背景介绍：

随着全球老龄化加剧，非洲年轻人口迅速增长，预计2050年将成为全球青年最多的大陆。撒哈拉以南地区超60%人口不足25岁，2030年将贡献全球半数新增劳动力。该群体教育水平提升、互联网浸润深厚，却面临经济停滞与就业困境，部分转向强人政治或跨国迁徙。其发展困境不仅威胁非洲民主稳定，更将重塑全球人口结构与经济格局，亟待本土改革与国际协作。

How to help young Africans thrive

如何助力非洲青年大展宏图

As the rest of the world ages, young Africans are becoming more important

当世界其他地区渐趋老龄化，非洲青年正成为全球重要力量

Some generations come of age just as their countries rise economically. Think of America’s baby boomers, China’s millennials and perhaps India’s Generation Z. But there is another globally significant cohort that receives far less attention—what this week we call Africa’s “generation hustle”.

某些世代恰逢国家经济腾飞之时步入社会舞台，如美国婴儿潮世代、中国千禧一代及印度Z世代。而另一个具有全球意义的群体却鲜少被关注——我们本周称之为非洲"拼搏一代"。

The sheer size of this group means that they will shape the world. Over 60% of people living in sub-Saharan Africa are younger than 25. By 2030 half of all new entrants to the “global labour force” will come from sub-Saharan Africa. By 2050 Africa will have more young people than anywhere else.

这一群体的庞大规模将重塑世界格局。撒哈拉以南非洲地区逾60%人口年龄不足25岁。至2030年，全球新增劳动力半数将来自该地区。2050年前，非洲青年人口规模将冠绝全球。

As countries in Europe, Asia and the Americas age and shrink, Africa’s population will continue to grow and remain youthful. Understanding this generation and their adversities is an urgent matter not just for Africans, but for everyone.

当欧亚美洲渐趋老龄化与人口萎缩之际，非洲人口将持续增长并保持年轻化。理解这一世代及其面临的挑战，不仅是非洲更是全人类的当务之急。

They are likely to surprise you. Young Africans are better educated and, thanks to the internet and social media, more aware of the wider world than their parents were.

这个世代将颠覆固有认知。得益于互联网与社交媒体，非洲青年教育程度显著提升，国际视野远超父辈。

Unlike previous generations, they have no memories of colonialism. They combine an individualistic, enterprising outlook with piety and a streak of social conservatism. Much of that is bound up in a turn to Pentecostalism and its prosperity gospel, which highlights prayer as a path to material success.

他们未经历殖民记忆，融合个人奋斗精神与宗教热忱，兼具社会保守倾向。这种特质与五旬节派及其"成功神学"密切相关——该教派强调通过祷告实现物质成功。

For prosperity is what this generation lacks. They are frustrated with their shortage of opportunities. After a promising burst of activity in the 2000s, much of Africa has since endured over a decade of weak or non-existent growth. Stagnating economies are not creating enough good jobs to fulfil young people’s aspirations.

物质成功恰是这个世代最匮乏的。机会短缺令他们倍感挫折。继21世纪初经济短暂繁荣后，非洲多数地区已历经十余年增长停滞。经济困局难以为青年抱负提供优质就业岗位。

Young Africans have responded by finding creative ways to make ends meet. Some combine formal work with side hustles. Others juggle multiple gigs in the informal economy. But most would still much rather have a proper job.

非洲青年以创新方式应对生存挑战：有人本职与副业兼顾，更多人在非正规经济中多线谋生。但绝大多数仍渴求体面工作。

Their lack of prospects is a disaster for a continent that badly needs its young people to realise their economic potential. Apart from causing individual anguish, it is also a risk to democratic stability.

对亟需释放青年经济潜能的非洲大陆而言，这种前景缺失堪称灾难。除造成个人困顿外，更威胁民主稳定。

Young people on the continent are sceptical of the political systems that have failed them. Recent protests in Kenya, Nigeria and Mozambique have shown that their dissatisfaction can threaten governments. Frustration at their lack of opportunities and at politicians’ indifference to their plight is tempting some members of generation hustle to put their hope in strongmen and authoritarian politics.

青年对失能政治体系日益怀疑，肯尼亚、尼日利亚、莫桑比克近期抗议活动表明，这种不满可能颠覆政权。机会匮乏与政客漠视，正驱使部分青年将希望寄托于强人政治。

The threat will spill across borders. More than half of young Africans say that they want to leave their own countries and make their fortunes abroad. For African governments and the world at large, it is therefore important to harness the hustle.

这种威胁将跨越国界。超半数非洲青年渴望赴海外谋生。因此，对非洲各国及国际社会而言，善用这种拼搏精神至关重要。

Some of the necessary changes in attitude are already in place in rich countries, where young Africans are making their mark. Their continent’s cinema and music are taking the world by storm. Restaurateurs have won Michelin stars in London. Entrepreneurs have enriched the startup scene in Europe and America.

部分观念转变已在发达国家显现。非洲青年正崭露头角：大陆电影音乐风靡全球，餐饮业者在伦敦斩获米其林星级，创业者丰富欧美初创生态。

Done right, emigration will help host countries arrest demographic decline and fix labour shortages. Host societies will also benefit from young Africans’ enterprise, just as the diaspora will channel money, skills and ideas back to Africa.

合理引导移民潮，既有助于东道国缓解人口衰退与用工荒，又能通过侨汇、技术反哺与理念传播实现双赢。

Yet the most important changes should happen at home. As we argued in our special report earlier this year, African governments need to reform their economies. If they want to create more opportunities for ambitious youngsters they need to focus on growth.

但最关键转变应发生在非洲本土。正如我们今年特别报告所言，非洲各国亟需经济改革。要为有志青年创造机遇，必须聚焦经济增长。

Young Africans already know that they need prosperity to achieve their dreams. They have the can-do mindset to do their part. It is up to their governments to enable them to thrive.

非洲青年深谙繁荣是实现梦想的基石，他们已具备积极进取的拼搏精神。现在轮到各国政府为其创造腾飞条件了。

（红色标注词为重难点词汇）

重难点词汇：

entrant [ˈentrənt] n. 新进入者；新加入者；参赛者

piety [ ˈpaɪəti] n. 虔诚；孝顺；笃信

gospel [ ˈɡɑːsp(ə)l] n. 福音；真理；信条；重要原则（或道理）

diaspora [da ɪˈæspərə] n. 散居国外者；侨民群体

来源：经济学人。