Colson Whitehead’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, The Underground Railroad, shows the acute response of American literature to privileges and changes of racial mobility in the United States.
科尔森·怀特黑德《地下铁道》体现了美国文学对美国种族流动性特权与变迁的敏锐回应。
The Underground Railroad was originally a social network that helped slaves escape from slave states in the South to free states in the North or Canada before the Civil War. The author imagines it as an underground entity, focuses on describing characters' experience.
“地下铁道”本指南北战争之前，帮助黑奴由南部蓄奴州逃往北方自由州或加拿大的社会网络。而作者将其想象为地下实体，着重描绘逃亡过程中人物的体验。
In their ways to escape, a slave girl Cora realized the cognitive construction of American history and the future of race. In a word, this novel illustrates a profound reflection on the racial problems in contemporary America and reflects the shaping and breaking of the American dream of "all men are created equal".
在这难寻终点的流动过程中，逃奴女孩科拉实现了对美国历史与种族未来的认知建构。总的来说，小说中的空间流动融入了对当代美国种族问题的深刻反思，体现了“人生而平等”的美国梦的塑造与破灭。
In 1776, the United States regarded a Declaration of Independence as its foundation. "All men are created equal" is a well-known survival creed. In the Randall Plantation where Cora lived, there was a slave named Michael who could recite the Declaration of Independence. Cora, like the virtually illiterate Michael, did not understand the declaration, but the words "created equal" made Cora ponder. Because in racially unequal America, that "all" didn't really mean everyone. And Michael, with his ability to recite, was merely a tool to perform in front of the slaveholder. Declaration of Independence descended to a ridiculous show of ostentation.
1776年，美国以一部《独立宣言》作为自己的建国之基。“人人生而平等”是家喻户晓的生存信条。在女奴科拉所在的兰德尔种植园内，有个会背诵《独立宣言》的黑奴迈克尔。科拉与实际上没什么文化的迈克尔一样，都不理解宣言的意思，但其中“生而平等”几个字却让科拉陷入沉思。因为在种族不平等的美国，这个“所有人”并不真的意味着每个人。而有背诵之能力的迈克尔也不过是作为奴隶主面前表演的工具。《独立宣言》沦为一场可笑的卖弄演出。
Fletcher, a white abolitionist, secretly escorted Cora and Caesar to the state's "underground railroad" stations, taking the risk of being arrested by patrols and local residents. It is a miracle dug up by the hands of black people, the station could be closed at any time due to exposure, the route would be interrupted, and the conductor would not be able to tell them where to end, the only purpose is to "get out of here." And when the train starts moving, "if you look out and you will see the true nature of America." But in truth there was only darkness, miles and miles of darkness. This novel depicts American history through Cora's itinerant path, "Each state is a unique island, and each state represents a different possibility for the development of American history." It's a multifaceted look at how racial issue is handled in America.
白人废奴主义者弗莱彻冒着被巡逻队和本地居民逮捕的危险，秘密护送科拉和西泽至本州的“地下铁道”站点。这是一个由黑人亲手挖掘出的奇迹，车站随时可能因暴露而关闭，路线会中断，而列车员也无法告知他们终点，唯一的目的只有“离开这儿”。而当火车跑起来以后，“你们往外看，就能看到美国的真面貌。”然而，事实上只有黑暗，一里又一里的黑暗。小说通过科拉的流动之路，来描绘美国历史，“每一个州都是一个独特的岛屿，每个州都代表着美国历史发展的一种不同的可能性。” 这是对美国种族问题处理方式的多类呈现。
The "Arcadia" of Valentine Farm once gave Cora the illusion that "freedom" had been realized. This black fortress was finally invaded and massacred by the whites, and Cora was once again in trouble. Coerced by slave hunters, she leads them into the underground railroad. But Cora, who had lived through united life of black people to strive, felt the shame of betraying those who had helped her escape. So Cora tried to overcome the shadow of her heart, and bravely fought the slave hunters to protect the safety of the underground railroad. Fleeing again, Cora realized that even though she couldn't see "the real nature of America" in the tunnel, she felt it. She ran through the tunnel on foot by instinct, "either to the end or to die on the train tracks." Cora hadn't given up on the pursuing for an end.
如“世外桃源”一般的瓦伦丁农场曾经给予科拉“自由”妄想已实现的错觉。这个黑人堡垒最终被白人强行攻破与屠杀，科拉又一次陷入困境。她被猎奴者胁迫，带领他们走进地下铁道。但经历了黑人团结奋斗生活的科拉，此刻感受到的是背叛那些曾经帮助自己逃离的人所带来的耻辱。于是科拉努力克服内心阴影，勇敢地与猎奴者搏斗，以保护铁道的安全。又一次逃离的科拉此刻才发觉，尽管隧道里看不到“美国的真面貌”，但她却感觉到了。她凭借本能在隧道中徒步奔走，“要么抵达终点，要么在铁轨上长眠。”科拉并未放弃对终点的追寻。
The ends of The Underground Railroad has an open ending that hints at the future of flow. Walking out of the tunnel, Cora passed a tall white man, a redheaded Irishman, and an elderly black man on the street. Cora finally chose to follow the black slaves to continue the march. It also reveals the core of black liberation in the future——the strength of racial unity. This may be a powerful weapon against collapse of the American dream.
《地下铁道》的结尾具有开放性，暗示流动的未来走向。走出隧道的科拉在马路上接连遇见一个高个头的白人、红头发的爱尔兰人和上了年纪的黑人。科拉最终选择跟随同为逃奴的黑人继续向前方流动。这也揭示了未来黑人解放的核心力量——种族团结。这或许是对抗美国梦的破灭的有力武器。
Date: January 13, 2023
