VOA慢速英语2021 刚果将禁止原木出口以保护森林（在线收听）

Congo to Ban Log Exports to Reduce Pressure on its Forests

The Democratic Republic of Congo's environment minister said on Thursday the country plans to ban all log exports.

刚果民主共和国环境部长周四表示，该国计划禁止所有原木出口。

The country also plans to take measures to lessen threats to its tropical rainforest.

该国还计划采取措施减少对其热带雨林的威胁。

The forest takes in carbon dioxide and produces oxygen.

森林吸收二氧化碳并释放氧气。

It is a major move to fight climate change.

这是应对气候变化的重大举措。

Congo is home to the majority of the world’s second-largest rainforest.

世界第二大雨林的大部分热带雨林位于刚果境内。

The country is under pressure to improve how it administers the forest.

该国正面临改善森林管理方式的压力。

It is also under pressure to slow down the high rate at which the forest is being destroyed, or deforested.

它还面临着减缓森林被破坏或砍伐的高速度的压力。

Information from the U.N. shows the deforestation rate has doubled in the last ten years.

联合国发布的信息显示，森林砍伐率在过去十年中翻了一番。

Eve Bazaiba is the environment minister.

伊夫·巴扎伊巴是环境部长。

She announced the suspension of log exports to reporters in the capital Kinshasa.

她在首都金沙萨向记者宣布暂停原木出口。

She did not say when it would come into effect.

她没有说何时生效。

"It allows us not only to enable natural restoration but also a reforestation program that we have with all of our technical, financial, and development partners," she said.

她说：“这不仅使我们能够实现自然恢复，而且还使我们能够与所有的技术、财务和发展合作伙伴共同实施重新造林计划。”

Information from the Central African Forest Initiative shows the Congo Basin rainforest removes 4 percent of carbon dioxide that humans put into the atmosphere around the world each year.

中非森林倡议组织发布的信息显示，刚果盆地的热带雨林每年能吸收的二氧化碳占人类排放到全球大气中的二氧化碳总量的4%。

About 60 percent of the rainforest is in Congo.

该雨林的约60%的热带雨林位于刚果境内。

Bazaiba also has a plan, however, to remove a temporary ban on new industrial logging, which would give land to logging companies to remove trees.

然而，巴扎伊巴还有一个计划，即取消对新的工业伐木的临时禁令，这将给伐木公司提供土地来砍伐树木。

This plan has caused concern in environmental groups and scientists.

这项计划引起了环保组织和科学家的关注。

They have warned of serious environmental, social, and climatic harm.

他们已经发出警告，这会造成严重的环境、社会和气候危害。

Bazaiba has said in the past that the temporary ban has not been able to stop the spread of illegal logging.

巴扎伊巴过去曾表示，临时禁令未能阻止非法伐木的蔓延。

More than 24 scientists have urged those who financially support the Democratic Republic of Congo’s forests industry to suspend financing if the government goes ahead with this plan.

超过24名科学家敦促那些在财务上支持刚果民主共和国森林产业的人，如果政府继续实施这一计划，就应该暂停资助。

But some scientists and other groups support the measure.

但一些科学家和其他组织支持这项措施。

The European Union's ambassador to Congo has shown openness to the government's plan.

欧盟驻刚果大使对刚果政府的计划持开放态度。

They said earlier this month that it represented a "desire to regain control" of the forests.

他们在本月早些时候表示，这代表了“重新控制森林的愿望”。

Earlier in October, President Felix Tshisekedi ordered an inspection into all existing logging contracts, or legal agreements.

10月初，总统菲利克斯·齐塞克迪下令对所有现有的伐木合同或法律协议进行检查。

He was trying to gain more order in the poorly administered industry.

他试图在管理不善的行业中获得更多秩序。

"We don't want any more contracts with partners who came to savagely cut our forests, we will retire these types of contracts," Bazaiba said.

巴扎伊巴说：“我们不想再与那些野蛮砍伐我们森林的合作伙伴签订任何合同，我们将解除这类合同。”

Forest Trends is an American organization that works to save forest land.

森林趋势是一个致力于保护森林土地的美国组织。

In 2018, it found that Congo's biggest markets for wood products were Vietnam, the European Union and the European Free Trade Association, and China.

2018年，该组织发现，刚果木材产品的最大市场是是越南、欧盟和欧洲自由贸易联盟以及中国。

I'm Gregory Stachel.

格雷戈里·施塔赫尔为您播报。