(单词翻译:单击)
听力文本
From VOA Learning English, this is the Agriculture Report.
The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization says Africa has more food security problems than any other continent. Representatives of more than 50 countries gathered in Tunisia capital Tunis last month for the agency's 28th yearly Conference on Africa.
The meeting ended with a renewed promise of support for food security and continuing development. The FAO says Africa has had strong economic growth in recent years. But it says the continent continues to suffer from low agricultural productivity, low incomes in rural areas and high rates of malnutrition.
Still, the agency says, the situation has improved in some areas, including increased production of basic crops. It says farmers are growing better kinds of bananas in eastern and central Africa.
And it says they are planting maize that produces more crops in an hectare. Farmers are also growing more cotton, teas and flowers. But the FAO says all of that is not enough for the growing population.
Bukar Tijani is the Assistant Director-General of the agency. He says the agency wants to help increase investment in small farms, many of which are controlled by women. And he says, he wants to help bring young people into farming.
"The theme of the conference itself is really to support youth in different endeavors of agriculture. That is crops, livestock, [fisheries], forest products and the value chain activities related to it, including technologies, communication, ICT – everything that could attract youth into it because it's big monies," said Tijani.
The FAO says, agricultural production in African countries has increased less than one-percent every year, compared to two-percent in other developing countries.
Mr Tijani says the FAO and its members should help African countries create a dependable, solid agricultural system. He says this means young people must become farmers.
"The future of Africa or any generation lies in the youth. And that is why I'm calling on youth to come into agribusiness so that you can have employment generation, wealth creation, incomes within agriculture across Africa," said Tijani.
To improve food security, 6 countries signed agreements with the FAO. They will receive 2 million dollars each from the Africa Solidarity Trust Fund. The nations are Central African Republic, Ethiopia, Malawi, Mali, Niger and South Sudan.
And that's the VOA Learning English Agriculture Report. I'm Caty Weaver.
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.renew vt. 使更新；续借；复兴；重申 vi. 更新；重新开始
When the two men met again after the war they renewed their friendship.
当这两个男人战后重逢时，他们恢复了友谊。
2.maize adj. 黄色的，玉米色的 n. 玉米；黄色，玉米色
We can grow sorghum or maize on this plot.
这块地可以种高粱或玉米。
3.livestock n. 牲畜；家畜
The heavy rains and flooding killed scores of livestock.
大雨和洪水淹死了许多家畜。
内容解析
1.The future of Africa or any generation lies in the youth.
lie in 在于…；睡懒觉；待产
The solution lies in the improvement of the economic environment.
解决办法在于改善经济环境。
She lay in about 3 hours before the birth of the baby.
分娩前她卧床待产三个小时。
参考译文
这里是美国之音慢速英语农业报道。
联合国粮农组织称非洲的粮食安全问题比其他大陆都要严重，上月来自50多个国家的代表与会突尼斯首都突尼斯，参加该机构在非洲的第28届年度会议。
会议结束时承诺继续支持粮食安全和发展，FAO称非洲最近几年的经济发展强劲，但其农业生产率仍然不高，农村地区收入低，还存在很高的影响不良比率。
FAO称一些地区的情况已有改善，包括主要作物产量有所增加，称非洲东部和中部的农民们种上更好品种的香蕉。
FAO称这些农民们种植的玉米每公顷产量更高，他们还种植更多棉花、茶和鲜花。但FAO称这还是无法满足增长的人口。
Bukar Tijani是该机构的助理总干事，他说FAO希望增加对小农户的投资，其中很多农户都是妇女当家。他说希望能让更多年轻人从事农业。
“这次会议的主题是帮助年轻人从不同方面支持农业生产，即种植业、畜牧业、渔业、林产品和与之相关的价值链，包括科技、传播、信息和通讯技术，所有这些都能吸引年轻人，因为这里很有钱途。”
FAO称非洲国家的农业生产每年以1%以上的速度增长，而其他发展中国家的速度为2%。
Tijani说FAO及其成员国将帮助非洲国家创建可靠稳固的农业体系，他说这意味着年轻人必须成为农民。
“非洲的未来在于青年，因此我呼吁青年人从事农业，这样就能制造就业机会、制造财富，在整个非洲产生农业收入。”
为改善粮食安全，6个国家与FAO签署了协议，它们将从非洲团结信托基金那里获得200万美元的资金，这些国家包括中非共和国、埃塞俄比亚、马拉维、马里、尼日尔和南苏丹。
这就是美国之音慢速英语农业报道，我是凯蒂·韦弗。
