The strategy worked, for this warder became less wary around us. He even began to ask questions about the ANC. By definition , if a man worked for the prison service he was probably brainwashed by the government’s propaganda. He would have believed that we were terrorists and Communists who wanted to drive the white man into the sea. But as we quietly explained to him our nonracialism, our desire for equal rights, and our plans for the redistribution of wealth, he scratched his head and said, “It makes more bloody sense than the Nats.”

Having sympathetic warders facilitated one of our most vital tasks on Robben Island: communication. We regarded it as our duty to stay in touch with our men in F and G, which was where the general prisoners were kept. As politicians, we were just as intent on fortifying our organization in prison as we had been outside. Communication was essential if we were to coordinate our protests and complaints. Because of the greater numbers of prisoners coming and going in the general section, the men in F and G tended to have more recent information about not only what was happening in the movement, but about our friends and families·······

  在每个囚犯的牢狱生活中，占有一席之地的并非司法部长、监狱总长、甚至是监狱长，而是各牢房的狱吏。如果你觉得冷并想多要条毯子，可能会想到向司法部长申请，可结果会是渺无音讯。要是你去找监狱总长，他可能会说：“抱歉，这不符合规定。”监狱长会说：“我要是多给你一条，就得多给每个人一条。”可如果你去找走廊里的狱吏，而且你跟他相处得不错的话，他就会迳直到库房拿一条给你。

我始终力图对我所在的牢房的狱吏保持和气；含有敌意是自找没趣。在狱吏中树敌是毫无道理的。非洲人国民大会（非国大）的政策就是去教育所有的人，甚至是我们的敌人：我们相信所有的人，即使是在监狱服役的狱吏，也是能改造的，而且我们要力争改变他们。

总之，我们与狱吏间相互同等对待。如若有人关心我们，我们也知恩图报。并非所有的狱吏都是妖魔鬼怪。我们从一开始就发现他们中一些人奉行公平原则。然而，与狱吏交好也非轻而易举之事，因为他们大都认为对黑人表示好感是不合常理的。既然能有对我们示以好感的狱吏是件益事，因此我常想请人去和意中的狱吏沟通。可没人愿意做这件事。

在矿场有一名狱吏好好像对我们特别有敌意。这很麻烦，因为在矿场我们要进行讨论，而不准我们交谈的狱吏就成了个极大的障碍。我请一位伙伴向这家伙套近乎以便能让他不来打断我们的谈话。这个狱吏很粗鲁，不过很快他就对我的这位狱友缓和了一些。一天，这个狱吏向我这个伙伴要他身上的夹克，他要把它铺在草地上好坐在上面。尽管我知道这不合我伙伴的脾气，可我还是点头让他照办了。

几天后，当我们正在棚子下吃午饭时，这个狱吏也走过来。他比我们多一个三明治，他将它扔在我们附近的草地上说：“拿去。”这就是他表示友谊的方式。liuxuepaper.com