The Indian prime minister says the country has sufficient food stocks, despite a drought in nearly half the country. But there are concerns the drought will intensify poverty in the countryside.
印度总理表示，尽管全国将近一半的地区遭受旱灾，但印度有充足的粮食库存来度过难关。不过，人们担心，干旱将会加剧农村地区的贫困情形。
As the driest monsoon season in seven years raises the specter of failed harvests, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh says bumper food grain production in the past two years will help India overcome any shortfall in food production this year.
印度正在经历七年来最干燥的雨季，导致人们对今年粮食歉收的恐慌上升。但是印度总理辛格(Manmohan Singh)说，前两年粮食大丰收有助于印度克服今年可能面临的任何粮食产量不足的问题。
Mr. Singh was addressing a conference of state leaders Wednesday.
印度总理辛格星期三在新德里举行的一个会议上向来自各邦的领导人发表演说。
"We had record production and procurement of food grains in both 2007-2008 and 2008-2009," he said. "We thus have adequate food stocks, and there is no cause of concern or fear of shortages of food grains in the country as a whole."
他说：“我们在2007到2008和2008到2009两个年度粮食生产和粮食采购都创下记录。我们有充足的粮食库存，因此，不需要担心整个国家会粮食不足，更没必要恐慌。”
The government has sufficient stockpiles of staples such as wheat and rice. The government has also said it will step up imports of items such as edible oils and lentils if needed. But officials say India will not publicly announce its plans to import food because this tends to drive up world market prices.
印度政府的主食储存，包括小麦和稻米，都很充足。政府也表示，如果有需要的话，将会增加食用油和扁豆等食物的进口。不过，官方人员说，印度将不会公开宣布粮食进口计划，以避免刺激全球市场价格上升。
Although the country may be able to stave off shortages, food prices are surging, hitting poor people especially hard. The drought is also expected to reduce incomes of farmers, many of whom have not been able to sow crops due to lack of rains in the monsoon season. Nearly 700 million people depend on agriculture for their livelihood in India.
虽然印度也许可以避开粮食短缺的问题，但是粮食价格依然大幅上涨，对贫穷人口的生计造成特别严重的打击。干旱也导致农民收入下降，由于雨季降水不足，农民无法播种。印度有将近七亿人以务农为生。
The prime minister is stressing the need for measures to help farmers. He has called on all states to quickly implement a rural job scheme that provides poor families with 100 days of work a year. He says this will act as a "safety net" for farmers whose crops have failed.
印度总理强调，有必要采取措施帮助农民。他呼吁印度各邦尽快实施农村就业计划，为贫穷农户每年提供100个工作日。他说，这对那些作物歉收的农民来讲，就像是有了保障。
"We have to redouble our efforts to mitigate rural distress rising from the after effects of drought," he said.
他说：“我们必须加倍努力解决农村地区因干旱所带来的灾难。”
Monsoon rains usually come from June to September, and are critical because more than half the country's farmland is not irrigated. This year a long dry spell lasted until August, but rain began to fall this month raising hopes that farmers will be able to plant winter crops such as wheat. India is among the world's leading producers of crops such as wheat, rice and sugar.
印度的雨季通常是在6月到9月之间，由于印度一半以上的农地都没有灌溉设施，降雨对农民来说格外重要。今年干旱的情况一直持续到8月，9月份才开始降雨，点燃了农民能够种植小麦等冬季作物的希望。印度在小麦、稻米和蔗糖等方面是世界主要生产国之一。 |