2007年VOA标准英语-Concern Growing in US West Over Agroterrorism

By Jeff Swicord
Cheyenne, Wyoming
10 September 2007
 

Workers at a dairy farm

There is growing concern that farms and ranches¹ in the western U.S. could become the target of agroterrorism.  The devastating² outbreaks of foot and mouth disease in Britain and continental³ Europe have state officials in the U.S. west concerned that a terrorist could disrupt their communities and the food supply with a chemical or biological agent.

VOA's Jeff Swicord talks with authorities in the cattle-rich state of Wyoming.

It could easily happen in a place like this -- a foreign disease agent maliciously⁴ introduced into a dairy herd⁵ in the state of Wyoming.  The disease could quickly spread throughout the state with devastating results.

Joe Moore

Joe Moore is the Director of the Wyoming Office of Homeland Security. "Agroterrorism is a threat throughout the country.  We believe the weapon of choice still remains⁶ the bomb for the foreign terrorist.  And the next step of course was the bioterrorism part and the public health, And the third part -- and all of them are important -- becomes agroterrorism."

On any given day, thousands of head of livestock⁷ move through Wyoming to other states.  An agroterrorism event could do incalculable harm to the economies of western states and disrupt the nations food supply. 

Wyoming Livestock Board Veterinarian Walter Cook says introducing an agent like foot-and-mouth disease, anthrax or cholera⁸ into the state would be very easy.

"It is as easy as going over to one of the third world countries that has foot-and-mouth disease in their native population, taking a handkerchief and wiping the nose of a pig that is actively⁹ shedding the virus, putting that handkerchief in a plastic bag, putting it into your suitcase, and flying over to the United States and throwing that handkerchief into a feed lot, or sale barn situation, something like that.  Then you could expose a lot of animals that way."

The Wyoming Livestock Board, in cooperation with the Office of Homeland Security and other agencies, is developing an early detection and rapid intervention¹⁰ plan.

State authorities say livestock producers and veterinarians would be the first to notice disease.

Then, tracking where the animal came from and where it has been would be critical  to containing and stopping the spread of the disease.

"This cow right here, she has two brands," says State Brand Inspector¹¹ Greg Bybee.

Greg Bybee

Wyoming is one of several states that requires brand inspection¹² for the movement or change of ownership of livestock -- an institution left over from the old West.  Brand inspectors¹³ check the symbols burned into the cattle's hide to determine ownership.  They often know the ownership and movement of cattle in a given county by memory.  Bybee says they also keep written records.

"Well, if you had an outbreak of disease, you can use our paperwork and trace it back to where it originated from.  And you will be able to find out where that cow has been, like from one rancher, to a sale barn, to another rancher, to a sale barn, to a feedlot."

Other agricultural states are also developing rapid response programs.  Walter Cook says there is little chance of a foreign terrorist group striking in Wyoming.  But he says the Livestock Board has received threats from domestic animal rights groups opposed to the sport of rodeo. "And the impact that it would have if it was done would be so huge that we really need to be prepared to deal with it."

1 ranches   

大农场， （兼种果树，养鸡等的）大牧场( ranch的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• They hauled feedlot manure from the ranches to fertilize their fields. 他们从牧场的饲养场拖走肥料去肥田。
• Many abandoned ranches are purchased or leased by other poultrymen. 许多被放弃的牧场会由其他家禽监主收买或租用。

2 devastating   

adj.毁灭性的，令人震惊的，强有力的

参考例句：

• It is the most devastating storm in 20 years.这是20年来破坏性最大的风暴。
• Affairs do have a devastating effect on marriages.婚外情确实会对婚姻造成毁灭性的影响。

3 continental   

adj.大陆的，大陆性的，欧洲大陆的

参考例句：

• A continental climate is different from an insular one.大陆性气候不同于岛屿气候。
• The most ancient parts of the continental crust are 4000 million years old.大陆地壳最古老的部分有40亿年历史。

4 maliciously   

adv.有敌意地

参考例句：

• He was charged with maliciously inflicting grievous bodily harm. 他被控蓄意严重伤害他人身体。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• His enemies maliciously conspired to ruin him. 他的敌人恶毒地密谋搞垮他。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

5 herd   

n.兽群，牧群；vt.使集中，把…赶在一起

参考例句：

• She drove the herd of cattle through the wilderness.她赶着牛群穿过荒野。
• He had no opinions of his own but simply follow the herd.他从无主见，只是人云亦云。

6 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

7 livestock   

n.家畜，牲畜

参考例句：

• Both men and livestock are flourishing.人畜两旺。
• The heavy rains and flooding killed scores of livestock.暴雨和大水淹死了许多牲口。

8 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。

9 actively   

adv.积极地，勤奋地

参考例句：

• During this period all the students were actively participating.在这节课中所有的学生都积极参加。
• We are actively intervening to settle a quarrel.我们正在积极调解争执。

10 intervention   

n.介入，干涉，干预

参考例句：

• The government's intervention in this dispute will not help.政府对这场争论的干预不会起作用。
• Many people felt he would be hostile to the idea of foreign intervention.许多人觉得他会反对外来干预。

11 inspector   

n.检查员，监察员，视察员

参考例句：

• The inspector was interested in everything pertaining to the school.视察员对有关学校的一切都感兴趣。
• The inspector was shining a flashlight onto the tickets.查票员打着手电筒查看车票。

12 inspection   

n.检查，审查，检阅

参考例句：

• On random inspection the meat was found to be bad.经抽查，发现肉变质了。
• The soldiers lined up for their daily inspection by their officers.士兵们列队接受军官的日常检阅。

13 inspectors   

n.检查员( inspector的名词复数 )；（英国公共汽车或火车上的）查票员；（警察）巡官；检阅官

参考例句：

• They got into the school in the guise of inspectors. 他们假装成视察员进了学校。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Inspectors checked that there was adequate ventilation. 检查员已检查过，通风良好。 来自《简明英汉词典》