VOA双语新闻：9、美国中西部大旱 玉米遭灾（在线收听）

美国中西部大旱 玉米遭灾

Record high temperatures and a lack of rainfall are creating the worst drought conditions for U.S. farmers in a generation. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has declared more than 1,000 counties in 26 states natural disaster areas as crops there deteriorate.

破记录的高温和少雨让美国农民遭遇了几十年不遇的大旱。由于庄稼长势恶劣，美国农业部宣布，全美26个州的1000多个县为自然灾害地区。

In this year's record setting heat under the hot summer sun, McLean County Illinois farmer Matt Hughes' crops are wilting.

美国中西部的伊利诺伊州是重灾区之一。在创记录的高温和炎炎烈日的灸烤下，迈特.休斯种植的玉米正在日益枯萎。

Each day without rainclouds brings new disappointment and worry for Hughes.

晴朗的天空每天都给休斯带来新的失望和新的焦虑。

"The crop I planted right now - I have more invested in this crop than any other crop in my life," he said.

他说：“比起我这辈子种的其他玉米，我在这片玉米地里下的本儿最多。”

Hughes says that's because with commodity prices at all-time highs, so is the cost of seed and fertilizer.

休斯说，由于商品市场的玉米价格空前的高，所以种子和化肥的价格也空前的高。

Now, he's watching his potential profits evaporate.

他说，在今年这样的年景里，农民或者发财，或者破产。

"This is the one year that can make or break a lot of farmers," added Hughes.

Farmers in Illinois, one of the top corn and soybean producing states in the country, are facing the worst drought conditions in decades.

伊利诺伊州是美国盛产玉米和大豆的重要地区，但今年遭遇了几十年来最严重的旱灾。

Part of the corn crop in southern Illinois is already beyond salvage, and the problem is spreading, says Illinois Farm Bureau president Philip Nelson.

"I will tell you from north to south and east to west, this corn crop is in severe trouble and in dire need of a healthy amount of rainfall," Nelson noted.

June was one of the driest months on record in many parts of the country, depriving corn stalks of much needed water during pollination.

6月份本是玉米授粉季节，可这里很多地方却在6月份创下最干旱记录。南部的一部分玉米已经没救了。

"We've got over 50 percent of the corn crop in Illinois that's in poor or very poor condition. There are only two states worse than that by the statistics service and that's Missouri and Kentucky," Nelson added.

伊利诺伊农业局局长菲利浦.尼尔森说，旱情还在扩大蔓延：“伊利诺伊州50%的玉米长势糟糕，据统计，只有两个州的情况比我们还要糟：密苏里和肯塔基。”

Nelson says the poor crop has a ripple effect on other farmers throughout the country.

尼尔森说，庄稼欠收会对全美其他农户造成冲击。

"The pork is the biggest user of soybean products. Corn, its biggest user is beef cattle. So with all due respect, everybody keeps an eye on what type of crop you are raising because it really affects the bottom line of livestock producers in this state," said Nelson.

比如消耗最多大豆的养猪户，和消耗最多玉米的养牛户。

Whatever the bottom line is for Matt Hughes is now beyond his control.

"This is the most productive ground in the world, it's not like I'm going to make a choice to not produce it because I think we're going to have a drought. We produce it, and we take what we can get," said Hughes.

What Hughes is not getting is help from meteorologists. They only predict a few scattered showers in the coming weeks.

玉米种植农户休斯现在一筹莫展，更让他绝望的是，天气预报说，未来几周除了一些零星阵雨，没有什么下大雨的希望。