On this day of my release， I extend mysincere and warmest gratitude to the millionsof my compatriots and those in every cornerof the globe who have campaigned tirelesslyfor my release. I extend special greetings tothe people of Cape Town， the city which hasbeen my home for three decades. Your massmarches and other forms of struggle haveserved as a constant source of strength to allpolitical prisoners. I salute the African NationalCongress. It has fulfilled our every expectationin its role as leader of the great march tofreedom. I salute our President， ComradeOliver Tambo， for leading the ANC even underthe most difficult circumstances.
在我获释的今天，我要向千百万同胞，向世界各地为我的获释做出过不懈努力的人们，致以真诚的、最热烈的感谢。我要特别感谢开普敦的人民，我以开普敦为家住了30年。你们大规模的游行示威和其他形式的斗争一直是所有政治犯们的力量源泉。我向非洲国民大会致敬，作为一个领导我们奔向自由的政党，它实现了我们对它的所有期望。我向我们的主席——奥利弗·坦博同志致敬，他在最艰难的环境下领导着非国大。
I salute the rank-and-file membersof the ANC： You have sacrificed lifeand limb in the pursuit of the noblecause of our struggle， like SolomonMahlangu and Ashley Kriel， who havepaid the ultimate price for the freedomof all South Africans. I salute theSouth African Communist Party forits sterling contribution to the strugglefor democracy. You have survived40 years of unrelenting persecution. The memory of great communistslike Moses Kotane， Yusuf Dadoo，Bram Fischer， and Moses Mabhidawill be cherished for generations tocome. I salute General Secretary JoeSlovo， one of our finest patriots. We areheartened by the fact that the alliancebetween ourselves and the Party remainsas strong as it always was. I salute theNational Education Crisis Committee，the South African Youth Congress， theTransvaal and Natal Indian Congresses，and COSATU， and the many otherformations of the Mass DemocraticMovement. I also salute the Black Sashand the National Union of South AfricanStudents. We note with pride that youhave looked - that you have acted as theconscience of white South Africans. Evenduring the darkest days in the history ofour struggle you held the flag of libertyhigh. The large-scale mass mobilizationof the past few years is one of the keyfactors which led to the opening of thefinal chapter of our struggle. I extendmy greetings to the working class of ourcountry. Your organized strength is thepride of our movement. You remain themost dependable force in the struggle toend exploitation and oppression.
我向非国大的普通党员们致敬：你们在争取自由的伟大事业中赴汤蹈火英勇献身。我向“民族之矛”的战士们——如所罗门·马赫兰古和艾希莉·柯瑞尔——致敬，他们为了全体南非人的自由而流尽了最后一滴血。我向南非共产党致敬，它为南非的民主斗争作出了非凡的贡献。你们经受了40年的无情迫害而坚持了下来。南非世世代代的人民都将怀念摩西·科达恩、余素夫·达都、布莱姆·费舍尔以及摩西·马西达等伟大的共产主义者。我向秘书长乔·斯洛沃致敬，他是我们最杰出的爱国者之一。一个鼓舞人心的事实是，我们和共产党的联盟依然一如既往地坚不可摧。我向统一民主阵线、国民教育危机处理委员会、南非青年会、德兰士瓦省及纳塔尔印度人大会、南非贸易联合会以及其他各种形式的群众民主运动组织致敬。我还要向“黑肩带”妇女协会以及南非学生国民联合会致敬。我们骄傲地看到你们的言行代表了南非白人的良知。即便在我们斗争史上最黑暗的岁月里，你们也高举着民主自由的大旗。过去几年里，大规模的群众动员是揭开我们斗争最后篇章的主要因素之一。我要向我们国家的劳动阶级致敬。你们团结起来的力量是我们争取自由运动的骄傲。你们依然是我们反剥削反压迫斗争中最可依赖的力量。
I pay tribute - I pay tribute to the many religious communities who carriedthe campaign for justice forward when the organizations of our people weresilenced. I greet the traditional leaders of our country - many among you continueto walk in the footsteps of great heroes like Hintsa and Sekhukhuni， I pay tributeto the endless heroism of the youth. You are the young lions….the young lions，have energized our entire struggle. I pay tribute to the mothers and wives andsisters of our nation. You are the rock-hard foundation of our struggle. Apartheidhas inflicted more pain on you than on anyone else. On this occasion， we thankthe world， we thank the world community for their great contribution to the anti-apartheid struggle. Without your support， our struggle would not have reached thisadvanced stage. The sacrifice of the frontline states will be remembered by SouthAfricans forever. My salutation will be incomplete without expressing my deepappreciation for the strength given to me during my long and lovely years in prisonby my beloved wife and family. I am convinced that your pain and suffering wasfar greater than my own.
我向众多宗教团体致敬，在我们的组织被压制得鸦雀无声时，他们挺身而出，展开争取正义的运动。我向我国过去的领导者们致敬，你们中的很多人继续沿着亨萨、瑟库库内等伟大英雄们的足迹前进。我向年轻的英雄主义者们致敬，你们是年轻的雄狮。你们——年轻的雄狮们，给我们整个斗争中注入了活力。我向我们国家里的母亲们、妻子们、姐妹们致敬。你们是我们进行斗争的坚强基石。种族隔离烙在你们身心上的伤痕比任何人的都多。在这个时刻，我们感谢世界——我们感谢世界这个大团体在反对种族隔离的斗争中所作出的伟大贡献。没有你们的支持，我们的斗争不会到达这个新阶段。那些走在斗争前列的国家所付出的牺牲将会被南非人民永远铭记。如果不向我深爱的妻子和家人表示深深的感激，那么我的致敬将是残缺不全的。在我漫长而孤独的铁窗生涯中，他们给了我力量。我相信你们经受的痛苦和苦难远远超过了我自己。
Before I go any further， I willmake a more public statementonly after I had the opportunity toconsult with my comrades. Todaythe majority of South Africans，black and white， recognize thatapartheid has no future. It has to beended by our own decisive massaction in order to build peace andsecurity.
在我进一步演讲之前，我愿意阐明我的观点，就是在当前阶段，我只打算对一些问题做初步的评论。等到我有机会和我的同志们深入切磋之后，我将发表一个更加全面的声明。今天，无论是黑人还是白人，大多数南非人都已认识到种族隔离制度已经走到尽头。我们必须果敢地采取我们自己的群众运动来确保国家的和平与安全。
The mass campaigns ofdefiance and other actions of ourorganizations and people can onlyculminate in the establishmentof democracy. The apartheiddestruction on my continent is incalculable. The fabric of family lifeof millions of my people has beenshattered. Millions are homelessand unemployed. Our economy- Our economy lies in ruins and our peopleare embroiled in political strife. Our resort tothe armed struggle in 1960 with the formationof the military wing of the ANC， Umkhonto weSizwe， was a purely defensive action againstthe violence of apartheid. The factors whichnecessitated the armed struggle still exist today.We have no option but to continue.
我国各个团体和我国人民的大规模反抗等运动只有在民主制度的确立中才能达到高峰。种族隔离制度给我们这片次大陆造成了难以估量的破坏。我们成千上万人的家庭生活遭到了毁坏。几百万人流离失所，没有工作。我们的经济遭到严重破坏，我们的人民卷入了政治冲突。我们在1960年诉诸武装斗争，建立了非洲人民国民大会的战斗组织——“民族之矛”，这纯属为反抗种族隔离制度的暴力而采取的自卫行动。过去那些要求我们必须进行武装斗争的种种因素在今天依然存在，因此除了继续进行武装斗争外我们别无选择。