现代农林英语-转基因植物-Reading-Exercises翻译-教学内容.doc

现代农林英语-转基因植物-Reading-Exercises翻译-精品文档GM Crops:Food of Future?转基因作物：未来的粮食？Genetically-modified crops have made a big splash in the news lately. 转基因作物最近在新闻中引起很大轰动。During the Oxford Farming Conference, held in London early this month, the British governments chief scientist, Professor John Beddington, warned that Britain must embrace接受 genetically-modified(GM) crops and cutting-edge developments发展前沿 to avoid catastrophic灾难 food shortages and future climate change (The Guardian, 7January 2010).本月初，在伦敦举行的牛津农业会议上，英国政府首席科学家John Beddington教授警告说，为了避免灾难性的食物短缺和未来气候变化英国必须接受转基因作物和发展前沿（卫报，7january 2010）。This announcement came under fire收到抨击 from farmers, academics and environmental groups. 这一通告受到农民、学术界和环保组织的强烈批评（攻击）。They fear that GM seeds will erode 侵蚀traditional farmers rights and practices, contaminate污染 seed supplies, and increase farmers dependence on private monopolized 垄断agricultural resources.他们担心转基因种子会侵蚀传统农民的权利和做法，污染种子供应，增加农民对私人垄断农业资源的依赖。In recent years, hundreds of millions数亿 of acres around the world (the US tops the list followed by Canada) have been planted with GM seeds. 近年来，世界各地有数亿英亩土地(美国位居首位，其次是加拿大)已经种植了转基因种子。These seeds derived from organisms whose DNA has been modified through genetic engineering基因工程. 这些种子来源于通过基因工程改造DNA的生物体。They are altered using lab techniques that make a particular crop drought-tolerant,resistant to pests, or richer in a particular nutrient.它们通过实验室技术改变作物，使作物具有耐旱性、抗虫性，或者在特定营养物质中更丰富。There are many concerns about GM foods, including issues relating to health, the environment and contamination.人们对转基因食品有许多担忧，包括与健康、环境和污染有关的问题。Environmentalists and farmers fear that genetically-engineered insect-resistant crops抗虫作物 could harm beneficial insects and upset-ecosystem balances破坏生态系统平衡.环保人士和农民害怕转基因抗虫作物会伤害有益的昆虫，破坏生态平衡。Some scientists share their concern that genes inserted into plant or animal foods may inadvertently无意间 create new allergens过敏原 (substances物质 that cause 引起allergies in some individuals) or toxins.毒素一些科学家也担心植入动物或植物中的基因可能无意中产生新的过敏原（引起某些人过敏的物质）或者毒素。There are also concerns about the overall threat全面威胁 to the seed diversity and the healthy diversity of our food supply.也有人担心对种子多样性的全面威胁以及事物供应的健康多样性Climate change and its current and potential impacts on food supplies have an increasing profile 侧面globally.气候变化及其现状和食物的潜在影响在全球有越来越多的情况(侧面信息)Increasing global population and urbanization combined with结合 the need to combat战斗，应对 climate change, means the world will need to produce more food over the next decades, using less land, less water, less fertilizer肥料 and less pesticide.随着全球人口和城市化的增加以及应对气候变化的需要，世界将需要在未来几十年中用更少的土地、更少的水、量少的农药来生产更多的粮食。In the race to tackle the problems接触困境 of climate change, a growing number of countries are viewing GM crops as a vital tool for feeding a growing world population from a limited supply of agricultural land.在应对气候变化问题的竞赛中，越来越多的国家把转基因作物看作是从有限的农业供应量中养活日益增长的世界人口的一个重要工具。According to Eldis, a database and email service of information source on international development, Transgenic crops, with a traits like drought-tolerance or the ability to use nitrogen more efficiently, are proposed as vital tools to enable farmers to adapt to a warmer,direr climate.据Eldis说，一个数据库和国际发展信息源的电子邮件服务，“转基因作物，具有抗旱性状或利用氮的能力更高 最近，提出了重要的工具，使农民适应温暖的气候，更加可怕。”Eldis 认为，一个数据库和国际发展信息源的电子邮件服务，具有抗旱性的转基因作物或者更有效使用氮的转基因作物提出了一个使农民适应温暖气候的工具，气候干燥剂。