【标准VOA】２００８－０３－２９
Food Prices Spike Worldwide (1/3)
Dictation & Translation:
Recent weeks have seen Philippine authorities scramble to augment rice stocks in the country, Indonesian officials warned a warn of possible social unrest due to skyrocketing prices for basic foodstuffs, irate Egyptians protesting bread shortages, and international food aid programs unable to buy enough foods goods to meet their food distribution targets for vulnerable populations.
最近几周，菲律宾当局仓促决定增加国家大米储备，印尼官员警告由于基础粮食价格飙升可能引起的社会动荡，愤怒的埃及人抗议面包紧缺，而国际食品救援计划无法购买足够的粮食以达到为社会弱势人群分配食物的目标。
These cases should not be viewed as isolated anomalies, but rather is as indicators of a global phenomenon, according to Lester Brown of the Washington-based Earth Policy Institute. "In seven of the last eight years, world grain production has fallen short of consumption. Please don't We have been pulling down world grain stocks until they are now at the lowest level on in 34 years."
设在华盛顿的地球政策协会的Lester Brown认为，这些案例不应被看作是孤立的反常现象，而应是全球现象的晴雨表。“在过去8年里，有7年世界粮食产量无法满足消费需求，我们的世界粮食储备量一直在下跌，直到现在储备量达到了34年来的最低水平。”
Experts say several factors are to blame: are a growing world population, under-investment and in agriculture technology, high petroleum prices, housing and business development crowding out farmlands, droughts and floods make made more severe by climate change, and growing demand for a limited supply of fresh water.
专家表示多种因素导致该现象：全球人口增长，农业科技投入低，石油价格过高，挪用农田以开发住房和商务，天气变化引起的干旱和洪涝加剧这一现象，以及人们不断增加的对有限淡水资源的需求。
In addition, grains like corn wants once grown exclusively to feed humans and bloodstock livestock are now being diverted into programs to generate ethanol and other so-called "biofeuls" as an alternative to oil and gasoline.
另外，原本只用于人和家禽食用的诸如玉米类的粮食，现在却用于其他项目，变成了提炼乙醇和其他所谓“生物燃料”，作为石油和汽油的替代品。
Tips:
1. scramble：仓促行动，争夺，抢夺
2. augment：增加，增大
3. stock：储备，库存
4. unrest：不安的局面，动荡的局面
5. foodstuff：粮食
6. skyrocketing：突涨，飞升
7. irate：发怒的，愤怒的
8. vulnerable：脆弱的，弱势的，易受伤害的
9. anomaly：反常事物，异常现象
10. pull down：拉下
11. petroleum：石油
12. crowd out：挤出
13. livestock：家禽
14. generate：生产，发生，产生
15. ethanol：乙醇
今天的播音员讲话都不断句，听的很痛苦。想到还要痛苦两天……
posted @ 2008-03-29 08:47
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