国家地理:Jamaican Maroons 牙买加黑人历史

During Jamaica's colonial era, the English capitalized on the island's mild weather and rich soil, planting sugarcane, making Jamaica England's largest supplier. But the riches of the sugarcane came with a price. Thousands of Africans were enslaved to work the sugar plantations¹, but not for long.

In fact one of the earliest slave revolts in New World took place here. The Maroon²s, as the rebels were called, rose up, destroyed plantations, freed other slaves and then fled to the mountains for safety. The Maroons³ ambushed⁴ the British military from their mountain hideaways. Their leader was a fierce female warrior⁵ named Nanny, believed to possess supernatural powers. And after decades of trying to control the Maroons, the British finally granted them land and freedom. Today they live in Jamaica's foothills. As a communal⁶ society, they elect a colonel that presides over a tribal⁷ council.

They are free people in Jamaica, you know, they have their own laws, their own governor, everything, anything happening in their village. They deal with it from there.

But the Maroon way is slowly disappearing. Originally the Abeng horn was an alarm, a warning that enemy troops were coming up the mountains. A direct link between Maroon customs and their African roots can be traced to a few small tribes in Ghana.

In Ghana, in their shindy when they're having their ceremony, they put a lot of herbs on, on their body. If you come to the Maroons in Jamaica, it is the same way.

For Jamaican Maroons, life continues to be based on the land and their fierce attachment⁸ to their hard-won independence.


sugarcane: [植]甘蔗, 糖蔗
riches: Abundant wealth 丰富的财产
revolt: An uprising, especially against state authority; a rebellion. 反叛，叛乱

1 plantations   

n.种植园，大农场( plantation的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Soon great plantations, supported by slave labor, made some families very wealthy. 不久之后出现了依靠奴隶劳动的大庄园，使一些家庭成了富豪。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件
• Winterborne's contract was completed, and the plantations were deserted. 维恩特波恩的合同完成后，那片林地变得荒废了。 来自辞典例句

2 maroon   

v.困住，使（人）处于孤独无助之境；n.逃亡黑奴；孤立的人；酱紫色，褐红色；adj.酱紫色的，褐红色的

参考例句：

• Five couples were marooned in their caravans when the River Avon broke its banks.埃文河决堤的时候，有5对夫妇被困在了他们的房车里。
• Robinson Crusoe has been marooned on a desert island for 26 years.鲁滨逊在荒岛上被困了26年。

3 maroons   

n.逃亡黑奴（maroon的复数形式）vt.把…放逐到孤岛（maroon的第三人称单数形式）

参考例句：

• Put 'em ashore like maroons? 将他们放逐到某个荒岛上去吗？ 来自英汉文学 - 金银岛
• A mix of maroons and peach, tangerine and coral are introduced by a gold-green hazel. 栗色和桃色的组合，橘和珊瑚色加上淡褐色。 来自互联网

4 ambushed   

v.埋伏( ambush的过去式和过去分词 )；埋伏着

参考例句：

• The general ambushed his troops in the dense woods. 将军把部队埋伏在浓密的树林里。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The military vehicles were ambushed. 军车遭到伏击。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 warrior   

n.勇士，武士，斗士

参考例句：

• The young man is a bold warrior.这个年轻人是个很英勇的武士。
• A true warrior values glory and honor above life.一个真正的勇士珍视荣誉胜过生命。

6 communal   

adj.公有的，公共的，公社的，公社制的

参考例句：

• There was a communal toilet on the landing for the four flats.在楼梯平台上有一处公共卫生间供4套公寓使用。
• The toilets and other communal facilities were in a shocking state.厕所及其他公共设施的状况极其糟糕。

7 tribal   

adj.部族的，种族的

参考例句：

• He became skilled in several tribal lingoes.他精通几种部族的语言。
• The country was torn apart by fierce tribal hostilities.那个国家被部落间的激烈冲突弄得四分五裂。

8 attachment   

n.附属物，附件；依恋；依附

参考例句：

• She has a great attachment to her sister.她十分依恋她的姐姐。
• She's on attachment to the Ministry of Defense.她现在隶属于国防部。