布隆迪--侵入灵魂的饥饿

    From VOA Learning English, this is the Environment and Science Report.
    这里是美国之音慢速英语环境和科学报道。

    Recent studies suggest the African nation of Burundi has the highest levels of hunger and undernourished people worldwide. More than ten years of war, along with poverty and overpopulation have strongly affected the nation's economic and nutritional conditions. Continued rising demands for limited resources create serious problems for Burundi.
    最新研究表明非洲国家布隆迪的饥饿和营养不良人口比例居全球最高。十多年的战争再加上贫穷和人口过剩已经严重影响到该国的经济和营养状况。对有限资源不断增长的需求给布隆迪造成了严重问题。

    Along many of the hillsides in Burundi's northern Ngozi province, workers are digging and planting. They hope to stop fertile soils from sliding away in what is considered the hungriest place on earth.
    沿着布隆迪北部恩戈齐省的许多山坡,工人们正在锄地和播种。他们希望阻止这一被认为是全球最饥饿的地方的肥沃土地放任自流。

    The United Nations World Food Program is currently paying more than 5,700 local farmers to work other people's lands. The WFP program, Food-for-assets comes after years of local farmers trying and failing to beat hunger by working their own land.
    联合国世界粮食计划署目前雇佣了5700多名当地农民来耕种他人的土地。在当地农民多年来不断尝试通过耕种自有土地战胜饥饿未能成功之后,世界粮食计划署出台了这一粮食换资产项目。

    The Burundian civil war ended in 2005 after twelve years of fighting. The conflict left much fertile land unattended. Some also was repossessed. Overpopulation in the country has also increased pressure on food production.
    布隆迪内战在经过12年战争后于2005年结束。这场冲突导致很多肥沃的土地无人耕种。有些土地还已经退化了。该国的人口过剩也增加了粮食生产压力。

    Jean-Dominique Masumbuko is a Agricultural Coordinator for the Christian aid group World Vision. He says the people show no sign of physical strength. He says they appear almost bloodless.
    吉恩多米尼克·马松布科(Jean-Dominique Masumbuko)是基督教援助组织世界宣明会的农业协调员。他说人们没有显示出任何体力的迹象,他们几乎都是面无血色。

    At a nearby clinic, crying babies, older children and underweight mothers fill the room. Some of the children are already in a World Food Program effort that feeds extremely underweight children and breastfeeding mothers.
    在附近的一家医疗中心,哭闹的婴儿,年长一点的小孩和体重不足的母亲挤满了房间。其中一些儿童已经进入了喂养体重严重不足的儿童和哺乳期母亲的世界粮食计划署的项目中。

    Pascaline Minani, has a 6-year-old son in the program. She walked five kilometers carrying her baby to get to the center. She is seeking supplements to improve her breast milk. She worries that without supplements her baby might suffer severe hunger.
    帕斯卡利娜·米纳尼(Pascaline Minani)有一个六岁的儿子进入了这一项目。她步行五公里带着她的孩子来到这个医疗中心。她正在寻求获得营养品来增加乳汁。她担心如果没有营养品,她的孩子可能会遭受严重饥饿。

    But WFP workers find that Minani's measurements do not meet the requirement. She is not underweight enough to receive the supplements.
    但是世界粮食计划署员工发现米纳尼的测量结果不符合要求。她尚未达到接受营养品的体重不足的程度。

    Pascaline Minani says she cannot stop thinking about food. She says her only wish is to feed her children once a day, and if there is more, she will feed herself.
    米纳尼表示,她时刻都想着食物。她说她唯一的愿望就是每天喂一次她的孩子。如果有剩余再养活自己。

    The World Food Program says that recent studies show that feeding and agricultural programs have reduced malnutrition rates nationwide.
    世界粮食计划署表示,最新研究表明,喂养和农业项目已经降低了全国范围内的营养不良率。

    And that's the VOA Environment and Science Report.
    以上就是本期美国之音慢速英语环境和科学报道的全部内容。

    I'm Marsha James.
    我是玛莎·詹姆斯(Marsha James)。(51VOA.COM对本文翻译保留全部权利,未经授权请勿转载,违者必究!)