VOA慢速英语2014 International Community Warns of a Possible Famine in S. Sudan 国际社会警告南苏丹可能发生饥荒

 

International Community Warns of a Possible Famine in S. Sudan 国际社会警告南苏丹可能发生饥荒

From VOA Learning English, this is the Agriculture Report.

这里是美国之音慢速英语农业报道。

The international community is warning of a possible famine in South Sudan if the fighting there does not end. Leaders of East African countries met recently in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa. They discussed ways to stop the fighting in the world's newest nation.

国际社会警告称，如果内战不停，南苏丹可能会发生饥荒。东非国家领导人最近在埃塞俄比亚首都亚的斯亚贝巴会面，他们讨论了如何停止这个全球最年轻国家的内战。

South Sudan's government and rebel forces agreed in January to end the fighting, but it has not stopped. There has been little progress in peace talks which are also being held in Addis Ababa.

南苏丹政府和反政府军在一月份同意结束内战，但它却从未停止过。同样是在亚的斯亚贝巴举行的和谈进展甚微。

U.S. special diplomat¹ Donald Booth spoke² during the meeting of the East African Inter-Governmental Authority on Development(IGAD). Members of IGAD are leading the peace talks. Mr Booth said he is deeply unhappy that neither group is respecting the cease-fire.

美国外交特使唐纳德·布斯（Donald Booth）在东非国家政府间发展组织会议上发表了讲话。东非国家政府间发展组织成员主导这次和谈。布斯说，他对双方都不尊重停火深感不满。

"This failure has led to thousands of additional deaths, and an ever worsening humanitarian³ situation, with South Sudan facing a possible famine," Booth said.

布斯说，“停火失效造成了数千人额外死亡和不断恶化的人道局势。南苏丹面临着饥荒的可能。”

The rainy season will come to South Sudan in just a few weeks, but many fields remain unplanted because people have fled their homes. They are afraid of the attack if they return. It is estimated that eight-five percent of families in South Sudan are farmers who depend on animals and agriculture to live.

南苏丹的雨季将在短短几个星期内来临，但很多土地仍然无人耕种，因为人们逃离了家园。他们害怕如果返家会遭遇攻击。据估计，南苏丹85%的家庭为依赖牲畜和农业的农民。

Alexander Rondos is the European Union's special diplomat to the Horn of Africa. He said officials must act quickly, or there will be a famine in South Sudan.

亚历山大·朗多（Alexander Rondos）是欧盟非洲之角特使。他说，有关方面必须尽快行动，否则南苏丹将发生饥荒。

"If people cannot go and plant, there will be not sufficient stocks within months. Livestock⁴, a large proportion of the livestock population of a country populated by so many people who have pastoralist economy is lost. It is absolutely essential that all the necessary steps are made," Rondos said.

朗多说，“如果人们不去耕种，数月内就将没有足够的牲畜。由庞大游牧经济群体组成的这样一个国家的畜牧业会失去。采取所有必要步骤是很重要的。”

Government soldiers loyal to president Salva Kiir and those who support his former vice⁵ president Riek Machar began fighting in December. Tens of thousands of people have been killed.

忠于总统萨尔瓦·基尔（Salva Kiir）的士兵和支持他的前副总统里克·马沙尔（Riek Machar）的士兵于12月开战。这已经造成数万人遇难。

The United Nations says more than 700,000 people have been displaced. The U.N. says more than 200,000 of them have fled to neighboring Countries, including Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda and Sudan.

联合国表示已经有70多万人流离失所，20多万人逃往包括埃塞俄比亚，肯尼亚，乌干达和苏丹在内的邻近国家。

IGAD leaders may send African troops to South Sudan by the middle of next month. The troops would come from Ethiopia, Kenya, Burundi, and Rwanda. IGAD has also asked for support from the African Union and the UN.

 

东非国家政府间发展组织领导人可能在下月中旬向南苏丹派遣非洲部队。这些部队将来自埃塞俄比亚，肯尼亚，布隆迪和卢旺达。东非国家政府间发展组织还向非洲联盟和联合国寻求了支持。

1 diplomat   

n.外交官，外交家；能交际的人，圆滑的人

参考例句：

• The diplomat threw in a joke, and the tension was instantly relieved.那位外交官插进一个笑话，紧张的气氛顿时缓和下来。
• He served as a diplomat in Russia before the war.战前他在俄罗斯当外交官。

2 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

3 humanitarian   

n.人道主义者，博爱者，基督凡人论者

参考例句：

• She has many humanitarian interests and contributes a lot to them.她拥有很多慈善事业，并作了很大的贡献。
• The British government has now suspended humanitarian aid to the area.英国政府现已暂停对这一地区的人道主义援助。

4 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。

5 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。