真正的经济发展（掌声）不仅取决于经常处于逆境中的黎明即起、自强不息的千百万人民的辛勤劳动，还取决于抵制贪腐、实行法治、为本国人民带来实际利益的负责任的政府。这样做不仅对治理国家有益，还能产生良好的经济效果。这样做的国家对投资者具有吸引力。如果一个国家的领导人治理不当或软弱无能，或犯罪猖獗、内乱频仍，或每一次交易与每一项决定都受到腐败的不良影响，就不会吸引投资者。

The private sector and civil society are playing an increasingly important role across Africa in holding governments accountable and demanding fairer, more open, more just economies and societies. Leaders have to lead. They have to demonstrate to their people that democracy does deliver. Sustainable progress is not possible in countries that fail to be good stewards of their natural resources, where the profits from oil and minerals line the pockets of oligarchs who are corporations a world away, but do little to promote long-term growth and prosperity.

私营企业和公民社会在非洲各地发挥着日益重要的作用，它们要求政府承担责任，建立更公平、更开放、更公正的经济和社会。领导人必须发挥领导作用。他们必须向本国人民表明民主确实带来实效。在没有妥善管理和守护自然资源的国家——这些国家的石油和矿物带来的利润让万里之外的寡头公司中饱私囊，却无助于[国家的]长期增长和繁荣——不可能取得可持续的发展。

The solution starts with transparency. A famous judge in my country once said that sunlight is the best disinfectant, and there’s a lot of sunlight in Africa. African countries are starting to embrace this view through participation in the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative. Creating a favorable investment climate requires countries to translate politics into governing. A famous American politician, Mario Cuomo, once said you campaign in politics, in poetry, but you have to govern in prose – the hard work of explaining what you’re doing and getting the results that you promise.

解决问题的第一步是提高透明度。美国一位著名的法官曾经说过，阳光是最好的消毒剂，而非洲有的是阳光。非洲国家通过参加“采矿业透明度行动计划”（Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative）已经开始接受这一观点。创造有利于投资的环境要求各国把政治化为治理。美国著名政治家马里奥·科莫（Mario Cuomo）曾经说过，你可以用政治和诗竞选，但必须用散文治国，即解释你采取的行动和实现你承诺的目标，而这是一项艰苦的工作。

It is important that we recognize that progress has been made when elections are held. And many people believe that democracy is alive and well because an election has taken place. But as important as elections are, democracy is not just about the ballot box. Citizens and governments need to work together to build and sustain strong democratic institutions. From an independent and confident judiciary, to a professional and dedicated civil service, to a free press and vibrant civil society, we’ve learned this in my own country. We are still working to improve our democracy after 230 years, and we want to give you some of the benefit of the mistakes that we’ve made and the lessons we’ve learned along the way. And we stand ready to serve as partners to citizens and leaders looking to improve governance and transparency.

我们应当承认，选举带来了进步。许多人认为，由于举行了选举，民主因而蒸蒸日上。然而，尽管选举很重要，民主并不仅仅是投票。公民和政府需要共同努力建设和维持强大的民主机制。从一个独立和有信心的司法系统到一支克尽职守的专业公职人员队伍，美国都经历了一个学习过程。在230年之后，我们仍在努力完善我们的民主，我们希望和你们分享我们在这个过程中犯过的错误和吸取的教训。对于希望改进治理和提高透明度的公民和领导人，我们随时准备作为合作伙伴效力。

Let me conclude with an issue of economic and strategic importance to Africa, to the United States, and I believe to the world, and it is of great personal importance to me – the future of Africa’s women. The social, political – (applause) – the social, political, and economic marginalization of women across Africa has left a void in this continent that undermines progress and prosperity every day. Yet we know across Africa women are doing the work of a whole continent – gathering firewood, hauling water, washing clothes, preparing meals, raising children, in the fields planting and harvesting, and when given the opportunity of economic empowerment, transforming communities and local economies.

请允许我在结束前再谈一个议题，我认为这个议题对非洲、对美国以及对世界都具有经济和战略意义，而且对我个人也具有非常重要的意义，这就是非洲妇女的未来。非洲各地妇女在社会、政治（掌声）和经济上的边缘化给这个大陆留下了巨大空白，每天都在阻碍进步和繁荣。但我们知道，非洲各地的妇女承担着整个大陆的工作——拾柴、运水、洗衣、做饭、养育子女、在田间播种和收割，一旦在经济上获得权利，还给社区和地方经济带来翻天覆地的变化。