Today is May 1st, International Workers' Day, and as you can see, it's kind of a big deal around these parts.

今天是 5 月 1 日國際勞動節，而如各位可以看到，這個節日在這些地區是很重要的。

Here in Vietnam, May Day is a national holiday, a four-day weekend at that,

在越南，勞動節是國定假日，甚至是個四日週末，

as workers celebrate the international movement by visiting their families in their hometowns and going to festivals like the one we're at today.

而工人們會透過探望家鄉親人以及參加像今天我們所在的這種慶典來慶祝這個國際節日。

Of course, Vietnam is not alone in celebrating International Workers' Day.

當然了，越南並非唯一慶祝國際勞動節的國家。

It's a public holiday in most countries around the world, from Asia to Africa, to Europe, to South America.

它在從亞洲到非洲、歐洲、南美洲等全球多數國家都是國定假日。

In fact, the United States is among a scant minority of countries that do not celebrate International Workers' Day on May 1st.

實際上，美國是全世界極少數不在 5 月 1 日慶祝國際勞動節的國家之一。

So, you might be surprised to hear that the origin of International Workers' Day was an event that happened over 130 years ago right in the US of A.

所以你可能會很驚訝，國際勞動節的緣起是 130 多年前發生在美國的一起事件。

It all started back on May 1st, 1886.

一切都始於 1886 年 5 月 1 日。

On that day, the mighty gears of American industry ground to a halt when tens of thousands of workers protested across the country to demand an 8-hour workday.

在那一天，美國工業的偉大齒輪突然停止運轉，因為全球數萬名工人起而抗議，要求 8 小時的工作天。

Not surprisingly, the police suppressed these peaceful protests violently,

不意外地，警方用了暴力手段鎮壓這些和平抗爭，

particularly in Chicago, where police inflicted beatings and random shootings on the protesting laborers for days on end.

尤其是在芝加哥，警方接連數天對抗議的工人施加暴行及隨機槍擊。

By the time the dust settled, 6 unarmed workers were murdered by American police, and enraged Chicagoans occupied a place called Haymarket Square.

到了塵埃落定之時，6 名無武裝工人被美國警方謀殺身亡，而憤怒的芝加哥人則佔領了稱為乾草市場廣場的地方。

The police rushed violently into the crowd when someone whose identity was never revealed detonated a bomb that killed a police officer.

當一名身份從未被揭露的民眾引爆了殺死一名員警的炸彈時，警方暴力地衝入廣場中。

The police opened fire into the crowd, and by nightfall, a dozen more people, police and protesters alike, were dead.

警方朝群眾開火，到了夜幕降臨時，又有十多名包含民、警在內的人喪生。

The reaction to these bloody battles between American police and the labor movement was martial law.

而這些美國警方與勞工行動間血戰的回應是軍事管制。

Labor leaders were rounded up and falsely convicted of murder, and a general crackdown ensued on workers demonstrating for more humane conditions throughout the "land of the free".

勞工領袖被圍捕並被誤判謀殺罪，這「自由之地」之後更對這群訴求更人道工作條件的工人進行全面鎮壓。

Fast forward a few decades to early May of 1894 during the Pullman Railroad Strike.

快轉到幾個世紀後的 1894 年 5 月初、普爾曼大罷工期間。

More bloody labor protests erupted, with at least 24 people killed.

更多的流血勞工抗爭爆發，至少有 24 人被殺身亡。

Then President Grover Cleveland, along with Congress, wanted to quell these protests.

當時總統格羅弗·克里夫蘭和國會都希望平息這些抗爭。

So, the political machine quickly rushed through a public holiday for workers with the hope of quieting protests and building support among the American proletariat for the State.

於是，政治機器倉促地通過了工人國定假期的提案，希望平息抗議並在美國無產階級中建立對國家的支持。

A natural choice for the date of the holiday would be May 1st, already established as International Workers' Day around the Western world,

假期日期的中立選擇應該是 5 月 1 日，因為那天在多數西方國家都已經被設立為國際勞動節，

but Cleveland was conscious of the bloody events of the Haymarket Affair and didn't want to encourage similar protests among workers.

但克里夫蘭意識到乾草市場廣場的血腥事件，並不想鼓勵工人間發起類似抗議。

Thus, he chose the much more neutral first Monday of each September for Labor Day in America.

因此，他選擇了更中立的每年 9 月第一個週一當作美國的勞動節。

It's sad and shameful that these important events of labor history have been so completely and utterly wiped from the public consciousness of American workers,

令人悲傷和可恥的是，這些重要的勞工歷史事件已從美國工人的公眾意識中被完全、徹底地抹去，

to the point where the majority of other nations in the world commemorate the sacrifice of American workers, while we ourselves treat May 1st as we would just any other day.

以至於世界上大多數其它國家都在紀念美國工人犧牲時，我們自己卻像對待其它任何一天一樣度過 5 月 1 日。

And why don't we remember the sacrifices of these American workers in America?

那我們為什麼不記得美國這些工人的犧牲呢？

Well, because the capitalist oligarchs who run our nation don't want us thinking about the workers they exploit and murder to maintain a position of privilege in our society.

嗯，因為治理國家的資本主義寡頭不希望我們想到他們為了維持其社會地位而剝削並謀殺的工人們。

If you live in the U.S.A., I hope you'll join me in spreading the word about the history of May 1st and the Haymarket Affair with your fellow workers,

如果你住在美國，我希望你會跟我一起向你的同事們散播 5 月 1 日以及乾草市場事件的歷史，

and remember the names of the martyrs who were killed in Chicago so that their fellow Americans might have better working conditions.

並一起緬懷為了讓所有美國人擁有更好工作環境而在芝加哥犧牲的烈士們。

I'm Emerican Johnson, wishing you a Happy International Workers' Day from Hanoi, Vietnam.

我是 Emerican Johnson，在越南河內祝各位國際勞動節快樂。

If you liked this video, I hope you'll give the channel a subscribe and a thumbs-up.

如果你喜歡這部影片，希望你們會訂閱頻道並幫它點讚。

You can also check out my blog at Non-Compete.com.

你也可以前往 Non-Compete.com 閱讀我的部落格。

Thanks for watching.

謝謝收看。