VOA慢速英語:美國農(nóng)民擔(dān)心環(huán)保署對乙醇標(biāo)準(zhǔn)的修改

美國農(nóng)民擔(dān)心環(huán)保署對乙醇標(biāo)準(zhǔn)的修改

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。

Farmers in the United States are concerned about a possible decrease in the use of ethanol. Ethanol is a liquid fuel made from plants, such as corn.

美國農(nóng)民擔(dān)心乙醇用量可能會減少。乙醇是一種用玉米等農(nóng)作物制成的液體燃料。

Last November, the Environmental Protection Agency proposed lowering the required amount of ethanol mixture in the nation's gasoline supply. The required use of ethanol in fuel began in 2007. The requirement was part of a law called the Energy Independence and Security Act.

去年十一月，美國環(huán)境保護(hù)署建議降低全國汽油供應(yīng)中乙醇混合物的必需含量。燃料中要求添加乙醇始于2007年。該要求是能源獨(dú)立與安全法案的一部分。

The law established a Renewable Fuel Standard, or RFS. The RFS ordered fuel refineries to mix ethanol into their gasoline to cut the use of non-renewable fuels. The required amount was to increase over time. That requirement was good news for corn growers like Brian Duncan of Polo, Illinois.

這部法案確定了可再生燃料標(biāo)準(zhǔn)(簡稱RFS)。該標(biāo)準(zhǔn)要求煉油廠將乙醇添加到汽油中，以降低非可再生燃料的使用。汽油中所需的乙醇含量逐年提高。這一要求對伊利諾斯州Polo市的布萊恩·鄧肯(Brian Duncan)等玉米種植戶來說是個好消息。

He thinks the proposed changes will hurt corn sales. He says that after a poor harvest in 2012, farmers enjoyed some of their best corn harvests in 2013.

鄧肯認(rèn)為環(huán)保署提出的這一改變將會傷害玉米銷售。他說，在2012年玉米歉收后，農(nóng)民們迎來了2013年玉米的最好收成。

"As we look at the increased bushels, our inventories are gonna be worth $3 a bushel less than what they were valued at a year ago," said Duncan.

鄧肯表示，“當(dāng)我們一看增加的產(chǎn)量，我們的庫存將會價值3美元每蒲式耳，比一年前價格低。”

The price of corn continues to drop, from a high of more than $7 a bushel. A bushel is equal to about 35.2 litre of dry goods. Corn prices rose in 2012, that year the corn crop suffered because of a lack of rain. Yet the demand for corn in ethanol production continued.

玉米價格從最高的超過7美元每蒲式耳繼續(xù)下跌。一蒲式耳等于35.2升干貨。2012年玉米價格上漲，那年，玉米作物由于干旱損失慘重，然而乙醇生產(chǎn)對玉米的需求不變。

"Four-dollar corn in this environment is tough enough, let alone $2.50 or $2.75 corn, which is what we could be looking at with another big crop, which is why we needed higher blend rates of ethanol," said Duncan.

鄧肯說，“這種環(huán)境下玉米賣4美元就不錯了，別提什么2.5美元或2.75美元。這是我們對大豐收唯一可以期待的，也是為什么我們需要更高乙醇混合率的原因。”

Craig Turner works for the website GrainAnalyst.com. He says the United States is using around 9% less gasoline than we used in 2008.

克雷格·特納(Craig Turner works)就職于GrainAnalyst.com這個網(wǎng)站。他說，美國現(xiàn)在的汽油用量比2008年減少了9%左右。

"We can only use 10 percent of ethanol in a gallon of gasoline [before it harms some engines], and we basically hit that wall. So we can't produce any more ethanol; we have to stay the same, and if fuel efficiency even gets better, then the ethanol mandate could come down even further," said Turner.

特納表示，“一加侖汽油只能添加10%的乙醇(才不至于損壞發(fā)動機(jī))，我們已經(jīng)基本達(dá)到這個極限值。所以我們不能生產(chǎn)更多乙醇，我們必須保持不變。而如果燃油效率甚至變得更好，那么乙醇的需求可能會進(jìn)一步下降。”

Craig Turner says less ethanol is needed as sales of energy-saving automobiles increase. These vehicles, such as hybrid or electric cars, use less fuel.

特納表示，隨著節(jié)能汽車的增加，乙醇需求更少。這些汽車包括使用更少燃料的混合動力汽車或電動車。

"Every year we take older cars off the road and replace them with more fuel-efficient cars, we're going to be using less gasoline, so now that we've reached this peak in corn ethanol it's actually hurting farmers," said Turner.

特納說，“每年我們將舊車報廢，并用更省油的車來替代它。我們將會使用更少的汽油，所以我們現(xiàn)在已經(jīng)達(dá)到玉米乙醇的頂峰，這實(shí)際是在傷害農(nóng)民。”

But farmers like Brian Duncan depended on selling their corn to ethanol producers.

但鄧肯之類的農(nóng)民依賴于將他們的玉米賣給乙醇生產(chǎn)商。

"We're happy for the market, but we have ever increasing yields, and ever increasing production capabilities, for ethanol, and we were kind of planning on the EPA following through with their increase and inclusion of green fuels," he said.

鄧肯說，“我們?yōu)檫@個市場感到高興。但我們產(chǎn)量不斷增加，乙醇的生產(chǎn)能力不斷增加。我們此前大致根據(jù)環(huán)保署在綠色燃料上的增長做出規(guī)劃。”

Years ago, the weather was the biggest concern for farmers. But these days, they have more to be concerned about. These issues include changing ethanol requirements, falling corn prices, and the lack of action in the U.S. Congress on a new farm bill.

幾年前，天氣是農(nóng)民最關(guān)心的問題。但現(xiàn)在，他們有更多操心的問題，包括乙醇需求的變化，玉米價格下降，以及美國國會在新農(nóng)業(yè)法案上缺乏行動。