世界各地庆奥巴马当选美国总统

From Europe and Asia to the Middle East, many expressed amazement that the US could overcome centuries of racial strife and elect an African-American president.

Africa

"If it were possible for me to get to the United States on my bicycle, I would," said Joseph Ochieng, a 36-year-old carpenter who lives in Kenya's sprawling Kibera shantytown.

Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki declared a public holiday Thursday in the country of Obama's late father, allowing celebrations to continue through the night and into a second day.

Scenes of jubilation broke out in the western Kenya village of Kogelo, where many of Obama's Kenyan relatives still live. People sang, danced in the streets and wrapped themselves in U.S. flags. A group of exuberant residents picked up the president-elect's half brother Malik and carried him through the village.

"Unbelievable!" Malik Obama shouted, "Obama's coming, make way!"

Nelson Mandela, South Africa's first black president, said Obama gave the world the courage to dream.

"Your victory has demonstrated that no person anywhere in the world should not dare to dream of wanting to change the world for a better place," Mandela said in a letter of congratulations.

Liberian President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf — the first woman elected to head an African country — said she did not expect to see a black American president in her lifetime.

"All Africans now know that if you persevere, all things are possible," she said.

In the New Nyanza provincial general hospital in Kisumu, the capital of the region which is home to Barack Obama's ancestral village, a woman gave birth to twins she named Obama and Michelle.

At least eight other boys were named Barack or Obama in this hospital alone while maternities in the capital Nairobi and across the entire country reported new namesakes for the future occupants of the White House.

Indonesia, Asia

In Indonesia, where Obama lived as child, hundreds of students at his former elementary school erupted in cheers when he was declared winner, pouring into the courtyard where they hugged, danced in the rain and chanted "Obama! Obama!"

"I remember in the class book, all students were writing down their goals and wishes. Some said they wanted to be lawyers, soldiers, pilot and doctors, but he was the one who said he wanted to be president," said Dewi Asmara, a former classmate.

"We never understood what was on his mind that day."

Obama's classmates said they were delighted with his win because they felt a special emotional connection with the Democrat who spent four years in Indonesia.

Japan, Asia

The town of Obama, Japan, celebrated the presidential victory of the US politician who shares the town's name with singing, dancing and chanting.

Parties at the town's seafront museum featured revelers celebrating the victory of Democratic President-elect Barack Obama, the first black president of the United States, with celebratory singing, hula dancing and chants of "We love Obama," The Daily Telegraph reported Wednesday.

"This all started as a bit of a joke. But as more and more people got involved, it became more serious," said Yasunori Maeno, secretary of the Obama for Obama campaign group. "Now there are many businesses involved in the Obama campaign and it will continue now that he is president. This will change the future for us."

The Obama for Obama group said more than 1,300 residents of the town of 33,000 participated in their campaign during the past four months.

Europe

Europe, where Obama is overwhelmingly popular, is one region that looked eagerly to an Obama administration for a revival in warm relations after the Bush government's chilly rift with the continent over the Iraq war.

"At a time when we have to confront immense challenges together, your election raises great hopes in France, in Europe and in the rest of the world," French President Nicolas Sarkozy said in a congratulations letter to Obama.

Middle East

Skepticism, however, was high in the Muslim world. The Bush administration alienated the Middle East by mistreating prisoners at its detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and inmates at Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison — human rights violations also condemned worldwide.

Some Iraqis, who have suffered through five years of a war ignited by the United States and its allies, said they would believe positive change when they saw it.

"Obama's victory will do nothing for the Iraqi issue nor for the Palestinian issue," said Muneer Jamal, a Baghdad resident. "I think all the promises Obama made during the campaign will remain mere promises."

American celebrities

Talk-show host Oprah Winfrey wept tears of joy, Leonardo DiCaprio said he was proud to be an American and several hip-hop music stars said Sen. Barack Obama's election as the first black U.S. president fulfilled the dreams of America's youth.

"It feels like America did the right thing," Winfrey told cnn. "It feels like there's a shift in consciousness. It feels like something really big and bold has happened here, like nothing ever in our lifetimes did we expect this to happen."

