歌词
This is the Agriculture Report.
这里是农业报道
Kenyan farmers say
肯尼亚的农民说
a British ban on the plant known as khat
英国对卡塔叶这种植物的禁令
will seriously affect their business and economy.
将会严重影响该地区的经济贸易
Exports of khat, also called "miraa"
卡塔叶又被称作米拉
are worth big money to Kenya.
它的出口给肯尼亚带来了不菲的收入
The farmers have exported the plant mainly to Britain,
农民们主要把卡塔叶出口到英国
other European countries and Somalia.
还有其他的欧洲国家和索马里区域
Khat is growing in the colder climates of central Kenya.
卡塔生长在肯尼亚中部的寒冷气候中
For years, people have been using it as a drug,
多年来，人们把它当作一种药物来使用
biting on the leaves of the plant,
咬一下这种植物的叶子
can increase the heart beat
可以增加心脏的跳动
and make the person feel more awake.
是人们意识更加清醒
Some Kenyan politicians and khat traders
一些肯尼亚的政客和商人
have called on the government to open talks
呼吁政府与英国官员公开谈判
with British officials to convince them to cancel the ban on khat.
说服他们取消卡塔的禁令
They say ending the ban would save Kenya's khat industry from collapse.
他们表示，结束禁令将使肯尼亚的卡塔尔工业免于崩溃
Kipkorir Menjo is the director of the Kenya Farmers Association,
Kipkorir Menjo是肯尼亚农民协会的主任
he says the ban will affect tens of thousands of people.
他说这项禁令将会影响到数以千计的人
"The miraa industry is going to face a serious challenge
“米拉工业正面临一个巨大的挑战，
because they are people in the supply chain,
因为牵涉到很多这条供应链中的人，
the farmers who are planting the crop,
有种植卡塔的农民
fellows who have been distributing,
有运输分发的人
fellows who have been exporting.
有负责出口的人
The whole industry is likely to collapse
整个的卡塔工业即将倒塌
because this is a major market
因为这是一个支柱市场
which has been earning this people good money,
给这些人带来了可观的收入
of course also earning the country foreign exchange."
当然，卡塔业也给国家赚了外汇。“
Earlier this month,
这个月的早些时候
British Home Secretary Theresa May banned the leafy stimulant.
英国内政大臣特里萨梅禁止这种绿叶刺激物
She warned that traders could use Britain
她警告说，这项贸易可以经由英国
to move khat illegally to other European countries.
将这个非法物品移动到其他欧洲国家
Jephat Muroko is the head of the Global Miraa Industry Dealers Network,
Jephat Muroko是Global Miraa行业经销商网络的负责人，
he says the British's decision was made for political reasons.
他声称英国政府的决定完全是处于政治因素
"To me it's a pure politics,
“对我来说这是一个纯粹的政治，
and not only politics but also oppressive to the miraa industry traders.
不仅是政治，也是对米拉行业交易者的一种压迫
I think it's part of the consequences.
我认为这只是其中一部分后果
But I wonder about our government, why it's quiet about this thing."
但我想知道我们的政府，为什么对这件事情保持沉默。”
Khat is already banned in most European countries,
在大多数欧洲国家，卡塔已经被禁止了
including France, Germany, and Netherlands.
包括法国，德国和荷兰
Kenyan traders exported about 20 tons of khat
肯尼亚的商人们在禁令颁发之前
to the Netherlands weekly before the ban.
每周向荷兰出口20吨卡塔
Another 36 tons a week were sent to Britain.
每周向英国出口大约36吨卡塔
Kipkorir Menjo says khat farmers and traders
Kipkorir Menjo说卡塔农民和贸易商
need to start speaking up, so that Britain can lift the ban.
需要开始发声，以便英国解除禁令。
If their efforts fail, he says,
他说，如果他们的努力白费了
they will have to start planting other crops to earn money.
他们应当准备种植其他作物来获取收入了
"If there will be no headway then they will have to think for other options,
“如果没有进展，那么他们将不得不考虑其他选择，
but I think for now I don't want to conclude that nobody will listen to them.
但我想现在还不想断定没有人会听他们的。
Hopefully they will get some way out,
希望他们能找到一条出路
but if it's not possible they will have to think
但如果不可能，他们将不得不思考
some other ways of getting their livelihood."
其他一些谋生方式。
As the farmers and traders study the latest development from Europe,
随着农民和贸易商了解到欧洲的最新进展
another battle awaits them inside Kenya:
在肯尼亚境内还有另外一场战役等着他们
The National Authority for the Campaign against Alcohol and Drug Abuse
国家禁止酒精和药物滥用运动管理局
is urging the government to list khat as an illegal drug.
敦促政府将卡塔列为非法毒品。
And that's the Agriculture Report from VOA Learning English.
这就是美国之音慢速英语的农业报告
专辑信息
1.MadiDrop