TED演讲:影片纪录加纳民主进程(4)

 And I realized it had to come from the people.  我意识到和平必然来自人民。

After all, they decide,  毕竟是他们的抉择，

and they did.  而他们这样做了。

So the sounds that were before distorted and loud,  于是之前嘈杂混乱的声音，

were suddenly a melody.  变成和谐的乐章。

The sounds of the voices were harmonious¹.  人民和谐地表达想法。

So it could happen.  这是可能的。

A democracy could be upheld peacefully.  民主可以以和平手段来实现。

It could be, by the will of the masses who were now urgently pressing with all their heart and all their will for peace. 它可以通过人民的意愿实现他们正为之急切地努力着并全心全意地努力着来实现和平的。

Now here's an interesting comparison.  现在有个有趣的对比。

We in the West,  在西方，

we preach the values,  我们宣扬，

the golden light of democracy,  民主的力量，

that we are the shining example of how it's done.  我们是其完美模范。

But when it comes down to it,  但实际上，

Ghana found itself in the same place in which the U.S. election stalled in the 2000 presidential elections Bush versus² Gore³. 当加纳处在和2000年美国大选的相同处境时，布什对戈尔那样的处境时。

But instead of the unwillingness⁴ of the candidates to allow the system to proceed and the people to decide, 候选人没有表现出任何不情愿去让体制和人民做抉择，

Ghana honored democracy and its people. 加纳尊重了民主和它的人民。

It didn't leave it up to the Supreme⁵ Court to decide;  它没有把选举带到最高法庭上；

the people did.  而是让人民决定。

Now the second round of voting did not bring forth⁶ a clear winner either.  然而第二轮选举也没有诞生获选者。

I mean, it was so incredibly close.  我说，票数非常接近。

The electoral commissioner⁷ declared,  选举委员会，

with the consent of the parties,  在各党派的同意下决定，

to run an unprecedented⁸ second re-run. 进行前所未有的第二轮复选。

So the people went back to the polls to determine their own president, 人们回到选举站去决定谁做他们的总统，

not the legal system.  而不是让司法系统来做。

And guess what, it worked.  结果如何？成功了。

The defeated candidate gave up power and made way for Ghana to move into a new democratic cycle. 失败的候选人放弃职权加纳踏入新的民主进程。

I mean, at the absolute time for the absolute need of democracy, 在民主需要的时候，

they did not abuse their power.  他们没有滥用职权。

The belief in true democracy and in the people runs deep,  人们深深坚信真正的民主，

proving that the African is capable of governing himself.  这证明了非洲人民有能力自治。

Now the uphill battle for Ghana and for Africa is not over, 现在加纳和非洲艰难的(民主)斗争还没有结束，

but I have proof that the other side of democracy exists,  但我有证据，民主的另一面是存在的，

and that we must not take it for granted.  我们不应该视而不见。

Now I have learned that my place is not just in the West or in Africa, 现在我意识到我的定位不仅是在西方或是非洲，

and I'm still searching for my identity,  我仍在寻找我的定位，

but I saw Ghana create democracy better.  但我目睹加纳开创了更好的民主。

Ghana taught me to look at people differently and to look at myself differently. 加纳告诉了我用不一样的视角看人看自己。

And yes,  是的

we Africans can.  我们非洲人能行

Thank you.  谢谢。

1 harmonious   

adj.和睦的，调和的，和谐的，协调的

参考例句：

• Their harmonious relationship resulted in part from their similar goals.他们关系融洽的部分原因是他们有着相似的目标。
• The room was painted in harmonious colors.房间油漆得色彩调和。

2 versus   

prep.以…为对手，对；与…相比之下

参考例句：

• The big match tonight is England versus Spain.今晚的大赛是英格兰对西班牙。
• The most exciting game was Harvard versus Yale.最富紧张刺激的球赛是哈佛队对耶鲁队。

3 gore   

n.凝血，血污；v.（动物）用角撞伤，用牙刺破；缝以补裆；顶

参考例句：

• The fox lay dying in a pool of gore.狐狸倒在血泊中奄奄一息。
• Carruthers had been gored by a rhinoceros.卡拉瑟斯被犀牛顶伤了。

4 unwillingness   

n. 不愿意，不情愿

参考例句：

• Her unwillingness to answer questions undermined the strength of her position. 她不愿回答问题，这不利于她所处的形势。
• His apparent unwillingness would disappear if we paid him enough. 如果我们付足了钱，他露出的那副不乐意的神情就会消失。

5 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

6 forth   

adv.向前；向外，往外

参考例句：

• The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
• He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。

7 commissioner   

n.（政府厅、局、处等部门）专员，长官，委员

参考例句：

• The commissioner has issued a warrant for her arrest.专员发出了对她的逮捕令。
• He was tapped for police commissioner.他被任命为警务处长。

8 unprecedented   

adj.无前例的，新奇的

参考例句：

• The air crash caused an unprecedented number of deaths.这次空难的死亡人数是空前的。
• A flood of this sort is really unprecedented.这样大的洪水真是十年九不遇。