has occurred in many forms throughout the world.

用各種型態在世界上不斷地重複上演，

But one institution stands out for both its global scale and its lasting legacy.

但是有一個體制在其全球的規模以及 歷久不衰的後續影響上領先群倫，

The Atlantic slave trade,

就是發生在15世紀末至19世紀中旬，

occurring from the late 15th to the mid 19th century

橫跨三大洲之「大西洋奴隸交易」。

and spanning three continents,

強行帶走超過1000萬名非洲人去美洲，

forcibly brought more than 10 million Africans to the Americas.

它所遺留的衝擊不僅影響了 這些奴隸與其後人們，

The impact it would leave affected not only these slaves

還影響到世界上大多地方的經濟與歷史。

and their descendants,

歐洲與非洲大陸之間早就經由地中海

but the economies and histories of large parts of the world.

往來了好幾世紀，

There had been centuries of contact between Europe and Africa

可是大西洋奴隸交易在 十四世紀末就開始產生了，

via the Mediterranean.

因為有葡萄牙在西非的殖民地以及 西班牙緊接其後在美洲的據點，

But the Atlantic slave trade began in the late 1400s

新殖民地要種植的農作物─ 甘蔗、菸草、棉花等，

with Portuguese colonies in West Africa,

那是非常仰賴人力的，

and Spanish settlement of the Americas shortly after.

但在那邊並沒有夠用的屯墾者 或契約僱傭

The crops grown in the new colon ies, sugar cane, tobacco, and cotton,

來耕種所有新到手的土地。

were labor intensive,

美洲的原住民們被當成了奴隸， 不過許多是死於全新的疾病，

and there were not enough settlers or indentured servants

其他地方的原住民則成功地反抗不從。

to cultivate all the new land.

也因此為了要迎合大量的人力需求，

American Natives were enslaved, but many died from new diseases,

歐洲人盯上了非洲，

while others effectively resisted.

非洲的奴隸已經在多種形式下 存在了有好幾世紀，

And so to meet the massive demand for labor,

有一些是簽訂契約的雇傭，

the Europeans looked to Africa.

簽有明定條款的契約以及 有買回自由的機會，

African slavery had existed for centuries in various forms.

其他的就比較像是在歐洲的農奴；

Some slaves were indentured servants,

在某些地方奴隸可以是 主人家庭的一份子，

with a limited term and the chance to buy one's freedom.

持有土地甚至還能出人頭地。

Others were more like European serfs.

不過當白人船長來到後 提供製造精美的商品、

In some societies, slaves could be part of a master's family,

武器、以及蘭姆酒等以取得奴隸，

own land, and even rise to positions of power.

非洲各地的國王們以及 商人們也沒有什麼遲疑的理由，

But when white captains came offering manufactured goods,

他們不把他們所販賣的 人口當非洲同伴看待，

weapons, and rum for slaves,

不過就是罪犯、欠債者或是 敵對部落的戰犯；

African kings and merchants had little reason to hesitate.

透過販賣這些人國王們讓自己的 王國變得很富有，

They viewed the people they sold not as fellow Africans

還有讓自己變強以抵禦週邊的敵人。

but criminals, debtors, or prisoners of war from rival tribes.

非洲的王國從奴隸交易上得到繁華，

By selling them, kings enriched their own realms,

不過為了要迎合歐洲人大量人力的 需求產生了激烈的競爭，

and strengthened them against neighboring enemies.

充當奴隸取代了其他的罪責，

African kingdoms prospered from the slave trade,

以及獲取奴隸成為了戰爭的動機，

but meeting the European's massive demand created intense competition.

而非戰爭的結果。

Slavery replaced other criminal sentences,

要在搶奪奴隸的戰爭中護守好自己，

and capturing slaves became a motivation for war,

比鄰的王國間需要著歐洲人的槍砲，

rather than its result.

那也是他們得用奴隸買來的；

To defend themselves from slave raids,

奴隸交易已經成了一場軍火競賽，

neighboring kingdoms needed European firearms,

改變了這塊大陸上的各個社會和經濟體。

which they also bought with slaves.

至於這些奴隸則遭受到 難以想像的殘忍酷行，

The slave trade had become an arms race,

在被集中到海岸邊的奴隸要塞後，

altering societies and economies across the continent.

剃光了毛髮防止蝨子還有打上烙記，

As for the slaves themselves, they faced unimaginable brutality.

