蟋蟀蝗虫困扰犹他州

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56 蟋蟀蝗虫困扰犹他州

DATE=8-21-01
TITLE=AGRICULTURE REPORT - Utah’s Insect Invasion
 BYLINE=George Grow

（Start at 59" ）This is Bill White with the VOA Special English AGRICULTURE REPORT.  
(1)Mormon (2)crickets¹ and (3)grasshoppers² have (4)invaded the American state of Utah.  State officials say the attack this summer might be the worst since the Nineteen-Forties.  
The (5)insects have already attacked eight-hundred-thousand (6)hectares of Utah farmland.  Officials blame the Mormon crickets and grasshoppers for more than twenty-five million dollars in crop damage.
Utah Governor Mike Leavitt has declared an (7)agricultural state of emergency.  The state has asked for federal government (8)assistance to control the problem.
Large insects have been a problem in Utah since the first Mormon settlers arrived more than one-hundred-fifty years ago.  The most famous (9)incident was in the spring of Eighteen-Forty-Eight. 
The settlers are said to have pulled ropes across their wheat crops to force crickets off the plants.  The crops were saved only when large numbers of birds began eating the insects.  
Today, many parts of Utah are still largely undeveloped.  Experts say this creates a good environment for Mormon crickets and grasshoppers.  The insects attack small grain plants, cornfields and other vegetable crops.  The insects compete with farm animals for food.  They can remove leaves and protective (10)bark from young trees and even some older trees.  This can kill the tree.  
Experts at Utah State University say that some female grasshoppers produce up to one-hundred eggs at a time.  The insects leave their eggs in the soil during August, September and October.
The experts say some chemical products such as Dursban, Malathion or Sevin are effective weapons against grasshoppers.  They say the best time to (11)spray the (12)pesticides is in the spring and early summer, soon after the young insects are first observed. When the insects become adults, it is more difficult to kill them with liquid sprays.  
The experts say the removal of unwanted plants from open areas can help reduce the insect population.  They also advise the plowing³ of open areas.  Breaking up the (13)soil forces the eggs out into the open.  This causes the eggs to die.
Also, extreme winter weather and cold can destroy the eggs.  So many Utah farmers this year are hoping for a cold and early winter.  
This VOA Special English AGRICULTURE REPORT was written by George Grow.

(1)  mormon [‘mR:mEn]n. 摩门教徒, 一夫多妻主义者
(2)  cricket [‘krikit] n. [昆]蟋蟀, [运动]板球
(3) grasshopper [gra:sFR:p[] n.蚱蜢
(4) invade [in’veid] vt. 侵略, 侵袭, 拥挤
(5) insect [‘insekt] n. 昆虫, 卑鄙的人; adj. .虫的, 虫子一样的, 对付虫子的
(6) hectare  [‘hekta:]n. 公顷（等于1万平方米）
(7) agricultural [Agr’kQltFErl]adj. 农业的, 农艺的
(8) assistance [E’sistEns] n. 协助, 援助, 补助, <英>国家补助
(9) incident [‘insidEnt] n. 事件, 事变; adj. 附带的, 易于发生的
(10)  bark [ba:k] v. 吠, 咆哮, 剥树皮
(11) spray [sprei] vt. 喷射, 喷溅; n. 喷雾, 飞沫
(12)  pesticide [‘pestisaid] n. 杀虫剂
(13) soil [sRil] n. 土壤, 土地, 国土, 国家, 温床, 粪便, 务农; vt. 弄脏, 污辱; vi. 变脏

 

 

1 crickets   

n.蟋蟀( cricket的名词复数 )；板球

参考例句：

• The crickets stridulated their everlasting monotonous meaningful note. 蟋蟀发出了它们持久的，单调而有意思的调子。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The crickets chirped faster and louder. 蟋蟀叫得更欢了。 来自辞典例句

2 grasshoppers   

n.蚱蜢( grasshopper的名词复数 )；蝗虫；蚂蚱；（孩子）矮小的

参考例句：

• Grasshoppers die in fall. 蚱蜢在秋天死去。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• There are usually a lot of grasshoppers in the rice fields. 稻田里通常有许多蚱蜢。 来自辞典例句

3 plowing   

v.耕( plow的现在分词 )；犁耕；费力穿过

参考例句：

• "There are things more important now than plowing, Sugar. "如今有比耕种更重要的事情要做呀，宝贝儿。 来自飘（部分）
• Since his wife's death, he has been plowing a lonely furrow. 从他妻子死后，他一直过着孤独的生活。 来自辞典例句