歌词
From VOA Learning English,
来自美国之音慢速英语，
this is the Agriculture Report.
这里是农业报道。
A decline in the number of honeybees
蜜蜂数量的下降
is a growing problem worldwide.
是一个全球日益严重的问题。
The decreasing bee population could contribute
蜜蜂种群持续减少可能有助于
to an increase in prices for crops
依赖蜜蜂授粉的农作物
that depend on pollination by honeybees.
价格的上涨。
Researchers continue to study the decline
研究人员继续研究着这一下降，
while beekeepers like Terrence Ingram
而像Terrence Ingram等养蜂人
struggle to keep their bee colonies alive.
则在努力保持他们的蜂群存活。
He says he loves being at the center of a swarm of bees.
他说，他喜欢呆在蜂群的中心。
"I love beekeeping. It's one of God's greatest miracles."
”我喜欢养蜂，这是上帝的最伟大的奇迹之一。”
He has raised honeybees since 1954 in managed colonies
他自1954年养蜂以来，
behind his house in rural Apple River, Illinois.
就在自己位于伊利诺伊州的Apple River镇农村地区的屋后饲养有管理的蜂群。
"We had 250 hives at one time.
“我们曾在同一时间拥有250个蜂箱，
We sold five, six tons of honey a year."
我一年卖出五，六吨蜂蜜。”
But that number is declining.
但这一数字正在下降。
"Now we’re down to about probably four tons."
“现在我们下降到大约四吨。”
Not because the 73 year-old beekeeper is slowing down,
不是因为这位73岁的养蜂人正在慢下来，
but because there are fewer bees producing honey.
而是因为生产蜜的蜜蜂少了。
He says the decline in his bee population began in 1996.
他说，从1996年开始，蜜蜂的数量下降。
he blames that decline on the use of insecticides
他指责自家附近农田使用了杀虫剂
and herbicides on the farmland surrounding his property.
和除草剂。
"Every three weeks that summer,
“那年夏天每三周，
they were spraying with the airplane,
他们就使用飞机喷洒。
and by the end of the year,
到那年年底，
I didn't have any of my 250 hives left."
我250个蜂箱颗粒无收。”
This caught the attention of researchers like Christian Krupke,
这引起了像普渡大学研究蜜蜂和昆虫的教授Christian Krupke
a professor at Purdue University who studies bees and other insects.
等研究人员的注意。
"There have been similar reports from Europe in the past,
“过去欧洲一直有类似的报道，
and so we looked into it a little bit further
所以我们从该角度出发
from the point of view of wondering
稍微深入调查了一下。
first of all what is killing these bees,
首先要知道是什么杀死了这些蜜蜂；
and second of all how are these bees acquiring
其次，蜜蜂是如何感染上
whatever this toxic chemical is."
这些有毒化学品。”
Experts say there are many reasons for the worldwide bee decline,
专家称，全球蜜蜂数量下降有许多原因，
not just insecticides.
而不只是因为杀虫剂。
But in this case, Proffessor Krupke and his colleagues
但在该案例中，Krupke教授和他的同事们
thought insecticides might be the cause.
认为杀虫剂可能就是其诱因。
So they studied the insecticides
因此，他们研究了这种
- known as neonicotinoids - that are applied to seeds
被称为新烟碱类的杀虫剂，
as they are planted in the ground, rather than sprayed from above.
当播种到地下时，这种杀虫剂被应用于种子本身，而不是从地面上喷洒
"The two compounds that kept coming up when we tested these dead bees
“我们检测这些死蜂时不断出现的这两种化学物，
were the pesticides clothianidin and thiamethoxam.
是杀虫剂噻虫胺（clothianidin）和噻虫嗪（thiamethoxam）
Those are insecticides that are applied to corn seeds."
这些都是应用于玉米种子的两种杀虫剂。”
About 30 years ago,
大约30年前，
there were 4 million managed bee colonies throughout the United States.
整个美国有400万有管理的蜂群。
Today, there are fewer than 2 million.
而今，这一数字少于200万。
Researchers like Professor Krupke blame that in part on the use of insecticides.
像Krupke教授等研究人员就其部分归咎于杀虫剂的应用。
"Can we get by without neonicotinoids insecticides in these field crops?
“我们能在这些农田作物中不使用新烟碱类杀虫剂吗？
I believe we can. I believe we have data that show that we can."
我认为我们可以，有数据表明我们能够做到。”
This December, the European Union plans
今年12月，欧盟计划
to ban the use of some insecticides
禁止使用某些杀虫剂，
that researchers have linked to bee deaths.
研究人员已将其与蜜蜂死亡联系起来。
No such restrictions are planned in the United States.
美国没有计划出台这样的限制。
Illinois beekeeper Terrence Ingram says
伊利诺伊州的养蜂人Terrence Ingram说，
some of the damage already done is permanent.
一些伤害是永久性的。
"We've got many bee keepers around here that have quit,
“我们这附近很多养蜂人
just gone out of business because they can't succeed."
因为没法成功都已经退出。”
But not Terrence Ingram, he says his passion for bees
但不包括Terrence Ingram。他说，他对蜜蜂的激情
is just as strong as it was when he tended his first colony,
和他60多年前照顾他第一个蜂箱时
more than 60 years ago.
一样强烈。
"See one bee coming out right here, she is attend coming up."
看到一只蜜蜂从这里出来，她出席了。
And that's the Agriculture Report from VOA Learning English.
这是美国之音英语学习的农业报道。
I'm Christopher Cruise.
我是Christopher Cruise。
专辑信息
1.MadiDrop