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(单词翻译:双击或拖选)
For more than two centuries, cotton has been king in the American South. Cotton was the mainstay of the economy and some aspect of the industry touched everyone's life. But that is no longer the case. Two other crops, soybeans and corn have taken the lead over cotton in the state of Mississippi, formerly1 one of the largest cotton exporters. Erika Celeste reports from the Mississippi Delta2.
The logo for the National Cotton Council is seen everywhere in the South
James Failing surveys his fields and muses3, "A lot of times for a man, what he is, is what he does. My grandfather started right on this little farm outside of town. We've been growing cotton there since time began."
The Failings have been cotton farmers in Mississippi for three generations
Failing's family may have been growing cotton since time began, but things just aren't what they used to be. He used to plant 1200 hectares of cotton annually4. This year he's put in less then 40 hectares. The rest of his land is now devoted5 to soybeans and rice.
"To be a cotton farmer now," he explains, "you almost have to be sentimental6 about it, because economically, it doesn't make a lot of sense. It's much more difficult to grow, much more labor7 intensive, much more management intensive, and it won't cash well in today's market."
Nevertheless, the nation's cotton farmers produce 20 million bales a year. Only 14 million are used, mainly in the clothing and furniture industries. The remaining quarter of the harvest is for export, where it faces competition from the world's leading cotton producers, China and India.
A cotton gin quickly and easily separates cotton fibers8 from the seedpods and the sometimes-sticky seeds
Art Smith, an agronomy9 agent with Mississippi State University's Extension Service, says those countries have an economic advantage. "Their cost of production and the fact that they can operate their mills a lot cheaper than we can, naturally tends to draw the cotton." He says the situation is just part of the business cycle.
Foreign competition is only part of the equation. Smith points out that other crops bring in more money. "We've had tremendous increases in the prices of soybeans, corn, and really haven't seen that kind of market appreciation10 in cotton. "
James Failing agrees that there are many reasons for today's farmer to invest in other crops. "Cotton is the most demanding crop that there is. It's very finicky from the seed to get it to come out of the ground. There are a host of pests, both weed and insect that plague it. You don't have the variety of chemicals that you can put on other crops."
James Failing shows off some ginned cotton
Yet there's just something about the cotton that keeps a special few tending the fields. Failing says planting cotton goes deeper than tradition or the fact that it keeps those who run the cotton gins and storage warehouses11 employed. Like a fine wine, it has its own special allure12.
He says it's a philosophy and a way of life. "I like actually growing the plant. My wife will tell you that I'm the most unpleasant when I plant," he admits with a grin. "Planting cotton is just hard. Anybody who tells you they can set a planter is either a fool or a liar13. Growing the crop is fun, when you're doing your weed control and irrigation, trying to set fruit. I guess that's the hopeful stage because you do have direct input14."
Once they are cleaned of lint15, these cotton seeds will be pressed for oil or used as animal feed
Over the past several years, more research has gone into cotton then any other crop in the South. It has improved the plant's yield, and made it more resistant16 to pests. However, Art Smith observes, all that genetic17 technology comes at a price: more expensive cotton seeds, adding to the cost of growing the crop. But paying more for the technology, he adds, is part of the price of doing business. "You've got to have an influx18 capital to continue to do your research. You've got to take a profit. It's vitally important that research and development continues at as rapid pace as possible and you can't do it without having some return on your investment."
Despite the decline in cotton planting, Art Smith is not ready to say "King" Cotton has been exiled from the South. Cotton prices are predicted to improve in 2010, when there will be less carryover from previous years' harvests, and it will again be profitable for farmers to put their equipment back into service. "We've got a lot of brand new picker [machines] that people own that are in the shed," Smith says, "and they can stay in the shed until prices get better. How long they'll let them stay there before they make a decision that they're through with cotton, would be hard to say, but I would say they can stay there a while."
Cotton seedlings19 are sprouting20 after a wet spring
The cotton plants in the Delta fields are still quite small. A wet spring made planting a little more difficult this year. Row upon row of tiny seedlings are now poking21 out of the muddy field on Failing's farm. He's looking forward to the coming months. "It goes from being green and soft to brown and hard and when it matures it opens up and that's when you see the white fluffy22 cotton. So long as it doesn't rain when it's doing this, it just gets whiter and fluffier23 in a good year." He compares it to a snow bank. "It's a dazzling field, where you honestly need sunglasses it's so white."
Cotton bolls, ready to be picked
That's only if it doesn't rain. If it rains after the fluffy cotton has come out, the plant droops24 and the cotton becomes discolored, losing much of its value. Failing says that hurts everyone in the community. "I have friends in town who are merchants [and] when there's no cotton, there's not a lot of people shuffling25 in to buy."
Failing says it saddens him to realize cotton may never be King again in Mississippi, as it was when he was a boy. But he's sure it will be all right, explaining that he and other farmers will do what they need to, to survive, even if that means switching to another crop. "Can we do something else? Sure, but," he adds with a mischievous26 grin, "do you want to be wearing polyester?"
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1
formerly
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| adv.从前，以前 | |
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delta
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| n.（流的）角洲 | |
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muses
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| v.沉思，冥想( muse的第三人称单数 )；沉思自语说（某事） | |
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annually
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| adv.一年一次，每年 | |
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devoted
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| adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的 | |
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sentimental
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| adj.多愁善感的，感伤的 | |
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7
labor
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| n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦 | |
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fibers
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| 光纤( fiber的名词复数 )； （织物的）质地； 纤维，纤维物质 | |
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9
agronomy
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| n.农业经济学 | |
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10
appreciation
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| n.评价；欣赏；感谢；领会，理解；价格上涨 | |
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11
warehouses
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| 仓库，货栈( warehouse的名词复数 ) | |
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12
allure
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| n.诱惑力，魅力；vt.诱惑，引诱，吸引 | |
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13
liar
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| n.说谎的人 | |
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14
input
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| n.输入(物)；投入；vt.把(数据等)输入计算机 | |
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15
lint
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| n.线头；绷带用麻布，皮棉 | |
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16
resistant
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| adj.(to)抵抗的，有抵抗力的 | |
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genetic
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| adj.遗传的，遗传学的 | |
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influx
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| n.流入，注入 | |
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19
seedlings
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| n.刚出芽的幼苗( seedling的名词复数 ) | |
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sprouting
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| v.发芽( sprout的现在分词 )；抽芽；出现；（使）涌现出 | |
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21
poking
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| n. 刺，戳，袋 vt. 拨开，刺，戳 vi. 戳，刺，捅，搜索，伸出，行动散慢 | |
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22
fluffy
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| adj.有绒毛的，空洞的 | |
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fluffier
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| adj.似绒毛的( fluffy的比较级 )；有绒毛的；蓬松的；轻软状的 | |
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24
droops
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| 弯曲或下垂，发蔫( droop的名词复数 ) | |
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25
shuffling
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| adj. 慢慢移动的, 滑移的 动词shuffle的现在分词形式 | |
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mischievous
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| adj.调皮的，恶作剧的，有害的，伤人的 | |
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