This is the VOA Special English Agriculture Report.
这里是美国之音慢速英语农业报道。
Two thousand ten was a good year for American farmers. They earned an estimated eighty-two billion dollars. That is almost one-third more than they earned last year. And it is twenty-six percent higher than the ten-year average.
2010年对美国农民来说是不错的一年。他们这一年的收入大约有820亿美元，比去年多了将近三分之一，同时比过去十年的平均值高了26%。
The numbers are from the Economic Research Service at the Department of Agriculture. They represent net farm income, a measure of profitability of farm operations.
这些数字来自农业部经济研究局，表示的是净农业收入，是农业经营盈利能力的衡量标准。
Values for grain and oilseed crops are up about three percent from last year. The value of animal production is up by almost seven percent.
谷类和油料作物产值比去年增长约3%，畜牧生产总值上升了将近7%。
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack points out that agriculture is one of the few major areas of the economy with a trade surplus. A surplus of forty-one billion dollars is predicted in twenty-eleven. That would be an increase of almost eighteen billion dollars from this year.
美国农业部长汤姆·维尔萨克（Tom Vilsack）指出，农业是经济中少数几个保持贸易顺差的领域之一。预计2017年顺差将达到410亿美元，比今年增长近180亿美元。
At the same time, farm exports are expected to break the all-time high set in two thousand eight. The Agriculture Department says exports in this coming year could top one hundred twenty-six billion dollars.
与此同时，农业出口值有望打破2008年创下的高位。农业部表示，未来一年农业出口值可能超过1260亿美元。
The largest buyer of agricultural products is expected to be Canada. But farm exports to China are predicted to come within five hundred million dollars of Canadian purchases.
农产品的最大购买商预计将是加拿大，但对中国的农业出口值预计将接近加拿大5亿美元的采购额。
Secretary Vilsack says countries in Southeast Asia and the Middle East are also buying more from American farmers.
维尔萨克表示，东南亚和中东等国也加大了从美国的农产品进口。
Poor growing conditions overseas played an important part in higher prices for American crops this year.
海外恶劣的种植条件对今年美国农作物的高价起到了重要作用。
Charlotte Hebebrand is chief executive of the International Food and Agricultural Trade Policy Council in Washington. She says drought conditions had a big effect over the summer.
夏洛特·黑贝布莱德（Charlotte Hebebrand）是华盛顿国际粮食与农业贸易政策委员会（International Food and Agricultural Trade Policy Council）的主席，她表示，旱情对整个夏季造成了非常大的影响。
CHARLOTTE HEBEBRAND: "There were severe weather problems, not just in Russia but also in some of the other former Soviet Union countries."
黑贝布莱德：“不仅俄罗斯，还包括其他一些前苏联国家都遭遇了严重的气候问题。”
Wheat prices rose after Russia halted wheat exports, although Russia later eased the ban.
小麦价格在俄罗斯停止出口后涨了上去，尽管俄罗斯随后放松了禁令。
Wheat used to be America's top crop, says economist Charlotte Hebebrand.
经济学家黑贝布莱德表示，小麦一直是美国的重要作物。
CHARLOTTE HEBEBRAND: "What's interesting, though, is that wheat production has actually declined over the past few years because corn has become the most popular crop."
黑贝布莱德：“然而，有趣的是，最近几年小麦产量下滑，因为玉米成为了最受欢迎的作物。”
Corn, or maize, is mostly fed to animals or made into ethanol fuel and high-fructose corn syrup. But Ms. Hebebrand says with the recent increase in wheat prices, American farmers might plant more wheat again.
玉米主要用来饲养动物，或者制作乙醇燃料和高果糖玉米糖浆。但黑贝布莱德表示，随着小麦价格的上涨，美国农民可能再次种植更多小麦。
Corn and wheat are the two largest crops supported by the government through subsidy payments.
玉米和小麦都是获得政府补贴支持的两大作物。