让曼德拉认清自己所处的境况。

Mac: And he says to Mandela, “Mandela, you better remember you are a prisoner.” And in a very polite way he says to him, “General, you and I may be generals on the opposite side of this war. At some point, even if it is to accept the surrender from the other, we'll have to meet. And how we treat each other now, will determine how we interact at that moment.”

麦：他对曼德拉说：“曼德拉，你得记住你是个囚犯。”他非常礼貌地回答：“将军，你和我也许是这场战争中敌对双方的指挥官。在一定情况下，就算是接受对方的投降，我们也还会再度见面；而现在我们对待彼此的态度，将决定我们未来那一刻的交流。