美国捐赠数百万美元帮助缓解津巴布韦食品短缺

    From VOA Learning English, this is the Economics Report.
    这里是美国之音慢速英语经济报道。

    The United Nations World Food Program (WFP) has appealed for help in fighting the food crisis in Zimbabwe. The World Food Program says more than 2 million people there are facing hunger or starvation.
    联合国粮食计划署呼吁各国帮助抗击津巴布韦的粮食危机。世界粮食计划署表示,该国超过200万人面临着饥荒。

    The United States recently answered the appeal. The U.S. ambassador to Zimbabwe Bruce Wharton announced a $4 million grant to the U.N. agency. The donation brings the total U.S. assistance to fighting hunger in Zimbabwe to $29 million this year.
    美国最近回应了这一呼吁。美国驻津巴布韦大使布鲁斯·沃顿(Bruce Wharton)宣布向该联合国机构提供一项400万美元的捐款。这笔捐赠使得今年美国对津巴布韦抗击饥荒的总援助达到了2900万美元。

    Ambassador Wharton announced the donation earlier this month while on a visit to Matabeleland North province. The World Food Program says Matabeleland North is one of four provinces where the food crisis is severe. However, some Zimbabweans protested the U.S. announcement.
    沃顿大使本月早些时候在访问北马塔贝莱兰省时宣布了这项捐赠。世界粮食计划署表示,北马塔贝莱兰省是粮食危机最为严重的四个省份之一。然而,一些津巴布韦人对美国的通告提出了抗议。

    Robert Tshuma was among the demonstrators during the ambassador's visit. He says the protest was against the financial and travel restrictions Western countries have ordered against President Robert Mugabe and his allies.
    罗伯特·修玛(Robert Tshuma)是沃顿大使访问期间的示威者之一。他说,这次示威是针对西方国家对穆加贝总统及其盟友下达的金融和旅行限制令。

    The financial and travel sanctions were first declared more than ten years ago. The U.S. and other countries acted after reports of human rights abuses and unfair elections in Zimbabwe.
    这项金融及旅行制裁于十多年前首次宣布。美国和其它国家在津巴布韦侵犯人权和选举不公的报道出来后采取了行动。

    Mr Tshuma believes the sanctions should be removed. Ambassador Wharton said the demonstration was an example of freedom of expression. He said the United States wants the people of Zimbabwe to reduce their need for seasonal humanitarian assistances.
    修玛认为这一制裁应该取消。沃顿大使表示,示威是言论自由的一个例子。他说,美国希望津巴布韦人们减少自己对季节性人道援助的需求。

    Zimbabwe has grown to depend on such assistance since 2000, when its agricultural production began to decrease. Officials have blamed the decreased production on a lack of rainfall. Some critics of President Mugabe blamed his land reforms. They says those policies reduced the productivity of the country's farms.
    自2000年津巴布韦农业产量开始下降以来,该国逐步开始依赖这类援助。有关官员将减产归咎于干旱。穆加贝总统的一些批评者则将其归咎于总统的土地改革。他们说,这些政策降低了该国农场的生产力。

    Since 2000, the main crop corn has been in short supply. It is now the "hunger season," the last three-month before farmers harvest their crops. During this period, The World Food Program says, it needs to raise $86 million to feed more than two million hungry Zimbabweans.
    自2000年以来,主要农作物玉米一直供不应求。目前是饥荒季节,即农民收割庄稼之前的最后三个月。在此期间,世界粮食计划署表示它需要募集8600万美元来养活两百多万津巴布韦饥民。

    The WFP says the latest U.S. donation is still not enough to pay for its health and nutrition activities in Zimbabwe. The U.N. agency says it needs $60 million in the next six months to finance these programs.
    世界粮食计划署表示,美国最新公布的捐款仍不足以支付该机构在津巴布韦的健康和营养活动。该联合国机构表示,未来6个月还需要6千万美元来资助这些计划。(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!)