of an African nation.

一個非洲國家的。

And I do believe more countries ought to try that.

我相信更多的國家應該嘗試這樣做。

(Laughter)

(笑聲)

(Applause and cheers)

(掌聲和歡呼聲)

Once the glass ceiling has been broken,

一旦玻璃天花板被打破。

it can never be put back together --

覆水難收

however one would try to do that.

然而人們會嘗試著這樣做。

When I assumed the presidency of Liberia

我擔任賴比瑞亞總統時

in January 2006,

2006年1月。

we faced the tremendous challenges of a post-conflict nation:

我們面臨著一個衝突後國家的巨大挑戰。

collapsed economy,

崩潰的經濟。

destroyed infrastructure,

被破壞的基礎設施；

dysfunctional institutions,

運作不良的機構；

enormous debt,

巨大的債務。

bloated civil service.

臃腫的公務員隊伍。

We also faced

我們還面臨

the challenges of those left behind.

留守人員的挑戰。

The primary victims of all civil wars:

所有內戰的主要受害者；

women and children.

婦女和兒童；

On my first day in office,

在我上任的第一天，

I was excited ...

我很興奮...

and I was exhausted.

而我卻疲憊不堪。

It had been a very long climb

這是一個非常漫長的攀登

to where I was.

到我所在的地方。

Women had been those who suffered most

婦女是受害最深的群體

in our civil conflict,

在我們的國內衝突中。

and women had been the ones to resolve it.

而婦女一直是解決這個問題的人。

Our history records

我們的歷史記錄

many women of strength and action.

眾多實力和行動的女性。

A President of the United Nations General Assembly,

聯合國大會主席；

a renowned circuit court judge,

著名的巡回法庭法官。

a president of the University of Liberia.

賴比瑞亞大學校長。

I knew that I had to form

我知道，我必須組建

a very strong team

陣容強大

with the capacity to address

有能力解決的問題

the challenges of our nation.

我們國家的挑戰。

And I wanted to put women in all top positions.

而且我想讓女性擔任所有的高層職位。

But I knew that was not possible.

但我知道這是不可能的。

And so I settled for putting them in strategic positions.

於是我就決定把他們放在戰略位置上。

I recruited a very able economist from the World Bank

我從世界銀行請來了一位非常能幹的經濟學家。

to be our minister of finance,

成為我們的財政部長。

to lead our debt-relief effort.

上司我們的債務減免工作。

Another to be the minister of foreign affairs,

另一個要當外交部長。

to reactivate our bilateral and multilateral relationships.

重新啟動我們的雙邊和多邊關係；

The first woman chief of police

第一位女警察局長

to address the fears of our women,

解決我們婦女的恐懼。

who had suffered so much during the civil war.

在內戰中飽受折磨的人。

Another to be the minister of gender,

另一位是性別部長。

to be able to ensure the protection and the participation of women.

能夠確保婦女的保護和參與；

Over time,

隨著時間的推移。

the minister of justice,

司法部長，

the minister of public works,

公共工程部長；

the minister of agriculture,

農業部長，

the minister of commerce and industry.

商業和工業部長，

Participation in leadership

參與上司工作

was unprecedented in my administration.

是我執政期間前所未有的。

And although I knew

雖然我知道

that there were not enough women with the experience

* 沒有足夠的婦女有這方面的經驗

to form an all-women cabinet --

組建一個全女性內閣 -- --

as I wanted --

如我所願...

I settled to appoint numerous women

我決定任命許多婦女

in junior ministerial positions,

擔任初級部長職務。

as executives,

作為行政人員。

as administrators,

作為管理員，

in local government,

在地方政府中。

in diplomatic service,

在外交部門，

in the judiciary,

在司法機構中。

in public institutions.

公共機構中。

It worked.

它的工作。

At the end of 2012,

在2012年底，。

our economic growth had peaked at nine percent.

我國的經濟增長已經達到了9%的頂峰。

Our infrastructure was being reconstructed at a very fast pace.

我們的基礎設施正在以非常快的速度進行重建。

Our institutions were functioning again.

我們的機構又開始運作了。

Our debt of 4.9 billion

我國49億債務

had been largely canceled.

已基本取消。

We had good relationships with the International Monetary Fund,

我們與國際貨幣基金組織有著良好的關係。

the World Bank,

世界銀行。

the African Development Bank.

非洲開發銀行；

We also had good working relationships

我們也有良好的工作關係

with all our sister African countries

與我們所有非洲姐妹國家的合作

and many nations all over the world.

和世界上許多國家。

Our women could sleep peacefully at night again,

我們的婦女晚上又可以安然入睡了。

without fear.

無所畏懼。

Our children were smiling again,

我們的孩子又露出了笑容。

as I promised them during my first inaugural address.

正如我在第一次就職演說中向他們承諾的那樣，

The reputation and credibility

聲譽和信譽

of our nation,

我們國家的。

lost in the many years of conflict,

在多年的衝突中失去了。

were restored.

