六级拓展：VOA慢速

 

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From VOA Learning English, this is the Agriculture Report.
这里是美国之音慢速英语农业报道。

A new report says genetically-modified or GM crops would greatly improve agriculture in Africa. The policy group Chatham House released the report, it says African governments are unlikely to approve GM crops, because opponents are spreading fear about its possible dangers.
一份新的报告称，转基因作物将大大改善非洲农业。查塔姆研究所发布的一份报告称非洲政府不太可能会批准转基因作物，因为反对者正就其潜在危害散布恐慌。

Rob Bailey is a writer of the report.
罗布•贝利（Rob Bailey）是这份报告的作者之一。

"They've created anti-GM campaigns based on misinformation. So for example, alleging a link between GM crops and infertility, or cancer, or animal deformities. None of which is true, there's no evidence for any of this," Bailey said.
他说，“他们基于错误的信息发起了反转基因运动。例如声称转基因作物和不孕、癌症或动物畸形存在联系。以上这些都不是真的，没有任何证据可以证明这一点。”

In Uganda, scientists are working in a temperature-controlled laboratory. They are developing what they call a "golden banana". They say it will be stronger, and will have higher levels of vitamins and minerals than traditional bananas.
乌干达的科学家们正在一个恒温实验室工作。他们在开发所谓的“黄金香蕉”。他们表示，这种香蕉将会更强壮，比传统香蕉的维生素和矿物质含量也将会更高。

Priva Namanya is one of the researchers. "We have been able to show that we can increase our vitamin A levels six times," Namanya said.
普利瓦•诺马尼亚（Priva Namanya）是研究人员之一。她说，“我们已经能够证明我们可以将维生素A含量提高六倍。”

Rob Bailey says GM crops offer the best hope of increasing productivity and dealing with climate change in Africa.
贝利表示，转基因作物为非洲提高生产力和应对气候变化提供了最大希望。

Opponents of GM crops also argue that they are costly to grow. They say they do not produce more than non-GM crops. They say GM crops require more use of chemicals than traditional crops. And they say that companies that support GM crops are more interested in making money than in helping poor farmers grow more crops.
转基因作物反对者还认为种植转基因作物成本很高。他们表示，转基因作物的产量并不比非转基因作物高，但转基因作物比传统作物需要使用更多化肥。他们说，支持转基因作物的公司更感兴趣的是赚钱，而不是帮助贫困农民种植更多农作物。

Tetteh Nartey grows pawpaw, maize and other vegetables near the Ghanaian capital Accra. This year Ghana approved a test of GM grains like cowpeas. Mr. Nartey disagrees with that decision.
特塔赫•纳提（Tetteh Nartey）在加纳首都阿克拉附近种植木瓜、玉米和其它蔬菜。今年加纳批准了一项豌豆等转基因谷物的试验。纳提先生不赞同这一决定。

"Anything that is not natural it has got its bad side, if it is not natural then be very careful because at the end of the day we start taking GM products, but who has done the research?" asked Nartey.
“任何非自然的东西都有其不好的一面。如果它是非自然的就要非常小心，因为在我们开始使用转基因产品时，谁做过研究吗？”

Ghana's government says it has put strong laws in place to guard against problems from GM crops.
加纳政府表示已经出台严格法律防范转基因作物问题。

Soren Ambrose is with the group Action Aid. He says increasing the amount of food, using GM crops is not a good way to end food shortages in Africa.
索伦•安布罗斯(Soren Ambrose)就职于行动援助组织。他说增加粮食产量和使用转基因作物都不是结束非洲粮食短缺的好办法。

"It's not so much the problem of producing food, as it is the problem of getting the food that is produced to the people who need it," said Ambrose.
安布罗斯说，“最大问题不是生产粮食，而是使生产出来的粮食来到有需要的人们手里。”

Bernard Guri works at Ghana's Center for Indigenous Knowledge. He is worried the GM crops could force many of Africa's millions of small farms to stop growing food.
伯纳德•古里（Bernard Guri）就职于加纳的本土知识中心。他担心转基因作物可能会迫使非洲数以百万计的小农场停止生产粮食。

"This is against our sovereignty, it is another form of colonialism where gradually the developed world is conspiring to take over our food system in terms of taking over our land, taking over our seed, and taking over the whole farming food system," said Guri.
古里说，“这侵犯了我们的主权，是另一种形式的殖民主义。发达国家逐步密谋通过接管我们的土地和种子来接管我们的粮食体系，并接管整个农业粮食体系。”

I'm Caty Weaver.
我是卡蒂•韦弗（Caty Weaver）。

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