VOA慢速英语20060321a

AGRICULTURE REPORT - Why Farm Aid Has its Critics and SupportersBy Mario Ritter

Broadcast: Tuesday, March 21, 2006

I'm Steve Ember with the VOA Special English Agriculture Report.

Aid to farmers has become a major issue in world trade talks. Industrial nations provide farmers with payments to improve farm earnings¹. But, developing nations say aid to farmers in rich nations suppresses² world agricultural prices.




The issue of agricultural subsidies³ has nearly halted the Doha Round of World Trade Organization talks. The Doha Round is the latest in a series of negotiations⁴ by WTO members to improve international trade. Farm subsidies were a major reason that talks in Cancun, Mexico, failed in two thousand three. And, no major agreements were reached in Hong Kong in December of last year.

Today's system of farm subsidies in America began in the nineteen thirties during The Great Depression. Prices in the nation dropped. At that time, twenty-five percent of the nation's population lived on farms. And farmers were among those hurt most by dropping prices.

In nineteen thirty, Congress and President Herbert Hoover tried to protect American markets by taxing foreign imports. Crops were also protected. But this caused other nations to create trade barriers. This closed markets to American goods, making the world economic situation worse.

Three years later, Congress and President Franklin Roosevelt enacted⁵ the Agricultural Adjustment Act. That law and several that followed put in place most forms of farm subsidies that continue today. These include paying farmers not to plant crops. They also include guaranteed prices for some crops, surplus⁶ buying programs and loans.

Not all crops can receive subsidies. But, the Department of Agriculture is required by law to provide subsidies for wheat, corn and other grains used to feed animals. The USDA must also subsidize seeds used to make oil, milk, peanuts, sugar, honey, wool, tobacco and other products.

Farm subsidies are estimated to cost between seventeen and twenty thousand million dollars through next year.

Critics of the system say it does not provide a market solution to agricultural prices. They say a small number of the largest farms receive most of the subsidies.

But supporters say subsidies are necessary because crop prices have dropped for at least fifty years. They note that competitors in the European Union have been unwilling⁷ to lower their large farm subsidies.

This VOA Special English Agriculture Report was written by Mario Ritter. I'm Steve Ember. Our programs are online at www.unsv.com.

1 earnings   

n.工资收人；利润，利益，所得

参考例句：

• That old man lives on the earnings of his daughter.那个老人靠他女儿的收入维持生活。
• Last year there was a 20% decrease in his earnings.去年他的收入减少了20%。

2 suppresses   

抑制（感情等）( suppress的第三人称单数 )； 压制； 禁止发表； 阻止…的生长（或发展）

参考例句：

• The regime ruthlessly suppresses all dissent. 这个政权残酷压制所有不同意见。
• Hemingway suppresses emtion, Wolfe engulfs the reader in feeling. 海明威感情压抑，沃尔夫却把读者卷进感情的漩涡。

3 subsidies   

n.补贴，津贴，补助金( subsidy的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• European agriculture ministers failed to break the deadlock over farm subsidies. 欧洲各国农业部长在农业补贴问题上未能打破僵局。
• Agricultural subsidies absorb about half the EU's income. 农业补贴占去了欧盟收入的大约一半。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

5 enacted   

制定（法律），通过（法案）( enact的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• legislation enacted by parliament 由议会通过的法律
• Outside in the little lobby another scene was begin enacted. 外面的小休息室里又是另一番景象。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹

6 surplus   

adj.过剩的，多余的；n.过剩，剩余额

参考例句：

• The manufacturers in some countries dumped their surplus commodities abroad.一些国家的制造商向国外倾销过剩产品。
• The surplus steam was blown off through the pipes.多余的蒸气通过管道放掉了。

7 unwilling   

adj.不情愿的

参考例句：

• The natives were unwilling to be bent by colonial power.土著居民不愿受殖民势力的摆布。
• His tightfisted employer was unwilling to give him a raise.他那吝啬的雇主不肯给他加薪。