We’re also pleased to have three representatives of Congress with us: Congressman Donald Payne, Congressman Jim McDermott, and Congresswoman Nita Lowey. Each of them has a particular interest in Africa, and the development of the people of this continent.

我还很高兴今天有美国国会的三位众议员在场，他们是众议员唐纳德∙佩恩（Donald Payne）、众议员吉姆∙麦克德莫特(Jim McDermott)和众议员妮塔∙洛伊(Nita Lowey)。他们中的每一位都特别关心非洲和非洲大陆人民的发展。

So, let me begin with greetings and good wishes from President Obama to the people of his ancestral homeland – (applause) – and with a message from the President and from his Administration: We believe in Africa’s promise. We are committed to Africa’s future. And we will be partners with Africa’s people. (Applause.) I hope all of you have had a chance to either see or read President Obama’s speech last month in Ghana. He said there what we believe: Progress in Africa requires partnerships built on shared responsibility.

现在，让我首先转达奥巴马总统对他的祖籍国人民的问候和良好祝愿（掌声）以及[奥巴马]总统和他领导的政府给你们的信息：我们对非洲的前途满怀信心。我们将坚定不移地为非洲的未来努力，我们将成为非洲人民的伙伴。（掌声）我希望你们所有的人都已有机会听到或者读过奥巴马总统上个月在加纳发表的讲话。他讲到了我们的信念：非洲的进步需要建立在共同承担责任基础上的伙伴合作关系。

The flip side of responsibility is opportunity – shared opportunity. And that is what I wish to speak about this morning, how we can work together to help realize the God-given potential of 800 million people who make their homes and find their livelihoods in the valleys of the Great Rift, across the plains of the Serengeti, in vibrant urban centers from Nairobi to Johannesburg to Dakar, and why seizing the opportunities of Africa’s future matters not only to Africans, but to all of us.

责任的另一面是机遇——共同的机遇。而这就是我今天上午想谈的问题，我们如何进行合作以帮助发挥上帝赋予居住和生活在东非大裂谷、塞伦盖蒂平原、从内罗毕、约翰内斯堡到达喀尔等充满生机的大城市的八亿人民的潜力，以及为什么把握建设非洲未来的机会不仅事关非洲人民，而且事关我们所有的人。

You know that too often, the story of Africa is told in stereotypes and clichés about poverty, disease, and conflict. We can’t seem to get past the idea that the continent has enormous potential for progress. Too often, the media’s portrayal is so much less than that. But such notions are not only stale and outdated; they are wrong. Africa is capable, and is making economic progress. In fact, one doesn’t have to look far to see that Africa is ripe with opportunities, some already realized, and others waiting to be seized together if we determine to do so.

你们都知道，在讲到非洲时，人们经常提及贫困、疾病和冲突，这些话题已经成为老生常谈。我们似乎不能传达这样一种想法，即非洲大陆拥有取得进步的巨大潜力。媒体对非洲的描述往往与此相去甚远。但是，这些观念不仅陈旧、过时，而且是错误的。非洲是有能力的，而且在经济领域正在取得进展。事实上，人们不必把目光投向遥远的未来就能发现非洲已经充满机遇，一些机遇已经有了成果，另一些正在等待人们去利用，前提是我们要共同下定决心。