干旱可能会影响北美肉类产量多年

较难

高中三年级

说明文

世界与环境

从加拿大西部到墨西哥北部各州，养牛的农民正在赔钱。因为持续的干旱，他们很难为他们饲养的动物获取足够的食物，导致一些农场主不得不减少牛群数量。

Farmers who raise cattle are losing money in areas from western Canada to the states of northern Mexico. They are having trouble finding enough food for their animals because of very dry conditions known as drought. Some farmers are buying feed for their animals from other parts of North America, but it is too costly for others.

从加拿大西部到墨西哥北部各州，养牛的农民正在亏损。由于非常干燥的干旱条件，他们很难为他们的动物找到足够的食物。一些农民从北美其他地方为他们的动物购买饲料，但这对其他人来说太贵了。

Dianne Riding raises cattle in Lake Francis, Manitoba. She is a rancher (牧场主). She said that she recently had to sell 51 of her cattle, about 40 percent of the herd. Some of the cattle were young females who were supposed to give birth to many babies in the future. She said selling the young cows was “ gut-wrenching ”, or sad. She may get money now for selling the cattle, but her earnings will not be as high in years to come. “That’s your future,” she said about the young cows.

戴安娜骑马在马尼托巴省弗朗西斯湖养牛。她是个牧场主。她说，她最近不得不出售51头牛，约占牛群的40%。其中一些牛是年轻的雌性，应该在将来生下许多婴儿。她说卖掉这些年轻的奶牛是 “痛苦的”，或者悲伤的。她现在可能会因为卖牛而赚钱，但她的收入在未来几年不会那么高。“那是你的未来，” 她谈到年轻的奶牛时说。

Other ranchers and cattle experts said if people like Riding keep selling their animals, the supply of beef will go down and the cost of meat in North America will go up. The drought is affecting areas throughout western North America. Fields where cows eat grass are dry. Fruit is not growing well in Washington. And California is suffering its worst wildfire season.

其他牧场主和牛专家表示，如果喜欢骑马的人继续出售他们的动物，牛肉的供应将会下降，北美的肉类成本将会上升。干旱正在影响整个北美西部地区。奶牛吃草的地方是干燥的。华盛顿的水果生长不好。加州正遭受最严重的野火季节。

Climate scientists say global warming will make droughts happen more often. But some farmers think the current drought is part of a cycle that will end sometime soon. Even Riding, who had to sell her cows, thinks the drought will soon ease .

气候科学家表示，全球变暖将使干旱更频繁地发生。但是一些农民认为目前的干旱是即将结束的周期的一部分。即使是不得不卖掉奶牛的骑兵，也认为干旱很快就会缓解。

Gloria Montano Green works for the U.S. Department of Agriculture. She said there is a clear link between the drought and climate change. “We’re seeing climate change,” she said. With dry fields, some farmers in western Canada brought in food for their cattle from Prince Edward Island, which is over 3,000 kilometers to the east.

格洛丽亚·蒙塔诺·格林在美国农业部工作。她说干旱和气候变化之间有着明显的联系。“我们看到了气候变化，” 她说。由于土地干燥，加拿大西部的一些农民从东边3,000多公里的爱德华王子岛为他们的牛带来食物。