VOA慢速英語:辭去穩(wěn)定工作去務農(nóng)

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。

The United States is one of the world's leading agricultural powers, but few Americans are farmers. One recent study showed just two percent of the population do the job in agriculture. Yet, small farms seem to be appearing in many areas to meet a growing demand for locally produced food. The people operating these farms often have little or no experience in farming.

美國是全球最重要的農(nóng)業(yè)國之一，但只有少數(shù)美國人是農(nóng)民。最近的一項研究顯示，美國只有2%的人口從事農(nóng)業(yè)。然而，小農(nóng)場似乎在很多地方開始出現(xiàn)，以滿足人們對當?shù)禺a(chǎn)食物日益增長的需求。經(jīng)營這些小農(nóng)場的人通常很少甚至沒有農(nóng)場經(jīng)營經(jīng)驗。

Mark Mills once worked as a pastry chef. He decided to leave his secure job and turn to farming. He says his decision was based on two things - a strong interest in agriculture and his ignorance about what it takes to be a farmer.

馬克·米爾斯曾經(jīng)是一位糕點廚師。他決定辭去他的安穩(wěn)工作，轉(zhuǎn)向農(nóng)場經(jīng)營。他說他的決定基于兩點：對農(nóng)業(yè)的強烈興趣，和對作為農(nóng)民需要做什么的無知。

Mark Mills was a history major in college, all he knows about producing food comes from growing plants in his home garden and 26 years of working in restaurants.

米爾斯在大學時主修歷史學，他對食物生產(chǎn)的所有知識來自于在自家花園種植植物，以及26年的餐廳工作經(jīng)歷。

So why did he become a farmer?

那么為什么他要成為農(nóng)民呢?

"Well, it's beautiful. Why wouldn't you want to come to work here? I'm my own boss. But really, it's my love of food," Mills said.

米爾斯說，“嗯，它很美好。你為什么不想來這工作呢?我是自己的老板。但說實話這是因為我對食物的熱愛。”

In recent years, many Americans have developed a taste for fresh locally grown foods and vegetables. The number of farmers' markets has increased over 50 percent in the past ten years.

近年來，許多美國人愛上了當?shù)胤N植的食物和蔬菜。過去十年，農(nóng)貿(mào)市場數(shù)量增加了50%以上。

Federal, state and local governments believe now is the time to create jobs and new businesses. Mark Mills was one of four people accepted in the New Farmer Pilot Project in Montgomery County, Maryland.

聯(lián)邦、州和當?shù)卣J為現(xiàn)在是創(chuàng)造就業(yè)和新業(yè)務的時機。米爾斯是馬里蘭州蒙哥馬利郡進入新農(nóng)試點項目的四個人之一。

Sarah Miller works with the local Department of Economic Development. She says the program has worked better than many people expected.

薩拉·米勒(Sarah Miller)就職于當?shù)氐慕?jīng)濟發(fā)展部門。她說，該項目的進展超出了很多人的預想。

"Boy, we didn't even know how many we would get. We thought maybe one or two would be great, but I don't think that we expected four," Miller said.

米勒表示，“我們甚至不知道能找到幾個人(進入新農(nóng)試點項目)，我們認為可能有一兩個人就很了不起了，但我沒想到有四個人。”

The project provides the new farmers with specialised business training, like marketing and business planning.

該項目為這些新農(nóng)民提供專業(yè)的商業(yè)培訓，像市場營銷和商業(yè)規(guī)劃。

"They provided the connection with the landowner, so I could actually have the land to farm on, which is key. Then, certainly, they provided the financing for the deer fence and the irrigation, some basic things to get going," Mills said.

米爾斯表示，“他們能聯(lián)系上土地所有者，這樣我就能獲得可耕種的土地，這是關(guān)鍵。然后，他們提供融資用于圍欄和灌溉這些基礎(chǔ)設(shè)施讓我們起步。”

The program links the new farmer with an experienced one. For Mark Mills, that person is Woody Woodroof, he works at the Red Wiggler Farm in Maryland.

該項目將新農(nóng)民和有經(jīng)驗的農(nóng)民聯(lián)系起來。對米爾斯來說，這個人是伍迪·伍德魯夫(Woody Woodroof)，他就職于馬里蘭州的Red Wiggler農(nóng)場。

"The big thing to work with him on now is season extension, helping him to do the things that will allow him to harvest crops deeper into the fall and early winter," Woodroof said.

伍德魯夫表示，“現(xiàn)在和他一起工作最重要的事情是延長可種植的季節(jié)，即幫助他做一些事，讓他能夠在深秋和初冬收獲莊稼。”

Mr Mills' first year in farming was successful. He produced about 450 kilograms of turnips, 90 kilograms of carrots, and 130 kilograms of green leafy vegetables.

米爾斯先生在農(nóng)場經(jīng)營上的第一年是成功的。他生產(chǎn)了大約450公斤蘿卜，90公斤胡蘿卜以及130公斤綠葉蔬菜。

The hardest part was not growing the crops, he says. The problem has been selling them. Mr Mills says, his farm probably lost more money than it earned.

他說，最難的部分不是種植莊稼，問題在于賣掉它們。米爾斯先生說，他的農(nóng)場可能賺少賠多。

Luckily, his wife has a non-farm job, and can provide financial support, at least for now. Experts say many new farmers need to support themselves with another source of income.

幸運的是他妻子有一份非農(nóng)業(yè)的工作，至少現(xiàn)在可以給他提供資金支持。專家們說，許多新農(nóng)民需要通過其它收入來源來養(yǎng)活自己。