VOA常速英语--南非面临久旱食物短缺问题

南非面临久旱食物短缺问题

Several provinces in South Africa have been declared drought disaster areas,threatening food shortages across the country.

南非一些省已公布了对整个国家食物造成威胁的旱灾地区。

“We should now be having pretty heavy rains.

这个地方现在应该迎来大量的雨水。

They have not happened.

然而却并未如愿发生。

It's extremely hot where I am.

我所在的这个地方非常炎热。

Farmers they can't yet farm their crops because there is no rain and their livestock¹ are dying.

由于没有雨水农民们现在还不能种庄稼，而且他们的牲畜也即将死亡。

Speaking via Skype from Johannesburg, WFP's David Orr says“Malawi, Zimbabwe and Madagascar are the world's hit countries. ”

世界粮食计划署的大卫·奥尔在约翰内斯堡通过Skype表示:“马拉维、津巴布韦和马达加斯加是世界上受灾最为严重的地区。”

He says the first task has been to help the most vulnerable.”

他表示当务之急一直是帮助大多数穷人。

“These are multimillion-dollar assistance programs.

这些都是数百万美元的援助项目。

So In Zimbabwe, for example, we need to raise $55 million.

因此，比如津巴布韦，我们需要筹集到5500万美元。

We are about 50 percent funded.

现在我们已筹集到一半。

I believe in Zimbabwe this is a big challenge not just for WFP but for all aid agencies with so many huge humanitarian² emergencies around the world of the moment: Syria, Iraq, South Sudan and Yemen.

我相信在津巴布韦这不仅对世界粮食署是个巨大的挑战，而且对于目前如叙利亚、伊拉克、南苏丹及也门等地的世界大型人道主义紧急援助机构而言也是如此。

Once South Africa suffers from drought.

南非曾遭遇干旱。

Malawi has been hit with floods and late, erratic³ rains.

马拉维遭受了洪水、而后降雨又反复无常。

“We have a combination of floods which wiped out a lot of the standing⁴ crops, principally maize⁵ and then the short growing season and dry spells.

我们这里的洪水会将主要是玉米等及生长期短，干旱期的大量未收割农作物冲走。

There was also an impact on legumes, beans and some of the cowpeas that are grown.

这也对豆类植物、豆类及一些豇豆产生影响。

Via Skype Saved the Children's Matthew Pickard says Malawi's government has launched an emergency appeal for $140 million.

拯救儿童组织的马修·皮卡德通过Skype表示马拉维政府已经启动了1.4亿人的紧急响应方案。

“We are working with 450,000 people. Our response is $40 million. And it is predominantly looking at using cash. Cash transfers to vulnerable households to enable them to purchase foods. ”

我们现在同45万人一起协作。我们的资金是4千万。主要是使用现金。现金会到达贫困家庭手中让他们购买食品。

 

Pickard says mobile cash transfers have reached 82,000 families since October.

皮卡德表示自从10月以来这种流动现金已经送达82000至个家庭中。

1 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。

2 humanitarian   

n.人道主义者，博爱者，基督凡人论者

参考例句：

• She has many humanitarian interests and contributes a lot to them.她拥有很多慈善事业，并作了很大的贡献。
• The British government has now suspended humanitarian aid to the area.英国政府现已暂停对这一地区的人道主义援助。

3 erratic   

adj.古怪的，反复无常的，不稳定的

参考例句：

• The old man had always been cranky and erratic.那老头儿性情古怪,反复无常。
• The erratic fluctuation of market prices is in consequence of unstable economy.经济波动致使市场物价忽起忽落。

4 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

5 maize   

n.玉米

参考例句：

• There's a field planted with maize behind the house.房子后面有一块玉米地。
• We can grow sorghum or maize on this plot.这块地可以种高粱或玉米。