VOA标准英语2013--Locust Infest More of Madagascar

 

Locust¹ Infest² More of Madagascar

The locust plague in Madagascar is getting much worse. More than half the nation is now infested³. The U.N. says time is rapidly running out to bring the voracious⁴ insects under control.

The Food and Agriculture Organization began issuing warnings about migratory⁵ locusts⁶ in Madagascar in August of last year. It appealed for funds for control programs. But funding fell short and control programs stopped. The locusts did not. Locusts are usually found in southwestern Madagascar. But when conditions are right – like the rainy season – their population can soar.

This past March, the FAO announced the country was in the midst of a plague. It said at least 22 million dollars was needed by July. However, emergency appeals are described as “severely underfunded.” 

FAO Locust Control Officer Annie Monard said that conditions could deteriorate⁷ sharply in the coming months.

“We think that at the end of the winter season – the cool and dry season -- locust infestations⁸ will be present on two-thirds of the island.”

The locusts wipe out any natural vegetation in their path, as well rice and maize⁹ crops. The FAO says rice and maize losses range from 40 to 100 percent on many plots.

“The plague will of course have a big impact on the cereal production. [It] will also have an impact on pastures. So that means that – not this year, but probably next year – there will also be an impact on the cattle – on the health of the cattle,” she said.

She said that food security and livelihoods¹⁰ of 13 million people are at stake. That’s 60 percent of the population.

The Food and Agriculture Organization said the 22 million dollars is needed now so a locust control program can be in place by September. That’s when the next cropping season begins. A complete three-year program -- to bring the locusts into what’s called a recession -- will cost more than 41-million dollars.

“If untreated, it could last for several years and be more and more important,” she said.

Regular control programs, she said, easily could have prevented the plague from ever happening. Despite a problem that’s now literally¹¹ of biblical proportions, Monard said donors¹² have been slow to respond.

“I think because the world is not so rich. There are a lot of other priorities. Also I think the current political situation in Madagascar is a bit difficult to assess for the donors and they could be a bit reluctant to invest. Yes, the plague will be stopped, of course. But after that, will the government be able to maintain a locust preventive strategy? So that is also a question that donors have.”

Madagascar has been in a political deadlock¹³ for the past four years as rivals battle for the presidency¹⁴. Elections, which had been scheduled for July 24th, have been postponed¹⁵ until August 23rd.  The United States has called on leaders to return the country to true democratic rule through free and fair elections.

 

1 locust   

n.蝗虫；洋槐，刺槐

参考例句：

• A locust is a kind of destructive insect.蝗虫是一种害虫。
• This illustration shows a vertical section through the locust.本图所示为蝗虫的纵剖面。

2 infest   

v.大批出没于；侵扰；寄生于

参考例句：

• Several animals in sea water can infest wood.海水中有好多动物能侵害木材。
• A lame cat is better than a swift horse when rats infest the palace.宫殿有鼠患，瘸猫比快马强。

3 infested   

adj.为患的，大批滋生的（常与with搭配）v.害虫、野兽大批出没于( infest的过去式和过去分词 )；遍布于

参考例句：

• The kitchen was infested with ants. 厨房里到处是蚂蚁。
• The apartments were infested with rats and roaches. 公寓里面到处都是老鼠和蟑螂。

4 voracious   

adj.狼吞虎咽的，贪婪的

参考例句：

• She's a voracious reader of all kinds of love stories.什么样的爱情故事她都百看不厌。
• Joseph Smith was a voracious book collector.约瑟夫·史密斯是个如饥似渴的藏书家。

5 migratory   

n.候鸟，迁移

参考例句：

• Many migratory birds visit this lake annually.许多候鸟每年到这个湖上作短期逗留。
• This does not negate the idea of migratory aptitude.这并没有否定迁移能力这一概念。

6 locusts   

n.蝗虫( locust的名词复数 )；贪吃的人；破坏者；槐树

参考例句：

• a swarm of locusts 一大群蝗虫
• In no time the locusts came down and started eating everything. 很快蝗虫就飞落下来开始吃东西，什么都吃。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 deteriorate   

v.变坏；恶化；退化

参考例句：

• Do you think relations between China and Japan will continue to deteriorate?你认为中日关系会继续恶化吗？
• He held that this would only cause the situation to deteriorate further.他认为，这只会使局势更加恶化。

8 infestations   

n.（害虫、盗贼等）群袭，出没，横行( infestation的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The arrival of warm weather raises the specter of disease and increased rat infestations caused by rotting garbage. 天气转暖使人们担心垃圾腐烂会引起疾病传播和鼠群猖獗。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Piperazine citrate is the drug of choice in the treatment of Ascaris infestations. 枸橼酸哌嗪治疗蛔虫感染是最好的药物。 来自辞典例句

9 maize   

n.玉米

参考例句：

• There's a field planted with maize behind the house.房子后面有一块玉米地。
• We can grow sorghum or maize on this plot.这块地可以种高粱或玉米。

10 livelihoods   

生计，谋生之道( livelihood的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• First came the earliest individualistic pioneers who depended on hunting and fishing for their livelihoods. 走在最前面的是早期的个人主义先驱者，他们靠狩猎捕鱼为生。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件
• With little influence over policies, their traditional livelihoods are threatened. 因为马赛族人对政策的影响力太小，他们的传统生计受到了威胁。

11 literally   

adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实

参考例句：

• He translated the passage literally.他逐字逐句地翻译这段文字。
• Sometimes she would not sit down till she was literally faint.有时候，她不走到真正要昏厥了，决不肯坐下来。

12 donors   

n.捐赠者( donor的名词复数 )；献血者；捐血者；器官捐献者

参考例句：

• Please email us to be removed from our active list of blood donors. 假如你想把自己的名字从献血联系人名单中删去，请给我们发电子邮件。
• About half this amount comes from individual donors and bequests. 这笔钱大约有一半来自个人捐赠及遗赠。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 deadlock   

n.僵局，僵持

参考例句：

• The negotiations reached a deadlock after two hours.两小时后，谈判陷入了僵局。
• The employers and strikers are at a deadlock over the wage.雇主和罢工者在工资问题上相持不下。

14 presidency   

n.总统(校长，总经理)的职位(任期)

参考例句：

• Roosevelt was elected four times to the presidency of the United States.罗斯福连续当选四届美国总统。
• Two candidates are emerging as contestants for the presidency.两位候选人最终成为总统职位竞争者。

15 postponed   

vt.& vi.延期，缓办，（使）延迟vt.把…放在次要地位；[语]把…放在后面（或句尾）vi.（疟疾等）延缓发作（或复发）

参考例句：

• The trial was postponed indefinitely. 审讯无限期延迟。
• The game has already been postponed three times. 这场比赛已经三度延期了。