VOA慢速英語:Urban Farms Across America

From VOA Learning English, this is the Agriculture Report.

這里是美國之音慢速英語農(nóng)業(yè)報道。

Farms are spreading to unused city lots and old properties across the United States. These urban farms grow crops in areas where people rarely buy fresh fruits and vegetables, they also have the power to change what people eat and the power to influence troubled neighborhoods.

農(nóng)場蔓延到了美國各地閑置的城市地塊和舊物業(yè)。這些城市農(nóng)場在人們很少能買到新鮮水果和蔬菜的地方種植農(nóng)作物。它們也有能力去改變?nèi)藗兊娘嬍骋约叭ビ绊懯芾_的社區(qū)。

Eco City Farms is an educational nonprofit organization in Prince George county, Maryland. It seeks to empower the community by teaching economic development, job training and a healthy way of living.

生態(tài)城農(nóng)場(Eco City Farms)是馬里蘭州喬治王子縣的一家教育類非盈利性組織。該組織尋求通過指導經(jīng)濟發(fā)展、職業(yè)培訓和健康生活方式使得人們更具能力。

The group has set up farms near automobile repair businesses and fast food stores in urban neighborhoods.

該組織在市區(qū)汽修廠和快餐店附近開辦了農(nóng)場。

Social activist Margaret Morgan-Hubbard founded Eco City Farms. She says the the lack of fresh produce is a major health problem for children and their families who live in nearby Bladensburg, Maryland.

社會活動家瑪格麗特·摩根-哈伯德(Margaret Morgan-Hubbard)創(chuàng)立了生態(tài)城農(nóng)場。她說，缺乏新鮮農(nóng)產(chǎn)品是居住在馬里蘭州布萊登斯堡附近的孩子及其家人面臨的一個主要的健康問題。

"What's critical is that 70 percent of the people in these towns are either overweight, obese, have diabetes or other kinds of diet-related ailments because they don't have access to healthy food."

她說，“關(guān)鍵是這些城鎮(zhèn)中70%的人超重、肥胖、患有糖尿病或其它與飲食相關(guān)的疾病，因為他們沒有渠道獲得健康食品。”

Eco City Farms offer several programs, including educational activists on agriculture, food, and finding jobs with environmentally-friendly businesses.

生態(tài)城農(nóng)場提供數(shù)種方案，其中包括農(nóng)業(yè)、食品方面的教育活動家，以及在環(huán)保企業(yè)謀職。

People can also learn how to cook healthier foods and teach others how to prepare meals. On a recent day, Philip Sidibe demonstrated his cooking skills. He prepared Aloco, a popular food in Cameroon where he grew up.

人們還能學習如何烹調(diào)健康食物，并教別人如何準備飯菜。最近某天，菲利普·西迪貝(Philip Sidibe)就展示了他的廚藝。他準備了Aloco，這是他家鄉(xiāng)喀麥隆的一種常見食物。

He and other young people not only cook their food, they also grow it in a large garden next to the Autumn Woods Apartments. The apartments are home to 1,000 people, but the community has just one small store.

他和其他年輕人不僅烹煮食物，還在秋林公寓(Autumn Woods Apartments)附近的一處大花園種植食物。該公寓住了1000人，但該社區(qū)卻只有一個小商店。

Tameka Barbour-Gaskins lives in Autumn Woods. She says her whole family is eating healthier meals because of the local produce.

巴伯加斯·金斯(Tameka Barbour-Gaskins)住在秋林公寓。她表示，因為這些本地農(nóng)產(chǎn)品，她全家都吃上了健康食物。

"I like junk food. I like quick meals. Not easy to just go from eating a certain way all your life to switching over to being healthier... With the garden here, with my son learning, he can help me switch around my style of eating. I want a healthy family."

她說，“我喜歡吃垃圾食品，喜歡吃快餐。從吃了一輩子的飲食方式轉(zhuǎn)換到健康飲食可不太容易。有了這些花園和我兒子的學習，他就可以幫助我改變飲食風格。我想要有個健康的家庭。”

Margaret Morgan-Hubbard says the urban garden is an agent for change and the young people are its newest supporters.

摩根-哈伯德表示，城市花園是變革的動因，年輕人則是其最新的支持者。

"Our program is about planting seeds. It's about planting seeds not just in the ground, but in other human beings so that the movement can grow and it's really exciting because... these young people will be working with us throughout the year to help plan the actual farm and to ultimately own it."

她說，“我們的項目是關(guān)于播種，不僅是播種到地里，還播種到其他人的心里。這樣該活動才能發(fā)展。這真令人興奮，因為這些年輕人整年都將與我們攜手合作，幫助規(guī)劃這一實際的農(nóng)場，并最終擁有它。”

She says this means not only farming food, but also making that food available to people who live in the community.

她說，這不僅意味著種植食物，還包括向居住在該社區(qū)的人們供應這些食物。