VOA慢速英語：專家解讀：灌溉后不要立刻收割農(nóng)作物

American researchers say farmers should wait one dayafter a rain storm or watering their fields to harvest fresh fruits and vegetables.They say gathering the crops at least 24 hours after rainfall increases foodsafety. They say it also may be enough to protect those eating from freshproduce from food borne illnesses.美國研究人員指出，農(nóng)民應該在暴風雨或者灌溉一天之后豐收新鮮的水果和蔬菜。他們稱降水過后一天收獲谷物才安全。同時這樣也能避免食用這些果蔬后帶來的一些疾病。

Listeria is a food borne bacteria. It grows best in wet conditions. Poisoningwith Listeria monocytogenes can cause muscle pain. The person can alsofeel sick to the stomach and even experience diarrhea – the uncontrolledexpulsion of wastes from the body.

李斯特菌是一種食物病毒。這種病毒在潮濕狀態(tài)下繁殖很快。感染單核細胞增生李斯特氏菌會引起肌肉疼痛。受到感染的人還會引起胃部不適，甚至腹瀉。

FILE - Spinach and other fresh produce should be picked at least 24 hours after rain or irrigation to reduce the risk from Listeria

Listeria can be a serious health threat for pregnant women and older adults. Itcan also threaten people with weak immune systems, like those with HIV, thevirus responsible for the disease AIDS.

對妊娠婦女和老人來說，李斯特氏菌是嚴重的健康威脅。它還能夠威脅免疫力低下的人群，比如那些受艾滋病毒感染的人們。

The bacterium is everywhere in the environment, but usually grows in water.So, crops that are harvested shortly after they have been watered are likely tocontain unsafe levels of disease-causing Listeria.

細菌在環(huán)境中隨處可見，但是它們通常在潮濕的條件下生存。因此，收割剛灌溉過的谷物有可能含有造成李斯特氏菌的不安全細菌

Martin Wiedmann teaches food safety at Cornell University in New York State. He and other researchers are urging farmers to wait 24 hours after a rainfall orwatering fields before they harvest crops. By waiting, he says, a field hasenough time to dry out.

馬丁在美國紐約州康奈爾大學教授食品安全。他和其他研究者要求農(nóng)民在下雨后或者灌溉后等待24小時在收割谷物。他說，通過等待，稻田有足夠的時間變干。

“You're more likely to find Listeria for a very short time. After one day, it dropsback more or less to the baseline normal level that we find (in theenvironment). So, we found this effect in water, but it's very short-lived. Withina day, you are back to normal."

你很有可能在短時間內(nèi)發(fā)現(xiàn)李斯特氏菌，一天后，病菌數(shù)量多多少少將會下降到我們能夠發(fā)現(xiàn)病菌的基本標準線（在三種環(huán)境下）。所以，我們在水中發(fā)現(xiàn)這種效應，但是病菌活的時間很短。一天之內(nèi)，就回復到了正常水準。

The findings were reported in the journal Applied and EnvironmentalMicrobiology.

該項發(fā)現(xiàn)發(fā)表在《微生物應用與環(huán)境》雜志上。

In crops like spinach, Listeria levels were 25 times greater when harvestedimmediately after the plants were watered.

像菠菜這樣的蔬菜。如果剛剛灌溉就收割，李斯特氏菌含量比平時高25倍。

Martin Wiedmann says the bacterium can also be found in sandwich meat,especially when the meat is not kept to minus-four or minus-five degreesCelsius. He says there are a number of other settings where unsafe levels ofListeria can hide.

馬丁指出，三明治里的肉中也有李斯特氏菌，如果肉沒有儲存在零下四度或者五度的環(huán)境下的話。他說李斯特氏菌可以隱藏在多種不安全環(huán)境里。

"And so it's important to have the tools in place to control this organismeverywhere from primary production, to food processing plants to retail, tohelping consumers make smart decisions on what foods to eat and how tocook food."

所以要從最初的食品生產(chǎn)到食品加工再到零售，都要采取措施控制病菌滋生，幫助消費者做出明智選擇，知道哪個能吃，怎樣烹制食物。

Martin Wiedmann notes that Listeria poisoning is less common in developingcountries. In such areas, he adds, foods generally are not left in iceboxes orrefrigeration equipment, another source of bacterial overgrowth.

馬丁指出，這種李斯特氏菌在發(fā)展中國家很少見，因為在這些地區(qū)，食物通常不會儲存在細菌會過量繁殖的冰箱里。

I’m Marsha James.

VOA’s Jessica Berman reported this story. Marsha James adapted it forLearning English. George Grow was the editor.

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Words in This Story

irrigation– v. to supply with water by using man-made equipment, such aspipes or waterways

immune system – n. the body’s natural defenses against diseases andinfections

bacterium - n. any one of a group of small living things that can causedisease