VOA标准英语2009年-Russia Bans Australian Kangaroo Meat

Russia has banned the importation of kangaroo meat from Australia. Producers fear the decision will decimate their industry. Russia was the main market for the Australian kangaroo trade, accounting¹ for about 70% of international demand.

Russia is worried about the bacterial² contamination of kangaroo meat. Officials in Moscow have said that several recent consignments³ have been tainted⁴ with E-coli bacteria and will not allow further shipments into the country.

The import ban is a major blow to Australian producers. Russia was their biggest international customer and hundreds of jobs are now at risk. Already a handful of meat processing plants have closed down.

There are also invironmental concerns. The kangaroo industry believes that if the marsupials are not hunted commercially their numbers will sharply increase, causing damage to farms as well as depleting⁵ valuable water supplies.

Brent Finlay from AgForce, which represents farmers in the northern state of Queensland, says Russia's decision could have far-reaching consequences...

"When the harvesting ceases, the population of the 'roos gets to an extent where they're actually in plague proportions and they have eaten themselves to death," he said. "I think a resolution, from what I hear, is a long way away unfortunately. And we'd urge the Australian government to work vigilantly⁶. There's a lot at stake for rural and regional communities. We need these exports income to keep young Australians in jobs.'

China has emerged as a possible alternative market for Australia's kangaroo exports. Senior members of the Australian government led a trade delegation⁷ to Beijing earlier this year to spur interest in kangaroo products, although overcoming China's strict quarantine regulations is likely to problematic.

Australia's kangaroo population is estimated at 25 million animals. Government rules allow for about 15% of the population to be killed by professional marksmen.

Despite concerns from animal rights groups that the annual hunt is barbaric, industry representatives have insisted it is humane⁸.

Before the Russians imposed a ban on imports, Australia's kangaroo trade was $225 million annually⁹. It produces steaks and sausages for domestic and international consumers overseas, as well as for pet food manufacturers, while soft kangaroo leather has been used to make sports shoes.

1 accounting   

n.会计，会计学，借贷对照表

参考例句：

• A job fell vacant in the accounting department.财会部出现了一个空缺。
• There's an accounting error in this entry.这笔账目里有差错。

2 bacterial   

a.细菌的

参考例句：

• Bacterial reproduction is accelerated in weightless space. 在失重的空间，细菌繁殖加快了。
• Brain lesions can be caused by bacterial infections. 大脑损伤可能由细菌感染引起。

3 consignments   

n.托付货物( consignment的名词复数 )；托卖货物；寄售；托运

参考例句：

• Police have seized several consignments of pornography. 警方没收了好几批运来的色情物品。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• I want you to see for yourself how our consignments are cleared in London. 我要你亲自去看看我们的货物在伦敦是怎样结关的。 来自辞典例句

4 tainted   

adj.腐坏的；污染的；沾污的；感染的v.使变质( taint的过去式和过去分词 )；使污染；败坏；被污染，腐坏，败坏

参考例句：

• The administration was tainted with scandal. 丑闻使得政府声名狼藉。
• He was considered tainted by association with the corrupt regime. 他因与腐败政府有牵连而名誉受损。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 depleting   

使大大的减少，使空虚( deplete的现在分词 )； 耗尽，使枯竭

参考例句：

• Regulations are outlawing certain refrigerants, such as chlorofluorocarbons, which contain ozone-depleting chemicals. 随后出台的政策禁用了部分制冷剂，如破坏臭氧层的氟氯碳化合物。
• Aging, being a series of continual losses, can be keenly depleting. 老龄化，作为一个系列的连续亏损，可以清楚地消耗。

6 vigilantly   

adv.警觉地，警惕地

参考例句：

• He was looking ahead vigilantly. 他警惕地注视着前方。 来自互联网
• Why didn't they search more vigilantly? 那他们为什么不再仔细地搜一搜呢？ 来自互联网

7 delegation   

n.代表团；派遣

参考例句：

• The statement of our delegation was singularly appropriate to the occasion.我们代表团的声明非常适合时宜。
• We shall inform you of the date of the delegation's arrival.我们将把代表团到达的日期通知你。

8 humane   

adj.人道的，富有同情心的

参考例句：

• Is it humane to kill animals for food?宰杀牲畜来吃合乎人道吗？
• Their aim is for a more just and humane society.他们的目标是建立一个更加公正、博爱的社会。

9 annually   

adv.一年一次，每年

参考例句：

• Many migratory birds visit this lake annually.许多候鸟每年到这个湖上作短期逗留。
• They celebrate their wedding anniversary annually.他们每年庆祝一番结婚纪念日。