VOA慢速英語：英美貿易談判在農業(yè)問題上產生沖突

US, Britain Clash Over Farming Issues During Trade Talks

英美貿易談判在農業(yè)問題上產生沖突

Britain and the United States have opened exploratory talks on a trade agreement. Such an agreement would take effect after Britain officially leaves the European Union.

英國和美國就貿易協(xié)定開展了探索性會談。這類協(xié)議將會在英國正式退出歐盟后生效。

The withdrawal, known as Brexit, is set for March 29.

英國脫歐定在3月29日。

Sharp differences have arisen between British and U.S. officials over agricultural issues. Britain is resisting U.S. demands to open its markets to farm products currently banned under EU law.

英美官員之間在農業(yè)問題上出現了尖銳分歧。英國抵制美國要求放開根據目前歐盟法律受禁農產品的市場。

The most widely reported example is Europe's import ban on American "chlorinated chicken." In the United States, the meat processing industry washes chickens in chlorine to remove harmful bacteria. Europe says that an over-dependence on chlorine lowers overall production and cleanliness on poultry farms.

報道最多的案例就是歐洲對美國“氯洗雞”的進口禁令。美國肉類加工業(yè)使用氯水清洗雞肉以便去除有害細菌。歐洲表示，過度依賴氯水會降低家禽養(yǎng)殖場整體產量和清潔度。

U.S. officials are disputing the claim.

美國官員駁斥了這種說法。

Use of artificial growth hormones

使用人工生長激素

The European Union has also banned imports of meat from American cows that have been treated with artificial growth hormones. Natural hormones control growth in animal or plant cells.

歐盟還禁止進口使用人工生長激素的美國牛肉。天然激素控制動植物細胞的生長。

American farmers use artificial hormones to increase the size of animals or to increase milk production. But EU officials warn that one commonly used growth hormone may cause cancer. They add there is not enough scientific information on other hormones to approve their use in food.

美國農民使用人工激素來提高動物的體型或增加產奶量。但是歐盟官員警告說，某種常用生長激素可能會致癌。他們還說，也沒有足夠科學資料證明其它激素可以在食品中使用。

U.S. officials have made it clear that any future trade deal with Britain must see these food bans dropped.

美國官員明確表示，未來與英國達成的任何貿易協(xié)議都必須先拋棄這些食品禁令。

Former U.S. lawmaker Darrell Issa is President Donald Trump's choice to lead the U.S. government's Trade and Development Agency. Issa says that the millions of Britons visiting the United States every year enjoy perfectly safe food.

美國前議員達雷爾·伊薩(Darrell Issa)是川普總統(tǒng)欽點的美國貿易發(fā)展署署長。伊薩表示，每年有數百萬訪問美國的英國人都食用了完全安全的食物。

"We'd like to have that arrangement being one in which, in Britain, you can choose to have American chicken, American beef, or other agricultural products, just as you could when you come to the United States. It is a key lynchpin of an agreement. Financial, manufacturing and agriculture have to be free and fair."

他說：“我們希望有這樣的安排，你在英國也能選用美國雞肉、牛肉等農產品，就像你來美國時一樣。這是協(xié)議的關鍵一環(huán)，金融、制造業(yè)和農業(yè)都必須自由平等。”

The U.S. ambassador to Britain, Woody Johnson, recently wrote about the issue in Britain's The Telegraph newspaper. He attacked what he called "myths" over American farming, claiming they are part of an effort to protect the interests of British farmers.

美國駐英國大使伍迪·約翰遜(Woody Johnson)最近在英國《電訊報》上撰文談到了這個問題。他攻擊了對美國農業(yè)的“流言”，稱這是為了保護英國農民利益。

British food quality concerns

英國食品質量擔憂

Britain has repeatedly said that it will not lower food quality rules after it leaves the EU. In answer to Ambassador Johnson's comments, British international trade minister Liam Fox said his country would not compromise.

英國一再表示離開歐盟后不會降低食品質量規(guī)定。英國國際貿易部長利亞姆·?？怂?Liam Fox)在回應約翰遜大使的言論時表示，英國不會妥協(xié)。

Fox spoke to the British Broadcasting Corporation.

?？怂菇邮芰擞鴱V播公司的采訪。

"Will we accept things that we believe are against the interests of our consumers or our producers? No, we won't. It's a negotiation."

他說：“我們會接受那些我們認為侵犯消費者或生產商利益的事情嗎?不，我們不會接受，這是談判。”

The dispute over American meat imports is also influencing debate over the Irish border, a major issue in Britain's attempt to cancel its EU membership.

關于美國肉類進口的爭議也影響到了在愛爾蘭邊境問題上的爭議。愛爾蘭邊境是英國試圖退出歐盟時遇到的一個主要問題。

British and EU officials want to avoid border inspections between Northern Ireland, which is part of Britain, and the Republic of Ireland, an EU member state. Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar recently expressed fears that the border could open a back door into the EU. In other words, EU members might import products that fail to meet their food safety requirements.

英國和歐盟官員希望避免在作為英國一部分的北愛爾蘭和作為歐盟成員的愛爾蘭共和國之間實行邊檢。愛爾蘭總理利奧·拉拉德卡(Leo Varadkar)最近表示擔心這一邊境可能會打開歐盟的后門。換句話說，歐盟成員國可能會進口不滿足食品安全要求的產品。

Varadkar told reporters, "If at some point in the future the United Kingdom were to allow chlorinated chicken or beef with hormones into their markets, we wouldn't want that coming into our markets or the European Union as well."

拉拉德卡對記者表示：“如果將來某個時候英國允許“氯洗雞”或是含有激素的牛肉進入英國市場，我們也不希望它們進入我國市場或是歐盟市場。”

The United States says a trade deal would help British industries, like financial services. And Britain appears interested in strengthening its position in the post-Brexit world as an international trading power.

美國表示，貿易協(xié)議將會有助于英國產業(yè)，像金融服務業(yè)。英國似乎有興趣加強該國在脫歐后作為國際貿易大國的地位。

I'm Jonathan Evans.

喬納森·埃文斯報道。