VOA慢速英语2016 索马里兰出口牲畜以供朝觐

AS IT IS 2016-09-09 Somaliland Exports Animals for the Hajj 索马里兰出口牲畜以供朝觐

The self-declared republic of Somaliland is exporting millions of sheep and goats to Saudi Arabia for use as sacrificial offerings.

索马里兰是个自封的共和国，该国正向沙特阿拉伯出口数百万只绵羊和山羊，作为祭祀贡品。

These offerings are very important for the millions of Muslims going to Mecca for religious reasons.Their trip, a religious requirement, is called the Hajj.

对于数百万因宗教原因赴麦加的穆斯林教徒来说，这些祭祀品是非常重要的。朝圣之行这一宗教基本制度被称之为朝觐。

Sixty percent of Somaliland’s gross domestic product -- the value of all its goods and services come from livestock¹ sales to the Middle East.So do 70 percent of its jobs.

索马里兰国内生产总值（所有产品及劳务的市场价值）约六成源于中东地区的牲畜销售。索马里兰百分之七十的工作岗位正源于此。

Mowlid Hassan Jama has worked at a livestock market in the Somaliland capital, Hargeisa, for 10 years.

莫利德·哈山·亚马在索马里兰首都哈尔格萨的一家牲畜市场工作，已经工作十年了。

He says “I earn my livelihood² from this livestock, and, secondly³, I feel I am supporting the Islamic community in having a good Hajj festival.”

他称“我的生计全靠这些牲畜，并且，我认为我是在支持伊斯兰共同体，让他们度过美好的朝觐节。”

The animals, once sold in the markets, are taken by truck to the Red Sea port of Berbera.There, they wait in quarantine for weeks while they receive blood tests and vaccinations⁴.

这些牲畜一旦在市场售出，将由卡车运往柏培拉的红海港口。在那里，它们将验血，注射疫苗，接受数周的隔离检疫。

In the past, accusations⁵ of disease among Somaliland livestock led Saudi Arabia to temporarily ban imports of its animals.

过去，索马里兰的牲畜曾被指控患有疾病，沙特阿拉伯因此暂时禁止进口索马里兰的牲畜。

Ali Mahamud Gulled⁶ is an expert on animal health.He says the Berbera quarantine holds over a million animals at the height of the Hajj.He says Somaliland takes the health of its livestock seriously.

阿里·马阿穆德是研究动物健康的专家。他认为，朝觐节高峰期，柏培拉检疫期间会容纳100多万头牲畜。他表示，索马里兰很重视牲畜的健康问题。

“So we make sure that each and every animal leaving here is free of diseases.”

因此我们必须确保所有出口的牲畜都是健康的。”

After the restrictions⁷ are lifted, sheep and goats are loaded onto ships, often at night when the air is cooler.A single ship can hold between 20,000 and 120,000 animals.

一旦通过检疫，绵羊和山羊将在夜晚凉爽的时候装载入船。一艘船可承载2万到12万头牲畜。

Somaliland now faces competition from Sudan, Australia, and other countries that also export livestock to Saudi Arabia.

目前，索马里兰正面临苏丹、澳洲和其它国家的竞争，这些国家也向沙特阿拉伯出口牲畜。

Abdi Osman Haji is a researcher with the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization.He says Somaliland must modernize⁸ its industry to stay ahead.

阿卜迪·奥斯曼·哈吉是联合国粮食农业组织的研究员。他表示，索马里兰必须实现产业现代化，以保证其领先地位。

He adds that Somaliland needs to treat its animals better, too.

他补充道，索马里兰还需更好地对待牲畜。

“Animal welfare is not on the agenda here, and that has to be introduced.Also, animals, when they are being exported via ships and also trucks, they are not according to international standards.”

“这里的动物福利尚未提上日程，动物福利必须引进。此外，这里的动物在经船只和卡车运送出口的时候，不符合国际标准。”

Even so, the export of animals from Somaliland to Saudi Arabia remains⁹ important for both countries.

尽管如此，由索马里兰出口至沙特阿拉伯的牲畜对两国来说依旧至关重要。

Words in This Story

offering – n. something that is given to God or a god as a part of religious worship

livestock – n. farm animals (such as cows, horses, and pigs) that are kept, raised, and used by people

quarantine – n. the situation of being kept away from others to prevent a disease from spreading

1 livestock   

n.家畜，牲畜

参考例句：

• Both men and livestock are flourishing.人畜两旺。
• The heavy rains and flooding killed scores of livestock.暴雨和大水淹死了许多牲口。

2 livelihood   

n.生计，谋生之道

参考例句：

• Appropriate arrangements will be made for their work and livelihood.他们的工作和生活会得到妥善安排。
• My father gained a bare livelihood of family by his own hands.父亲靠自己的双手勉强维持家计。

3 secondly   

adv.第二，其次

参考例句：

• Secondly,use your own head and present your point of view.第二，动脑筋提出自己的见解。
• Secondly it is necessary to define the applied load.其次，需要确定所作用的载荷。

4 vaccinations   

n.种痘，接种( vaccination的名词复数 )；牛痘疤

参考例句：

• Vaccinations ensure one against diseases. 接种疫苗可以预防疾病。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• I read some publicity about vaccinations while waiting my turn at the doctor's. 在医生那儿候诊时，我读了一些关于接种疫苗的宣传。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 accusations   

n.指责( accusation的名词复数 )；指控；控告；（被告发、控告的）罪名

参考例句：

• There were accusations of plagiarism. 曾有过关于剽窃的指控。
• He remained unruffled by their accusations. 对于他们的指控他处之泰然。

6 gulled   

v.欺骗某人( gull的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Such promises, said Apacides sullenly, are the tricks by which man is ever gulled. 阿帕奥得斯板着脸说：这种诺言是骗人的诡计。 来自辞典例句
• The man gulled the traveler out of every penny he had with him. 那人把那游客骗得身无分文。 来自辞典例句

7 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

8 modernize   

vt.使现代化，使适应现代的需要

参考例句：

• It was their manifest failure to modernize the country's industries.他们使国家进行工业现代化，明显失败了。
• There is a pressing need to modernise our electoral system.我们的选举制度迫切需要现代化。

9 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。