各国名人英文介绍-Nelson Mandela（在线收听）

Nelson Mandela is one of the most respected people in the world. For countless reasons he is a huge hero. He is a person all us can learn many lessons from. He has seen almost everything in his nine decades, from being tortured to becoming president of the country he loves. He retired in 1999 but continues to travel the world helping people.

Nelson was born in 1918 into a South Africa that was divided along black and white racial lines. He says he had a wonderful childhood. He first learnt of the terrible apartheid system when he studied to become a lawyer. This led to his involvement in the African National Congress (ANC), which he later became the leader of.

The South African government did its best to keep Mandela from spreading his message of equality for blacks and racial unity. It put him in prison for 27 years. He became famous around the world as an icon of the struggle for freedom in South Africa. Rock stars, actors, politicians and ordinary people campaigned to free him and end apartheid.

Mandela was released from prison in 1990 and the world rejoiced. His never-ending hope, energy and enthusiasm won him the hearts of millions. He received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993. A year later, he was elected to be his country’s first ever black president. Today, he is still hard at work offering advice about global problems.