VOA标准英语10月-UN Food Agency Worries About Contributions

The U.N. food agency Director General Jacques Diouf urged member states to comply with financial commitments undertaken during a food security summit last June. Speaking on World Food Day at FAO headquarters in Rome, he said only 10 percent of the $22 billion pledged have been made available. Sabina Castelfranco reports from Rome.
　

Pakistani people receive donated food in a food distribution center on eve of the World Food Day in Lahore, Pakistan, 15 Oct. 2008

The United Nations food agency based in Rome, the Food and Agriculture Organization, is concerned that the number of hungry people in the world, estimated at 923 million in 2007, will further increase in 2008.

Marking World Food Day, FAO Director General Jacques Diouf warned that the global financial crisis was likely to lead governments to rethink their development aid commitments in favor of hungry people. He has urged governments not to drop aid or restrict trade as this may further the plight¹ of the world's hungry and poor.

"If there is a recession, naturally it will be more difficult to mobilize the resources for agriculture in developing countries but also the income of people will not increase in a period of recession and therefore we may have more poor people and more hungry people," he said.

At a ceremony at FAO on Thursday, Diouf said that the food organization knows what has to be done to eradicate² hunger for 923 million people and he said it also knows what needs to be done to double food production for a world population expected to rise to nine billion by the year 2050.

The director general noted³ that $22 billion (US) was pledged to promote global food security earlier this year, but that only 10 percent of this has so far materialized. He said what is needed is political will and delivery on financial commitments by members states.

Pope Benedict, in a message read at the ceremony, said that a lasting⁴ solution to hunger in the world lay in the promotion⁵ of an international order based on social justice. He said that the world produces enough food to feed a growing population. If people go hungry, it is partly because of a "race for consumption" which "imposes forced reductions on the nutritional⁶ capacity of the world's poorest regions."

He said other reasons include lack of political will by nations but also "runaway⁷ speculation⁸", together with "corruption⁹ in public life or again growing investments in weapons and sophisticated military technologies to the detriment¹⁰ of people's primary needs."

This year's World Food Day activities, which involve over 150 countries, are focused on climate change and bio-energy.

1 plight   

n.困境，境况，誓约，艰难；vt.宣誓，保证，约定

参考例句：

• The leader was much concerned over the plight of the refugees.那位领袖对难民的困境很担忧。
• She was in a most helpless plight.她真不知如何是好。

2 eradicate   

v.根除，消灭，杜绝

参考例句：

• These insects are very difficult to eradicate.这些昆虫很难根除。
• They are already battling to eradicate illnesses such as malaria and tetanus.他们已经在努力消灭疟疾、破伤风等疾病。

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 lasting   

adj.永久的，永恒的；vbl.持续，维持

参考例句：

• The lasting war debased the value of the dollar.持久的战争使美元贬值。
• We hope for a lasting settlement of all these troubles.我们希望这些纠纷能获得永久的解决。

5 promotion   

n.提升，晋级；促销，宣传

参考例句：

• The teacher conferred with the principal about Dick's promotion.教师与校长商谈了迪克的升级问题。
• The clerk was given a promotion and an increase in salary.那个职员升了级，加了薪。

6 nutritional   

adj.营养的，滋养的

参考例句：

• A diet lacking in nutritional value will not keep a person healthy.缺乏营养价值的饮食不能维持人的健康。
• The labels on food products give a lot of information about their nutritional content.食品上的标签提供很多关于营养成分的信息。

7 runaway   

n.逃走的人，逃亡，亡命者；adj.逃亡的，逃走的

参考例句：

• The police have not found the runaway to date.警察迄今没抓到逃犯。
• He was praised for bringing up the runaway horse.他勒住了脱缰之马受到了表扬。

8 speculation   

n.思索，沉思；猜测；投机

参考例句：

• Her mind is occupied with speculation.她的头脑忙于思考。
• There is widespread speculation that he is going to resign.人们普遍推测他要辞职。

9 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。

10 detriment   

n.损害；损害物，造成损害的根源

参考例句：

• Smoking is a detriment to one's health.吸烟危害健康。
• His lack of education is a serious detriment to his career.他的未受教育对他的事业是一种严重的妨碍。