VOA慢速英语2011--Experts Link East Africa Drought to La N

Agriculture Report - Experts Link East Africa Drought to La Ni?a in the Pacific

农业报道 - 专家认为东非干旱与拉尼娜现象有关

This is the VOA Special English Agriculture Report.

这里是美国之音慢速英语农业报道。

East Africa's drought is the worst in sixty years. Scientists say the dry conditions in the Horn of Africa are at least partly the result of an event half a world away.

东非正遭遇六十年以来最为严重的干旱。科学家们表示，非洲之角的干旱至少有部分原因是由于半个地球之外的一种现象。

The event is called La Ni?a, which means "little girl" in Spanish. A La Ni?a begins when waters become cooler than normal in the eastern Pacific Ocean near the equator 1. Changes in wind currents can then affect weather around the world. A related event, called an El Ni?o, happens when the waters become unusually warm.

这种现象被称为拉尼娜，在西班牙语中的意思是“小女孩（或圣女婴）”。当赤道附近东太平洋海域中的海水温度异常降低就会发生拉尼娜现象。气流的变化可以影响全球的天气。另一种相关的现象被称为厄尔尼诺现象，当海水温度异常升高时就会发生。

La Ni?as and El Ni?os happen about every three to five years. The latest La Ni?a began in July of last year and ended in May. The conditions can last for up to two years.

拉尼娜和厄尔尼诺现象每三到五年时间就会发生一次。最近一次拉尼娜从去年7月开始，并于今年5月结束。这种状况可以持续长达两年时间。

Wassila Thiaw studies Africa for the Climate Prediction Center at the National Weather Service in the United States. With a La Ni?a, Mr. Thiaw says the easterly winds that are supposed to bring moisture into East Africa are reduced.

Wassila Thiaw在美国国家气象局气候预测中心负责研究非洲气象。Wassila Thiaw表示，在拉尼娜影响下，原本将给东非带去水汽的东风带减弱。

WASSILA THIAW: “There was less moisture coming into East Africa and therefore rainfall is reduced.”

WASSILA THIAW：“进入东非的水汽减少，因此降雨量也随之减少。” 

Starting late last year, rains that were supposed to fall over Somalia, southern Ethiopia and northern Kenya failed. That part of the Horn of Africa has a second rainy season from March through May. Mr. Thiaw says that one failed, too, but for different reasons.

从去年年底开始，原本应该降到索马里、埃塞尔比亚南部和肯尼亚北部的雨水并未降临。今年3到5月份是非洲之角这部分地区的第二次雨季，但这轮雨水同样未能降临，不过原因有所不同。

WASSILA THAW 2: “What played out here during the March-April-May season we do not think that is really La Ni?a. But it [is] probably mostly due to the atmospheric 3 conditions that prevailed at that time.”

WASSILA THAW：“3到5月份期间（雨水未能降临）我们认为不是拉尼娜现象在发挥作用。而更有可能是由于当时盛行的大气状况。”

Mr. Thiaw says La Ni?a conditions might begin again by the end of this year. And if that happens, he says, then the October-through-December rainy season could again be dryer 4 than normal.

Thiaw先生说，今年年底可能再次发生拉尼娜现象。他表示，如果出现这种情况，今年10到12月的雨季可能再次比正常情况干旱。

Climate researcher Simon Mason at Columbia University in New York says East Africa has been getting drier over about the last ten years. Mr. Mason says this is at least partly the result of global warming. Rising temperatures in the Indian Ocean create conditions that pull moisture away from East Africa.

纽约哥伦比亚大学气候研究员Simon Mason表示，过去十年东非地区变得越来越干燥。Mason先生表示，其中至少部分原因是由于全球变暖。印度洋温度升高导致东非地区水汽减少。

Claudia Ringler at the International Food Policy Research Institute also points to another issue. She said by Skype that much of the land in the drought-affected areas is not very productive 5 even in good times.

国际粮食政策研究所的Claudia Ringler还指出了另一个问题。她通过Skype表示，干旱影响地区的大部分土地即使在气候条件好的时候产量也不高。

CLAUDIA RINGLER: “It will not get any better. Even if we have a bit more rainfall, the general potential for more food production is not expected to improve dramatically in the region.”

CLAUDIA RINGLER：“情况不会得到任何改善。即使有更多降雨，该地区粮食生产潜力预计也不会显著提高。”

In the United States, the latest La Ni?a pushed moisture away from the south, causing severe droughts. Texas has suffered billions of dollars in agricultural losses. Changes in the winds pushed the rain toward northern states, causing floods.

在美国，最近的一次拉尼娜现象使南方水汽减弱，造成了严重的干旱，使德克萨斯州遭受了数十亿美元的农业损失。风向的转变将雨水推向北方各州造成了水灾。

And that’s the VOA Special English Agriculture Report, written by Jerilyn Watson and Steve Baragona. To find transcripts 6 and MP3s of our programs, or to post comments, visit our website voaspecialenglish.com. I’m Karen Leggett.