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奥巴马夫人启动两亿美元女孩教育项目

U.S. first lady Michelle Obama has announced new multi-million dollar global programs to get more girls into education. On a visit to Britain, which is also taking part in the plan, Obama described the number of girls who do not go to school as a devastating¹ loss for the whole world.

美国第一夫人米歇尔·奥巴马宣布了新的两亿美元的全球项目，让更多的女孩接受教育。在访问项目参与国英国时，奥巴马夫人说，有那么多女孩没有上学，这是全世界的重大损失。

Students at the Mulberry School for Girls in east London Obama a raucous² welcome Tuesday that included singing, dancing displays, and hugs from many of the girls. She may be their hero, but Obama insisted it was her privilege to meet the students.

伦敦东部的莫伯利女校（Mulberry School for Girls）星期二兴高采烈地欢迎米歇尔·奥巴马的到访。学生们为这位美国第一夫人表演歌舞，很多女孩还拥抱了她。她也许是女生们心目中的英雄，不过奥巴马夫人却说，跟同学们会面，是她的荣幸。

“I am so proud of your passion, your diligence, your grit³, your determination," the first lady said, "and I am beyond thrilled that you are working so hard to complete your education, it is so important.”

她说：“你们的激情、勤奋、毅力和意志让我感到自豪，你们如此地努力完成自己的教育，让我无比的兴奋。教育是多么的重要。”

Working class origins

Obama compared the students’ east London neighborhood, one of the poorest and most ethnically⁴ diverse in the British capital, to her own working class childhood on the south side of Chicago.

孩子们所在的伦敦东部社区是英国首都最贫穷、也是族群最多元的居民区之一。奥巴马夫人把这里跟她的童年相比。她是在芝加哥南部的工薪家庭中长大的。

Obama, in Britain to promote her "Let Girls Learn" initiative, spoke⁵ with passion about the challenges girls around the world face.

奥巴马夫人在英国推动她的“让女孩学习”（Let Girls Learn）倡议。她带着激情谈到了世界各地女孩所面对的挑战。

“I just think about how much we are losing when we don't tap into that energy. That there are 62 million girls out there who are just as bright, just as impactful potentially, just as passionate⁶, but who have no voice, no opportunity, no resources to develop into the young women you all will be," she said.

她说： “我想到，如果我们不发掘这个能量，我们的损失会有多大。如今有6千2百万女孩，她们同样聪明，同样有潜力影响世界，同样怀有激情，但她们却没有声音，没有机会，没有资源，不能发展成为你们将来所要成为的那种女青年。”

Obama announced plans for $200 million in programs funded by the United States and Britain to promote girls’ education worldwide. The first projects will help 450,000 children in the Democratic Republic of Congo get a primary school education. Sierra Leone and Liberia will also benefit.

奥巴马夫人宣布，美国和英国计划出资两亿美元，设立项目，推广全世界的女孩教育。第一个项目将帮助刚果民主共和国的45万名女童获得小学教育。接下来的受益国将是塞拉利昂和利比里亚。

A statement from the White House said the program is expected to benefit more than 755,000 girls between the ages of 10 and 18 over the next five years. It is set to help enroll⁷ girls and boys who are currently not in school; motivate parents and communities to support girls staying in school; and improve materials and teaching methods.

Supporters of the program say helping⁸ girls get a quality education can improve the chances to earn a decent living, raise a healthy family, and improve quality of life for families and the community.

Key issue

Girls’ education is key to tackling other challenges like poverty and maternal⁹ health, says Rocco Blume of the charity Plan International UK.

慈善组织“国际计划英国”（Plan International UK）的罗科·布鲁姆说，女孩教育也是应对贫穷和孕妇健康等其它挑战的关键。

“Girls have incredible potential to be able to contribute to their economy, to contribute to the wealth of communities, but are often prevented from progressing because in many parts of the world there is gender¹⁰ inequality that prevents girls from being able to access school," Blume said.

他说：“女孩们拥有令人难以置信的潜力，可以为她们周边的经济做贡献，为社区的财富做贡献，然而，她们的进步常常遇到阻挡，因为世界上很多地方还有性别不平等，不让女孩上学受教育。”

The recent focus on girls’ education by global figures like Michelle Obama and Malala Yousafzai has driven the issue up the political agenda worldwide, Blume says.

布鲁姆说，近年来，米歇尔·奥巴马和马拉拉·优素福扎伊等国际名人推动聚焦女孩教育，这使这项问题成全球范围的政治议题。

“If you look back at previous years, education was supported regardless of gender. And that meant that despite there being far fewer girls in school, that was not really picked up by donors¹¹, by development organizations," Blume noted¹². "So the fact that we see an understanding internationally that girls really do face these additional challenges, and those challenges are being tackled, is a very positive thing.”

他说：“回顾前些年，人们支持教育的时候是不分性别的。这意味着，虽然上学的女孩远远少得多，可捐赠方和发展机构却没有真正重视。所以，我们现在看到国际上开始明白，女孩们确实面临更多的挑战，而这些挑战正在得到应对，这本身就是一件好事。”

Campaigners say the battle to get more girls in school will require a change in attitudes as well as investment. Michelle Obama says she will spend the rest of her time as U.S. first lady fighting for that cause.

活动人士说，要想努力让更多的女孩上学，除了需要投资，还需要改变人们的态度。米歇尔·奥巴马说，在她做为第一夫人的余下时间里，她将全身心投入这项事业。