President Bush presided at a White House ceremony Monday honoring women around the world who are fighting for freedom.

布什總統星期一在白宮主持儀式，向世界各地為自由而奮斗的婦女表示敬意。

March is women's history month in the United States. And the president recognized not only those who have made a difference in the past, but those who are changing lives today.

在美國，3月是婦女歷史月。布什總統高度贊揚了那些曾作出重大歷史貢獻，以及那些正在創造歷史的婦女。

"We take pride in the progress women have made here at home and we know that millions of women abroad are still working to secure their basic rights," said President Bush.

布什總統說：“我們為美國婦女所取得的進步而自豪，而且我們也知道，在世界其它地方，還有千百萬婦女在為爭取自己的基本權益而奮斗。”

He made specific mention of women who are playing a key role in emerging democracies, such as Afghanistan and Iraq. And he pointed to Liberian President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf as an example of just how much an empowered woman can do to bring a country on the brink of collapse to a hopeful future.

布什總統特別提到了在新興民主國家發揮關鍵作用的婦女，例如阿富汗和伊拉克婦女。他還以利比里亞女總統埃倫.約翰遜.瑟利夫為例，說明婦女一旦被賦予權力，就能發揮多么巨大的作用，把一個瀕臨崩潰的國家帶上充滿希望的道路。

"Liberians call President Johnson 'the iron lady' and 'Ma', said Mr. Bush. "I am proud to call her 'friend.'"

布什總統說：“利比里亞人把約翰遜總統稱為‘鐵夫人’和‘媽媽’。而我則驕傲地把她稱為‘朋友’。”

Mr. Bush also spoke of the women who take on tyrants in an effort to bring freedom to their countries. He told the stories of activists in Cuba and Belarus. And he pledged America's ongoing commitment to the Democracy movement in Burma led by Nobel Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi.

布什總統也談到了向暴君作斗爭，爭取國家自由的婦女。他講述了古巴和白俄羅斯民運分子的事跡。他承諾美國將始終如一地支持諾貝爾和平獎得主昂山素季所領導的緬甸民運。

"Aung San Suu Kyi has never wavered," he said. "Her courage and her writings have inspired millions. And in so doing, they have put fear into the hearts of the leaders of the Burmese junta."

布什總統說：“昂山素季從不動搖。她的勇氣以及她的文章鼓舞了千百萬人。這給緬甸軍政權帶來了內心的恐懼。”

Among those attending the event at the White House were women who hold key posts in the president's cabinet, serve in Congress, and represent their countries as ambassadors in Washington.

在白宮參加這一儀式的有在布什總統政府和美國國會擔任重要職位的婦女，以及一些國家駐美國的女大使。