(单词翻译:单击)
Guillaume Lefort combs his hands through stalks of pale green wheat, his crop stretching out behind his 19th-century farmhouse.
纪尧姆·勒福特用手梳理着淡绿色的麦秆,在他建于19世纪的农舍后面,一片片麦田绵延不断
Clouds hang ominously overhead with predictions of rain – a welcome relief from the unseasonably high temperatures that have resulted in drought conditions and troubled France’s farmers since April.
阴云密布,预示着将有降雨,这是一次可喜的缓解,因为自4月以来,反常的高温导致了干旱,困扰着法国农民,
“The recent rain has helped, every little bit helps, but it’s not enough,” says Mr. Lefort, a grain farmer who owns 860 acres of land across three farms in the Combs-la-Ville area, just south of Paris.
“最近的降雨有帮助,有一点帮助,但还不够,”勒福特说
“The climate is my boss. Sometimes he’s good to us; sometimes he’s unfair. But each year it’s getting harder as the weather patterns become more erratic.”
“气候就是我的老板
Like wheat farmers across France and much of Europe, Mr. Lefort is hesitant to predict the outcome of the upcoming harvest in July and August.
与法国和欧洲大部分地区的麦农一样,勒福特不愿预测7月和8月即将到来的收成结果
His region has a large aquifer, so he thinks he’ll be OK this season, but in other parts of France the hot conditions have left soil too parched to replenish easily.
他所在的地区蓄水层很大,所以他认为自己在这个季节会没事的,但在法国其他地区,炎热的气候条件使土壤过于干燥,无法轻易补充水分
Recent storms have done more damage than good, at times destroying wheat heads and leveling corn stalks.
最近的风暴弊大于利,有时会摧毁麦穗,夷平玉米秆
While French consumers can expect to see higher prices for their beloved baguette as a result of what is expected to be reduced wheat production this season, the implications of the drought stretch farther.
尽管预计本季度小麦减产将导致法国消费者心爱的法棍面包价格上涨,但干旱的影响还会进一步扩大
North Africa and the Middle East, the largest importers of Ukrainian and Russian wheat, are also the largest consumers of the French crop.
北非和中东是乌克兰和俄罗斯小麦的最大进口国,也是法国小麦的最大消费国
And as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine continues to block wheat exports from the Black Sea, countries in the Middle East/North Africa region must now rely heavily on European grains to meet demands.
随着俄罗斯入侵乌克兰继续阻碍黑海地区的小麦出口,中东/北非地区的国家现在必须依赖欧洲谷物来满足需求
But as drought conditions continue, France and the rest of Europe may not be able to fill the void, leaving fragile groups at risk of supply shortages and rising food prices at a time when climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic have already created food insecurity.
但随着干旱状况的持续,法国和欧洲其他国家可能无法填补这一空缺,在气候改变化以及新冠肺炎疫情已经造成粮食危机的情况下,脆弱的群体面临供应短缺和食品价格上涨的风险
“Even if prices go up, the French should remember that they won’t be lacking anything. There’s no need to rush to the store and empty the shelves,” says Joel Limouzin, a livestock and grain farmer who is vice president of the French farming union FNSEA.
即使价格上涨,法国人也应该记住,他们不会缺少任何东西
“But on the global market, prices are becoming exorbitant and we can expect shortages. Europe will try to manage the situation, but there will be major problems for people across the African continent.”
但在全球市场上,价格高得离谱,我们可以预见会出现短缺
The troubles for French farmers began this spring, when temperatures in parts of the country skyrocketed to 85 degrees Fahrenheit.
法国农民的麻烦始于今年春天,当时该国部分地区的气温飙升至85华氏度