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The museum opened in 1910 as a showcase for empire of Belgian might and colonial riches.
这家博物馆于1910年开放，展现了比利时帝国的实力和广阔的殖民地。
Just over a century later museum curators have attempted a complete reversal.
而就在一百多年后，博物馆馆长试图完全改变这一切。
Our aim was to make a museum of contemporary Africa, the Africa of today,
我们的目标是打造一个现代非洲博物馆，非洲的今天，
but at the same time to also bring a very critical look on the colonial past of Belgium.
同时用批判的眼光看待比利时此前的殖民地。
We recognize now the many victims of colonization, the African victims of colonization.
我们认识到了殖民地化产生了许多受害者，那些非洲受害者。
We recognize too that a lot of the racist attitudes that were developed at that time have their consequences today.
我们也认识到当时发展的种族主义态度如今也产生了后果。
Artefacts have been given new captions explaining their provenance and displayed alongside modern African art.
手工艺品附上了新的说明文字，解释了它们的出处，并与现代非洲艺术一同展出。
Videos offer African perspectives on culture, colonialism and climate change.
视频展现了非洲对文化、殖民主义和气候变化的看法。
Not everything can be recast. Built into the walls are statues of Africans gazing adoringly at their white masters,
不是所有东西都可以重塑，墙上的非洲人物雕像用钦佩的眼神看着白人种主人，
with titles like Belgium brings well-being to Congo.
上面的标题比如“比利时为刚果带去了幸福”。
The grounds once housed a human zoo of over 250 Congolese. Seven died from exposure to the cold after being forced to wear traditional dress.
这片地区曾是人类动物园所在地，居住了超250名刚果人，因被迫穿着传统衣服，七人因寒冷死亡。
King Leopold II commissioned the museum to generate investment for mining and rubber production in the colonies.
利奥波德二世命令建造博物馆，从而为殖民地的采矿和橡胶生产创造投资。
To some, his name is synonymous with the brutality of empire.
对于许多人而言，他的名字就等于帝国的残暴。
These statues showing africans as primitive or savage used to be on display across the museum.
这些展现非洲人的雕像被视为落后和野蛮，这些作品曾在博物馆中展出。
Now they have been gathered together in a basement room, an effort to show that attitudes have changed but that this history must be remembered.
如今它们被收集到了地下室，从而展现态度的转变，但这段历史必须要铭记。
But some say the museum hasn't gone far enough.
但许多人说该博物馆做得还不够。
When the museum is not presented as a museum of colonization, but instead as a museum of Africa, that really confuses the issue.
如果该博物馆不是展现殖民地化的博物馆，而是非洲博物馆，那么这个问题将更加混乱。
Honestly, we need to make a real museum of colonization, we need to deal with our colonial history.
坦白讲，我们需要展现真正的殖民地化的博物馆，我们需要面对殖民地历史。
It is really something that's missing in Belgium.
这是比利时缺失的部分。
Then there's the question of where these treasures belong. Hundreds of thousands were looted.
接下来是这些珍宝属于谁。数十万件珍宝被洗劫一空。
Well certainly it's not normal that 80 percent of African art is in European museums or in European private collections.
80%的非洲艺术品在欧洲博物馆或欧洲私人藏品中，这是不正常的。
So we have to make sure that they can get much greater access to our collections.
我们要确保他们能够接触到我们的展品。
Congo at the moment lacks capacity to deal with a lot of that heritage.
目前刚果没有那么大的容量来处理如此多的遗产。
Among those attending the opening was the director of Congo's museums. He insists any artifact returned to his country would be secured.
参加开展活动的有刚果博物馆主任，他表示将保证任何回归刚果艺术品的安全。
The issue of security is not a real problem. It's a pretext for not giving back the objects.
安全不是真正的问题，这是不归还艺术品的借口。
The revamp of this institution has forced Belgium to confront its colonial past.
该博物馆的重新改造迫使比利时面对殖民地文化。
Those behind the project say this is one more step on the long road to reconciliation.
该项目发起人表示，这是实现和解这一漫漫长路的又一步。
Henry Ridgwell for VOA news at the Museum of Africa, Brussels
VOA新闻，亨利·里奇维尔，布鲁塞尔非洲博物馆报道。
