VOA慢速英语2019 年轻人太胖致美国参军数量锐减（在线收听）

US Military Officials Worried: Are Young Americans Too Fat?

On July 4, America’s Independence Day, U.S. President Donald Trump asked more Americans to join the military.

美国总统特朗普在7月4日的美国独立日呼吁更多的美国人参军。

“To young Americans across our country, now is your chance to join our military and make a truly great statement in life, and you should do it,” Trump said in his speech at the Lincoln Memorial.

特朗普在林肯纪念堂的演讲中说：“全国各地的美国年轻人，现在是你们参军的机会，是你们在人生中做出真正伟大声明的时候了，你们应该响应国家号召。”

The next day, Trump spoke to reporters outside the White House. He said he believed his statement would increase the number of young people joining the military.

次日，特朗普在白宫外对记者发表了讲话。他说，他相信这一声明将增加年轻人参军的人数。

“Based on that, we’re going to have a lot of people joining our military,” he said.

“基于此，我们将有很多人参军，”他说。

However, a 2016 Department of Defense report found that nearly 75 percent of young Americans are unable to serve in the military, mostly because they weigh too much. Military recruitment is decreasing.

然而，2016年美国国防部的一份报告发现，近75%的美国年轻人无法参军，主要是因为他们体重过重。征兵人数正在减少。

The Department of Defense says the Navy, Marines and Air Force met their recruiting goals in 2018; but the Army did not. The Army fell more than 6,500 recruits short of its target of 76,500.

美国国防部表示，海军、海军陆战队和空军在2018年实现了招募目标；但是陆军没有达到征兵目标。陆军出现6500多名新兵空额，未能达到76500人的征兵目标。

In 2018, the group Mission: Readiness said in a report that 71 percent of Americans between the ages of 17 and 24 cannot meet all the basic requirements for military service. Mission: Readiness is a group of 750 retired military members that makes policy recommendations to the government.

2018年，“使命：备战”组织在一份报告中称，17岁至24岁的美国人中，71%的人无法满足服兵役的所有基本要求。该组织由750名退役军人组成，他们向政府建言献策。

The biggest problem is obesity. About 31 percent of young American would be rejected because they are overweight. Other problems are lack of education, criminal history and drug use.

最大的问题是肥胖。大约31%的美国年轻人因超重而被拒收。其他问题包括还缺乏教育、犯罪前科和吸毒。

Retired Army Major General Allen Youngman from Mission: Readiness said almost 25 percent of high school graduates are unable to pass the basic military entrance tests.

退役陆军少将艾伦·扬曼（Allen Youngman）表示，将近25%的高中毕业生无法通过基本的入伍考试。

Not only is the number of eligible recruits decreasing, but the number of young Americans interested in military careers is decreasing, the report found. This is partly the result of a strong national economy. There are many job opportunities for young people and that makes military careers seem less desirable, Youngman said.

报告发现，不仅合格的新兵数量在减少，对军旅生涯感兴趣的美国年轻人的数量也在减少。扬曼指出，这某种程度上是因为国民经济形势大好。年轻人有很多就业机会，因此军旅生涯的吸引力相对降低了。

As the number of people serving in the military decreases, the problem is likely to get worse.

随着参军人数的减少，这个问题可能会愈加严重。

That’s because there are fewer members of the military “to encourage a young person to consider military service,” said Youngman. The U.S. Army Recruiting Command reports that 79 percent of recruits have a relative who also served in the military.

他说，这是因为“鼓励年轻人考虑服兵役”的军人较少。美国陆军征兵司令部报告说，79%的新兵有曾在军队服役的亲戚。

Youngman said, lowering education or criminal history rules in order to enlarge the recruiting numbers is not a good choice. Rules are rules, he added.

扬曼表示，降低教育水平或放宽犯罪前科限制来扩大兵源不是好的选择。他补充说，标准就是标准。

“We’ve just got to work harder to find young people who can meet them.”

“我们必须更加努力寻找满足这些条件的年轻人。”

However, the numbers are not encouraging.

然而，这些数据让人沮丧。

By age two, 14 percent of American children are already obese. That percentage increases as children get older, the Mission:Readiness report said. In the 16-19 age group, 42 percent of Americans are overweight. Nearly 70 percent of overweight teens become overweight or obese adults.

14%的美国两岁儿童已经出现肥胖。该报告指出，随着孩子年龄的增长，这一比例还会攀升。在16到19岁的人群中，42%的美国人超重。近70%的超重青少年成为超重或肥胖的成年人。

The problem is very serious in southern states, like Georgia and Alabama. These states provide a large number of military recruits, but also have some of the highest levels of obesity in the country.

这个问题在南部各州异常严重，如乔治亚州和阿拉巴马州。这些州需要征收大量新兵，但同时也是美国肥胖率最高的几个州之一。

Words in This Story

recruit – v. to find the right person to join the military or any organization

obesity – n. very overweight

eligible – adj. able to be chosen or considered for something

encourage – v. to make someone more likely to do something