A Platform on Which They Could Stand
Why am I the first Kinnock in a thousand generations to be able to get to a university? Why is Glenys the first woman in her family in a thousand generations to be able to get to a university? Was it because all our predecessors were thick? Did they lack talent－those people who could make wonderful, beautiful things with their hands? Those people who could dream dreams, see visions?.....Was it because they were weak－those people who could work eight hours underground and then come up and play football, weak? Does anybody really think that they didn’t get what we had because they didn’t have the talent, or the strength, or the endurance, or the commitment? Of course not. It’s because they didn’t have a platform on which they could stand.
－Neil Kinnock
立足之地
為甚麼金諾克家族祖輩輩中我是第一個能考進大學的人？為甚麼格萊尼絲家祖祖輩中她是第一個能讀大學的人？難道因為我們的先輩都未開竅？難道他們缺少天才？他們會唱會跳會寫詩？有這種可能嗎？他們的手巧奪天工，有這種可能嗎？他們有理想，有遠見，有這種可能嗎？…..難道是因為他們體弱？他們能在地下工作八小時後，一回到地上又踢起足球，可能體弱嗎？我們的成就他們沒有，難道有人會真認為這是因為他們缺少天才，體魄，耐力，或者鍥而不捨的精神嗎？當然不是。原因就在於他們沒有立足之地。
－尼爾 金諾克.
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