That ran counter to our core belief.
这将同我们的核心信念背道而驰
Technology should benefit everyone.
技术应当让每个人受益
So we worked to close the digital divide.
于是我们开始行动 试图缩小这一数字鸿沟
I made a priority at Microsoft,
我原来在微软
and Melinda and I made it an early priority at our Foundation.
以及我和梅琳达在盖茨基金会早期都确立了
Donating personal computers to public libraries
向公共图书馆捐赠个人计算机这一优先事务
to make sure that everyone had access.
以帮助每个人获得计算机使用权
The digital divide was a focus of mine in 1997,
1997年 这一数字鸿沟是我的主要关注焦点
when I took my first trip to South Africa.
当时我是第一次去南非
I went there on business.
我是出公差
So I spent most of my time in meetings in downtown Johannesburg.
大多数时间都在约翰内斯堡中心城区开会
I stayed in the home of one of the richest families of South Africa.
住在南非国内非常有钱的一位富豪家里
It had only been three years since the election of Nelson Mandela
当时离纳尔逊?曼德拉当选只有三年时间
marked the end of apartheid.
种族隔离刚刚终结
When I sat down for dinner with my hosts,
我同屋子的主人坐在一起用餐
they used a bell to call the butler.
主人用铃来呼唤仆人
After dinner, the women and men separated and the men smoked cigars.
餐后 女人们会和男人们分开 男人们会去抽雪茄
I thought, good thing I read Jane Austen,
我心想 幸好我读过简·奥斯汀的作品
or I wouldn't have known what was going on.
否则我估计根本无法理解这里发生了什么