President Bush is pressing U.S. lawmakers to double funds for fighting HIV/AIDS in Africa. Mr. Bush says his trip to Africa last week convinced him that American aid is making a difference.
布什总统向美国议员们施压，要求为解决非洲的艾滋病问题增加一倍的资金援助。布什总统上星期对非洲进行的访问使他相信，美国提供的援助正在起作用。
President Bush says the trip to Africa was the most exhilarating of his presidency, because America is helping a new generation of African leaders change the continent.
布什总统说，对非洲的这次访问是他执政期间让他感到最高兴的一次访问，因为美国正在帮助新一代的非洲领导人改变非洲大陆。
"They are reformers who are determined to steer their nations toward freedom and justice, prosperity and peace," he said.
布什总统说：“他们是立志领导他们的国家走向自由、公正、繁荣与和平的改革家。”
Mr. Bush reviewed the highlights of his trip with a slide show at an African-American foundation committed to self-help, social responsibility, economic empowerment, and human rights on the continent.
布什总统在一个非洲裔美国人基金会上播放了回顾他这次非洲之行精彩部分的幻灯片。这个基金会致力于改善非洲大陆的自助、社会责任、经济权益和人权。
The president told the Leon Sullivan Foundation that Americans should feel proud of the work they are doing to encourage what he says is a new spirit of African confidence, determination, and strength.
布什总统对利昂.沙利文基金会说，美国人应当为他们的工作感到自豪，因为他们的工作鼓励了非洲国家发展其信心、决心和力量的一种新精神。
"This is a spirit worthy of America's support," said President Bush. "It is more powerful than any partisan quarrels here in our nation's capital. And having given our word, we must not turn back now. Congress needs to make America's commitment clear by fully and promptly funding our development programs. And presidential candidates in both parties should make clear that engagement with Africa will be an enduring priority of the United States."
布什总统说：“这种新精神值得美国支持。这种新精神比在我们国家首都发生的任何党派的争吵都有力量。一言既出，驷马难追。国会方面需要通过全面且迅速地资助我们的发展项目来明确美国的承诺。民主党和共和党的总统参选人们必须明确表示对非洲的援助将是美国长期优先考虑的事项。”
The president called for Congress to double U.S. funds to fight HIV/AIDS in Africa to $30 billion during the next five years. He also wants full funding for performance-based development grants.
布什总统呼吁国会为解决非洲的艾滋病问题增加一倍的资金援助，也就是说在今后5年提供3百亿美元的资金援助。布什还要求为根据成效发展基金提供全面的资金援助。
"America is on a mission of mercy," said Mr. Bush. "We are treating African leaders as equal partners. We expect them to produce measurable results. We expect them to fight corruption and invest in the health and education of their people and pursue market-based economic policies."
布什总统说：“美国正在执行一项慈善使命。我们把非洲领导人看作我们的平等夥伴。我们期望他们做出适当的成果。我们期望他们与腐败做斗争，并投资于人民的健康和教育事业，以及推行以市场经济为主的经济政策。”
Mr. Bush said that mission serves America's security interests because people who live in chaos and despair are more likely to fall under the sway of violent ideologies. He said it also serves America's moral interests because the power to save lives comes with the obligation to use it.
布什总统说，这项使命有利于美国的安全利益，因为生活在动乱和绝望中的人最容易受暴力意识形态所支配。他说，这项使命还有利于美国的道德利益，因为拯救生命的权利与履行这项权利的义务密不可分。
While U.S. programs in Africa rarely make the news at home, the president stressed going to Africa and seeing the results left no doubt in his mind that the mission is succeeding.
虽然非洲的美国项目很少在美国本土受到媒体的关注，但是布什总统强调说，这次对非洲的访问并且看到成果使他坚信这项使命正在获得成功。
"You see it when you hold a baby who would have died of malaria without America's support," he said. "You see it when you look into the eyes of an AIDS patient who has been brought back to life. You see it in the quiet pride of a child going to school for the first time. And you see that turning away from this life-changing work would be a cause for shame."
布什总统说：“当你怀抱一个如果没有得到美国的帮助就可能死于疟疾的婴儿的时候，你就看到了成功；当你凝视着一个从死亡中被拯救过来的艾滋病患者的眼睛的时候，你就看到了成功；当你看到一个孩子安静自豪地第一次去上学，你就看到了成功。你就会明白，放弃这种改变人生的工作将会带来耻辱。”
The president and Mrs. Bush visited Benin, Tanzania, Rwanda, Ghana, and Liberia last week.
布什总统和夫人在上星期访问了贝宁、坦桑尼亚、加纳和利比里亚。 |