VOA慢速英语2019 科学家收集野生种子应对气候变化（在线收听）

Scientists Collect Seeds in Wild for Climate Change Fight

More than 100 scientists have traveled to faraway places to collect wild crop seeds in an effort to help battle climate change.

100多名科学家前往偏远地区收集野生作物种子，以帮助应对气候变化。

The scientists have been likened to the hero of the "Indiana Jones" movies. Like him, they have faced dangers from blood-sucking creatures to tigers, and sometimes used elephants for transportation.

科学家们被誉为《夺宝奇兵》影片中的主人公。像印地安纳·琼斯一样，他们也面临着从吸血动物到老虎的危险，有时还会利用大象来运输物品。

A report on the project was published last week. It describes the results of a six-year search to collect thousands of wild seeds.

上周一份关于该项目的报告出炉。它描述了六年来收集无数颗野生种子的搜索结果。

The seeds could be important in feeding a growing human population at a time when rising temperatures are affecting crop production in some areas.

在气温升高影响某些地区农作物产量的时候，这些种子可能对养活不断增长的人口很重要。

The Reuters news agency say the scientists traveled by foot, four-wheeled vehicles, boat, horse and even elephant to reach far away areas. They collected 4,644 seed samples of 371 wild relatives of 28 world crops. Many of those wild relatives are said to be endangered.

路透社称，科学家们通过步行、四轮交通工具、船只、马匹，甚至大象等方式达到偏远地区。他们收集了4644份种子样本，来自28种全球作物371种野生亲缘植物。据说这些野生亲缘植物中的许多已经濒临灭绝。

The Crop Trust, a nonprofit organization that works to save different kinds of crops, is directing the project. The group is working in partnership with Britain's Royal Botanic Gardens and Millennium Seed Bank. Additional financial support comes from Norway.

致力于拯救各类农作物的非营利组织农作物信托基金(Crop Trust)正在指导这个项目。该组织正与英国皇家植物园和千禧种子银行合作。额外的资金支持来自挪威。

The project is believed to be the largest organized international effort yet to collect and protect crops' wild relatives.

该项目被认为是迄今为止规模最大的有组织的国际力量，来收集和保护农作物的野生亲缘植物。

Hannes Dempewolf is a scientist and the head of global initiatives at the Crop Trust. He told Reuters that collecting the seeds was not easy. He noted that scientists faced extreme "heat, dust, sweat and danger from wild animals."

汉尼斯·邓培沃尔夫（Hannes Dempewolf）是一名科学家，也是农作物信托基金全球项目的负责人。他告诉路透社，收集种子并不容易。他指出，科学家面临着极端的“高温、灰尘、汗水的考验以及来自野生动物危险”。

He added, "The stories these seed collectors brought back from the field often resemble scenes from an Indiana Jones movie."

他补充说，“这些收集者从野外带回种子的情节，跟《夺宝奇兵》的桥段往往如出一辙。”

Scientists that took part in the seed collection project came from 25 countries.

参与种子收集项目的科学家来自25个国家。

Some relatives of widely grown crops have developed so plants can survive severe conditions such as low rainfall, flooding, extreme temperatures and poor soils. Scientists say the wild crops offer a largely unused source of diversity for protecting crops against climate change.

一些被广泛种植的农作物的亲缘植物已经发展到可在恶劣条件下生存，如少雨、洪水、温度极端和土壤贫瘠等。科学家们称，野生作物为保护农作物免受气候变化的影响提供了一个很大程度上未被开发的多样性资源。

Some crops are threatened because of destruction of forests, climate change, conflict and expanded cities. Experts say losing this diversity could endanger food security around the world.

由于森林遭到破坏、气候变化、冲突和城市扩张，一些农作物受到威胁。专家指出，失去这种多样性可能会危及世界各地的粮食安全。

A United Nations report says that food supplies are under severe threat. The report notes that the number of animal and plant species are quickly disappearing as the world deals with how to feed a rising population.

联合国的一份报告称，粮食供应受到严重威胁。报告指出，随着世界应对如何养活不断增长的人口，动植物物种的数量正在迅速消失。

The U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization says that people are depending on fewer species for food. That leaves food production at-risk to organisms, disease, lack of rain and other weather extremes linked to climate change.

联合国粮农组织表示，人们对食物依赖的物种越来越少。这使得粮食生产面临着微生物、疾病、缺雨和其他与气候变化有关的极端天气的风险。

Words in this Story

diversity – n. the quality or state of having many different forms, types, ideas, etc.

initiative – n. a plan or program that is intended to solve a problem

resemble – v. to be like or similar to

sample – n. a small amount of something that gives you information about the thing it was taken from

scene – n. a part of a play, movie, story, etc., in which a particular action or activity occurs

source – n. someone or something that provides what is wanted or needed