VOA慢速英语2018--联合国:阿富汗鸦片产量下降

UN: Afghan Opium¹ Production Has Dropped

A new United Nations report finds that opium-poppy cultivation² in Afghanistan is now 20 percent lower than it was in 2017. The report noted³ a lack of rainfall and falling prices of dry opium across the country.

The dried latex form of the poppy plant can be used to make heroin⁴ and other opioid drugs. Afghanistan is the world’s leading producer of opium-poppy.

The new report said the total land area for growing the plants decreased to 263,000 hectares from an estimated 328,000 hectares in 2017. Yet it was still the second highest measurement for Afghanistan since the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime, or UNODC, began keeping records in 1994.

The potential opium production fell by 29 percent to 6,400 tons from an estimated 9,000 tons in 2017.

The UNODC country representative, Mark Colhoun, told reporters in Kabul the prices of dry opium at harvest time fell to $94 per kilogram. That represents the lowest prices since 2004, he said.

The decreases were mainly a result of the lack of rainfall during the past year, he added. The drought mainly affected⁵ northern and western Afghanistan.

Colhoun explained that the amount of land used to grow opium in all of Afghanistan is still the highest ever recorded.

"This is a clear challenge to security and safety for the region and beyond. It is also a threat to all countries to and through which these drugs are (sold)," he said.

Colhoun warned that more high-quality low-cost heroin will reach buyers around the world. This will lead to increased use of the drug and other problems.

The high levels of opium-poppy cultivation growth and illegal trafficking of opiates will fuel unrest and increase "funding to terrorist groups in Afghanistan," he said.

Colhoun said there is no one explanation for the continuing high levels of opium cultivation in Afghanistan. But he said it is related to political unrest, lack of government control and security, as well as corruption⁶.

The UNODC report estimated that the total value of opium production decreased by 56 percent to $604 million from $1.4 billion in 2017. The low prices reduced Afghan farmers’ earnings⁷.

The study found that 24 out of the 34 Afghan provinces grew the opium-poppy in 2018, the same number as in 2017.

Afghanistan’s largest province, Helmand, remained the leading producer, followed by neighboring Kandahar and Uruzgan and Nangarhar in the east.

The report noted that opium poppy farming created up to 354,000 full-time⁸ jobs in rural areas in 2017.

As of September 30, 2018, the United States had spent nearly $9 billion to fight the growth and sale of opium. That information comes from a U.S. government agency, the Special Inspector⁹ General for Afghanistan Reconstruction¹⁰ (SIGAR).

Yet the drug trade remains¹¹ entrenched¹³ in Afghanistan “and is growing," said the agency, which measures U.S. civilian¹⁴ and military spending in the country.

I’m Susan Shand.

Words in This Story

drought – n.a long time without rain

heroin – n.a powerful illegal drug that is made from opium

province –n.an area of a country

entrench¹² – v.to put oneself in a strong defensive¹⁵ position

funding– n.financing

beyond– prep.on the farther side of; in a larger amount

challenge– n.a difficult problem or test

cultivation– n.the act of growing and harvesting a crop

potential – n.something that can happen

per – adv. for each

1 opium   

n.鸦片；adj.鸦片的

参考例句：

• That man gave her a dose of opium.那男人给了她一剂鸦片。
• Opium is classed under the head of narcotic.鸦片是归入麻醉剂一类的东西。

2 cultivation   

n.耕作，培养，栽培（法），养成

参考例句：

• The cultivation in good taste is our main objective.培养高雅情趣是我们的主要目标。
• The land is not fertile enough to repay cultivation.这块土地不够肥沃，不值得耕种。

3 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

4 heroin   

n.海洛因

参考例句：

• Customs have made their biggest ever seizure of heroin.海关查获了有史以来最大的一批海洛因。
• Heroin has been smuggled out by sea.海洛因已从海上偷运出境。

5 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

6 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

7 earnings   

n.工资收人；利润，利益，所得

参考例句：

• That old man lives on the earnings of his daughter.那个老人靠他女儿的收入维持生活。
• Last year there was a 20% decrease in his earnings.去年他的收入减少了20%。

8 full-time   

adj.满工作日的或工作周的，全时间的

参考例句：

• A full-time job may be too much for her.全天工作她恐怕吃不消。
• I don't know how she copes with looking after her family and doing a full-time job.既要照顾家庭又要全天工作，我不知道她是如何对付的。

9 inspector   

n.检查员，监察员，视察员

参考例句：

• The inspector was interested in everything pertaining to the school.视察员对有关学校的一切都感兴趣。
• The inspector was shining a flashlight onto the tickets.查票员打着手电筒查看车票。

10 reconstruction   

n.重建，再现，复原

参考例句：

• The country faces a huge task of national reconstruction following the war.战后，该国面临着重建家园的艰巨任务。
• In the period of reconstruction,technique decides everything.在重建时期，技术决定一切。

11 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。

12 entrench   

v.使根深蒂固；n.壕沟；防御设施

参考例句：

• A series of measures were designed to entrench democracy and the rule of law.采取一系列措施旨在巩固民主和法制。
• These dictators have entrenched themselves politically and are difficult to move.这些独裁者在政治上已经站稳了脚跟，很难推翻他们。

13 entrenched   

adj.确立的，不容易改的(风俗习惯)

参考例句：

• Television seems to be firmly entrenched as the number one medium for national advertising.电视看来要在全国广告媒介中牢固地占据头等位置。
• If the enemy dares to attack us in these entrenched positions,we will make short work of them.如果敌人胆敢进攻我们固守的阵地，我们就消灭他们。

14 civilian   

adj.平民的，民用的，民众的

参考例句：

• There is no reliable information about civilian casualties.关于平民的伤亡还没有确凿的信息。
• He resigned his commission to take up a civilian job.他辞去军职而从事平民工作。

15 defensive   

adj.防御的；防卫的；防守的

参考例句：

• Their questions about the money put her on the defensive.他们问到钱的问题，使她警觉起来。
• The Government hastily organized defensive measures against the raids.政府急忙布置了防卫措施抵御空袭。