密歇根新闻广播 农民遇到压力

 

This has been a hard year for Michigan farmers, and more attention needs to be paid to farmers' emotional¹ well-being², according to Jim Zook, executive³ director of the Michigan Corn Growers Association⁴.

"Nobody has seen a year that has dealt with so many challenges that we've seen with the weather, the markets, the trade, the politics," said Zook. "All of that together has gelled to have quite a storm."

Michigan farmers have been struggling this year because of volatile⁵ weather and markets.

According to Zook, some corn growers will not be able to go on for another year and will have to sell.

He said the Michigan Corn Growers Association is putting together programs to provide emotional support for farmers.

"The biggest thing is we just want to make sure that families will stay together through this challenging time," said Zook. "And that farmers will, if they're really feeling down or feeling like they're being closed in on, that they get help and talk to people to help them through this situation."

Zook said planting was delayed in the spring because of cold, wet weather.

"We didn't get as many acres planted as what we'd hoped," said Zook. "And so there was a number of acres that sat idle⁶ this year."

Zook said he's hopeful this week's snow will melt. If it does, he said the farmers will still be able to harvest the corn.

But he says if the snow melts, they then need cold temperatures to freeze the ground so the ground can support the weight of heavy harvesting equipment for the corn.

"The challenge will come in soybean harvest because they are lower to the ground," said Zook. "And if that snow is up on the bean pods, they won't be able to get those."

This has been a hard year for Michigan farmers, and more attention needs to be paid to farmers' emotional well-being, according to Jim Zook, executive director of the Michigan Corn Growers Association.

"Nobody has seen a year that has dealt with so many challenges that we've seen with the weather, the markets, the trade, the politics," said Zook. "All of that together has gelled to have quite a storm."

Michigan farmers have been struggling this year because of volatile weather and markets.

1 emotional   

adj.令人动情的；易动感情的；感情(上)的

参考例句：

• Emotional people don't stop to calculate.感情容易冲动的人做事往往不加考虑。
• This is an emotional scene in the play.这是剧中动人的一幕。

2 well-being   

n.安康，安乐，幸福

参考例句：

• He always has the well-being of the masses at heart.他总是把群众的疾苦挂在心上。
• My concern for their well-being was misunderstood as interference.我关心他们的幸福，却被误解为多管闲事。

3 executive   

adj.执行的，行政的；n.执行者，行政官，经理

参考例句：

• A good executive usually gets on well with people.一个好的高级管理人员通常与人们相处得很好。
• He is a man of great executive ability.他是个具有极高管理能力的人。

4 association   

n.联盟，协会，社团；交往，联合；联想

参考例句：

• Our long association with your company has brought great benefits.我方和贵公司的长期合作带来了巨大的利益。
• I broke away from the association ten years ago.我10年前就脱离了那个团体。

5 volatile   

adj.反复无常的，挥发性的，稍纵即逝的，脾气火爆的；n.挥发性物质

参考例句：

• With the markets being so volatile,investments are at great risk.由于市场那么变化不定，投资冒着很大的风险。
• His character was weak and volatile.他这个人意志薄弱，喜怒无常。

6 idle   

adj.空闲的，闲置的；无用的；懒散的；v.空费

参考例句：

• Mike doesn't study at all.Instead,he sits idle all day.迈克根本不肯读书，相反地，他终日游手好闲。
• How much trouble in this life is caused by idle talk!生活中有多少麻烦不都是由闲谈引起的么！