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奥巴马非洲之行传递美国重视商贸的信息

This is only Obama’s second trip to sub-Saharan Africa, after he made a brief stop in 2009 in the West African nation of Ghana. There, he spoke¹ about the importance of democracy.

这是奥巴马总统第二次访问非洲撒哈拉以南地区。在此之前，奥巴马于2009年曾对西非国家加纳进行过短暂访问。他在加纳发表了民主重要性的讲话。

This time, his focus is different. The president is expected to talk about economic growth, among other issues, with officials in Africa’s economic powerhouse, South Africa.

奥巴马这次非洲之行的焦点有所不同。预计他将跟非洲的经济强国南非的官员讨论经济增长与其他议题。

Trade between South Africa and the U.S. totaled $22 billion in 2011, according to the U.S. government. South Africa is a major destination for international brands and also has its own burgeoning² industries.

根据美国政府的数字，南非与美国2011年的贸易额达220亿美元。南非是国际品牌的主要销售地，而且南非自己的工业也在发展。

South Africa also benefits from duty-free import status to America, which has allowed the nation to export high-value items such as cars.

南非是国际品牌的主要销售地，而且南非自己的工业也在发展。

South Africa has also made its own move to boost³ trade by becoming the newest member of BRICS, a group of emerging⁴ economies comprising Brazil, Russia, India, and China.

南非还享有美国给予的免税待遇。南非还成为金砖五国的成员，因而促进了贸易。金砖五国的其他国家是巴西、俄罗斯、印度和中国。

The U.S. consulate⁵ in Johannesburg has placed itself squarely in the middle of the bustling⁶ Sandton business district, home of the Johannesburg Stock Exchange.

美国驻约翰内斯堡领事馆位于繁华的桑顿商业区的中央，位于同一商业区的还有约翰内斯堡股票交易所。

Senior Commercial Officer Larry Farris says trade between Africa and the U.S. is growing - and changing.

美国高级商贸官员拉里.法里斯说，非洲和美国之间的贸易正在增长和变化：

“The interesting thing is, is it’s gone from being, just primarily a focus on import of raw materials and primary products to be one that shows a lot more diversity and a lot more interests in looking at both trade into the US and into South Africa in areas that represent higher value, represent technology, represent a lot of where the growth in the international markets are," said Farris.

“有意思的变化是，原来主要专注于进口原材料和农产品，现在则有更多的多样性，人们更重视在高价值、高技术和适应国际市场潮流的方面增加往美国和南非的双向出口。”

Officials could not say what sort of deals Obama may sign while in Africa. But Farris says the engines of business are churning on the continent.

官员们不能说奥巴马总统在非洲期间将会签署什么协议。但是法里斯说，非洲商贸的发动机正在隆隆作响。

“I think there’s a lot of excitement about some of the things that are going on in eastern Africa right now, where a number of the countries there have come together, working on free trade agreements, working on increasing connections between their countries, infrastructure⁷ and the like, and all of that is really good for business. At the same time, there’s a real focus on that part of the continent on making a really solid business environment," he said.

他说：“我想现在人们正在为东非的一些发展感到兴奋，东非的一些国家联合起来，他们为达成自由贸易协议，为国家之间日益增多的联系和基础设施而努力。所有这一切都对商贸有利。同时，人们非常关注在非洲大陆的这个地区创造扎实的商业环境。”

Whatever happens during Obama’s visit, one thing is sure: this continent is open for business.

不论奥巴马在访问非洲期间会发生什么，有一件事情可以确定：非洲的商贸大门已经打开。