纽约时报 疫情下的屠宰场 食品链最薄弱的环节(2)（在线收听）

The decline is partly driven by the shutdown of restaurants and hotels,

屠宰量下降一定程度上是因为餐馆和酒店已经歇业，

but plant closings have also caused a major disruption, leaving many ranchers with nowhere to send their animals.

不过，一些加工厂也已关闭，许多牧场主都没有了接收厂家，这也是打乱屠宰场生产节奏的主要原因之一。

Even as one prominent meat executive warned on Easter that the nation was "dangerously close" to a meat shortage,

复活节当天，一位著名的肉类行业高管曾告诫称，这个国家已经到了肉类短缺的“危险边缘”，

state and federal regulators have been sending mixed signals to the industry about how to deal with the crisis.

尽管如此，关于如何应对这场危机，州与联邦两方面的监管机构向该行业发出的信息仍然混乱不清。

In South Dakota, Gov. Kristi Noem requested publicly that Smithfield Foods close its huge pork facility in Sioux Falls

一方面，南达科他州州长克里斯蒂·诺姆已经公开要求史密斯菲尔德食品公司关闭其位于苏福尔斯的大型猪肉加工厂，

after testing revealed that the plant accounted for nearly half the coronavirus cases in the city and the surrounding county.

因为经检测发现，该工厂感染新冠肺炎的人数几乎占到了该市及周边郡县感染人数的一半，

But federal officials had been repeatedly urging the company and other meat producers

另一方面，据两位知情人士透露，联邦官员一直在反复敦促该公司及其他肉类供应厂商想办法继续开工，

to find ways to keep their plants running because of their importance to the food supply,

因为食品供应离不开它们，

according to two people briefed on the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe internal discussions.

由于事关内部讨论，两名知情人士均不愿透露自己的姓名。

By Thursday, the tests had revealed that the pork plant was the nation's single largest "hot spot,"

截至周四，检测显示，该猪肉加工厂已经成为全美国最大的（感染）“热点”——

with about 16 percent of the 3,700 employees testing positive for the virus.

3700名员工约有16%的人病毒检测呈阳性。

The hospitalization rate among the workers has been relatively low because they tend to be younger,

不过，感染工人的住院率尚且较低，因为他们大多比较年轻，

said Dr. David Basel, a vice president at the Avera Medical Group in Sioux Falls,

参与了史密斯菲尔德员工检测工作的

who has been involved in the testing of the Smithfield employees.

苏福尔斯阿维拉医疗集团副总裁大卫·巴塞尔博士称。

Dr.Basel praised Smithfield for encouraging its employees,

巴塞尔博士对史密斯菲尔德鼓励员工接受测试的做法表示了肯定。

many of whom are refugees and immigrants from Latin America and Asia and speak 80 different dialects, to get tested.

这些员工有许多人是来自拉丁美洲和亚洲的难民或移民，其方言就多达80种。

Doctors made instructional videos in Nepalese and Spanish,

于是，医生们用尼泊尔语和西班牙语制作了教学视频，

and tracked down and tested workers who had been in close contact with infected employees.

同时也不忘追踪、检测与感染员工有过密切接触的工人。

"The numbers are improving after the plant closed," Dr. Basel said.

“工厂关闭后，感染人数已经有所好转了，”巴塞尔博士说。

"I'am feeling more optimistic this week."

“我这周的心态都变乐观了。”

Still, the high infection rate raised questions about whether Smithfield had done enough

尽管如此，超高的感染率还是引发了人们对史密斯菲尔德是否有尽职尽责

to carry out social-distancing protocols and to supply protective gear.

执行居家隔离政策，提供防护装备的质疑。

At least one worker has died from the virus, according to the state.

据州政府称，工厂至少有一名工人已经感染致死。

On Thursday, officials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention toured the Sioux Falls plant,

周四，疾控中心派官员视察了苏福尔斯工厂，

an eight-story facility that churned 24 hours a day alongside the Big Sioux River, producing 5 percent of the nation's pork.

位于大苏河畔的苏福尔斯工厂有八层楼高，一天24小时都在不停搅拌，全国5%的猪肉都是在这里完成加工的。

The agency is expected to release recommendations in the next few days on how to prevent another outbreak when the plant reopens.

预计接下来几天，疾控中心就会公布有关复工后如何预防疫情再次爆发的建议。

The company has not given a date.

但该公司尚未给出具体日期。