评论
打印
So something you need to know about Singapore.
所以你需要了解一些关于新加坡的事情。
It really shouldn't exist.
该国本不应该存在。
At a little over 700 square kilometers, it's a quarter of the size of Rhode island.
该国面积超过700平方公里，是罗德岛面积的四分之一。
It's home to an ethnic mix with no natural shared language or culture plus a host of different religions.
新加坡种族非常混杂，没有自然共享的语言、文化，还有大量不同的宗教。
It's also resource poor without even enough water to sustain itself.
新加坡也缺乏资源，甚至没有足够的水自给自足。
As Lee himself put it long after, it somehow made this impossible state work "to understand Singapore and why it is what it is."
正如李光耀本人在很久以后所说的那样，它以某种方式让这个不可能的国家运转起来，“理解新加坡，以及新加坡为什么是现在这个样子”。
"you've got to start off with the fact that it's not supposed to exist and cannot exist."
“你必须从这样一个事实开始了解：新加坡本不应该存在，也不可能存在。
"We don't have the ingredients of a nation, the elementary factors: homogeneous population, common language, common culture and common destiny."
“我们没有一个民族的要素，没有基本要素：相同的人口、共同的语言、共同的文化和共同的命运。”
Hence the insane effortlessly put into joining Malaysia.
因此，他毫不费力地就加入了马来西亚。
Independent since 1957 Malaysia had the resources and market for products that Singapore needed to stay afloat.
马来西亚自1957年独立以来，拥有新加坡维持生存所需的产品资源和市场。
And they were happy for their island neighbor to join.
他们很高兴他们的岛屿邻居加入了他们的行列。
In 1961, Lee met Malayan prime minister Tunku Abdul Rahman to discuss a merger between their nations plus Sarawak and North Borneo.
1961年，李光耀会见了马来西亚总理通库·阿卜杜勒·拉赫曼，讨论了两国加上沙捞越和北婆罗的合并事宜。
A tentative agreement was reached.
达成了一项初步协议。
Unfortunately, this alone was enough to make Singapore explode.
不幸的是，仅这一点就足以让新加坡爆炸。
While many backed PAP on Malaysia, a whole bunch of Chinese were terrified, it could be their ticket to becoming a persecuted minority.
虽然许多人在马来西亚问题上支持人民行动党，但一大群华人感到恐惧，这可能是他们成为受迫害少数群体的门票。
That summer, a splinter faction from PAP formed the Barisan and Socialist to campaign against the merger.
那年夏天，从人民行动党分裂出来的一个派别组成了国社会主义党，反对合并。
So Lee called a referendum which returned a solid pro-Malaysia majority.
因此，李光耀呼吁举行全民公投，最终产生了坚定的亲马来西亚多数派。
But when riot then broke out, Lee decided to put an end to the Barisan and Socialist once and for all.
但当骚乱爆发时，李光耀决定永远地结束国社会主义党。
Launched in February 1963, Operation Coldstore was perhaps the first time Lee kuan yew showed just how far he was willing to go to keep order.
1963年2月发起的冷商店行动，可能是李光耀第一次展示他愿意付出多大努力来维持秩序。
Over a hundred people including all of Barisan and Socialist leaders were arrested and held without charge, effectively locked up for opposing the merger.
包括所有国社会主义党领导人在内的100多人在没有受到指控的情况下被捕并被关押，实际上是因为反对合并而被关押。
It was a glimmering of the hard authoritarian edge.
这是一种强硬的威权边缘的微光。
Lee would display all his life.
李光耀将展示他的一生。
But it also ensured Singapore would join the Malaysian federation.
但这也确保了新加坡将加入马来西亚联邦。
On August 31st, 1963, Lee held a special ceremony to mark the end of British influence over the island and swear loyalty to Kuala Lumpur.
1963年8月31日，李光耀举行了一场特别的仪式，标志着英国对该岛影响的结束，并宣誓效忠吉隆坡。
Just over two weeks later, Singapore ceased to exist as an independent state and a bright new future as part of a dynamic federation began.
