VOA常速英语:Energy Solutions for Off-Grid Africa

Lack of inexpensive, reliable energy delivery is one of the chief obstacles to growth and development in much of Asia and sub-Saharan Africa.Yet today, nearly seventy percent of sub-Saharan Africans lack access to electricity.This, despite the fact that the region has tremendous energy resources,ranging from geothermal, solar, wind and hydro power to significant reserves of natural gas.
缺少廉价、可靠的能源供应是许多亚洲和撒哈拉以南非洲地区增长和发展所面临的主要障碍之一。但即便今天，近70%的撒哈拉以南非洲国家仍然缺少电力。尽管该地区拥有巨大的能源资源，包括从地热、太阳能、风能、和水力发电到天然气的巨大储量。

That is why last year, President Barack Obama announced Power Africa – a public-private initiative,led by the U.S. Agency for International Development, or USAID,that will significantly increase generation and distribution of power in Sub-Saharan Africa.
这就是为什么去年，奥巴马总统宣布了“能源非洲（Power Africa）”计划——一个公私部门联运倡议，在美国国际开发署（简称USAID）的领导下，那会显著增加撒哈拉以南非洲地区的发电和配电量。

“In the 16 months since its launch, Power Africa’s partnerships with African governments, private investors, other donors,and developers have already begun to bring benefits to the people of Africa,”said USAID’s Eric Postel, Assistant to the Administrator for Africa.
“在该倡议推出16个月以来，‘能源非洲’项目和非洲国家政府、私人投资者、其他捐助者、以及开发商的合作已经开始惠及非洲人民，”美国国际开发署非洲行政助理埃里克·波斯特尔如是说道。

The Power Africa initiative helps governments identify the reasons why projects to improve electricity generation and distribution are lagging,and works with them to remove the obstacles as they are identified.Power Africa also works with the private sector to help companies invest in power generation and distribution.
“能源非洲”倡议帮助各国政府找出为什么提高发电和配电量项目滞后的原因，并和它们一起消除这些障碍，就像这些障碍被如何找出一样。“能源非洲”倡议还和私营部门进行了合作，帮助企业投资发电和配电。

“Power Africa has already helped to financially close deals that will generate more than 3,000 Megawats,which has the potential to provide power for more than 5 million African homes, service providers, and businesses,” said Mr. Postel.
“‘能源非洲’倡议已经帮助在经济上达成了交易，将发电超过3000兆瓦，有潜力提供电力给超过500万的非洲家庭、服务提供商和企业，”波斯特尔如是说道。

Generating sufficient power is one part of the equation.Delivering it to those who need it is another.Only 18.3 percent of people living in rural communities in sub-Saharan Africa have access to electricity,compared to 55.5 percent of urban dwellers.
发出足够的电力是这一等式的一部分。而将其配送给有需要的人则是另一部分。在撒哈拉以南非洲，只有18.3%的农村地区居民可以用电，而城市地区这一数字是55.5%。

That is why Power Africa launched Beyond the Grid,a competition for innovative solutions that develop, scale-up or extend the use of proven technologies for off-grid energy.
这也就是为什么“能源非洲”倡议发起了“网络之外”活动，这是一场创新解决方案竞赛，发展、扩大和延长了对已经证明的离网型能源技术的使用。

“Today, 600 million Africans do not have access to electricity.Hospitals cannot function optimally.Businesses cannot open and children cannot read after dark.Food rots before it makes it to market,” said Mr. Postel.“But it does not have to be this way.Together with our partners in [the U.S.] Congress, Africa, other donor nations, and private businesses,Power Africa is working to greatly increase access to reliable, cleaner energy in Africa.”
“当前，6亿非洲人民不能用电。医院不能最优化地运转。企业不能开业，儿童天黑以后也不能读书。食物在运到市场上之前就腐烂了，”波斯特尔如是说道。“但是并不是必须要这样。和我们在美国国会、非洲、其他捐助国家、以及私营部门的合作伙伴们一起，‘能源非洲’倡议将努力在非洲大大增加可靠、清洁的能源。”