VOA标准英语2010年-From Corporate Executive to Halal Goat

Mukit Hossain left a corporate¹ job and moved his family to the country to raise goats. Sales for his organic, halal meat are brisk.

A former telecommunications executive has created a new life for himself in rural America outside of Washington, D.C.. Mukit Hossain moved to a six-hectare farm in Spotsylvania, Virginia to raise goats.

What prompted Hossain to become a goat farmer? Two young daughters and what he saw as an over emphasis on material life.

"It was mostly about designer clothes. It was about conspicuous² consumption. It was about boyfriends and girlfriends," he says. "And for five and six year olds to think in those terms, I thought it is quite dangerous, so we decided³ that we are going to move further south to a farm."

The Hossains do most of the farm work themselves.

So Hossain reordered his life and started a new career with a mission - to provide the 300,000 American Muslims in Northern Virginia with organic halal meat that's free of hormones⁴ and chemicals.

 "I feed them mostly grass and hay, and I actually try to purchase hay from local farmers, especially the ones who use natural fertilizers, organic fertilizers," says Hossain.

 

He does most of the farm work himself, raising and feeding the animals. He says halal means not only slaughtering⁵ animals according to Islamic teachings, but also treating them kindly⁶.

"The same kind of care and attention that one gives to pets, I think should be given to the animals you are raising."

Hossain had no previous experience with rural life before becoming a farmer himself. But he's optimistic about his new business.

The Hossain's young children were a key factor in their decision to adopt a simpler lifestyle.

Besides the growing market among Muslim Americans for halal meat, he says there also is a broader demand for organic healthy food among other Americans.

"I think I have more demand right now than I can keep up with," says Hossain. "My big problem is not finding the customers. My big problem is building up my capacity."

Hossain is winning customers from big health food chains while also building a good reputation with halal stores like the Jummah Bazaar⁷ in Springfield, Virginia.

"All Muslims insist on the halal meat," says store owner Muhammad Zahed. "We offer them goat, lamb, beef, veal⁸, all kinds of halal meat that is available here in America."

Courtesy Hossain family
The Hossains say their children have become less materialistic⁹ since moving to the farm.
Hossain's wife Sabrina also works on the farm. She says the move was the healthiest decision they have ever made, especially for their children.

"They do not talk about what nice brand shoes you got at school, but they talk about what 4-H activities they are going to do," says Sabrina Hossain.

"It is a very different approach to life, very quiet and I think it is very peaceful."
 

1 corporate   

adj.共同的，全体的；公司的，企业的

参考例句：

• This is our corporate responsibility.这是我们共同的责任。
• His corporate's life will be as short as a rabbit's tail.他的公司的寿命是兔子尾巴长不了。

2 conspicuous   

adj.明眼的，惹人注目的；炫耀的，摆阔气的

参考例句：

• It is conspicuous that smoking is harmful to health.很明显，抽烟对健康有害。
• Its colouring makes it highly conspicuous.它的色彩使它非常惹人注目。

3 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。

4 hormones   

n. 荷尔蒙，激素 名词hormone的复数形式

参考例句：

• This hormone interacts closely with other hormones in the body. 这种荷尔蒙与体內其他荷尔蒙紧密地相互作用。
• The adrenals produce a large per cent of a man's sex hormones. 肾上腺分泌人体的大部分性激素。

5 slaughtering   

v.屠杀，杀戮，屠宰( slaughter的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The Revolutionary Tribunal went to work, and a steady slaughtering began. 革命法庭投入工作，持续不断的大屠杀开始了。 来自英汉非文学 - 历史
• \"Isn't it terrific slaughtering pigs? “宰猪的！ 来自汉英文学 - 中国现代小说

6 kindly   

adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地

参考例句：

• Her neighbours spoke of her as kindly and hospitable.她的邻居都说她和蔼可亲、热情好客。
• A shadow passed over the kindly face of the old woman.一道阴影掠过老太太慈祥的面孔。

7 bazaar   

n.集市，商店集中区

参考例句：

• Chickens,goats and rabbits were offered for barter at the bazaar.在集市上，鸡、山羊和兔子被摆出来作物物交换之用。
• We bargained for a beautiful rug in the bazaar.我们在集市通过讨价还价买到了一条很漂亮的地毯。

8 veal   

n.小牛肉

参考例句：

• She sauteed veal and peppers,preparing a mixed salad while the pan simmered.她先做的一道菜是青椒煎小牛肉，趁着锅还在火上偎着的机会，又做了一道拼盘。
• Marinate the veal in white wine for two hours.把小牛肉用白葡萄酒浸泡两小时。

9 materialistic   

a.唯物主义的，物质享乐主义的

参考例句：

• She made him both soft and materialistic. 她把他变成女性化而又实际化。
• Materialistic dialectics is an important part of constituting Marxism. 唯物辩证法是马克思主义的重要组成部分。