9 Chapter 8 A Light Has Gone Out

Chapter 8 A Light Has Gone Out Gandhi had helped bring about independence. His weapons to free India had been love and truth. But Gandhi’s hopes could not solve all of the country’s problems. Hindus and Muslims clashed violently. After the creation of Pakistan, millions of Muslims and Hindus had to move from their homes and cross the new border between the countries. Muslims in East Punjab had to flee to the west (the new Pakistan). Hindus had to move from west to east. Throughout 1947, violent massacres occurred between the groups. Hundreds of thousands of people were killed. In big cities, such as Calcutta and Delhi, riots continued between the religious groups as well.

甘地帮助实现了独立。 他解放印度的武器是爱和真理。 但是甘地的希望并不能解决这个国家的所有问题。 印度教徒和穆斯林发生了激烈冲突。 巴基斯坦建国后，数百万穆斯林和印度教徒不得不离开家园，越过两国之间的新边界。 东旁遮普的穆斯林不得不逃到西部(新巴基斯坦)。 印度教徒不得不从西向东迁移。 整个1947年，这些团体之间发生了暴力屠杀。 数十万人丧生。 在加尔各答和德里等大城市，宗教团体之间的骚乱也在继续。

On January 13, 1948, Gandhi began a fast to try to get them to stop. He did not even drink water. He was in pain. But even curled up in bed, he led a prayer meeting. Gandhi’s prayers were broadcast by radio and heard over all of India. After five days of negotiations, both Hindu and Muslim political leaders came before Gandhi and agreed to his terms. They did not want to see Gandhi suffer.

1948年1月13日，甘地开始绝食，试图让他们停止。 他甚至不喝水。 他很痛苦。但即使蜷缩在床上，他也带领了一个祈祷会。 甘地的祈祷通过电台广播，全印度都能听到。 经过五天的谈判，印度教和穆斯林政治领袖都来到甘地面前，同意了他的条件。 他们不想看到甘地受苦。

Gandhi was still concerned for the leadership of India. Nehru was now prime minister, and Patel was deputy prime minister. But the two did not always get along. Gandhi wrote to Nehru to tell him that they must work together. On January 30, 1948, he met with Patel and urged him to do the same. He left the dinner with Patel to lead a prayer meeting. He was now almost eighty years old.

甘地仍然关心印度的领导权。 尼赫鲁当时是总理，帕特尔是副总理。 但两人并不总是相处融洽。 甘地写信给尼赫鲁，告诉他他们必须共同努力。 1948年1月30日，他会见了帕特尔，敦促他也这么做。 他离开和帕特尔的晚宴去主持一个祷告会。 他现在快八十岁了。

His body was weak from his fasts and he had trouble walking, so he leaned on two of his followers for support. He walked out to greet the crowd of about five hundred. Most Indians looked up to Gandhi as a spiritual and political leader. But there was an extreme Hindu group that blamed Gandhi for the death of so many Hindus. They were upset that Gandhi had reached out to the Muslims. As Gandhi headed toward the platform, Nathuram Godse, a Hindu extremist, pushed

由于禁食，他的身体很虚弱，走路也很困难，所以他靠在两个追随者的身上。 他走出去向大约五百人致意。 大多数印度人视甘地为精神和政治领袖。 但是有一个极端的印度教组织指责甘地要为这么多印度教徒的死亡负责。 他们对甘地向穆斯林伸出援手感到不安。 当甘地走向站台时，印度教极端分子纳图拉姆·戈德斯推了他一把

through the crowd to get close to him. He bowed before Gandhi. Then he took out a pistol. He fired three shots right into Gandhi’s chest. Gandhi fell to the ground. The evening Gandhi died, Prime Minister Nehru said in a radio address, “The light has gone out of our lives and there is darkness everywhere.” The people of India, and people everywhere, mourned the loss of one of the world’s greatest teachers. Gandhi had been a light to the people of India and to the world. His light continued to shine as India grew as an independent nation. He proved that truth and love are the strongest forces for change.

穿过人群靠近他。 他向甘地鞠躬。然后他拿出一把手枪。 他朝甘地的胸口开了三枪。 甘地倒在地上。 甘地去世当晚，尼赫鲁总理在广播讲话中说:“我们生活中的光明已经消失，到处都是黑暗。”印度人民和世界各地的人民都在哀悼世界上最伟大的老师之一的去世。 甘地是印度人民和世界人民的一盏明灯。 随着印度作为一个独立国家的发展，他的光芒继续闪耀。 他证明了真理和爱是最强大的变革力量。