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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."
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(Agencies)
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從歐洲到亞洲再到中東，世界各地的人們都發出了同樣的感嘆：美國掃除了幾個世紀以來的種族屏障，選出了其歷史上首位非洲裔總統。
非洲：肯尼亞全國放假慶祝奧巴馬勝選
在奧巴馬父親的故鄉肯尼亞，居住在基貝拉貧民區的36歲的木匠約瑟夫?奧臣說：“如果能騎車去美國，我一定會去。”
肯尼亞總統姆瓦伊?齊貝吉于當日宣布周四全國放假一天，慶祝奧巴馬當選美國總統。
奧巴馬的很多親戚居住在肯尼亞西部的蓋戈洛村，那里到處是一派歡慶的景象。人們身披美國國旗，在大街上載歌載舞。興高采烈的村民把奧巴馬同父異母的兄弟馬力克抬了起來，在村子里游行。
馬力克高喊：“真是不可思議！奧巴馬來了，快讓路！”
南非首位黑人總統尼爾森?曼德拉說，奧巴馬用他的勝利告訴全世界：每個人都能擁有夢想。
他在發給奧巴馬的賀電中說道：“你用你的勝利告訴全世界的人們，人人都能擁有將這個世界變得更加美好的夢想。”
利比亞總統艾倫?約翰遜-瑟里夫說，她沒想到自己這輩子還能看到一個黑人當選美國總統。艾倫是非洲首位女總統。
她說：“現在所有非洲人都明白了這個道理：有志者，事竟成。”
當天，在奧巴馬祖輩生活過的新尼揚扎省的首府基木蘇，一位母親在當地的省立總醫院生下一對龍鳳胎，并給兩個孩子取名為“奧巴馬”和“米歇爾”。
當天在這家醫院還有八個新生兒取名為巴拉克或奧巴馬，在首都納奧比和全國其他地區的產科醫院，都有這樣的例子。
印度尼西亞：兒時伙伴：他從小就夢想當一位總統
奧巴馬在印度尼西亞度過了他的童年。當天奧巴馬被宣布獲得大選勝利時，他曾在印尼所就讀的那所小學的數百名小學生歡呼雀躍，他們奔向操場，互相擁抱，在雨中跳舞，高喊“奧巴馬！奧巴馬！”
奧巴馬的小學同學德維?阿斯馬拉說：“我記得當年大家都在課本上寫下自己的理想和愿望。有的人寫他們長大后想當律師、軍人、飛行員或醫生，但他卻說他夢想自己能成為一名總統。”
“當時我們簡直無法理解他腦子里在想些什么。”
奧巴馬的同學們說，他們很高興奧巴馬贏得了大選，因為他們對這位在印尼生活了四年的美國民主黨人有一份特殊的感情。
日本：Obama小城狂歡
在日本小城“小浜”（英文Obama），人們載歌載舞，慶祝與之“同名”的美國總統候選人奧巴馬贏得大選。
英國《每日電訊》報于本周三報道說，當天，小浜城的海濱博物館熱鬧非凡，人們在這里開party，慶祝奧巴馬當選美國首位黑人總統，開心的人們唱著歡慶的歌、跳起了呼啦圈舞，高唱“我們愛奧巴馬”。
“Obama for Obama”聲援團的秘書Yasunori Maeno 說：“剛開始帶有一點玩笑的性質，但隨著參與的人越來越多，事情就‘鬧’大了。現在我們這里有很多企業都參加了奧巴馬聲援團，現在他當選了，我們還會一如既往地支持他。這也會改變我們的未來。”
據奧巴馬聲援團介紹，在過去4個月中，小濱城的3.3萬名居民中共有1300人參與了他們的聲援活動。
歐洲：“給歐洲乃至全世界帶來了希望”
奧巴馬在歐洲人氣極高。歐洲民眾期待他當選美國總統后能夠推動歐美關系的改善，此前由于歐洲與布什政府在伊戰問題上存在分歧，歐美關系出現裂痕。
法國總統薩科奇在給奧巴馬的賀信中說：“目前歐美需要共同應對前所未有的挑戰，你的當選給法國、歐洲乃至全世界都帶來了希望。”
中東：“只有看到了變化，才會真正相信”
然而，對于奧巴馬的當選，穆斯林國家的人們還是心存懷疑。發生在古巴“關塔那摩監獄”和伊拉克阿布格萊布監獄的虐囚事件導致美國和中東國家的關系跌入低谷。這種侵犯人權的丑惡行徑也受到了國際社會的廣泛譴責。
美國及其盟國于五年前發動了伊拉克戰爭，這場戰爭讓伊拉克人民飽受戰亂之苦。一些人說，他們只有親眼看到，才會相信那些所承諾的積極的轉變。
巴格達居民Muneer Jamal 說：“奧巴馬的當選無論對于伊拉克問題還是巴勒斯坦問題，都毫無意義。在我看來，他在競選時做出的那些承諾到頭來還是空頭支票。”
美國名人：美國的大事件
美國著名脫口秀“名嘴”奧普拉?溫芙瑞在獲悉奧巴馬當選后喜極而泣；萊昂納多?迪卡普里奧稱他為自己身為一個美國人感到無比驕傲，幾位嘻哈樂手認為奧巴馬當選美國首位非裔總統實現了美國年輕人的夢想。
溫芙瑞在接受CNN的采訪時說：“美國人民做出了正確的選擇。我們看到了人們意識的轉變。美國真是發生了一件重大并且大膽的事，這在過去我們幾乎無法想象。”
（實習生許雅寧 英語點津 姍姍 編輯）
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