VOA常速英语2014--雾收集器为肯尼亚人民生活带来翻天覆地变化

Fog Collector Transforms Maasai Water-Harvesting in Kenya 雾收集器为肯尼亚人民生活带来翻天覆地变化

KISERIAN, KENYA —

The Maasai people of Kenya are known for their cattle-herding, nomadic 1 lifestyle.  But it's an existence that depends on access to adequate water for their herds 2 and flocks.  In the village of Kiserian, the Maasai community is embracing a new piece of water-harvesting technology with marked results.

Early morning in Kiserian, a town 30 kilometers from Nairobi, the Lotuno family go about their daily chores-with their matriarch, Hannah, checking on the health of her flock.

距内罗毕30公里外的小镇克塞里安迎来了清晨,鲁特诺一家正在处理日常琐事—他们的族长汉娜则在检查她那群羊的健康状况。

"I wake up as early as 5 a.m. to tend to the cattle before they are taken out to pasture.I then check on the sheep's health and I tend to the sickly ones. For them to be productive they need lots of water.

“我在凌晨5点就要爬起来去放牧。然后检查羊群的健康状况,我会重点关注生病的。因为他们要生产，所以需要大量的水。

Kiserian is dominated by Maasai cattle herders. During dry spells, they must go far to find enough water and pasture for their animals.

马赛牧民占据了克塞里安的绝大部分。干旱期间,他们必须要长途跋涉才能找到足够多的水源喂饱动物们。

Anthony Purkei is a community organizer who said lack of water is a major issue.

社区组织者安东尼·普克表示缺水是他们面临的最为严重的问题。

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"We experience a lot of problems because we depend on livestock 3 in our livelihood 4. So when there's drought, our cattle die as a result of there's no water and this area where we live is Kajiado County.We experience a lot of drought during the year as a result of climate change.

“我们经历过很多问题,因为我们的生计依赖这些牲畜。因此干旱的时候,我们的牲畜因为缺水而死而且我们居住的这个地方是卡贾多县。因此在这一年中由于气候变化原因我们会经历多次干旱。

But that problem now has a solution: the fog catcher. Professor Bancy Mati from the Jommo Kenyatta University of Agriculture & Technology developed her variation on the device last year.

但是现在这个问题有了解决方案:那就是雾捕手。雅默肯雅塔农业科技大学的巴尼斯·马蒂斯教授去年开发了这款能带来改变的设备。

The fog collectors look like tall volleyball nets slung 5 between two poles, but they are made of a polypropylene or polyethylene mesh 6 that is especially efficient at capturing water droplets 7. When the fog rolls in, the tiny droplets of water cling to the mesh, and as more and more cluster together,they drip into a gutter 8 below that channels the water to a water tank.

这个雾收集器看起来就像是在两极之间挂起的高高排球网,但它们是由聚丙烯或聚乙烯网制造而成,尤其是能有效地捕捉水滴。当起雾时,微小的水滴会在网上挂住,随着积水越来越多,随后汇入一条排水沟最后流入水箱。

"Fog is water. But very few people treat it as water because fog is a cloud that is touching 9 the ground and is small droplets of water.The need to collect fog is because fog season follows the rainy season. The foggy season-that water, instead of letting it go to waste, it is possible to do equipment which will collect fog and the good news is that same equipment collects rain water quite well.

“雾就是水。但很少有人把它当作水，因为雾是接触地面的云,只有很小的水滴。需要收集雾是因为雾季节后就是雨季。不要浪费雾季其中的水源,用设备收集雾中的水已经变为可能,而且好消息是相同收集雨水的设备也很好。

Daniel Lotuno's fog collector was installed on his homestead in April. He said he does not regret spending the 850 for it.

丹尼尔·鲁特诺是4月份在他的家中安装了雾收集器。他说自己并不后悔为了这个小仪器花费850元。

"When there's fog, or some rain, there's some water that we collect.Definitely this shows that we get some water because when it was raining or there's fog we still have to go to our fetching areas. But now since there's a fog collection, then we have water.

“当下雾或下雨的时候,我们就能收集到水。以前下雨或起雾就表明我们得长途跋涉抵达当地才能取水。但是现在因为有了这个机器,我们就能有水了。

And for the Lotunos and other Kiserian families, that water-captured by this revolutionary device-is making a major impact on daily life.

而且对鲁特诺和其他克塞里安家庭而言,这个革命性的获取水源的设备对他们的日常生活产生了重大影响。