This is the VOA Special English Agriculture Report.
这里是VOA慢速英语农业报道。
American farmers first planted genetically engineered crops in nineteen ninety-six. Today eighty percent of the cropland for soybeans, maize and cotton in the United States is transgenic. Genetic engineering adds or changes genes in a plant to produce desired qualities.
美国农民于1996年第一次种植转基因作物。今天，美国80%的耕地种植的大豆，玉米和棉花属于转基因。基因工程是指增加或改变植物的基因以获得所需的植物性状。
The United States is one of twenty-five countries where farmers planted genetically engineered crops in two thousand nine. An agricultural biotechnology group says planting decreased in Europe. But the amount of cropland planted with the crops rose by an estimated seven percent worldwide.
美国是2009年种植转基因作物的25个国家之一。一个农业生物技术组织称，（转基因作物）在欧洲的种植量减少。但是，据估计，全球种植转基因作物的耕地数量增长了7%。
The National Research Council, part of the National Academies in Washington, recently published a study. The study examined how genetically engineered crops have affected farming in the United States. It found that many farmers have better harvests, better weed control and fewer losses from insect damage compared to traditional crops.
国家研究委员会（1）是位于华盛顿的美国国家科学院的一部分，他们最近公布了一项研究。该研究调查转基因作物如何影响美国农业。调查发现，和传统作物比较，许多（种植转基因作物的）农民收成更好，除草更容易，病虫害损失更小。
LaReesa Wolfenbarger is a University of Nebraska biology professor and a member of the committee that wrote the report. She says they found that genetically engineered crops can be better for the environment.
LaReesa Wolfenbarger是内布拉斯加大学的生物学教授，也是发布该报告的（国家研究）委员会的成员之一。她表示，她们发现，转基因农作物对环境有益。
LAREESA WOLFENBARGER: "In general, we find that genetically engineered crops have had fewer adverse effects on the environment than non-GE crops produced conventionally."
LaReesa Wolfenbarger：“总的来说，我们发现，转基因作物比非转基因的传统作物的对环境的不利影响更小。”
For example, she noted that crops designed to resist damage by glyphosate need fewer pesticides that are more toxic to the soil. Glyphosate is a chemical used in Round-Up and other weed killing products.
例如，她指出，抗草甘膦的（转基因）作物可以减少对土壤毒性更大的杀虫剂的使用。草甘膦是一种用于农达（Round-Up）（2）或其他除草剂的化学物。
But some farmers have used so much glyphosate that a number of kinds of weeds can now resist it. David Ervin of Portland State University in Oregon led the committee that wrote the report. Professor Ervin says this means that some farmers are again using the more toxic herbicides to control weeds. He says the problem needs immediate attention.
但是，由于一些农民的过度使用，数种杂草对草甘膦已具有抗药性。俄勒冈州波特兰州立大学的大卫·埃尔文（David E. Ervin）（3）领导的（国家研究）委员会撰写了这个报告。埃尔文教授称，这意味着一些农民只能再次使用毒性更大的除草剂来控制杂草。他说，这个问题需要立即引起注意。
Earlier this year, a professor at the University of Western Australia commented on the overuse of glyphosate. Stephen Powles wrote about it in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in the United States. He said glyphosate is as important in worldwide food production as penicillin is in medicine for fighting disease. He called for better use of glyphosate-resistant crop technology.
今年早些时候，西澳大学的一位教授谈及草甘膦的过度使用，发表在美国《国家科学院院报》（4）。他说，在全球粮食产区，草甘膦的重要性就像药品中抵抗疾病的青霉素。 他呼吁更好的利用抗草甘膦作物种植技术。
注1：美国国家研究委员会(United States National Research Council)为1916年由美国国家科学院所设立民间非营利研究机构，系美国国家科学院与国家工程院从事科学技术研究与业务活动机构，既接受国家科学院资源，同时保持其独立研究体制并与政府机构合作。
注2：农达（Roundup），是美国孟山都公司研制并全球性开发的一种有机膦内吸传导型灭生性除草剂。
注3：大卫·埃尔文（David E. Ervin），美国国家研究委员会主席。
注4：Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in the United States 简称PNAS，美国国家科学院院报。