VOA标准英语2010年-British Fairtrade Foundation Works to

The British-based Fairtrade Foundation works to improve the lives of farmers in developing countries, by guaranteeing fair prices for their products and investing in social infrastructure¹.  The organization also tries to convince British shoppers to switch to fair-trade products.

Dancing in the streets of London. This is a two-step with a purpose.

The aim is to raise awareness² for fair-trade products, in this case, tea. The Fairtrade Foundaton would like Britons to change their regular brand of tea for a fair-trade one. Barbara Crowther is the foundation's director of communications.

"Here in Britain, we drink a lot of tea, but only one in ten cups are fair-trade, which means we're paying a fair price to the tea growers in the developing world," said Barbara Crowther. "And we know that in India, and in Africa, in Uganda and Tanzania, there are lots of farmers who've met all the social and environmental standards to be able to sell the tea as fair-trade, but the companies are still dragging their heels, they're still not buying it on fair-trade terms."

On the slopes of Mount Elgon in eastern Uganda, the Gumutindo farms show the legacy³ of fair-trade dealings. The 7,000 farmers and their families have schools and medical centers. Fair prices and yearly crop bonuses have enabled these Ugandans to build their own warehouses⁴ to store their coffee. The guaranteed prices protect them from market fluctuations⁵.

Six thousand kilometers away, Fiona Nakusi is here in London representing Gumatindo's farmers and meeting with potential clients.  She says she's seen great progress since the farms became fair trade certified⁶ in 2004.

"In the fair-trade system the farmer gets a higher advance price and at the end of the year they also get bonus payments," said Fiona Nakusi.

The Fairtrade Foundation is helping⁷ farmers all over the world. In addition to tea and coffee producers in Africa and India, the foundation is trying to get good prices for all sorts of products - including these bananas from the Dominican Republic.

This London exhibition is showcasing fair-trade products, Olive oil from the Palestinian territories, chocolate, shirts made from fair-trade cotton and dried fruit.

"Are you liking⁸ your banana?," asked Andy Muscat.

Andy Muscat says his family does its best to support products that help producers.

"Anything like oranges, or bananas or mandarins we try to buy fair-trade," he said. "Coffee, tea, organic or fair trade, we try to buy all the time."

That's the Fairtrade Foundation's idea behind this "tea dance" - letting people know they can choose products that will make a difference half a world away.
 

1 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

2 awareness   

n.意识，觉悟，懂事，明智

参考例句：

• There is a general awareness that smoking is harmful.人们普遍认识到吸烟有害健康。
• Environmental awareness has increased over the years.这些年来人们的环境意识增强了。

3 legacy   

n.遗产，遗赠；先人(或过去)留下的东西

参考例句：

• They are the most precious cultural legacy our forefathers left.它们是我们祖先留下来的最宝贵的文化遗产。
• He thinks the legacy is a gift from the Gods.他认为这笔遗产是天赐之物。

4 warehouses   

仓库，货栈( warehouse的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The whisky was taken to bonded warehouses at Port Dundee. 威士忌酒已送到邓迪港的保稅仓库。
• Row upon row of newly built warehouses line the waterfront. 江岸新建的仓库鳞次栉比。

5 fluctuations   

波动，涨落，起伏( fluctuation的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• He showed the price fluctuations in a statistical table. 他用统计表显示价格的波动。
• There were so many unpredictable fluctuations on the Stock Exchange. 股票市场瞬息万变。

6 certified   

a.经证明合格的；具有证明文件的

参考例句：

• Doctors certified him as insane. 医生证明他精神失常。
• The planes were certified airworthy. 飞机被证明适于航行。

7 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

8 liking   

n.爱好；嗜好；喜欢

参考例句：

• The word palate also means taste or liking.Palate这个词也有“口味”或“嗜好”的意思。
• I must admit I have no liking for exaggeration.我必须承认我不喜欢夸大其词。