就在两周后，新加坡不再作为一个独立的国家存在，一个光明的新未来开始成为一个充满活力的联邦的一部分。
At least, that's how the script was supposed to go.
至少，剧本应该是这样的。
In reality, Lee would barely have time to celebrate his greatest political trial before it all came crashing down in flames.
在现实中，李光耀几乎没有时间庆祝他最伟大的政治审判，然后一切都化为灰烬。
The reasons, the Singapore Malaysia union collapsed to legion and vary depending on who you're talking to.
原因是，新加坡和马来西亚的联盟崩溃成了军团，而且根据你在和谁交谈而有所不同。
But there are some common threads from the staggering taxes Kuala Lumpur levied on the island to Lee's aggressive attempt to expand PAP's reach on the mainland.
但从吉隆坡对该岛征收的惊人税收到李光耀积极尝试扩大人民行动党在大陆的触角，都有一些共同的线索。
But perhaps the clearest threat running through, every part of this disappointing tapestry was the issue Lee feared most of all race.
但可能是贯穿其中的最明显的威胁，这幅令人失望的织锦的每一部分都是李光耀最担心的种族问题。
To simplify a complex issue, the new Malaysia wanted to promote Malay culture.
为了简化一个复杂的问题，新的马来西亚想要弘扬马来文化。
While Lee felt only an avowedly multicultural project could stop the peninsula from descending into ethnic violence.
虽然李光耀认为，只有公开宣布的多元文化项目才能阻止新加坡半岛陷入种族暴力。
When two separate race riots paralyzed Singapore at 1964 killing 36 and injuring hundreds.
1964年，两场独立的种族骚乱使新加坡陷入瘫痪，造成36人死亡，数百人受伤。
Both sides felt their worst suspicions had been confirmed.
双方都觉得他们最糟糕的怀疑得到了证实。
By summer in 1965, tensions were no longer simmering so much as they were boiling over the edges of the pot and covering the stone in angry resentment.
到了1965年夏天，紧张局势不再是在酝酿，而是在锅的边缘沸腾，愤怒地覆盖着石头。
That June things got so bad that Tunku Abdul Rahman basically went.
那年6月，情况变得如此糟糕，以至于通库·阿卜杜勒·拉赫曼基本上离开了。
You know, what to hell with this fool.
你知道，让这个蠢货离场吧。
The process of expelling Singapore from Malaysia was as swift as it was irreversible.
将新加坡脱离出马来西亚的过程既迅速又不可逆转。
While he was given a few days notice to give the illusion that this was a mutual parting.
虽然他得到了几天的通知，让他误认为这是双方的分手。
It was a clear case of jump before you pushed.
这是一个明显的先跳后推的例子。
On August 1965, Lee held a press conference to confirm what news had reported that morning.
1965年8月，李光耀召开记者招待会，确认当天上午的新闻报道。
That Singapore had left the federation.
新加坡已经脱离了联邦。
To call it a shock.
这真是令人震惊。
Would be an understatement, most of Lee's cabinet hadn't even been told until less than 48 hours before the announcement.
这是一种轻描淡写的说法，直到宣布这一消息前不到48小时，李光耀内阁的大多数成员都没有被告知。
But that afternoon, it was Lee who seemed to be most shocked of all.
但那天下午，李光耀似乎是所有人中最震惊的。
Eyes glistening with tears, Lee asked his countrymen to stand firm to believe that they really could survive as an independent state.
李光耀眼里闪烁着泪光，他要求他的同胞们坚定地相信，他们真的可以作为一个独立的国家生存下去。
Later he would call that press conference his moment of anguish.
后来，他把那次新闻发布会称为他的痛苦时刻。
And it's easy to see why.
很容易看出其中的原因。
For the first time in modern history this tiny overcrowded island was now utterly alone. Alone, in a dark hostile world surrounded by larger powers.
在现代历史上，这座人满为患的小岛现在第一次完全独立。孤独地被更强大的大国包围的黑暗敌对世界中。
Unless he wanted to be remembered as the man who destroyed Singapore.
除非他想被人们铭记为摧毁新加坡的人。
Lee was going to need a miracle.
李光耀需要一个奇迹。
