AS IT IS 2015-08-13 Russia Destroys Banned Western Food

AS IT IS 2015-08-13 Russia Destroys Banned Western Food

The government in Russia is moving forward with efforts to destroy food imports from Western countries. The government banned the imports because of the dispute between Russia and the West over Ukraine.

But a growing number of Russians say they find the ban in bad taste.

That is the sound of heavy earth-moving equipment running over Western cheese. Other Russian workers are burning boxes of frozen bacon. And state media reporters are cheering on the process.

All this comes after President Vladimir Putin signed an order to destroy all Western foods that enter Russia in violation¹ of existing sanctions.

Government officials say 350 tons of banned foods have been destroyed since the program went into effect earlier this month. There are plans to destroy even more. Russia's agriculture ministry² has even requested a traveling "food crematoria" to speed up the work. Those machines would turn the food into ashes.

Such moves have led some to make fun of the program – and to a fair share of jokes among Russians on social media. But still others are criticizing the government's decision as insensitive. They say several generations of Russians can remember periods of hunger and food shortages.

In St. Petersburg last week, Karina Hestanova joined a group of demonstrators protesting the food destruction law. She and others noted³ that many older adults in what was then the city of Leningrad starved to death during World War II.

To this day, she says, no one throws away food on the table. It's offensive what they're doing, she adds. 

An online campaign calling on government officials to overturn the decision has already gained over 300,000 supporters. When reached by Skype, the organizer – Olga Savelieva - says all she is asking is for banned goods to be donated to those in need.

"Payments to retired⁴ workers are small...and prices have gone up…even on food made here in Russia," she says.

President Putin's spokesman said the government may be open to some compromise. While the food destruction program will continue for now, the government plans to discuss Ms. Savelieva's campaign when it meets this week.

Words in This Story

in bad taste – n. offensive or inappropriate

cheese – n. a food that is made from milk

bacon – n. thin pieces of salted and smoked meat, usually from a pig

sanctions – n. economic or financial restrictions⁵

crematoria – n. places where dead bodies are cremated⁶ or destroyed

insensitive – adj. not responding to or caring about problems, changes or needs

table – n. an object that has a flat top and usually four legs

1 violation   

n.违反(行为)，违背(行为)，侵犯

参考例句：

• He roared that was a violation of the rules.他大声说，那是违反规则的。
• He was fined 200 dollars for violation of traffic regulation.他因违反交通规则被罚款200美元。

2 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

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 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

5 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

6 cremated   

v.火葬，火化（尸体）( cremate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He wants to is cremated, not buried. 他要火葬，不要土葬。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The bodies were cremated on the shore. 他们的尸体在海边火化了。 来自辞典例句