2009年十大道歉(中英对照)--9 吴士异教授翻译
9. California Says It's Sorry, 150 Years Late加利福尼亚州迟到150年的道歉
翻译：吴士异教授
（英语原文来源：《纽约时代》周刊）
By RANDY JAMES Tuesday, Dec. 08, 2009
Most of the original perpetrators and victims are long dead, but California's apology this year to thousands of Chinese immigrants was hailed as a landmark all the same. A measure passed by the California Assembly in July formally expresses regret for a series of discriminatory laws passed in the state beginning during the 19th century gold rush. Chinese immigrants flocking to California for the dangerous work of building the transcontinental railroad, gold mines and other infrastructure were greeted with legal bans on such fundamental rights as owning property, voting or marrying white people. The Chinese Exclusion Act, a federal law passed in 1882, singled out the laborers for special immigration restrictions, dashing many newcomers' hopes of reuniting with their wives. That measure and several others were not repealed until the 1940s. California's apology does not include financial reparations or other compensation, but supporters say money was never the point. Dale Ching, 88, was detained by immigration authorities for 3½ months when he arrived in northern California as a teenager in 1937. As he told TIME in July, "Finally someone has said sorry."
大多数发罪人和受害者早都已经死去，但是今年加利福尼亚州对成千上万中国移民的道歉，仍然可以算作加州历史翻开了新的一页。加利福尼亚州议会6月份通过的这一项举措，对加州在19世纪淘金热时代通过的一系列歧视性法律，正式表达了遗憾之情。当时，中国移民成群结队来到这里，从事危险的很跨大陆的铁路建设，金矿的开采和其他的基础设施建设，而迎接他们的是法律上禁止他们拥有财产的基本权利，投票选举的权利，和白人结婚的权利。1882年美国联邦议会通过“排华法案”，专门提出对特别劳工移民的限制，是众多新来的移民和妻子团圆的梦想破灭了。这一法律和其他举措到1842年，没有被废止。加州的道歉虽然不包括经济和资金的赔偿，但是支持者说钱并不是关键。88岁的 戴尔秦，1937年到达北加州时，是个十几岁的小伙子，被移民当局扣留了三个半月。正如他2009年6月对《时报》说的：“最终总算有人说声对不起了。” |
