VOA常速英语2019--屋顶种菜：环保又经济

Rain is essential for life, but too much of it can lead to flooding, causing sewers¹ to overflow² and carry contaminants to nearby river systems.

雨水是生命的必需品，但雨量太大会导致洪灾，下水道会积水外溢，并将污染物带到附近的河流系统。

The city of Washington DC has an innovative³ way to deal with that.

华盛顿特区别出心裁解决了这个问题。

This rooftop garden on the campus of the University of the District of Columbia includes a variety of vegetation to help absorb excess rainwater and grow food at the same time.

这个屋顶花园位于哥伦比亚特区大学校园内，里面有各种植被，可以助力吸收多余的雨水，同时也可以种植食物。

Architect David Bell designed five green roofs on the campus.

建筑师大卫·贝尔为该校校园设计了5个绿色屋顶。

And we were really excited about this project, because it started to do something more than just dealing⁴ with storm water management.

我们对这个项目特别感兴趣，因为这个项目终于开始做点事情了，而不只是对暴雨水进行管理而已。

It took advantage of a resource above the city you see all over where you have these flat roofs that aren’t doing anything, and it really made it something that was about urban agriculture.

该项目利用了城市上空的一个资源，这个资源随处可见，那就是屋顶平台。屋顶平台看似无用，但也正是如此，才让它成为城市农业的一部分。

Graduate student Caitlim Arlotta says the project is part of a research initiative to see what plants are best suited for rooftop environments both for food as well as pollination⁵.

研究生凯特利姆表示，该项目是一项研究的部分内容，该研究的目的是探索何种植被最适于种植在屋顶的环境里，从而让粮食丰收和缓解污染一举两得。

These are the tomatoes that we’re growing. We have the same experiment running with tomatoes as we do with strawberry, so we’re doing variety trials and we’re trying just to see which variety grows the best in a green roof setting.

这些是我们正在种植的西红柿。我们对西红柿和草莓做了同样的实验。我们进行了多样化的尝试，目的只是要看看哪种植被最适宜在绿色屋顶的环境里生长。

In an urban environment, you don’t have maybe all that many spaces to choose from, and so rooftops are just un- utilized⁶ space.

在城市的大环境里，或许没有没那么多空间可以选择，而屋顶却是鲜有人涉足的空间。

So it’s a really good way to not have to restructure your city necessarily, and be able to incorporate green roofs.

所以，这是个妙招——不必重新规划城市，又能有效利用绿色屋顶。

Arlotta says that the main goal of the program is to have food justice.

凯特利姆表示，该项目的主要目标是证食物公正。

So bringing fresh food into cities where you wouldn’t necessarily have that access.

这样便可以将新鲜的食材带入城市，不然，一些城市可能也没有这样的渠道。

That includes produce for immigrant members of the community as well.

其中也包括为社群移民准备的农产品。

In the US, it may not seem very common to use hibiscus leaves and sweet potato leaves as food, but in many places around the world it is.

在美国，将木槿叶和甘薯叶作为食物的做法或许并不常见，但在世界上的很多其他地方却很常见。

My biggest surprise was that we produce four thousand two hundred and fifty pounds of produce the first year, and was able to disseminate⁷ that to people in need.

我最大的惊喜就是：我们第一年产出了4250磅农产品，并将这些食物发给了有需要的人。

Sandy Farber Bendier is coordinator⁸ of the school’s Master Gardener program.

桑迪是该校园艺师计划的项目协调员。

This is the Future for Food. What we have established here at this college is food, the food hub concept of: You grow it here. You prepare it. You prepare it in a commercial kitchen. You distribute it through farmers markets, food trucks and then you recycle.

这是“粮食未来”的项目。我们在这所大学建立起了食物中心的概念，即自己种植、在商业性厨房准备食材，自己派送到各个农贸市场和卡车上，然后回收。

While DC is home to one of the largest numbers of green roofs in the country, not all of them are designed to grow food.

虽然华盛顿特区有全国最大的一些绿色屋顶，但并不是所有绿色屋顶都是用来种植食物的。

David Bill hopes that over time that will change providing a better connection to nature and better fresh food for the city.

大卫希望，随着时间的流逝，这种情况能发生改变，让人类与大自然产生更好的联系，也为城市提供更多新鲜的食材。

1 sewers   

n.阴沟，污水管，下水道( sewer的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The sewers discharge out at sea. 下水道的污水排入海里。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Another municipal waste problem is street runoff into storm sewers. 有关都市废水的另外一个问题是进入雨水沟的街道雨水。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

2 overflow   

v.(使)外溢，(使)溢出；溢出，流出，漫出

参考例句：

• The overflow from the bath ran on to the floor.浴缸里的水溢到了地板上。
• After a long period of rain,the river may overflow its banks.长时间的下雨天后，河水可能溢出岸来。

3 innovative   

adj.革新的，新颖的，富有革新精神的

参考例句：

• Discover an innovative way of marketing.发现一个创新的营销方式。
• He was one of the most creative and innovative engineers of his generation.他是他那代人当中最富创造性与革新精神的工程师之一。

4 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

5 pollination   

n.授粉

参考例句：

• The flowers get pollination by insects.这些花通过昆虫授粉。
• Without sufficient pollination,the growth of the corn is stunted.没有得到充足的授粉，谷物的长势就会受阻。

6 utilized   

v.利用，使用( utilize的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• In the19th century waterpower was widely utilized to generate electricity. 在19世纪人们大规模使用水力来发电。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The empty building can be utilized for city storage. 可以利用那栋空建筑物作城市的仓库。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 disseminate   

v.散布；传播

参考例句：

• We should disseminate science and promote the scientific spirit.普及科学知识，弘扬科学精神。
• We sincerely welcome all countries to disseminate their languages in China.我们真诚地欢迎世界各国来华推广本国语言。

8 coordinator   

n.协调人

参考例句：

• The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, headed by the Emergency Relief Coordinator, coordinates all UN emergency relief. 联合国人道主义事务协调厅在紧急救济协调员领导下，负责协调联合国的所有紧急救济工作。
• How am I supposed to find the client-relations coordinator? 我怎么才能找到客户关系协调员的办公室？