从欧洲到亚洲再到中东，世界各地的人们都发出了同样的感叹：美国扫除了几个世纪以来的种族屏障，选出了其历史上首位非洲裔总统。

非洲：肯尼亚全国放假庆祝奥巴马胜选

在奥巴马父亲的故乡肯尼亚，居住在基贝拉贫民区的36岁的木匠约瑟夫．奥臣说：“如果能骑车去美国，我一定会去。”

肯尼亚总统姆瓦伊．齐贝吉于当日宣布周四全国放假一天，庆祝奥巴马当选美国总统。

奥巴马的很多亲戚居住在肯尼亚西部的盖戈洛村，那里到处是一派欢庆的景象。人们身披美国国旗，在大街上载歌载舞。兴高采烈的村民把奥巴马同父异母的兄弟马力克抬了起来，在村子里游行。

马力克高喊：“真是不可思议！奥巴马来了，快让路！”

南非首位黑人总统尼尔森．曼德拉说，奥巴马用他的胜利告诉全世界：每个人都能拥有梦想。

他在发给奥巴马的贺电中说道：“你用你的胜利告诉全世界的人们，人人都能拥有将这个世界变得更加美好的梦想。”

利比亚总统艾伦．约翰逊-瑟里夫说，她没想到自己这辈子还能看到一个黑人当选美国总统。艾伦是非洲首位女总统。

她说：“现在所有非洲人都明白了这个道理：有志者，事竟成。”

当天，在奥巴马祖辈生活过的新尼扬扎省的首府基木苏，一位母亲在当地的省立总医院生下一对龙凤胎，并给两个孩子取名为“奥巴马”和“米歇尔”。

当天在这家医院还有八个新生儿取名为巴拉克或奥巴马，在首都纳奥比和全国其他地区的产科医院，都有这样的例子。

印度尼西亚：儿时伙伴：他从小就梦想当一位总统

奥巴马在印度尼西亚度过了他的童年。当天奥巴马被宣布获得大选胜利时，他曾在印尼所就读的那所小学的数百名小学生欢呼雀跃，他们奔向操场，互相拥抱，在雨中跳舞，高喊“奥巴马！奥巴马！”

奥巴马的小学同学德维．阿斯马拉说：“我记得当年大家都在课本上写下自己的理想和愿望。有的人写他们长大后想当律师、军人、飞行员或医生，但他却说他梦想自己能成为一名总统。”

“当时我们简直无法理解他脑子里在想些什么。”

奥巴马的同学们说，他们很高兴奥巴马赢得了大选，因为他们对这位在印尼生活了四年的美国民主党人有一份特殊的感情。

日本：Obama小城狂欢

在日本小城“小浜”（英文Obama），人们载歌载舞，庆祝与之“同名”的美国总统候选人奥巴马赢得大选。

英国《每日电讯》报于本周三报道说，当天，小浜城的海滨博物馆热闹非凡，人们在这里开party，庆祝奥巴马当选美国首位黑人总统，开心的人们唱着欢庆的歌、跳起了呼啦圈舞，高唱“我们爱奥巴马”。

“Obama for Obama”声援团的秘书Yasunori Maeno 说：“刚开始带有一点玩笑的性质，但随着参与的人越来越多，事情就‘闹’大了。现在我们这里有很多企业都参加了奥巴马声援团，现在他当选了，我们还会一如既往地支持他。这也会改变我们的未来。”

据奥巴马声援团介绍，在过去4个月中，小滨城的3.3万名居民中共有1300人参与了他们的声援活动。

欧洲：“给欧洲乃至全世界带来了希望”

奥巴马在欧洲人气极高。欧洲民众期待他当选美国总统后能够推动欧美关系的改善，此前由于欧洲与布什政府在伊战问题上存在分歧，欧美关系出现裂痕。

法国总统萨科奇在给奥巴马的贺信中说：“目前欧美需要共同应对前所未有的挑战，你的当选给法国、欧洲乃至全世界都带来了希望。”

中东：“只有看到了变化，才会真正相信”

然而，对于奥巴马的当选，穆斯林国家的人们还是心存怀疑。发生在古巴“关塔那摩监狱”和伊拉克阿布格莱布监狱的虐囚事件导致美国和中东国家的关系跌入低谷。这种侵犯人权的丑恶行径也受到了国际社会的广泛谴责。

美国及其盟国于五年前发动了伊拉克战争，这场战争让伊拉克人民饱受战乱之苦。一些人说，他们只有亲眼看到，才会相信那些所承诺的积极的转变。

巴格达居民Muneer Jamal 说：“奥巴马的当选无论对于伊拉克问题还是巴勒斯坦问题，都毫无意义。在我看来，他在竞选时做出的那些承诺到头来还是空头支票。”

美国名人：美国的大事件

美国著名脱口秀“名嘴”奥普拉．温芙瑞在获悉奥巴马当选后喜极而泣；莱昂纳多．迪卡普里奥称他为自己身为一个美国人感到无比骄傲，几位嘻哈乐手认为奥巴马当选美国首位非裔总统实现了美国年轻人的梦想。

温芙瑞在接受cnn的采访时说：“美国人民做出了正确的选择。我们看到了人们意识的转变。美国真是发生了一件重大并且大胆的事，这在过去我们几乎无法想象。”