农业报道 - 使用手机视频在非洲传播农业知识

农业报道 - 使用手机视频在非洲传播农业知识
This is the VOA Special English Agriculture Report.
这里是美国之音慢速英语农业报道。
Mobile phones are an important business tool for farmers in rural areas. But they also put a valuable educational tool in their hands.
在农村地区，手机是农民一个非常重要的商务工具，也是农民手中一个非常有价值的教育工具。
The University of Illinois in the United States has a project called SAWBO -- Scientific Animations² Without Borders. It produces educational videos that can be downloaded to cell phones. The goal is to help people in developing countries improve their lives.
美国伊利诺伊大学有一个名为SWABO，即科学动画无国界的项目。该项目制作能够下载到手机的教育视频，目的是帮助发展中国家人民提高生活水平。
One video shows farmers how to make a natural insecticide from neem seeds to prevent insect damage to crops. The process starts with sorting and drying the neem fruits, as explained in this version with a Nigerian narrator.
其中一个视频向农民展示如何使用印楝种子制作天然杀虫剂，来防止害虫损害农作物。制作过程中，首先对印楝种子进行分类并干燥，就像这位尼日利亚解说员在视频中说的。
WOMAN: "Let the fruit dry in the sun for about three or four days, until they become brown. Using a mortar³ and pestle⁴, the fruits are slightly pounded to remove the shells from the fruits without breaking the seed inside."
尼日利亚女解说：“将果实置于阳光下晒三到四天，直到它们变成棕色。使用杵和臼轻轻敲击果实，使外壳剥离而又不损伤到里面的种子。”
The videos use computer animation¹. Some of the animated⁵ characters are a little funny looking -- like a farmer with a long nose. But the subjects are serious, including a health video on preventing cholera⁶.
视频使用电脑动画制成。有些动画角色看上去有些滑稽，例如有一个长鼻子农民。但是动画主题是非常严肃的，包括一个预防霍乱的健康视频。
Farmers receive information on improving crop yields by watching how-to videos on their mobile phones.
Team member Francisco Seufferheld says the information in the videos is meant to be quickly understood.
项目小组成员Francisco Seufferheld表示，视频中的信息能被快速领会。
FRANCISCO SEUFFERHELD: "The information is digested in such a way that in two minutes, we can transmit a complex idea."
FRANCISCO SEUFFERHELD：“信息通过这样一种方式整理后，人们就能在两分钟内领会我们传递出的复杂观点。”
The team has made a few videos so far. These are available in a total of eighty languages, dialects and accents. Professor Barry Pittendrigh says there are plans for more videos later this year.
这个团队目前已经制作了一些视频，一共包含80种语言和方言。Barry Pittendrigh教授表示，计划今年晚些时候还会制作更多视频。
Purdue University in Indiana is using videos to promote a project in Africa called PICS, Purdue Improved Cowpea Storage. The aim is to get farmers to use special bags to keep air and bugs⁷ out of their cowpea harvests.
印第安纳州普渡大学使用视频在非洲推广一个名为PICS，即普渡大学改进豌豆储藏的项目。其目的是让农民使用特制的袋子，使收获的豌豆与空气和虫子隔离。
The Purdue researchers have produced their videos in different countries in Africa. Crop scientist Jess Lowenberg-DeBoer says this helps local farmers relate to them.
普渡大学的研究人员在非洲一些不同国家制作了视频。农科学家Jess Lowenberg-DeBoer表示，这能帮助当地相关的农民。
The researchers did an experiment in Niger with a video showing how to close the bags. Professor Lowenberg-DeBoer says the process is not difficult to do, just difficult to describe.
研究人员在尼日尔使用一个视频进行了一项试验，展示如何封闭这些袋子。Lowenberg-DeBoer教授表示，这个过程做起来并不难，但却很难描述出来。
JESS LOWENBERG-DeBOER: "Closing the bags is something that, if you see it, you will understand it very quickly. And most people do. But explaining it in words is quite difficult."
JESS LOWENBERG-DeBOER：“如果你看了封闭袋子的过程，你很快就能理解。大部分人都能很快理解。但用语言表述出来却非常困难。”
The researchers tested the seven-minute video on seven mobile phones. They wanted to see if people would share the video using Bluetooth wireless⁸ technology. With Bluetooth, files can be passed to a nearby phone even if neither phone is connected to the Internet.
研究人员在7部手机上测试了这个7分钟时长的视频（的传播）。他们想看看，人们是否会使用蓝牙无线技术分享这个视频。即使手机未能接入互联网，也能使用蓝牙将文件发送到附近的手机上。
JESS LOWENBERG DeBOER: "In one month, the video had spread to one hundred eighteen people in fifty different villages. And we think that this is just incredible impact."
JESS LOWENBERG DeBOER：“一个月之内，该视频被传播到了50个不同村庄的118人。我们认为这是非常难以置信的影响力。”
And that’s the VOA Special English Agriculture Report, written by Jerilyn Watson and Steve Baragona. You can watch examples of the videos at voaspecialenglish.com. I’m Bob Doughty⁹.

1 animation   

n.活泼，兴奋，卡通片／动画片的制作

参考例句：

• They are full of animation as they talked about their childhood.当他们谈及童年的往事时都非常兴奋。
• The animation of China made a great progress.中国的卡通片制作取得很大发展。

2 animations   

n.生气( animation的名词复数 )；兴奋；动画片；（指电影、录像、电脑游戏的）动画制作

参考例句：

• You'll see your team cheerleaders and mascot performing new animations as well. 你会看到啦啦队队长跟吉祥物也都会有全新的动作。 来自互联网
• Ability to create simple movie and animations using graphic & multimedia software. 能够用平面和多媒体软件制作简单的电影及动画。 来自互联网

3 mortar   

n.灰浆，灰泥；迫击炮；v.把…用灰浆涂接合

参考例句：

• The mason flushed the joint with mortar.泥工用灰浆把接缝处嵌平。
• The sound of mortar fire seemed to be closing in.迫击炮的吼声似乎正在逼近。

4 pestle   

n.杵

参考例句：

• He ground the rock candy with a mortar and pestle.他自己动手用研钵和杵把冰糖研成粉。
• An iron pestle can be ground down to a needle.只要功夫深，铁杵磨成针。

5 animated   

adj.生气勃勃的，活跃的，愉快的

参考例句：

• His observations gave rise to an animated and lively discussion.他的言论引起了一场气氛热烈而活跃的讨论。
• We had an animated discussion over current events last evening.昨天晚上我们热烈地讨论时事。

6 cholera   

n.霍乱

参考例句：

• The cholera outbreak has been contained.霍乱的发生已被控制住了。
• Cholera spread like wildfire through the camps.霍乱在营地里迅速传播。

7 bugs   

adj.疯狂的，发疯的n.窃听器( bug的名词复数 )；病菌；虫子；[计算机]（制作软件程序所产生的意料不到的）错误

参考例句：

• All programs have bugs and need endless refinement. 所有的程序都有漏洞，都需要不断改进。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The sacks of rice were swarming with bugs. 一袋袋的米里长满了虫子。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 wireless   

adj.无线的；n.无线电

参考例句：

• There are a lot of wireless links in a radio.收音机里有许多无线电线路。
• Wireless messages tell us that the ship was sinking.无线电报告知我们那艘船正在下沉。

9 doughty   

adj.勇猛的，坚强的

参考例句：

• Most of successful men have the characteristics of contumacy and doughty.绝大多数成功人士都有共同的特质：脾气倔强，性格刚强。
• The doughty old man battled his illness with fierce determination.坚强的老人用巨大毅力与疾病作斗争。