VOA标准英语2012--Indian Government Takes Heat for Rotting Wheat

Indian Government Takes Heat for Rotting Wheat 

In Bhopal, India anger and frustration¹ boil over - protesters clashing with police, blaming government officials for letting their harvests go to waste.

On Thursday, Punjab state's deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal placed the blame at the top. "The grain is not with us, it is in the custody² of the FCI [Food Corporation of India]. So it is FCI's property, if they have let it rot its FCI's problem," he said.

In New Delhi, Food Minister K.V. Thomas was quick to dismiss any concerns. "I had a discussion with the minister of agriculture of Punjab a few days back. My report is that they are managing all these things," he said.

But pictures from around India tell a different story - piles of wheat at this grain market in Rajasthan exposed to the elements, rotting away following a heavy rainfall.

Another pile makes a comfortable bed for a dog. Farmers are outraged³.

A laborer⁴ pulls at a sack of rotting wheat grain to try to salvage⁵ any that was still edible⁶, at an open storage area in Khamanon village, some 215 kilometers (133 miles) from Amritsar, India. 

"Even looking at all this, there is no mercy for farmers," said farmer Raghu. "There is no administration or collector to look into the matter. Anybody who comes here just gives assurance that our work will be done soon. But no one comes after that."

The vast shortage of storage facilities has sparked bitter debate in New Delhi, where officials have said there is simply no where to put an estimated 12 million tons of surplus grain this year.

So for now there is little hope for farmers, forced to watch as their good grain goes bad.

1 frustration   

n.挫折，失败，失效，落空

参考例句：

• He had to fight back tears of frustration.他不得不强忍住失意的泪水。
• He beat his hands on the steering wheel in frustration.他沮丧地用手打了几下方向盘。

2 custody   

n.监护，照看，羁押，拘留

参考例句：

• He spent a week in custody on remand awaiting sentence.等候判决期间他被还押候审一个星期。
• He was taken into custody immediately after the robbery.抢劫案发生后，他立即被押了起来。

3 outraged   

a.震惊的，义愤填膺的

参考例句：

• Members of Parliament were outraged by the news of the assassination. 议会议员们被这暗杀的消息激怒了。
• He was outraged by their behavior. 他们的行为使他感到愤慨。

4 laborer   

n.劳动者，劳工

参考例句：

• Her husband had been a farm laborer.她丈夫以前是个农场雇工。
• He worked as a casual laborer and did not earn much.他当临时工，没有赚多少钱。

5 salvage   

v.救助，营救，援救；n.救助，营救

参考例句：

• All attempts to salvage the wrecked ship failed.抢救失事船只的一切努力都失败了。
• The salvage was piled upon the pier.抢救出的财产被堆放在码头上。

6 edible   

n.食品，食物；adj.可食用的

参考例句：

• Edible wild herbs kept us from dying of starvation.我们靠着野菜才没被饿死。
• This kind of mushroom is edible,but that kind is not.这种蘑菇吃得，那种吃不得。