2022年11月18日 VOA慢速英語：新西蘭希望減少農(nóng)場動物的氣體排放

 

Scientists in New Zealand are looking for a way to stop cows from burping.
新西蘭的科學(xué)家正在尋找一種方法來阻止奶牛打嗝。
 
A burp is when an animal releases gas from its digestive system through its throat.
打嗝是動物從體內(nèi)釋放氣體時它的消化系統(tǒng)通過它的喉嚨。
 
To some, a cow burp might seem like a small thing. But in New Zealand, cows outnumber people two to one. There are only five million people in New Zealand. The nation is home to 10 million cows and 26 million sheep.
對某些人來說，奶牛打嗝似乎是一件小事。但在新西蘭，奶牛的數(shù)量與人的數(shù)量是二比一。新西蘭只有五百萬人口。全國有1000萬頭牛和2600萬只羊。
 
Cows do not easily digest the grass they eat. Instead, they ferment it in multiple parts of their stomach. The process releases a lot of gas. So, every time someone eats beef or drinks milk, the process of getting that product comes at a high cost to the environment.
奶牛不容易消化它們吃的草。相反，他們在胃的多個部位發(fā)酵。該過程釋放出大量氣體。因此，每當有人吃牛肉或喝牛奶時，獲取該產(chǎn)品的過程都會對環(huán)境造成高昂的代價。
 
The cows produce methane gas. While the gas does not last as long in the atmosphere as carbon dioxide, it has a much stronger effect on global warming.
奶牛會產(chǎn)生甲烷氣體。雖然這種氣體在大氣中的存留時間不如二氧化碳，但它對全球變暖的影響要大得多。
 
The scientists in New Zealand are working on ways to reduce the amount of gas that comes out of the cows. They are considering changing the food the animals eat, putting a device on the cows that changes the methane into something safer, or even giving them a vaccine.
新西蘭的科學(xué)家們正在研究減少二氧化碳排放量的方法從奶牛身上。他們正在考慮改變動物吃的食物，在奶牛身上放置一個裝置，將甲烷變成更安全的東西，甚至給它們注射疫苗。
 
There is also talk of feeding the cows a special red seaweed or giving them a food addition known as a probiotic, which would help them digest the grass.
還有人說要給奶牛喂一種特殊的紅海藻，或者給它們添加一種被稱為益生菌的食物添加劑，這將有助于它們消化草。
 
The fight against methane is serious in New Zealand. The country promised to reduce the gas produced by farm animals by up to 47 percent by the year 2050.
在新西蘭，與甲烷的斗爭非常激烈。該國承諾到 2050 年將農(nóng)場動物產(chǎn)生的氣體最多減少 47%。
 
In addition, farmers want a solution. That is because New Zealand announced plans to tax farmers whose animals produce too much gas. The farmers say they would lose money if the tax plan goes into effect.
此外，農(nóng)民需要一個解決方案。那是因為新西蘭宣布計劃對動物產(chǎn)生過多氣體的農(nóng)民征稅。農(nóng)民們表示，如果稅收計劃生效，他們將蒙受損失。
 
Peter Janssen is one scientist working on a solution. He works for AgResearch, a company owned by the New Zealand government. Janssen said the microscopic organisms, or microbes, that live in the cows' stomachs and produce the methane do not actually help digestion. The scientists believe anti-methane treatments would not hurt the cows or the quality of their meat or milk.
Peter Janssen 是一位致力于解決方案的科學(xué)家。他在新西蘭政府所有的公司 AgResearch 工作。詹森說，生活在奶牛胃里并產(chǎn)生甲烷的微生物實際上并不能幫助消化?？茖W(xué)家們認為，抗甲烷處理不會傷害奶牛或它們的肉或奶的質(zhì)量。
 
One idea is a vaccine that would reduce the number of microbes living in the cows. Another is an inhibitor, which would do the same thing. Janssen said both ideas, however, are several years away from being ready.
一個想法是一種疫苗，可以減少奶牛體內(nèi)的微生物數(shù)量。另一種是抑制劑，它會做同樣的事情。然而，Janssen 表示，這兩個想法都需要數(shù)年時間才能準備就緒。
 
Another plan is to breed animals based on how much methane they produce. Some sheep and cows are tested in laboratories. The ones that produce less methane can then be used to breed more animals. The plan could reduce the amount of methane by 15 percent, scientists say.
另一個計劃是根據(jù)動物產(chǎn)生的甲烷量來培育動物。一些綿羊和牛在實驗室進行測試。產(chǎn)生較少甲烷的那些可以用來繁殖更多的動物。該計劃
 
One expert said New Zealand is making good progress in reducing emissions that way.
一位專家表示，新西蘭在通過這種方式減少排放方面取得了良好進展。
 
Sinead Leahy is the top science advisor at the New Zealand Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Research Center. She said the country has made "great progress" in breeding sheep that produce less gas.
Sinead Leahy 是新西蘭農(nóng)業(yè)溫室氣體研究中心的首席科學(xué)顧問。她說，該國在繁殖產(chǎn)生較少氣體的綿羊方面取得了“巨大進步”。
 
Other scientists are working to change the animals' food. The problem with sheep and cows in New Zealand, however, is that they walk around outside and eat grass. It is hard to control their food compared to cows in other countries that come inside to eat. That means one food additive made by a company in the Netherlands is not as helpful in New Zealand.
其他科學(xué)家正在努力改變動物的食物。然而，新西蘭的羊和牛的問題是它們在外面走來走去吃草。與其他國家的奶牛相比，它們很難控制進食。這意味著荷蘭一家公司生產(chǎn)的一種食品添加劑在新西蘭沒有那么有用。
 
So instead, scientists are trying to change the genetic makeup of the grass and other ground covering the animals eat while outside. A genetic change might reduce the compound in the grass that is hard to digest. The problem with that solution, however, is that New Zealand has strict rules on genetically modified crops. Those rules would need to be changed.
因此，科學(xué)家們正試圖改變動物在戶外吃的草和其他覆蓋地面的基因構(gòu)成?；蚋淖兛赡軙p少草中難以消化的化合物。然而，該解決方案的問題在于新西蘭對轉(zhuǎn)基因作物有嚴格的規(guī)定。這些規(guī)則需要更改。
 
Another possibly easier idea comes from farmer Aidan Bichan. He runs Kaiwaiwai Dairies in the town of Featherston, outside of the capital of Wellington. He said he is working to get more milk from each cow. The increased efficiency means he does not need as many cows, which in turn reduces the amount of methane coming from his farm.
另一個可能更簡單的想法來自農(nóng)民 Aidan Bichan。他在首都惠靈頓郊外的費瑟斯頓鎮(zhèn)經(jīng)營著 Kaiwaiwai Dairies。他說他正在努力從每頭奶牛身上獲得更多的牛奶。效率的提高意味著他不需要那么多奶牛，這反過來又減少了來自他農(nóng)場的甲烷量。
 
"At a farm level, we've got to do our bit to help save the planet," Bichan said.
“在農(nóng)場層面，我們必須盡自己的一份力量來幫助拯救地球，”Bichan 說。