VOA慢速英語:Kenya Farmers Call on Britain to Reverse Khat Ban

From VOA Learning English, this is the Agriculture Report.

這里是美國之音慢速英語慢速英語農(nóng)業(yè)報道。

Kenyan farmers say a British ban on the plant known as khat will seriously affect their business and economy. Exports of khat, also called "miraa" are worth big money to Kenya. The farmers have exported the plant mainly to Britain, other European countries and Somalia.

肯尼亞農(nóng)民表示，英國對阿拉伯茶(khat，又名咖特)的禁令嚴重影響到了他們的生意和經(jīng)濟。阿拉伯茶也被成為米拉茶(miraa)，它的出口是肯尼亞的一大筆財富。農(nóng)民們主要將它出口到英國、歐洲其它國家以及索馬里。

Khat is growing in the colder climates of central Kenya. For years, people have been using it as a drug, biting on the leaves of the plant, can increase the heart beat and make the person feel more awake.

阿拉伯茶生長在肯尼亞中部的寒冷氣候條件下。人們多年來一直把它作為藥物，咀嚼它的葉子可以加快心跳，并使人感覺更加清醒。

Some Kenyan politicians and khat traders have called on the government to open talks with British officials to convince them to cancel the ban on khat. They say ending the ban would save Kenya's khat industry from collapse.

一些肯尼亞政客和阿拉伯茶貿(mào)易商呼吁政府同英國官員展開會談，說服他們?nèi)∠麑Π⒗璧慕?。他們表示，取消這一禁令能夠拯救阿拉伯茶葉免于崩潰。

Kipkorir Menjo is the director of the Kenya Farmers Association, he says the ban will affect tens of thousands of people.

Kipkorir Menjo是肯尼亞農(nóng)民協(xié)會的負責人。他表示，這一禁令會影響到數(shù)萬人。

"The miraa industry is going to face a serious challenge because they are people in the supply chain, the farmers who are planting the crop, fellows who have been distributing, fellows who have been exporting. The whole industry is likely to collapse because this is a major market which has been earning this people good money, of course also earning the country foreign exchange."

他說，“阿拉伯茶行業(yè)將面臨嚴峻挑戰(zhàn)，因為阿拉伯茶的種植者、分銷者和出口者都在這一供應鏈上。這整個行業(yè)都可能會奔潰，因為這一直是個讓人賺大錢的重要市場，當然它也給國家賺來了外匯。”

Earlier this month, British Home Secretary Theresa May banned the leafy stimulant. She warned that traders could use Britain to move khat illegally to other European countries.

本月早些時候，英國內(nèi)政大臣特里薩·梅(Theresa May)禁止了這一葉類興奮劑。她警告說，貿(mào)易商可能會利用英國非法向歐洲其它國家轉(zhuǎn)運阿拉伯茶。

Jephat Muroko is the head of the Global Miraa Industry Dealers Network, he says the British's decision was made for political reasons.

Jephat Muroko是全球阿拉伯茶業(yè)經(jīng)銷商網(wǎng)絡的負責人。他表示英國的決定是出于政治原因。

"To me it's a pure politics, and not only politics but also oppressive to the miraa industry traders. I think it's part of the consequences. But I wonder about our government, why it's quiet about this thing."

他說，“對我來說這完全是政治，不僅是政治，還是對阿拉伯茶葉貿(mào)易商的壓迫。我認為這是原因之一。但我不知道為什么我們的政府對此保持沉默。”

Khat is already banned in most European countries, including France, Germany, and Netherlands. Kenyan traders exported about 20 tons of khat to the Netherlands weekly before the ban. Another 36 tons a week were sent to Britain.

阿拉伯茶已被多數(shù)歐洲國家所禁止，包括法國、德國和荷蘭。在禁令之前，肯尼亞貿(mào)易商每周出口20噸阿拉伯茶到荷蘭，還有36噸出口到英國。

Kipkorir Menjo says khat farmers and traders need to start speaking up, so that Britain can lift the ban. If their efforts fail, he says, they will have to start planting other crops to earn money.

Kipkorir Menjo表示，阿拉伯茶貿(mào)易商需要開始游說讓英國解除這一禁令。如果他們的努力失敗了，他們就不得不開始種植其它作物來賺錢。

"If there will be no headway then they will have to think for other options, but I think for now I don't want to conclude that nobody will listen to them. Hopefully they will get some way out, but if it's not possible they will have to think some other ways of getting their livelihood."

他說，“如果這一切毫無進展，他們就不得不考慮其它選擇。但目前我不想一口咬定沒人會聽取他們的意見。希望他們能找到解決辦法，否則他們就必須考慮其它途徑維持生計。”

As the farmers and traders study the latest development from Europe, another battle awaits them inside Kenya: The National Authority for the Campaign against Alcohol and Drug Abuse is urging the government to list khat as an illegal drug.

在農(nóng)民和貿(mào)易商研究來自歐洲的最新事態(tài)進展時，肯尼亞國內(nèi)又有一場斗爭在等待著他們：肯尼亞酒精和藥物濫用主管部門正督促政府將阿拉伯茶列為非法藥品。