VOA慢速英語:The Changing Landscape of U.S. Farm Production

From VOA Learning English, this is the Agriculture Report.

這里是美國之音慢速英語農業(yè)報道節(jié)目。

Demand for meat, milk and eggs is growing around the world. To meet that demand, the way these products are produced is changing. The change is from small farms to large industrial operations. This has already happened in the United States.

全球對肉類、牛奶和雞蛋的需求不斷增長。為了滿足這一需求，這類產品的生產方式正在發(fā)生變化。從小型農場到大型產業(yè)化農村都經歷了這種變化。這一切都已經在美國發(fā)生。

But not everyone is happy with the change. As a result, there is also a growing demand for products growing locally on small farms.

但并非所有人都喜歡這種變化。因此，公眾對本地小農場生產的產品的需求也在不斷增長。

In Clinton, North Carolina, some old buildings are all that remain from the days when James Lame raised hogs next to his home. He saw that small farmers were having trouble competing with companies that own large farms.

在卡羅萊納州的克林頓縣，一些老建筑是當年詹姆斯·拉梅(James Lame)在自家附近養(yǎng)豬時所剩下的唯一的東西。他親眼看到小農戶在和擁有大農場的公司的競爭中遇到麻煩。

"They had better consistency, better pork quality, better genetics. So after college, in '98, I decided to try and modernize."

“他們(指擁有大農場的公司)有更好的持續(xù)性，更好的豬肉質量，更好的遺傳學。所以98年大學畢業(yè)后，我決定嘗試一下(農場)現代化。”

He stopped raising hogs in small building and built two industrial-scale hog barns, each of them holds 1,500 hogs. Nearly all pigs are raised this way in the United States now.

他停止在小房子里養(yǎng)豬并建成了兩幢工業(yè)化規(guī)模的豬舍。每個豬舍能容下1500頭生豬?，F在美國幾乎所有的豬都是這樣喂養(yǎng)的。

The government says the efficiency of large-scale production in a controlled environment has helped reduce the price of a pork chop by nearly 20 percent since 1998.

美國政府表示，在可控環(huán)境下大規(guī)模生產的效率已經使得1998年以來的豬排價格降低了近20%。

These efficient and intensive production methods are being used around the world, many experts say that is a good thing as the demand for meat grows. But livestock expert Carolyn Opio points out that the land, water and feed required to produce it are limited.

這些高效、集約化生產方式被應用于世界各地。許多專家表示，由于對肉類需求的增長，這是件好事。但畜牧專家卡羅琳·奧比奧(Carolyn Opio)指出，生產所需的土地、水和飼料是有限的。

"If we are to produce within the constraints that we are facing today, efficiency, I think, is key."

她說，“如果我們在當今面臨的限制條件下生產，我認為效率是關鍵。”

Mrs Opio is with the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, but the results of the efficiency are not always necessarily good. The waste from thousands of confined animals can pollute waterways, and produce greenhouse gases.

奧比奧女士就職于聯(lián)合國糧食和農業(yè)組織。但效率導致的結果并不一定好。圈養(yǎng)動物產生的廢物會污染水道并產生溫室氣體。

And some health experts are concerned about the antibiotics and other chemicals being put in the animal's feed. Others criticize the conditions in which the animals are kept.

而一些衛(wèi)生專家關心的是動物飼料中投放的抗生素和其它化學物質。其他人則批評動物的喂養(yǎng)條件。

So today a growing number of people are like Kevin Summers in Amissville, Virginia, are returning to small-scale farming.

所以今天越來越多人都像弗吉尼亞州阿米斯維爾(Amissville)的凱文·薩默斯(Kevin Summers)一樣，正回歸到小規(guī)模養(yǎng)殖。

"In order to feed the world, I think this is a better way, It's a cleaner way. It's a more humane way."

他說，“為了養(yǎng)活世界，我認為這是更好的辦法。它更清潔更人性化。”

More Americans today say they want to know where their food comes from, some might like the way Kevin Summers raises his hogs.

如今越來越多美國人表示，他們想要知道食物來源，一些人可能會喜歡薩默斯養(yǎng)豬的方式。

"I can see the entire process unfold before my eyes and know that they had a good life and were healthy and happy."

他說，“我可以看到整個流程展現在我眼前，并知道它們生活不錯，過得健康快樂。”

The hogs eat damaged apples and old pumpkins, this reduces food waste, but this kind of farming also means higher prices. Even so, Kevin Summers as he believes it would still be possible to meet global demand this way.

這些豬吃爛蘋果和老南瓜，這可以減少糧食浪費，但這類養(yǎng)殖也意味著價格更高。即使如此，薩默斯仍然相信這樣做仍然能做到滿足全球需求。

"It would just involve people making the choice to buy this kind of food and say that, 'I care about something other than just the cost.'"

他說，“這只是個選擇問題，買這類食品的人們會說，'我關心的是費用以外的一些東西。'”