曼德拉是南非首位黑人总统，被尊称为“南非国父”。在任职总统前，曼德拉是积极的反种族隔离人士，为废除种族隔离做出了杰出的贡献。今天小编与大家分享的是曼德拉的著名演讲《为理想我愿献出生命》的节选。

February 11,1990

I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to see realized. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.

我反对白人统治，也反对黑人统治。我珍视民主和自由社会的理想，在这个社会中，人人和睦相处，机会均等。我希望为这个理想而生，并希望能实现这个理想。但是如果需要，为理想我愿献出生命。

My friends, comrades, and fellow South Africans: I greet you all in the name of peace, democracy, and freedom for all. I stand here before you not as a prophet but as a humble servant of you, the people. Your tireless and heroic sacrifices have made it possible for me to be here today. I therefore have placed the remaining years of my life in your , I extend my sincere and warmest gratitude to the millions of my compatriots and those in every corner of the globe who have campaigned tirelessly for my release. I extend special greetings to the people of Cape Town, the city through which — which has been my home for three decades. Your mass marches and other forms of struggle have served as a constant source of strength to all political. It has fulfilled our every expectation in its role as leader of the great march to , Comrade Oliver Tambo, for leading the ANC even under the most difficult circumstances.

我的朋友们、同志们和南非同胞们：我以和平、民主和全人类自由的名义，向你们大家致意。今天我站在你们面前，不是作为一名预言家，而是作为人民的谦卑公仆。你们不懈的奋斗和英勇的牺牲才使我今天有可能站在这里，因此，我要把余生献给你们。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作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。我向非国大会议致敬。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。

因篇幅有限，小编只节选了演讲稿的前两段，有兴趣的同学可以上网查询完整的演讲稿或者音频。废除种族隔离制度是曼德拉的理想及终生的奋斗目标，为了实现这个理想，他愿意献出自己的生命，曼德拉真是一位令人敬仰的总统。