2009-01-28&01-31 缅甸遭遇粮食危机

The UN has just issued a report saying that six million people in Myanmar need food right now. How critical is the situation?

It's a real paradox¹, because in the same year that Cyclone² Nargis devastated³ the, what had been the "rice bowl" of Myanmar, the Irrawaddy Delta⁴, other areas of the country reported very satisfactory harvest. There's plenty of rice within the country. The challenge is how to get that rice to the areas of the country, the more remote areas where people simply do not have enough food for them or their families. Especially hit by Nargis were the farming communities in the Delta area. We believe we will probably have to provide emergency food assistance for nearly a million people in the Delta year, in the Delta area, in this coming year. In addition to that, the Chin State, in north of Rakhine State which is the home area of the Rohingya people. These areas are hardest hit and are considered real hunger hotspots.

Paul, will you be allowed to get to these areas and feed these desperate people?

We will, we've had unprecedented⁵ cooperation from the government of Myanmar in first allowing us to do this survey that showed us where the most critical areas are. But they are also allowing both the World Food Program and non-governmental organization who we've worked with on the ground access to these very critical areas. Just last week, we were able to send our first shipment of rice and maize⁶ for people in the Chin State. The Chin State has been hit hard by a rodent⁷ infestation⁸. It's the, are rats that are consuming the local maize crop and just last week we have begun to deliver food to the farmers and the farming communities in that area.

OK, Paul, just quickly, do you think that the Rohingya refugees who've  been reporting on of, of late, that they are fleeing Myanmar because of this critical food shortage?

We are very concerned by those reports. Um, the WFP team that went to Rakhine State, that traveled around, reported very high levels of malnutrition⁹ among children who lived there and large numbers of people without access to food largely because they can't afford food, because they don't have employment. There is no way for them to earn even the little money that they would need in order to purchase food. It's a great concern, it's an area of a very large population and it's clear that many people are leaving that area. They are looking for economic advancement¹⁰ elsewhere, uh and in some cases, by leaving Myanmar entirely¹¹.

1 paradox   

n.似乎矛盾却正确的说法；自相矛盾的人(物)

参考例句：

• The story contains many levels of paradox.这个故事存在多重悖论。
• The paradox is that Japan does need serious education reform.矛盾的地方是日本确实需要教育改革。

2 cyclone   

n.旋风，龙卷风

参考例句：

• An exceptionally violent cyclone hit the town last night.昨晚异常猛烈的旋风吹袭了那个小镇。
• The cyclone brought misery to thousands of people.旋风给成千上万的人带来苦难。

3 devastated   

v.彻底破坏( devastate的过去式和过去分词)；摧毁；毁灭；在感情上（精神上、财务上等）压垮adj.毁坏的；极为震惊的

参考例句：

• The bomb devastated much of the old part of the city. 这颗炸弹炸毁了旧城的一大片地方。
• His family is absolutely devastated. 他的一家感到极为震惊。

4 delta   

n.（流的）角洲

参考例句：

• He has been to the delta of the Nile.他曾去过尼罗河三角洲。
• The Nile divides at its mouth and forms a delta.尼罗河在河口分岔，形成了一个三角洲。

5 unprecedented   

adj.无前例的，新奇的

参考例句：

• The air crash caused an unprecedented number of deaths.这次空难的死亡人数是空前的。
• A flood of this sort is really unprecedented.这样大的洪水真是十年九不遇。

6 maize   

n.玉米

参考例句：

• There's a field planted with maize behind the house.房子后面有一块玉米地。
• We can grow sorghum or maize on this plot.这块地可以种高粱或玉米。

7 rodent   

n.啮齿动物；adj.啮齿目的

参考例句：

• When there is a full moon,this nocturnal rodent is careful to stay in its burrow.月圆之夜，这种夜间活动的啮齿类动物会小心地呆在地洞里不出来。
• This small rodent can scoop out a long,narrow tunnel in a very short time.这种小啮齿动物能在很短的时间里挖出一条又长又窄的地道来。

8 infestation   

n.侵扰，蔓延

参考例句：

• The premises were treated for cockroach infestation.因蟑螂成灾，这些房屋集中进行了灭蟑活动。
• Parts of California are suffering from an infestation of oriental fruit flies.加利福尼亚的部分地区正遭受东方果蝇的大肆侵袭。

9 malnutrition   

n.营养不良

参考例句：

• In Africa, there are a lot of children suffering from severe malnutrition.在非洲有大批严重营养不良的孩子。
• It is a classic case of malnutrition. 这是营养不良的典型病例。

10 advancement   

n.前进，促进，提升

参考例句：

• His new contribution to the advancement of physiology was well appreciated.他对生理学发展的新贡献获得高度赞赏。
• The aim of a university should be the advancement of learning.大学的目标应是促进学术。

11 entirely   

ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
• His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。