他們被裝運上要開往美洲的船，

After being marched to slave forts on the coast,

差不多20%的人就不曾再見到陸地了。

shaved to prevent lice, and branded,

那時候大多數的船長

they were loaded onto ships bound for the Americas.

在船艙內儘可能擠進最多的人數，

About 20% of them would never see land again.

衛生設備的缺乏就造成 許多人因疾病而死亡，

Most captains of the day were tight packers,

還有其他人是因為生病或是 不守規矩就被丟進海裡去。

cramming as many men as possible below deck.

為了確保本身的利益 船長們以割掉奴隸的耳朵

While the lack of sanitation caused many to die of disease,

做成成交證明。

and others were thrown overboard for being sick,

有些俘虜則選擇自己了斷；

or as discipline,

許多內地的非洲人從來不曾看過白人，

the captain's ensured their profits by cutting off slave's ears

把白人看成是食人族，

as proof of purchase.

不斷地帶走人接著又回來要更多的人，

Some captives took matters into their own hands.

擔心被吃掉或者只是要逃避更慘的折磨，

Many inland Africans had never seen whites before,

他們自殺了或是餓死自己，

and thought them to be cannibals,

相信死後的靈魂就能重回家鄉。

constantly taking people away and returning for more.

存活下來的人徹底地不被當成人，

Afraid of being eaten, or just to avoid further suffering,

被看成不過是貨物般，

they committed suicide or starved themselves,

女人和小孩被留在甲板上受到船員凌虐；

believing that in death, their souls would return home.

為了要讓他們持續運動 以及抑制造反意念，

Those who survived were completley dehumanized,

男人們被迫表演跳舞。

treated as mere cargo.

至於這些抵達新世界的非洲人的命運

Women and children were kept above deck and abused by the crew,

以及奴隸制度如何至今 仍然影響著他們的子子孫孫，

while the men were made to perform dances

廣為人知；

in order to keep them exercised and curb rebellion.

不過很少被談到的

What happened to those Africans who reached the New World

就是大西洋奴隸交易對 非洲的前景所造成的影響，

and how the legacy of slavery still affects their descendants today

這塊大陸不但失去數千萬名 體格健全的百姓，

is fairly well known.

又因為大部分被帶走的奴隸是男人，

But what is not often discussed

長期下人口狀態的影響是更巨大的。

is the effect that the Atlantic slave trade had on Africa's future.

當奴隸交易終於在美國和 歐洲被宣告為非法的時候，

Not only did the continent lose tens of millions of its able-bodied population,

非洲各個王國所統治的經濟體就崩解了，

but because most of the slaves taken were men,

造成他們對征服和殖民者敞開大門，

the long-term demographic effect was even greater.

而加劇的競爭和歐洲的武器湧進，

When the slave trade was finally outlawed in the Americas and Europe,

助長了延續至今的戰爭以及不穩定性，

the African kingdoms whose economies it had come to dominate collapsed,

大西洋奴隸交易也導致種族主義的產生，

leaving them open to conquest and colonization.

大部分非洲的奴隸制度緣自 法定的裁罰或是部落間的戰事，

And the increased competition and influx of European weapons

但是傳佈共同信仰的歐洲人，

fueled warfare and instability that continues to this day.

以及長久之前將奴役基督教徒 視為於法所不容的那些人，

The Atlantic slave trade also contributed to the development of racist ideology.

需要為明顯違背他們 平等理念的做為來找理由，

Most African slavery had no deeper reason than legal punishment

因此他們宣稱非洲人是 生態學上較為次等者，

or intertribal warfare,

注定要被人奴役，

but the Europeans who preached a universal religion,

下了極大的功夫為這個理論辯護，

and who had long ago outlawed enslaving fellow Christians,

這樣一來在歐洲和美洲的 奴隸制度就取得了種族的依據，

needed justification for a practice

使得奴隸和他們的子孫不可能 在社會上取得平等的地位，

so obviously at odds with their ideals of equality.

在全部這些方法下，

So they claimed that Africans were biologically inferior

大西洋奴隸交易是一種大規模的不公義，

and destined to be slaves,

它的影響在它被禁止後還持續了很久。

making great efforts to justify this theory.

Thus, slavery in Europe and the Americas acquired a racial basis,

making it impossible for slaves and their future descendants

to attain equal status in society.

In all of these ways,

the Atlantic slave trade was an injustice on a massive scale

whose impact has continued long after its abolition.