VOA慢速英语2020 新加坡寻求通过屋顶农场增加本地粮食产量

Singapore has announced new measures designed to quickly increase local food production, including rooftop farming.

新加坡宣布了旨在迅速增加本地粮食产量的新措施，其中包括屋顶农场。

Officials in the city-state recently set a goal to meet 30 percent of Singapore's nutritional¹ needs with locally produced food by 2030.

这座城市国家的官员最近制定了一个目标，在2030年前用本地生产的食物来满足新加坡30%的营养需求。

The plan includes $21 million in government money to support local production of eggs, vegetables and fish "in the shortest possible time."

该计划包括提供2100万美元政府资金，“在最短时间内”支持鸡蛋、蔬菜和鱼类的本地生产。

The plans were announced as the worldwide spread of COVID-19 has caused shortages of many products, including food in some areas. Restrictions² on population movements around the world have weakened supply chains and raised concerns about worsening shortages and price increases.

宣布该计划是因为新冠肺炎在世界范围内的传播已经导致了许多产品短缺，包括某些地区的食品短缺。对全球人口流动的限制削弱了供应链，并引发了人们对短缺加剧以及价格上涨的担忧。

Currently, densely³ populated Singapore produces only about 10 percent of its own food needs. Only 1 percent of Singapore's 724 square kilometers is currently used for agriculture. And production costs there are higher than the rest of Southeast Asia.

目前，人口稠密的新加坡所生产的粮食仅能满足其自身需求的10%。新加坡724平方公里的土地中目前只有1%用于农业。而且那里的生产成本高于东南亚其它地区。

Singapore's Food Agency says its goal is to raise local food production levels to make up for climate change and population growth that could threaten worldwide food supplies.

新加坡食品局表示，其目标是提高当地粮食产量，以弥补可能威胁全球粮食供应的气候变化和人口增长。

"The current COVID-19 situation underscores the importance of local food production, as part of Singapore's strategies to ensure food security," the Food Agency said in a statement.

新加坡粮食局在一份声明中表示：“目前的新冠肺炎形势凸显了本地粮食生产的重要性，这是新加坡确保粮食安全战略的一部分。”

Singapore officials have repeatedly told citizens that the city-state has enough food to get through the COVID-19 crisis. But they have decided⁴ to speed up the process of increasing local production to begin within the next six months.

新加坡官员一再告知市民，这个城市国家有足够食物度过新冠肺炎危机。但是他们决定在未来6个月内开始加快提升本地粮食产量的过程。

This plan includes efforts to identify alternative farming spaces, such as industrial areas and empty building spaces. It also calls for adding new technologies to improve farming methods.

该计划包括努力寻找替代性耕种空间，例如工业区和空置建筑空间。它还呼吁加入新技术以改善耕作方式。

Officials said one part of the project aims to establish rooftop farms on public housing parking areas beginning in May.

有关官员表示，该项目的一部分旨在从5月份开始在公共房屋停车场上建立屋顶农场。

1 nutritional   

adj.营养的，滋养的

参考例句：

• A diet lacking in nutritional value will not keep a person healthy.缺乏营养价值的饮食不能维持人的健康。
• The labels on food products give a lot of information about their nutritional content.食品上的标签提供很多关于营养成分的信息。

2 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

3 densely   

ad.密集地；浓厚地

参考例句：

• A grove of trees shadowed the house densely. 树丛把这幢房子遮蔽得很密实。
• We passed through miles of densely wooded country. 我们穿过好几英里茂密的林地。

4 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。