恢復了。

But progress is never guaranteed.

但進步永遠沒有保證。

And in our legislature, in my first term,

而在我們的立法機構，在我的第一個任期內。

women were 14 percent.

婦女為14%。

In the second term,

在第二任期內：

it declined to eight percent,

它下降到8%。

because the environment was increasingly toxic.

因為環境的毒性越來越大。

I had my fair shares of criticism and toxicity.

我有我公平的責備和毒害的份額。

Nobody is perfect.

沒有人是完美的。

But there's nothing more predictable

但沒有比這更容易預測的了

than a strong woman

女強人

who wants to change things,

誰想改變事情。

who's brave to speak out,

誰是勇敢的說出來。

who's bold in action.

誰的膽量在行動。

But I'm OK with the criticism.

但我可以接受批評。

I know why I made the decisions I made,

我知道我為什麼會做出這樣的決定。

and I'm happy with the results.

而我對結果很滿意。

But that's why more women leaders are needed.

但這也是為什麼需要更多的女性領導者。

For there will always be those who will tear us down,

因為總有一些人要拆散我們。

who will tear us apart,

誰會把我們分開。

because they want the status quo to remain.

因為他們希望維持現狀。

Although sub-Saharan Africa has had major breakthroughs

雖然撒哈拉以南非洲已經取得了重大突破

in women's leadership and participation,

婦女的上司和參與；

particularly in the legislature --

特別是在立法機構 -- --

in parliament, as it's called --

在議會中，因為它被稱為 -

so many women,

這麼多女人。

50 percent and over, one of our nations,

50%以上，我們國家的一個。

well over 60 percent, the best in the world --

遠遠超過60％，是世界上最好的 -- --

but we know that's not enough.

但我們知道這是不夠的。

While we must be very thankful

雖然我們必須非常感謝

and applaud the progress we have made,

併為我們取得的進展鼓掌。

we know that there is much more work to be done.

我們知道，還有很多工作要做。

The work will have to address the lingering vestiges

這項工作必須解決遺留的問題。

of structural ...

的結構...

something against women.

針對婦女的東西。

In too many places,

在太多的地方。

political parties

政黨

are based on patronage,

是以贊助為基礎的。

patriarchy,

父權制；

misogyny

厭女症

that try to keep women

試圖留住婦女的

from their rightful places,

從他們應有的位置。

that shut them out

拒人千里之外

from taking leadership positions.

擔任領導職務。

Too often, women face --

婦女往往面臨----

while the best performers,

而表現最好的人。

while equal or better in competence --

而同等或更高的能力 -- --

unequal pay.

薪酬不平等；

And so we must continue to work

是以，我們必須繼續努力

to change things.

來改變現狀。

We must be able to change the stereotyping.

我們必須能夠改變陳舊的觀念。

We must be able to ensure

我們必須能夠確保

that those structural barriers

這些結構性障礙

that have kept women

阻礙婦女發展的因素

from being able to have the equity they rightfully deserve.

從能夠擁有他們應得的公平。

And we must also work with men.

而且我們還必須與男人合作。

Because increasingly,

因為越來越。

there is recognition

有認識

that full gender equity

全面實現兩性平等

will ensure a stronger economy,

將確保經濟更加強勁。

a more developed nation,

一個比較發達的國家。

a more peaceful nation.

一個更加和平的國家。

And that is why we must continue to work.

這就是為什麼我們必須繼續努力。

And that is why we're partners.

這也是我們成為合作伙伴的原因。

I will be launching a Center for Women and Development

我將成立一個婦女與發展中心。

that will bring together --

這將彙集 -- --

(Applause)

(掌聲)

women who have started

創業婦女

and are committed to their joining of leadership.

並致力於他們的加盟上司。

With women who have excelled

與優秀的婦女在一起

and advanced in leadership together.

並在領導班子中共同進步。

Over a 10-year period,

在10年的時間裡。

we strongly believe

我們堅信

that we will create this wave of women

我們將創造這一波的女性

who are prepared to take,

誰準備拿。

unabashedly,

毫不掩飾地。

intentional leadership and influence

領導力和影響力

throughout society.

在整個社會中。

This is why --

這就是為什麼...

(Laughs)

（笑）

at 81, I cannot retire.

81歲，我不能退休。

(Applause and laughter)

（掌聲和笑聲）

(Applause and cheers)

(掌聲和歡呼聲)

Women are working for change

婦女正在為變革而努力

in Africa.

在非洲：

Women are working for change

婦女正在為變革而努力

throughout the world.

世界各地。

I will be with them,

我會和他們在一起。

and one of them,

和其中一個。

forever.

永遠。

(Applause)

(掌聲)

Thank you for listening.

謝謝你的聆聽。

Go out and change the world.

走出去，改變世界。

(Applause and cheers)

(掌聲和歡呼聲)