VOA常速英语2018--联合国助力马拉维应对粮食危机

For the past three years, drought and El Nino winds destroyed the crops for many Malawian farmers and led to food shortages.

过去3年来，旱灾和厄尔尼诺引发的大风摧毁了许多庄稼，很多马拉维农民都遭遇了粮食短缺。

Pharmacist Fastone Mwale in a Kasungu district is struggling to feed his family of eight children. Income he earns from livestock¹, he says, is it too low compared to what he used to make from growing corn.

药剂师Fastone Mwale位于卡松古某区，他连家里的8个孩子都喂不饱。他表示，养牲畜获得的收入太低了，跟以前种玉米的收入没法比。

Over the years, the yields have been declining tremendously. This year, I have just harvested six bags, and I have even failed to send my child to college because I don’t have money to pay for it.

过去数年来，产量一直在急剧下滑。今年的收成只有6袋子，我都孩子上大学都供不起，因为我没钱。

But food insecurity default in Mwale family may be coming to an end after a United Nations project go with them to switch to irrigation farming. With a drone for cooperative project analyzes² data collected by drones to determine the best crops suitable for certain areas and very quiet irrigation.

但Mwale一家遭遇的粮食短缺问题可能要结束了，因为联合国为他们准备了一个项目，让他们可以转向灌溉农业。合作社的项目里有了无人机后，就可以分析无人机收集的数据，然后可以判断出某片区域最适合种植的庄稼，并进行无声灌溉。

Now we’re able to plant three times a year while in the rain-fed agriculture, we were only able to plant and harvest once a year. Maria Jose de Torres is resident coordinator³ for the UN Development Program. What we are trying to do here is actually making data available real-time also to the farmer, so they can know whether or not they should be stopped in doing some of the practices, intervene with pesticide⁴ or the natural biological systems... see if they have to start preparing for the dry season and therefore changing the type of crops.

现在，我们每年能种三季，而如果仅靠雨水灌溉，每年只能种一季，收一季。玛利亚·约瑟是联合国发展计划署的驻地协调员。我们在这里的工作是：让农民可以实时获取数据，这样他们就能知道是否应该停下手里的活儿，是要用杀虫剂还是自然生物系统……还能看出他们是否必须要为旱季做准备，即改变作物品种。

The UN Children Fund set up an air corridor for drones in a Kasungu last year for use in humanitarian⁵ missions. It’s hoped they draw proper help. Drone project will help make Malawian farmers more resilient.

联合国儿童基金会成立了一个无人机空中走廊，这是去年在卡松古座的，以便人道主义任务期间使用。希望农民们能得到适当的援助。无人机项目将助力让马拉维农民有更好的耐抗性。

1 livestock   

n.家畜，牲畜

参考例句：

• Both men and livestock are flourishing.人畜两旺。
• The heavy rains and flooding killed scores of livestock.暴雨和大水淹死了许多牲口。

2 analyzes   

v.分析( analyze的第三人称单数 )；分解；解释；对…进行心理分析

参考例句：

• This approach analyzes management by studying experience usually through cases. 这个学派通常从实例获得经验，用以分析管理。 来自辞典例句
• The econometrician analyzes statistical data. 经济计量学者要分析统计材料。 来自辞典例句

3 coordinator   

n.协调人

参考例句：

• The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, headed by the Emergency Relief Coordinator, coordinates all UN emergency relief. 联合国人道主义事务协调厅在紧急救济协调员领导下，负责协调联合国的所有紧急救济工作。
• How am I supposed to find the client-relations coordinator? 我怎么才能找到客户关系协调员的办公室？

4 pesticide   

n.杀虫剂，农药

参考例句：

• The pesticide was spread over the vegetable plot.菜田里撒上了农药。
• This pesticide is diluted with water and applied directly to the fields.这种杀虫剂用水稀释后直接施用在田里。

5 humanitarian   

n.人道主义者，博爱者，基督凡人论者

参考例句：

• She has many humanitarian interests and contributes a lot to them.她拥有很多慈善事业，并作了很大的贡献。
• The British government has now suspended humanitarian aid to the area.英国政府现已暂停对这一地区的人道主义援助。