VOA常速英语2008年-Bangladesh Rice Harvest Could Ease Famine Conce

By Steve Herman
New Delhi
18 April 2008

Some good news from one of the world's most impoverished¹ countries, which struggles to feed its people in the best of times. Bangladesh reports the rice harvest, just under way, appears to be a bumper² crop. But due to soaring rice and wheat prices the country says its 500,000 army troops are being ordered to eat potatoes. VOA correspondent Steve Herman reports from our South Asia bureau in New Delhi.

Bangladesh's hardiest³ rice, sown back in January and known as the "boro" crop, is now being harvested. Initial reports are that it is plentiful⁴.

This is encouraging news for a nation where the majority of people are employed in agriculture and rice is the dominant⁵ crop, contributing more than one-fourth of the country's gross domestic product.

The positive assessment⁶ from the government in Dhaka comes amid soaring rice prices and concerns about whether India, China and Vietnam will be able to provide sufficient rice imports for Bangladesh.

World Food Program spokesman Emamul Haque in Dhaka says a bumper harvest would ease some of the burden on Bangladeshis.

"The whole nation is expecting that we will have a bumper 'boro' product. But we do not have any specific scientific assessment so far. If we really get this the way we are expecting, it will have some impact on the food security situation as well," said Haque.

A shortage of rice amid a doubling of prices in the past year has led to hoarding⁷ and rioting in Bangladesh.

Trying to ensure the civilian⁸ population has enough to eat, the government is ordering the half-million members of its army to substitute potatoes for rice and wheat.

The World Food Program spokesman in Bangladesh says the general population this year also will need to rely more on potatoes, something traditionally not on the menu.

"Many of them will definitely depend on the potato. And this is not a bad idea. But it cannot be the substitute of the rice. If they don't get rice, if the potato is cheap, definitely they do not have any other option," said Haque.

Many Asian nations have been severely⁹ affected¹⁰ by surging prices for rice, wheat, food oils and pulses. Compounding the misery¹¹ for Bangladesh - two devastating¹² floods and a cyclone¹³ in the past year, which ruined several million tons of food grains, raising worries about famine.

1 impoverished   

adj.穷困的，无力的，用尽了的v.使（某人）贫穷( impoverish的过去式和过去分词 )；使（某物）贫瘠或恶化

参考例句：

• the impoverished areas of the city 这个城市的贫民区
• They were impoverished by a prolonged spell of unemployment. 他们因长期失业而一贫如洗。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 bumper   

n.(汽车上的)保险杠；adj.特大的，丰盛的

参考例句：

• The painting represents the scene of a bumper harvest.这幅画描绘了丰收的景象。
• This year we have a bumper harvest in grain.今年我们谷物丰收。

3 hardiest   

能吃苦耐劳的，坚强的( hardy的最高级 )； （植物等）耐寒的

参考例句：

• This trip will season even the hardiest traveller. 这个旅行会让最坚硬的旅行者适应。

4 plentiful   

adj.富裕的，丰富的

参考例句：

• Their family has a plentiful harvest this year.他们家今年又丰收了。
• Rainfall is plentiful in the area.这个地区雨量充足。

5 dominant   

adj.支配的，统治的；占优势的；显性的；n.主因，要素，主要的人(或物)；显性基因

参考例句：

• The British were formerly dominant in India.英国人从前统治印度。
• She was a dominant figure in the French film industry.她在法国电影界是个举足轻重的人物。

6 assessment   

n.评价；评估；对财产的估价，被估定的金额

参考例句：

• This is a very perceptive assessment of the situation.这是一个对该情况的极富洞察力的评价。
• What is your assessment of the situation?你对时局的看法如何？

7 hoarding   

n.贮藏；积蓄；临时围墙；囤积v.积蓄并储藏（某物）( hoard的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• After the war, they were shot for hoarding. 战后他们因囤积而被枪决。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Actually he had two unused ones which he was hoarding up. 其实他还藏了两片没有用呢。 来自英汉文学

8 civilian   

adj.平民的，民用的，民众的

参考例句：

• There is no reliable information about civilian casualties.关于平民的伤亡还没有确凿的信息。
• He resigned his commission to take up a civilian job.他辞去军职而从事平民工作。

9 severely   

adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地

参考例句：

• He was severely criticized and removed from his post.他受到了严厉的批评并且被撤了职。
• He is severely put down for his careless work.他因工作上的粗心大意而受到了严厉的批评。

10 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

11 misery   

n.痛苦，苦恼，苦难；悲惨的境遇，贫苦

参考例句：

• Business depression usually causes misery among the working class.商业不景气常使工薪阶层受苦。
• He has rescued me from the mire of misery.他把我从苦海里救了出来。

12 devastating   

adj.毁灭性的，令人震惊的，强有力的

参考例句：

• It is the most devastating storm in 20 years.这是20年来破坏性最大的风暴。
• Affairs do have a devastating effect on marriages.婚外情确实会对婚姻造成毁灭性的影响。

13 cyclone   

n.旋风，龙卷风

参考例句：

• An exceptionally violent cyclone hit the town last night.昨晚异常猛烈的旋风吹袭了那个小镇。
• The cyclone brought misery to thousands of people.旋风给成千上万的人带来苦难。