这里是美国之音慢速英语农业报道。
One of the great American success stories after World War Two was the rise of industrial farming. But now small is big. People who say they worry about their food and their environment are looking for locally grown produce from small farms.
二战后美国最经典的的成功故事之一是工业化养殖的崛起，但现在一些小问题开始放大。对食物和环境感到担忧的人们开始寻找本地小农场出产的食品。
Local meat producers want a piece of the action. But small farmers often have a difficult time getting their animals to market. Many cannot pay the cost of a large slaughterhouse.
当地肉类生产商希望从中分一杯羹。但是，小农户在将他们的牲畜投放市场时往往遇到困难。许多人无法支付大型屠宰场的费用。
Also, the number of slaughterhouses in the United States has decreased sharply since the nineteen eighties. Some small farmers have to travel long distances to have their animals killed and processed.
此外，自上世纪80年代以来，美国屠宰场数量锐减。一些小农户需要长途跋涉才能屠宰他们的牲畜。
But now if a farmer cannot get to the slaughterhouse, the slaughterhouse may come to the farmer.
但现在如果农户不能去到屠宰场，屠宰场将到农场来开展服务。
The United States Department of Agriculture, the USDA, is helping farmers to pay for and operate mobile slaughter units. These are trucks and trailers equipped to do the job, including inspection. A federal inspector travels with the unit.
美国农业部正帮助农民购买并经营移动屠宰场，这种屠宰场由卡车和拖车组成，并有美国联邦检疫员随车进行检疫。
Last September the USDA announced a sixty-five million dollar program called "Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food." The aim is to support local farmers, rural communities and healthy eating. As part of that effort, officials are trying to spread the word about mobile slaughter units.
去年9月美国农业部公布一项耗资6500万美元的“了解农户和食物”方案。其目的是支持当地农村、农户以及饮食健康。作为该方案的一部分，官员们正试图大力宣传移动屠宰场。
Ten years ago, in Washington State, fifteen farmers raising sheep and other livestock formed a cooperative. Their group, the Island Grown Farmers Cooperative, wanted to build a traditional slaughterhouse.
十年前，华盛顿州的15个养羊和其他牲畜的农民合作组成港岛农民养殖合作社，试图建立一个传统的屠宰场。
But neighbors objected. So the farmers designed a slaughterhouse on wheels. The Department of Agriculture approved the first mobile slaughter unit in two thousand two.
但这遭到邻居们的反对。因此农民设计了一个车轮上的屠宰场。农业部2002年批准了第一个移动屠宰场。
There are now forty-four farmers in that cooperative. And mobile units are being used around the country not just for sheep and cattle.
该合作社现有44家农户。此外，在全国范围内广泛使用的移动屠宰场也不仅仅屠宰牛羊。
A group in Alaska uses a mobile slaughterhouse for reindeer. And an organization in South Dakota has a mobile unit for buffalo.
阿拉斯加有个驯鹿移动屠宰场，而南达科他州则有个野牛移动屠宰场。
The United States has a limited number of federal meat inspectors. Some farm co-ops operate with state inspectors. But red meat and meat that will be sold in other states must have federal inspection.
美国联邦肉类检疫员人数有限。一些农业合作社只需通过州检疫。但红肉及在其他州销售的肉类，必须通过联邦检疫。
Right now, officials say nine groups are operating federally approved mobile units. They say these slaughterhouses on wheels are not only a way to build local food systems, but also to help local economies.
相关官员表示，目前有9家经联邦政府批准的移动屠宰场。他们说，这些车轮上的屠宰场不仅是建立当地食品系统的一个途径，还能帮助当地经济发展。