VOA慢速英语--素食者在爱肉的阿根廷获得追随者

Vegetarians² Gaining Followers³ in Meat-Loving Argentina

Argentina is one of the world’s leaders in beef consumption. Many people there love to eat meat.

But the country’s meat-eating tradition is being threatened by a growing number of vegetarians and vegans, especially among young people.

A recent online questionnaire found that six out of every ten Argentines are willing to stop eating beef.

Adrián Bifaretti is head of marketing⁴ at the Institute for the Promotion⁵ of Beef. He wrote a report about the online survey.

Bifaretti noted⁶ that the findings show a growing cultural divide. The younger generations “have grown up amid the debate over abortion⁷ in Congress; inclusion, gender⁸ equality ... These collective questions have started to gain weight in decisions about the purchase of foods,” he said.

The Chamber⁹ of Commerce for Beef and its Derivatives¹⁰ reported in July that Argentines are consuming on average 50 kilograms of beef a year. That number represents what it calls the lowest level of meat consumed in the country’s history.

“This concern about cruelty and slaughter¹¹ is here and is going to be felt,” Bifaretti said. He added that movements from other parts of the world are arriving in Argentina. “It is starting to be a challenge,” he said.

The cultural divide was clear several weeks ago when animal activists¹² gathered near an event at the Buenos Aires Rural Society. They were met by cattle ranchers who charged at them on horses.

Much of the anti-beef activism comes from vegans.

Veganism developed as a movement in London during World War II. It is based on a diet free of animal products. Vegans also reject animal labor¹³ or use of animals in scientific experiments.

There are no official numbers in Argentina. But Adrian Bifaretti’s group estimates vegans and vegetarians represent 7% to 8% of the population.

“I don’t love eating animals,” said Melissa Aruj, a 25-year-old. “Without a doubt, I estimate that in 10 to 15 years a large part (of the population) will be vegetarian¹.”

“I don’t know if they will be vegan,” she added. The change will be “little by little.”

A group of young people from the animal liberation group Voicot held a protest on a recent Saturday. They gathered at the entrance to a meat-processing center in Buenos Aires.

“It makes me very sad. Words are not enough for me to apologize to the animals because they have miserable¹⁴ lives. They are born with a date to die,” said one protester, Jazmín Romero.

She wore clothing with the words: “We are the species threatening to destroy everything.”

On the other side of the divide, many Argentines see eating beef as part of their history and culture.

“We aren’t talking about killing¹⁵ the animal for sport. The animal is being transformed into food,” said Bifaretti. “It has been like this throughout the history of humanity.”

I'm John Russell.

Words in the Story

consumption – n. the using up of something; the eating or drinking of something

vegan – n. a person who does not eat or use animal products

abortion – n. a medical operation used to end a pregnancy¹⁶ and cause the death of the fetus¹⁷

slaughter - n. the act of killing animals for their meat

doubt – n. a lack of sureness; indecision

miserable – adj. unhappy or sad; heartbroken

transform -- v. to change (something) completely and usually in a good way

1 vegetarian   

n.素食者；adj.素食的

参考例句：

• She got used gradually to the vegetarian diet.她逐渐习惯吃素食。
• I didn't realize you were a vegetarian.我不知道你是个素食者。

2 vegetarians   

n.吃素的人( vegetarian的名词复数 )；素食者；素食主义者；食草动物

参考例句：

• Vegetarians are no longer dismissed as cranks. 素食者不再被视为有怪癖的人。
• Vegetarians believe that eating meat is bad karma. 素食者认为吃肉食是造恶业。

3 followers   

追随者( follower的名词复数 )； 用户； 契据的附面； 从动件

参考例句：

• the followers of Mahatma Gandhi 圣雄甘地的拥护者
• The reformer soon gathered a band of followers round him. 改革者很快就获得一群追随者支持他。

4 marketing   

n.行销，在市场的买卖，买东西

参考例句：

• They are developing marketing network.他们正在发展销售网络。
• He often goes marketing.他经常去市场做生意。

5 promotion   

n.提升，晋级；促销，宣传

参考例句：

• The teacher conferred with the principal about Dick's promotion.教师与校长商谈了迪克的升级问题。
• The clerk was given a promotion and an increase in salary.那个职员升了级，加了薪。

6 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

7 abortion   

n.流产，堕胎

参考例句：

• She had an abortion at the women's health clinic.她在妇女保健医院做了流产手术。
• A number of considerations have led her to have a wilful abortion.多种考虑使她执意堕胎。

8 gender   

n.（生理上的）性，（名词、代词等的）性

参考例句：

• French differs from English in having gender for all nouns.法语不同于英语，所有的名词都有性。
• Women are sometimes denied opportunities solely because of their gender.妇女有时仅仅因为性别而无法获得种种机会。

9 chamber   

n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所

参考例句：

• For many,the dentist's surgery remains a torture chamber.对许多人来说，牙医的治疗室一直是间受刑室。
• The chamber was ablaze with light.会议厅里灯火辉煌。

10 derivatives   

n.衍生性金融商品；派生物，引出物( derivative的名词复数 )；导数

参考例句：

• Many English words are derivatives of Latin words. 许多英语词来自拉丁语。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• These compounds are nitrosohydroxylamine derivatives. 这类合成物是亚硝基羟胺衍生物。 来自辞典例句

11 slaughter   

n.屠杀，屠宰；vt.屠杀，宰杀

参考例句：

• I couldn't stand to watch them slaughter the cattle.我不忍看他们宰牛。
• Wholesale slaughter was carried out in the name of progress.大规模的屠杀在维护进步的名义下进行。

12 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

14 miserable   

adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的

参考例句：

• It was miserable of you to make fun of him.你取笑他，这是可耻的。
• Her past life was miserable.她过去的生活很苦。

15 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

16 pregnancy   

n.怀孕，怀孕期

参考例句：

• Early pregnancy is often accompanied by nausea.怀孕早期常有恶心的现象。
• Smoking during pregnancy increases the risk of miscarriage.怀孕期吸烟会增加流产的危险。

17 fetus   

n.胎，胎儿

参考例句：

• In the fetus,blood cells are formed in different sites at different ages.胎儿的血细胞在不同时期生成在不同的部位。
• No one knows why a fetus is not automatically rejected by the mother's immune system. 没有人知道为什么母亲的免疫系统不会自动排斥胎儿。