(单词翻译:单击)
听力文本
From VOA Learning English, this is the Agriculture Report.
On Thursday, most Americans will gather around a table with family and friends to give thanks. Traditionally, a turkey is at the center of the table on Thanksgiving Day.
Turkeys are grown in many areas across the United States. Last year, near 70 percent of the birds came from one of seven states: they were Minnesota, North Carolina, Arkansas, Virginia, Missouri, Indiana and California. And estimated forty-six million turkeys were raised in Minnesota.
The United States Department of Agriculture says 253 million turkeys were raised from January 2013 through September. There is a pleasant surprise about the cost of serving a turkey meal this month.
Each year, the American Farm Bureau Federation prepares a study of the prices and sales of foods served on Thanksgiving. The group says the average cost of a Thanksgiving meal for ten people this year is forty-nine dollars and four cents. That is forty-four cents less than last year.
Scott Aronson of Maryland says he had to buy a large turkey because of all the people coming to his home on Thanksgiving day.
"Each year we celebrate Thanksgiving with friends and family. This year we will be hosting 16 people with a 23 pound turkey."
Some Americans like to purchase their turkey directly from a farm. This can cost more than buying one at store. Nicole Roza said it is worth the extra money because Thanksgiving comes just once a year. Last year, she spent 70 dollars for a 7 kilogram farm turkey. Some people may choose to buy a turkey directly from a farm, because they are told what the turkeys have been feed.
Polyface Farm in Virginia Shenandoah Valley, for example, says its turkeys are raised on pasture, that lets the animals eat many kinds of grasses and other bird feed. In addition, they eat oats, corn and whole roasted soybeans. This year, Polyface Farm has already presold about 12 hundred turkeys. The orders come from restaurants, small businesses, farm customers and other buyers.
Many countries have a smaller supply of turkeys than the United States, or perhaps, they have none of the birds. Turkeys do not grow in some parts of Africa for example. And in other areas, the animals can be very costly. A precooked, ready-to-serve turkey can cost as much as 100 dollars in places like Singapore.
And that's the Agriculture Report from VOA Special English. I'm Jerilyn Watson.
文本来自51voa，译文属可可原创，仅供学习交流使用，未经许可请勿转载
词汇解释
1.serve vt. 招待，供应；为…服务；对…有用；可作…用
He played to popular prejudices to serve his political ends.
他迎合大众的偏见来为他的政治目的服务。
2.pasture n. 草地；牧场；牧草
The farmer laid the big field up for pasture.
农场主把这块大田留作牧场。
3.roast vt. 烤，焙；烘，烘烤；暴露于某种热力下以得温暖
She put a leg of mutton into the oven to roast it for supper.
她将一条羊腿放入烤箱准备晚饭吃烤肉。
4.soybean n. 大豆；黄豆
The incentives for expansion of soybean production are great.
这对提高大豆生产是很大的鼓励。
内容解析
1.On Thursday, most Americans will gather around a table with family and friends to give thanks.
gather around 簇拥，聚集在
On Christmas Eve or Christmas morning, people gather around the tree to open their presents.
在圣诞节除夕夜或圣诞节的早晨，人们聚集在这棵圣诞树下，打开他们的礼物。
Gather around, friends, and hear the news!
朋友们, 大伙围拢起来听新闻!
参考译文
这里是美国之音慢速英语农业报道。
周四，大多数美国人将与家人和朋友聚在一起互相送出感谢。感恩节餐桌上的传统食物是火鸡。
全美国多个地区都养殖有火鸡，去年近70%的火鸡来自7个州：明尼苏达州、北卡罗来纳州、阿肯色州、维吉尼亚州、密苏里州、印第安纳州和加利福尼亚州。估计有4600万只火鸡是在明尼苏达州长大的。
美国农业部称2013年1月到9月期间养殖了2.53亿只火鸡，这个月吃火鸡的费用会令人惊喜。
美国农场事务联合会都会对感恩节的食品价格和销售进行研究，该组织称今年一份10人的感恩节食物的平均成本是49美元4美分，比去年少44美分。
马里兰州的斯科特·阿隆森说今年感恩节大家都去他家，他必须买只大火鸡。
“每年我们都和朋友家人一起过感恩节，今年我们要招待16个人，需要一只23磅的火鸡。”
有的美国人喜欢直接从农场买火鸡，这比在商店买要贵些。Nicole Roza说多花些钱是值得的，因为感恩节一年只有一次。去年她花了70美元买了一只7公斤的农场火鸡。有的人可能会直接从农场买火鸡，因为这样就可以知道火鸡是吃什么长大的。
比如，维吉尼亚州谢南多厄河谷的波利弗斯农场称其火鸡是在牧场上长大的，这样火鸡就能吃到多种青草和其他鸟食。另外，它们还吃燕麦、玉米和烘烤大豆。今年该农场已经预售了1200只火鸡，这些订单来自参观、小企业、农场顾客和其他购买者。
许多国家的火鸡供应都比美国少很多，或许根本没有火鸡。比如火鸡不能在非洲部分地区养殖，在其他地区火鸡很贵。比如在新加坡这样的地区，一只烹饪过的火鸡可能高达100美元。
这里是美国之音慢速英语农业报道，我是斯塔普顿·沃森。
