VOA慢速英语2019 拉丁美洲的香蕉遭受病害威胁（在线收听）

Disease Threatens Banana, the World’s Most Popular Fruit

A disease that threatens the world’s most popular fruit – the banana – has arrived in Latin America. As a result, officials in Colombia have declared a state of emergency.

一种威胁香蕉——世界上最受欢迎的水果的病害已经流传到拉丁美洲。哥伦比亚官员因此宣布进入紧急状态。

Bananas are among the most important food crops in the world, along with wheat, rice and corn. That information comes from the United Nations (UN).

来自联合国的信息显示，香蕉、小麦、大米和玉米皆是世界上最重要的粮食作物。

Five years ago, the UN warned that a disease called Tropical Race 4, or TR4, could destroy "much of the world's banana crop." The disease first appeared in Asia in the 1990s. It later spread to Africa and the Middle East.

五年前，联合国警告称，一种名为“热带种族4”（TR4）的病害可能会摧毁“世界上大部分的香蕉作物”。这种疾病最初出现在20世纪90年代的亚洲，后来传播到非洲和中东。

There are as many as 1,000 kinds of bananas grown in more than 150 countries. The TR4 disease only affects the most popular and common kind of banana - the Cavendish.

在150多个国家种植的香蕉多达1000种。 TR4病害只影响最受欢迎和最常见的卡文迪什香蕉。

It is easier and more cost-effective for growers to produce just one kind of banana. Growers in Colombia and many other places choose Cavendish bananas. This variety can be shipped to countries around the world without ripening too quickly.

对于种植者来说，只种植一种香蕉更容易，也更划算。 哥伦比亚和许多其他地区的种植者选择卡文迪什香蕉。这种品种在运输过程中不会过快成熟，因而可以运送到世界各国。

Banana industry watchers say there is still time to find another kind of banana to grow.

香蕉业观察人士表示，还有时间寻找另一种香蕉替代种植。

Not that long ago, the Gros Michel, also known as Big Mike, was the world's most popular banana. Big Mike was destroyed in the 1960s by the same disease that is now threatening Cavendish.

不久以前，“大米歇尔”也被称为“大麦克香蕉”，是世界上最受欢迎的香蕉。“大麦克香蕉”在20世纪60年代正是被如今同样威胁卡文迪什的病害摧毁。

Randy Ploetz is a retired scientist from the University of Florida. He studied tropical plant diseases. He said of the recent spread of TR4, "I don't think it's going to impact the availability of the Cavendish in supermarkets anytime soon."

兰迪·普罗茨是佛罗里达大学的一位退休科学家。 他研究热带植物病害。 谈到最近TR4的传播，他说：“我不认为它会在短期内影响卡文迪什在超市的销售供应情况。”

He added that Asian countries affected by the TR4 disease have planted different kinds of Cavendish or moved to uninfected farmlands. But those bananas are not as productive, and they later become infected, too.

他补充说，曾受过TR4疾病影响的亚洲国家已经种植了不同种类的卡文迪什香蕉，或者（将香蕉园）搬到了未被感染过的农田。但是这些香蕉没有那么多产，并且它们后来也被感染了。

In Colombia, officials are taking special measures to stop the disease from spreading.

在哥伦比亚，政府官员正采取特别措施阻止病害传播。

Officials have removed plants infected with the disease and covered soil with black plastic sheets to prevent spread of the disease. Officials have also set up controls at entrances to affected banana farms where they disinfect the trucks that travel between the farms and ports. The country's military and police are also guarding banana farms to keep thieves from spreading the disease through their clothes and shoes.

官员们已经移除了感染这种病害的植物，并用黑色塑料薄膜覆盖土壤，以防止病害的传播。 官员们还在受影响香蕉农场的入口处设置了控制措施，在农场入口他们对农场和港口之间行驶的卡车进行消毒。该国的军队和警察也在守卫香蕉农场，以防止小偷通过衣服和鞋子传播病害。

So far, the disease has been found on six farms near Colombia's border with Venezuela. Officials say the affected area is still small and is not hurting the country's banana exports.

到目前为止，人们在哥伦比亚与委内瑞拉边境附近的六个农场发现了这种病害。 有关官员表示，受灾地区很小，并没有损害该国的香蕉出口。

Colombia's agriculture minister, Andres Valencia, told the Associated Press, "We will continue to work towards stopping this disease from spreading to the rest of Colombia." He said growers will one day have to plant other kinds of bananas that are more disease resistant.

哥伦比亚农业部长安德烈斯·瓦伦西亚对美联社表示，“我们将继续努力，阻止这种病害向哥伦比亚其他地区蔓延。”他说，总有一天，种植者必须开始尝试种植其他更抗病的香蕉。

Gert Kema is a plant scientist who studies bananas. He agrees that the banana industry needs to diversify. He says there are many types of tomatoes and peppers grown around the world, for example. Bananas should be no different.

格特·凯玛是一位研究香蕉的植物科学家。 他同意香蕉产业需要多样化这个观点。他说，就如世界各地种植的西红柿和辣椒种类很多一样，香蕉也应该如此。

Words in This Story

impact - v. have a strong and often bad effect

diversify - v. to increase the variety of goods or services