新西兰英语 265 Selling apples to Australia

Ever since 1921, Australia has refused to buy apples from New Zealand because some New Zealand apples had a disease called fire blight¹. This disease is common in North America and Europe but Australia and Japan do not have it and do not want it. The disease comes from bacteria. It kills the flowers of apple, pear and quince trees and the leaves can go black so that the tree looks as if it has been in a fire. It is very hard to get rid of this disease but some varieties of apple like Delicious are more resistant² and do not easily get fire blight.

New Zealand believes that fire blight cannot be carried on export apples. We now export some apples to Japan. They are stored at around 2 degrees Celsius³ for 25 days to kill any bacteria. Then they are washed, polished, wrapped and packed in cardboard boxes.

Now the World Trade Organisation⁴ (WTO) has said that Australia must allow New Zealand to export our apples to their country. New Zealand believes that apple growers in Australia are more worried about losing business than about fire blight. New Zealand apples are cheaper and we have different varieties like Pacific Rose and Braeburn. Australians eat only six to nine kg of apples per head of population every year whereas New Zealanders eat 18kg a year. New Zealand apple growers say that they could work with Australian apple growers to increase the apple market in Australia.

New Zealand thinks that exporting apples to Australia could bring in $20m a year to our apple growers.

1 blight   

n.枯萎病；造成破坏的因素；vt.破坏，摧残

参考例句：

• The apple crop was wiped out by blight.枯萎病使苹果全无收成。
• There is a blight on all his efforts.他的一切努力都遭到挫折。

2 resistant   

adj.(to)抵抗的，有抵抗力的

参考例句：

• Many pests are resistant to the insecticide.许多害虫对这种杀虫剂有抵抗力。
• They imposed their government by force on the resistant population.他们以武力把自己的统治强加在持反抗态度的人民头上。

3 Celsius   

adj.摄氏温度计的，摄氏的

参考例句：

• The temperature tonight will fall to seven degrees Celsius.今晚气温将下降到七摄氏度。
• The maximum temperature in July may be 36 degrees Celsius.七月份最高温度可能达到36摄氏度。

4 organisation   

n.组织，安排，团体，有机休

参考例句：

• The method of his organisation work is worth commending.他的组织工作的方法值得称道。
• His application for membership of the organisation was rejected.他想要加入该组织的申请遭到了拒绝。