UK-based PG Economics recently confirmed that genetically-modified(GM) crops had significantly reduced the release of greenhouse gas emissions from agricultural practices through less fuel use and additional soil carbon storage from reduced tillage associated with GM crops.最近，总部设在英国的PG经济学指出：转基因作物大大减少了在农业实践中减少燃料使用的温室气体的排放量的释放以及与转基因作物相关的减少了耕作，增加了土壤中碳的储藏量。Critics of GM point out that GM crops are ineffective in tacking the underlying political and economic causes of food insecurity including the lack of access to land, water and energy.转基因作物的批评者指出，转基因作物在解决粮食不安全的根本政治和经济原因是无效的，食物不安全的原因包括缺乏土地、水、和能源They argue that GM food could be disastrous for small-scale farmers as the costs are much higher and they risk falling into debt.他们认为转基因食品对小规模农户来说可能是灾难性的，因为成本太高，他们有可能陷入债务。Many farmers also believe that the profit of the agrochemical industry is main force behind the emergence of GM crops.许多农民还认为，转基因作物出现后农药行业的利润才是主力军Genetically-modified crops could provide more and better choices for farmers, but so far, they represent a limited genetic ownership.转基因作物可以为农民提供更多更好的选择，但到目前为止，它们代表了呈现出了有基因限制的所有权。Four multinational corporations-Monsanto, Syngenta, Bayer Crop Science and Dupont - now control most of the GM seeds and pesticides market-pesticides are made by the same companies that engineer the seeds.四个跨国企业孟山都、先正达、拜耳作物科学和杜邦-现在控制了大部分的转基因种子和农药市场，杀虫剂被处理过的种子的同样的公司控制。To purchase genetically-modified seeds, a farmer must sign an intellectual property agreement知识产权协议 in order to prevent the duplication复制 of the genetic enhancements为了购买转基因种子，农民必须签署知识产权协议，以防止基因增强的重复。With the total monopoly over GM Seeds, it is impossible不可能的 for independent researchers to verify 核实how these crops are actually performing执行，表演. 由于转基因种子被全部垄断，独立的研究者核实这些作物的实际运作形式是不可能的。Under the threat of litigation诉讼, scientists cannot test a seed to explore the different conditions under which it thrives or fails.在诉讼的威胁下，科学家无法测试一个种子，以探索其兴盛或衰败的不同条件。And perhaps most importantly, they cannot examine whether the genetically-modified crops lead领导，导致 to unintended意想不到的 environmental side effects副作用.(Scientific American Magazine, August 2009)也许最重要的是，他们不能检查转基因作物是否会导致意想不到的环境副作用。（科学美国杂志，2009年8月）Although agrochemical companies and scientists have a lot of time and money to convince说服 people that there is really nothing to worry about, consumers have reacted strongly强烈反应 against GM food. 虽然农药公司和科学家有大量的时间和金钱来说服人们，没有什么可担心的，但消费者对转基因食品反应强烈。For many, the claim that having GM crops will help to feed the worlds growing population is invalid.无效的 对许多人来说，拥有转基因作物将有助于养活世界上日益增长的人口的说法是无效的。Many people in the world are suffering from hunger because they cannot afford to buy food, not because it is unavailable. 世界上许多人挨饿是因为不能负担得起事物，而不是因为食物短缺For GM crops to be seen as视为 a solution for future food shortages, academic freedom学术自由 should be guaranteed担保 for scientists to work independently独立工作 of biotechnology companies生物技术公司. 为使转基因作物被视为未来粮食短缺的解决方案，科学家们必须保证学术自由与生物技术公司独立工作。Governments should also introduce competition rules to prevent private sector monopolies and effective institutions to enforce them. 各国政府还应引入竞争规则，防止私营部门垄断和有效的机构强制执行这些规则There is also a need to increase funds资金 to public sector agricultural research in support for sustainable, safe and farmer-led agriculture.以农民为主导的农业 人们还需要增加公共部门农业研究的资金来支持可持续、安全和以农民为主导的农业。收集于网络，如有侵权请联系管理员删除