VOA常速英语2013--美国国际开发署计划旨在鼓励净水科技 确保食物用水

 

美国国际开发署计划旨在鼓励净水科技 确保食物用水

In the 21st century, water scarcity¹ is one of the greatest challenges to human development, and in some cases, even survival.

在21世纪,缺水是人类发展所面临的其中一项最大挑战,在某些情况下,甚至危急存亡。

Over 40 percent of the world's population, some 2.8 billion people, live in regions impacted by water scarcity.

世界上超过40%的人口中约有28亿人生活在水资源匮乏的地区。

Close to half of them live in areas where demand for water exceeds the available supply.

接近一半的人居住的地方对水的需求超过了供应。

Lack of access to water has a number of obvious consequences,

水资源匮乏会造成很多明显的后果,

such as low agricultural productivity, and increased incidence of illness due to reliance on poor quality sources in limited supply.

如由于依赖有限供应的质量差的水源造成农业生产率低,疾病发生率增加。

But its impact goes far beyond the obvious.

但它的影响远远不止如此显而易见。

Because 70 percent of water is used for food production, water scarcity contributes to, for example, higher food prices, environmental degradation², and dampening of economic growth in the regions most affected³.

因为70%的水资源用于食品生产、水资源短缺会导致在影响最严重地区如更高的食品价格,环境恶化,经济增长受到抑制等一系列问题。

And the news gets worse—global water demand is projected to increase by 55 percent in the first half of this century, further increasing competition for resources among domestic, agricultural and other users.

而且情况变得愈发糟糕，全球水资源需求预计在本世纪上半叶将增长55%,这就进一步增加国内,农业和其他用户对于这种宝贵资源的竞争。

That is why the U.S. Agency for International Development, or USAID, and Sweden's Development Agency, SIDA, launched, in early September:

这就是为什么美国国际开发署USAID以及瑞典发展机构SIDA在9月初启动:

Securing Water for Food: A Grand Challenge for Development.

确保食物用水计划的原因:这是为发展而构想的一次重大挑战。

The $25 million initiative will help fund and accelerate scientific and technological⁴ innovations that can aid developing and emerging countries to more effectively use and manage the water required to produce food.

这一2500万美元的计划将有助于投资高效化科技创新,这样发展中国家和新兴国家将会更有效地使用及管理食物用水。

The program will focus on three areas critical to reducing water scarcity in the food value chain:

该计划将重点集中于至关重要的三个领域以减少食物价值链中的水资源匮乏:

improving water efficiency and reusing waste water;

首先改善水资源的利用效率及再利用废水;

improving and building effective rainwater capture and storage systems in areas where water availability is seasonally⁵ variable, thus securing water supplies throughout the year and building resiliency to drought;

其次改善并且建立有效的水资源随季节性变化区域的雨水收集及存储系统,从而确保全年水供应并且构建抗干旱系统;

and finally, improving water quality, specifically saline content, in coastal⁶ areas,

最后改善水的质量,特别是在沿海地区的盐含量,

where a combination of over-pumping for irrigation and rising sea-levels are causing salt water to leach⁷ into freshwater aquifers⁸, forcing farmers to use poor quality water and diminishing farm productivity.

用于灌溉的超量抽水及海平面升高这二者的结合导致海水渗入淡水含水层,迫使农民使用质量差的水资源并且减低农业生产率。

“Water scarcity and its impact on food security affects everyone on the planet,” said USAID Administrator⁹, Dr. Rajiv Shah.

“水资源短缺及其对粮食安全的影响事关地球上的你我。”美国国际开发署署长拉吉夫·沙阿博士说道。

“By harnessing the expertise¹⁰ and creativity of the world's brightest innovators, we can tackle this critical challenge with new thinking and partnerships¹¹.”

“利用世界最聪明创新者的专业知识和创造力,凭借创新思维和合作关系我们可以解决这一严峻的难题。”

1 scarcity   

n.缺乏，不足，萧条

参考例句：

• The scarcity of skilled workers is worrying the government.熟练工人的缺乏困扰着政府。
• The scarcity of fruit was caused by the drought.水果供不应求是由于干旱造成的。

2 degradation   

n.降级；低落；退化；陵削；降解；衰变

参考例句：

• There are serious problems of land degradation in some arid zones.在一些干旱地带存在严重的土地退化问题。
• Gambling is always coupled with degradation.赌博总是与堕落相联系。

3 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

4 technological   

adj.技术的；工艺的

参考例句：

• A successful company must keep up with the pace of technological change.一家成功的公司必须得跟上技术变革的步伐。
• Today,the pace of life is increasing with technological advancements.当今， 随着科技进步，生活节奏不断增快。

5 seasonally   

参考例句：

• The price of vegetables fluctuates seasonally. 蔬菜的价格随季节变动。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• They moved seasonally among various vegetation types to feed on plants that were flourishing. 它们还随着季节的变化而在各种类型植物之间迁移，以便吃那些茂盛的植物。 来自辞典例句

6 coastal   

adj.海岸的，沿海的，沿岸的

参考例句：

• The ocean waves are slowly eating away the coastal rocks.大海的波浪慢慢地侵蚀着岸边的岩石。
• This country will fortify the coastal areas.该国将加强沿海地区的防御。

7 leach   

v.分离，过滤掉；n.过滤；过滤器

参考例句：

• Liquid water can leach soluble materials from the interface.液态水能够从界面溶解出可溶性物质。
• They believe that the humic materials are leached from decaying plant materials.他们认为腐植物料是从腐烂的植物体浸沥而来。

8 aquifers   

n.地下蓄水层，砂石含水层( aquifer的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• And in Africa, the aquifers barely recharge at all. 非洲的地下水开采以后几乎得不到补充。 来自时文部分
• Aquifers have water contents over 30%. 含水层的水含过30％。 来自辞典例句

9 administrator   

n.经营管理者，行政官员

参考例句：

• The role of administrator absorbed much of Ben's energy.行政职务耗掉本很多精力。
• He has proved himself capable as administrator.他表现出管理才能。

10 expertise   

n.专门知识(或技能等)，专长

参考例句：

• We were amazed at his expertise on the ski slopes.他斜坡滑雪的技能使我们赞叹不已。
• You really have the technical expertise in a new breakthrough.让你真正在专业技术上有一个全新的突破。

11 partnerships   

n.伙伴关系( partnership的名词复数 )；合伙人身份；合作关系

参考例句：

• Partnerships suffer another major disadvantage: decision-making is shared. 合伙企业的另一主要缺点是决定要由大家来作。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件
• It involved selling off limited partnerships. 它涉及到售出有限的合伙权。 来自辞典例句