VOA慢速英語(yǔ):Hunger Costs Ethiopian Economy Billions Of Dollars

From VOA Learning English, this is the Education Report.

這里是美國(guó)之音慢速英語(yǔ)教育報(bào)道。

A new study shows that child hunger costs Ethiopia billions of dollars a year in economic losses. The research showed that in 2009, the country lost an estimated $4.7 billion because its children do not get enough to eat, that is equal to 16.5 percent of its Gross Domestic Product.

一項(xiàng)新研究顯示，兒童饑餓每年給埃塞俄比亞造成數(shù)十億美元的經(jīng)濟(jì)損失。該研究表明，在2009年，由于兒童吃不飽，該國(guó)估計(jì)損失了47億美元，相當(dāng)于其國(guó)內(nèi)生產(chǎn)總值的16.5%。

The report says poor nutrition has slowed growth and development in two of every five children in Ethiopia, and it says 80 percent of malnourished children do not get treatments.

報(bào)告說(shuō)，營(yíng)養(yǎng)不良減緩了埃塞俄比亞2/5兒童的生長(zhǎng)發(fā)育，同時(shí)80%營(yíng)養(yǎng)不良的兒童未能得到治療。

The African Union Commission, the United Nations World Food Program (WFP) and Ethiopian government agencies did the study. The research shows that malnutrition causes more than 20 percent of child deaths in Ethiopia. And the report notes that the deaths have reduced the number of working people in the country by eight percent.

非洲聯(lián)盟委員會(huì)、聯(lián)合國(guó)世界糧食計(jì)劃署(簡(jiǎn)稱WFP)和埃塞俄比亞政府機(jī)構(gòu)進(jìn)行了這項(xiàng)研究。研究結(jié)果表明，營(yíng)養(yǎng)不良占到了埃塞俄比亞兒童死亡原因的20%以上。報(bào)告還指出，這一死亡使得該國(guó)勞動(dòng)力減少了8%。

Elizabeth Byrs is a World Food Program official.

伊麗莎白·拜爾(Elizabeth Byrs)是世界糧食計(jì)劃署的官員。

"The study estimates that Ethiopia could reduce losses by $12.5 billion by 2025, if it reduces underweight rates to five percent and stunting to 10 percent."

她表示，“該研究估計(jì)，如果埃塞俄比亞能把體重不足的比例降低到5%，發(fā)育不良的比例降低到10%，那么到2025年就能減少125億美元的損失。”

The report says under developed or stunted children in early education repeat grades more than non-stunted children. In addition, stunted children in Ethiopia are more likely to drop out of school, meaning they will end their education before it is completed.

報(bào)告稱，與非發(fā)育不良的兒童相比，發(fā)育不良兒童在早期教育中留級(jí)次數(shù)更多。此外，發(fā)育不良的埃塞俄比亞兒童更容易輟學(xué)，這意味著他們會(huì)在畢業(yè)前停止接受教育。

Mrs Byrs said the effects of stunting do not end with childhood. Instead, she said, stunting remains a life-long problem. She said it affects both those who suffer from it, and the larger society. The report says nearly 70 percent of adults in Ethiopia have suffered from stunting as children. It says this means more than 26 million people of working age have not been able to reach their potential.

拜爾女士說(shuō)，發(fā)育不良的影響不會(huì)隨著童年而結(jié)束。相反，她說(shuō)，發(fā)育不良仍然是一個(gè)終身問(wèn)題。她表示，這不僅會(huì)影響到發(fā)育不良者，還會(huì)影響到大社會(huì)。報(bào)告稱，埃塞俄比亞近70%的成年人在兒童時(shí)期經(jīng)歷過(guò)發(fā)育不良，這意味著超過(guò)2600萬(wàn)適齡勞動(dòng)力沒(méi)能達(dá)到他們的潛力。

The report notes that adults who were stunted as children are less likely to have jobs that require a lot of physical labor, because they generally are smaller. It says this results in earnings losses.

報(bào)告指出，在兒童時(shí)期發(fā)育不良的成年人不太可能獲得需要大量體力勞動(dòng)的工作，因?yàn)樗麄円话闵聿谋容^小。報(bào)告稱，這會(huì)導(dǎo)致收入損失。

Mrs Byrs said the Ethiopian government recently launched a half-billion dollar National Nutrition Program, because the effects of the malnutrition are so severe. She said the government's program would provide food and vitamins to young children from birth through age 5. She said the goal is to prevent stunting during the first 1,000 days of life.

拜爾女士還表示，埃塞俄比亞政府最近推出了一個(gè)價(jià)值5億美元的國(guó)民營(yíng)養(yǎng)計(jì)劃，因?yàn)橛绊懖涣荚斐傻挠绊懸呀?jīng)相當(dāng)嚴(yán)重。她說(shuō)，這項(xiàng)政府計(jì)劃將為從出生到5歲的幼兒提供食物和維生素，其目標(biāo)是在幼兒最初的1000天里防止發(fā)育不良。

Mrs Byrs also said the program will increase school feeding programs. She said support programs for pregnant and breast-feeding women will be developed in health centers and hospitals.

拜爾女士還表示，該計(jì)劃將會(huì)提升學(xué)校供餐計(jì)劃。她表示，孕婦和哺乳期婦女扶持計(jì)劃也將在保健中心和醫(yī)院開(kāi)展。