VOA慢速英语2019 南非严重干旱致数百万人挨饿（在线收听）

Deadly Drought in Southern Africa Leaves Millions Hungry

A months-long drought affecting most of southern Africa has led to serious food shortages for millions of people.

长达数月的干旱影响了南非大部分地区，导致数百万人面临严重粮食短缺的境况。 

The United Nations estimates that more than 11 million people are currently facing crisis levels of food insecurity.

联合国估计，目前有超过1100万人面临粮食无保障的危机水平。 

The World Food Program says southern Africa has received normal rainfall in just one of the past five growing seasons.

世界粮食计划署称，在过去五个生长季中，南非只有一季是正常降雨。 

Among the hardest hit areas is South Africa’s Northern Cape province.

受灾最严重的地区是南非的北开普省。 

There, many farmers are struggling to keep their families and animals alive as they lose money and debt grows.

在亏损和债务增加的情况下，当地农民仍在努力维持其家庭和牲畜的生存。 

Sheep farmer Louis van der Merwe told The Associated Press he had lost more than 400 sheep and 450 springboks over the past two years.

养羊场的农民路易斯·范·德·默维对美联社说，在过去两年中，他失去了400多只羊和450只跳羚。 

He said the current drought is the worst he has seen during his 45 years of farming.

他说，目前的干旱是他45年务农以来最严重的一次。 

Some of his animals died of hunger.

他养的一些牲畜死于饥饿。 

Others were harvested earlier than normal to reduce the number of animals he had to feed.

其他牲畜都会提前宰杀，以减少不得不喂养的数量。 

Van der Merwe got emotional while explaining that he now accepts donations of animal feed so he can keep the rest of his animals alive.

范·德·默维激动地说，他现在接受动物饲料的捐赠，这样其余的牲畜就可以活下来了。 

“If we didn’t have hope, we would not be here anymore,” he said.

他说：“如果我们没有希望，我们就不会在这里了。” 

"We have to have hope and faith.

“我们必须怀有希望和信念。 

There are a couple of times when we have felt it is not worth it."

曾几何时，我们一度认为这不值得。” 

One farmers’ organization estimates that South Africa’s Northern Cape province will need at least $28 million over the next three months to assist 15,500 affected farms.

一个农民组织估计，南非的北开普省在接下来的三个月中将至少需要2800万美元，以援助15500个受影响的农场。

So far, South Africa’s government has promised $2 million.

到目前为止，南非政府已承诺提供200万美元。 

Gertruida Buffel lives in the Northern Cape town of Vosburg.

格特鲁里达·布费尔居住在北开普省的沃斯堡镇。 

She told the AP that things have gotten so bad that she now shares her family’s food with their animals.

她告诉美联社，事情变得如此糟糕，以至于她现在必须将家人的食物分给牲畜吃。 

For two weeks, she fed two small lambs a mixture of dried corn and water after their mother starved to death.

在母羊饿死的两周内，她用干玉米和水的混合物给两只小羊羔喂食。 

But she said one lamb ended up dying, likely because the corn mixture was not part of the lambs’ usual diet.

但她说，一只小羊最终死了，可能是因为玉米混合物不属于小羊的日常饮食。 

Small children are hungry, too.

孩子们也饱受饥饿之苦。 

At Vosburg’s only school, Delta Primary School, large groups of children line up every morning for what becomes both breakfast and lunch.

在沃斯堡唯一的学校德尔塔小学，每天早上都有大批儿童排队吃早餐和午餐。 

The meal usually includes corn meal, vegetables and soup.

餐食通常包括玉米粉，蔬菜和汤。 

The school food program began before the drought.

学校的粮食计划是在干旱之前开始的。 

But teachers say it has become increasingly important for the town’s struggling families.

但是老师们说，这对于该镇生计困难的家庭来说变得越来越重要。 

“It’s very hard for the parents to actually feed their children at home,” one teacher said.

一位老师说：“父母很难让孩子在家里吃饱饭。” 

In Kimberley, the capital of Northern Cape, government officials give out money from the $2-million disaster aid program.

在北开普省首府金伯利，政府官员从这项耗资200万美元的救灾计划中拨款。 

The job can be difficult because some farmers live in places that are not easy to get to.

这项工作可能很困难，因为一些农民住在很难到达的地区。 

Farmers Jan Louw and Martiens Tieties are among those hoping to receive government-provided animal feed.

包括扬·卢和马丁·蒂蒂在内的农民希望获得政府提供的动物饲料。 

But they are not expecting any assistance until January.

但他们预计明年一月份之前都不会得到任何帮助。 

Until then, they plan to keep sharing feed with other farmers to keep their animals alive.

在此之前，他们计划继续与其他农民共享饲料，以保证牲畜的生命。