VOA慢速英语 2007 1002a

This is the VOA Special English Agriculture Report.

Biodiesel is made from plant oils or animal fats. Producers of this renewable fuel often use oils like soybean or palm oil. But a wild plant called Jatropha curcas (JAT-ruh-fuh KUR-kas) is getting a lot of attention lately.

 
Jatropha plants at the Indian Oil Corporation research and development center at Faridabad in 2006
Some people see it as a better way to make biodiesel -- and a way to make a better life in some of the world's poorest countries.

For example, the New York Times recently described projects in Mali to supply electricity to rural villages with generators¹ that can use the fuel.

The Portuguese² are thought to have spread jatropha from Central America to other parts of the world centuries ago during their explorations.

Jatropha grows all year. It does not need much water and it can grow in poor soil where other crops fail. Some African farmers use it as borders for their crops. It helps protect the soil and keeps animals away from food crops like a fence. The seeds are poisonous, although in many parts of West Africa the plant has been used to make traditional medicines.

The Royal Tropical Institute in the Netherlands says Mali has more than twenty thousand kilometers of jatropha. A company called Mali Biocarburant processes the nuts into oil for fuel. The project is financed³ by the Dutch government and private investors⁴.

Internationally, there are concerns about higher food prices and reduced supply as food crops compete with fuel crops. Such concerns are often raised about corn or sugar cane⁵ grown for ethanol. Supporters of jatropha say it does not compete with food crops for good agricultural land or harm the environment.

Still, South Africa's agriculture department says it is being careful in studying jatropha. This is what a spokeswoman told the Mail and Guardian⁶ newspaper: "Too many lessons have been learned at high cost when plants that promised to be solutions turned into environmental and social disasters for South Africa."

In June, two British companies formed a joint⁷ effort to grow more jatropha in southeast Asia, southern Africa, central and south America and India. BP and biodiesel producer D1 Oils say their new company could become the world’s largest producer of the oil by two thousand eleven.

But while the future seems to hold promise, there are no guarantees. Right now, some jatropha farmers are said to be having problems finding buyers for the seeds.

And that's the VOA Special English Agriculture Report, written by Jerilyn Watson. I'm Jim Tedder⁸.

 

1 generators   

n.发电机，发生器( generator的名词复数 )；电力公司

参考例句：

• The factory's emergency generators were used during the power cut. 工厂应急发电机在停电期间用上了。
• Power can be fed from wind generators into the electricity grid system. 电力可以从风力发电机流入输电网。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 Portuguese   

n.葡萄牙人；葡萄牙语

参考例句：

• They styled their house in the Portuguese manner.他们仿照葡萄牙的风格设计自己的房子。
• Her family is Portuguese in origin.她的家族是葡萄牙血统。

3 financed   

为…供给资金，从事金融活动( finance的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Capital expenditure can be financed by borrowing; operating expenditure should not. 资本支出可以靠借款，而运营费用不行。
• All purchases shall be financed with the proceeds of loan. 全部货款用贷款支付。

4 investors   

n.投资者，出资者( investor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a con man who bilked investors out of millions of dollars 诈取投资者几百万元的骗子
• a cash bonanza for investors 投资者的赚钱机会

5 cane   

n.手杖，细长的茎，藤条；v.以杖击，以藤编制的

参考例句：

• This sugar cane is quite a sweet and juicy.这甘蔗既甜又多汁。
• English schoolmasters used to cane the boys as a punishment.英国小学老师过去常用教鞭打男学生作为惩罚。

6 guardian   

n.监护人；守卫者，保护者

参考例句：

• The form must be signed by the child's parents or guardian. 这张表格须由孩子的家长或监护人签字。
• The press is a guardian of the public weal. 报刊是公共福利的卫护者。

7 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

8 tedder   

n.（干草）翻晒者，翻晒机

参考例句：

• Jim Tedder has more. 吉姆？特德将给我们做更多的介绍。 来自互联网
• Jim Tedder tells us more. 吉姆？泰德给我们带来更详细的报道。 来自互联网