voa标准英语2008-IAEA Calls for Investment in Plant Breeding Tech

The International Atomic Energy Agency is making a push for an unusual type of technology, using radiation to produce higher yielding and hardier¹ plants. Lisa Bryant has more on the technology that the IAEA says could help reduce hunger affecting millions of people in a world that faces a food crisis.

The Vienna-based IAEA is best known for its programs to introduce civilian² nuclear technology and to monitor whether countries are trying to acquire nuclear weapons. But it is also involved in plant breeding, using radiation to produce high-yielding plants that can adapt to harsh climate conditions. It calls the technology "mutation³ induction⁴."

Although the technology has been used for decades, the IAEA is now calling for more investment in this method of plant breeding at a time when some countries are struggling to feed their populations.

Chikelu Mba heads one of the IAEA's plant breeding units.

"Nuclear techniques can be deployed⁵ in the development of hardier crop varieties. Crops that can do well under minimum input⁶ agriculture. Crops that can survive under extreme weather conditions. Crops that will give reasonable yield under drought conditions, under flood conditions," explained Mba.

In Kenya, for example, farmers are growing wheat that has been modified using this radiation technique to be high yielding and drought resistant⁷.

The IAEA says the technique is not only safe, but cost effective.

"We need not be afraid of this technology. Indeed, when we talk about induced mutations, what we do is no different from the x-ray we take every time we go to the dentist. No radiation is left behind in our body," said Mba.

Mba says that about 100 countries are currently using the technology. But the IAEA is pushing for more investment to meet growing food needs around the world.

1 hardier   

能吃苦耐劳的，坚强的( hardy的比较级 )； （植物等）耐寒的

参考例句：

• Theoretically, experiments with genes that confer resistance to disease or herbicides could create hardier weeds. 从理论上说，用含有抗病或抗除草剂的基因进行试验，可能产生更难于对付的杂草。
• Similar fruit to Black Mission, but hardier and a smaller size tree than Mission. 类似加洲黑，但比加洲黑强壮，果比加洲黑更小的尺寸。

2 civilian   

adj.平民的，民用的，民众的

参考例句：

• There is no reliable information about civilian casualties.关于平民的伤亡还没有确凿的信息。
• He resigned his commission to take up a civilian job.他辞去军职而从事平民工作。

3 mutation   

n.变化，变异，转变

参考例句：

• People who have this mutation need less sleep than others.有这种突变的人需要的睡眠比其他人少。
• So far the discussion has centered entirely around mutation in the strict sense.到目前为止，严格来讲，讨论完全集中于围绕突变问题上。

4 induction   

n.感应，感应现象

参考例句：

• His induction as a teacher was a turning point in his life.他就任教师工作是他一生的转折点。
• The magnetic signals are sensed by induction coils.磁信号由感应线圈所检测。

5 deployed   

（尤指军事行动）使展开( deploy的过去式和过去分词 )； 施展； 部署； 有效地利用

参考例句：

• Tanks have been deployed all along the front line. 沿整个前线已部署了坦克。
• The artillery was deployed to bear on the fort. 火炮是对着那个碉堡部署的。

6 input   

n.输入(物)；投入；vt.把(数据等)输入计算机

参考例句：

• I will forever be grateful for his considerable input.我将永远感激他的大量投入。
• All this information had to be input onto the computer.所有这些信息都必须输入计算机。

7 resistant   

adj.(to)抵抗的，有抵抗力的

参考例句：

• Many pests are resistant to the insecticide.许多害虫对这种杀虫剂有抵抗力。
• They imposed their government by force on the resistant population.他们以武力把自己的统治强加在持反抗态度的人民头上。