Food Makers See Crunch Time Against New Maize for Fuel

This is the VOA Special English Agriculture Report.
这里是美国之音慢速英语农业报道。
Food companies say a new kind of maize¹ could take the crunch² out of corn chips and other popular foods.
食品公司表示，一种新型玉米可能使玉米片和其他流行食品失去咀嚼时那种嗄吱嗄吱的声音。
The big Swiss company Syngenta genetically³ engineered the maize to contain an enzyme⁴ called alpha amylase. The company says this enzyme will help the crop produce more ethanol, a renewable fuel, while using less water and energy.
瑞士先正达公司对玉米进行基因改造，使其富含阿尔法淀粉酶。该公司表示，这种酶能帮助玉米在使用更少的水和能源的情况下，生产乙醇这种可再生能源。
Syngenta official Jack⁵ Bernens explains how it works.
先正达公司工作人员Jack Bernens解释了这种酶的工作原理。
JACK BERNENS: "It breaks the starch⁶ down into sugar which then is obviously fermented⁷ into ethanol."
Jack Bernens：“这种酶将淀粉分解成葡萄糖，随后发酵生成乙醇。”
A two thousand seven law requires gasoline in the United States to contain renewable fuels. About forty percent of America's corn crop is being used this year to make ethanol.
美国2007年通过的一项法律要求使用的汽油中包含可再生能源。今年美国大约40%的玉米被用于制造乙醇。
The Department of Agriculture has approved the genetically modified maize without restrictions⁸. But five major groups in the food industry say they are concerned that the new maize could enter the food supply. They are not expressing concerns about food safety and have not opposed other genetically engineered crops.
农业部已经批准转基因玉米，没有任何附加条件。但食品行业的5大主要集团表示，他们担心这种新型玉米可能进入食品渠道。他们并非是关心食品安全，也不反对其他转基因作物。
But in a joint⁹ statement they say the enzyme that breaks down starch could harm the taste of their products. For example, they say it might soften¹⁰ cereals and cause corn chips to lose their satisfying crunch.
但他们在一份联合声明中表示，这种能够分解淀粉的酶会损害其产品的口味。例如，它可能会软化谷类作物，并导致玉米片失去咀嚼时那种令人满足的嗄吱嗄吱的声音。
Mary Waters heads one of those food groups, the North American Millers¹¹' Association. She says even a small amount of the maize could cause problems if it mixes with corn used to make food.
玛丽·沃特斯（Mary Waters）负责其中一家食品集团，北美美国磨坊商联盟（North American Millers' Association）。她表示，即使少量的这种新型玉米和制造食品的玉米混合，也可能会导致问题。
MARY WATERS: "It would only take one kernel¹² in ten thousand to affect food processing."
沃特斯：“万分之一的玉米粒都可能影响食品加工过程。”
Snack foods made with corn are a six-billion-dollar industry in the United States.
玉米类休闲食品是美国一项产值60亿美元的产业。
In two thousand one, genetically modified corn made by Syngenta was found in the food supply chain without approval. Syngenta paid a fine to the government.
2001年，先正达公司生产的转基因玉米未经批准流入了食品渠道，被政府处以罚款。
Jim McCarthy, president of the Snack Food Association, says the incident caused no health problems.
美国休闲食品协会（Snack Food Association）会长吉姆·麦卡锡（Jim McCarthy）表示，那次事件并未造成健康问题。
JIM McCARTHY: "But it did cause major disruptions in the availability of food-grade corn. So we do think this will have a major impact. And we're urging Syngenta to rethink this."
麦卡锡：“但那次事件确实导致了食品级玉米供应的中断。所以我们认为这次新型玉米也可能产生重大影响，故我们要求先正达公司重新考虑这点。”
Syngenta says it will take measures to keep the new maize out of the food supply. Jack Bernens says the company will sell seeds only to farmers who take their crops to nearby ethanol processing plants. He says the company will not sell seed in areas where food makers¹³ get their maize.
先正达公司表示他们将采取措施避免这种新型玉米进入食品渠道。Jack Bernens称，先正达公司仅向把玉米提供给附近乙醇加工厂的农民出售种子。他表示，公司不会在食品制造商收购玉米的区域出售种子。
Mr. Bernens says the company has done a lot of research and found that the risk from a few kernels¹⁴ is overstated. The food industry groups object to conditions placed on companies that want to study that research. Syngenta says it has trade secrets to protect.
Bernens先生表示，该公司已做了很多研究，发现（食品加工过程中混杂）少量玉米粒会造成的风险被夸大了。食品行业组织对希望就此进行调查的公司提出限制。先正达公司称，这其中包括商业机密。

1 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。

2 crunch   

n.关键时刻；艰难局面；v.发出碎裂声

参考例句：

• If it comes to the crunch they'll support us.关键时刻他们是会支持我们的。
• People who crunch nuts at the movies can be very annoying.看电影时嘎吱作声地嚼干果的人会使人十分讨厌。

3 genetically   

adv.遗传上

参考例句：

• All the bees in the colony are genetically related. 同一群体的蜜蜂都有亲缘关系。
• Genetically modified foods have already arrived on American dinner tables. 经基因改造加工过的食物已端上了美国人的餐桌。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 基因与食物

4 enzyme   

n.酵素，酶

参考例句：

• Above a certain temperature,the enzyme molecule will become unfolded.超过一定温度，酶分子将会展开。
• An enzyme that dissolves the fibrin of blood clots.能溶解血凝块中的纤维的酶。

5 jack   

n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克

参考例句：

• I am looking for the headphone jack.我正在找寻头戴式耳机插孔。
• He lifted the car with a jack to change the flat tyre.他用千斤顶把车顶起来换下瘪轮胎。

6 starch   

n.淀粉；vt.给...上浆

参考例句：

• Corn starch is used as a thickener in stews.玉米淀粉在炖煮菜肴中被用作增稠剂。
• I think there's too much starch in their diet.我看是他们的饮食里淀粉太多了。

7 fermented   

v.（使）发酵( ferment的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）激动；骚动；骚扰

参考例句：

• When wine is fermented, it gives off gas. 酒发酵时发出气泡。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• His speeches fermented trouble among the workers. 他的演讲在工人中引起骚动。 来自辞典例句

8 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

9 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

10 soften   

v.(使)变柔软；(使)变柔和

参考例句：

• Plastics will soften when exposed to heat.塑料适当加热就可以软化。
• This special cream will help to soften up our skin.这种特殊的护肤霜有助于使皮肤变得柔软。

11 millers   

n.（尤指面粉厂的）厂主( miller的名词复数 )；磨房主；碾磨工；铣工

参考例句：

• Millers and bakers sought low grain prices. 磨粉厂主和面包师寻求低廉的谷物价格。 来自辞典例句
• He told me he already been acquainted with the Millers. 他跟我说他同米勒一家已经很熟。 来自互联网

12 kernel   

n.(果实的)核，仁；(问题)的中心，核心

参考例句：

• The kernel of his problem is lack of money.他的问题的核心是缺钱。
• The nutshell includes the kernel.果壳裹住果仁。

13 makers   

n.制造者，制造商（maker的复数形式）

参考例句：

• The makers of the product assured us that there had been no sacrifice of quality. 这一产品的制造商向我们保证说他们没有牺牲质量。
• The makers are about to launch out a new product. 制造商们马上要生产一种新产品。 来自《简明英汉词典》

14 kernels   

谷粒( kernel的名词复数 )； 仁； 核； 要点

参考例句：

• These stones contain kernels. 这些核中有仁。
• Resolving kernels and standard errors can also be computed for each block. 还可以计算每个块体的分辨核和标准误差。