评论
打印
But why are the people eating imported foods?
但汤加人为什么要吃进口食品呢？
Tonga is in the southwest Pacific Ocean.
汤加位于太平洋西南部。
All around is sea, sea, and more sea.
四周都是海。
This is home to millions of fish!
这里有数以百万计的鱼！
But the Tongans have over-fished in their own coastal waters.
但汤加人在他们自己的沿海水域过度捕捞。
In the past, Tongans depended on fish as the main part of their diet.
过去，汤加人以鱼为主食。
Now the number of fish in the waters close to Tonga is decreasing.
如今，汤加附近海域的鱼数量正在减少。
There are still plenty of fish further out to sea, in deeper waters.
在更远的海域，在更深的水域，仍然有大量的鱼。
But foreign fishermen take most of these.
但外国渔民捕捞了其中大部分鱼。
The Tongans receive very little money from this fishing industry.
汤加人从渔业中挣得的钱很少。
As Tongans catch less fish, the price of fish increases in Tonga.
由于汤加人捕捞的鱼越来越少，汤加的鱼价格上涨。
This is why Tongans have come to depend on imported food.
这就是汤加人开始依赖进口食品的原因。
But the foods they eat most are high in fat and sugar.
但他们吃得最多的是高脂肪和高糖分的食物。
These foods usually cost less than higher quality foods.
这些食品通常比更高质量的食品更便宜。
So, fatty foods have become a part of the Tongan diet.
因此，高脂肪食物已经成为汤加人饮食的一部分。
For example many Tongans eat corned beef almost every day.
例如，许多汤加人几乎每天都吃咸牛肉。
They also buy large amounts of sweet, sugary foods and drinks.
他们还会购买大量的甜的、含糖的食品和饮料。
This new diet is causing health problems.
这种新的饮食结构正在造成健康问题。
Experts say that almost 20 percent of adults in Tonga suffer from diabetes.
专家表示，汤加近20%的成年人患有糖尿病。
Diabetes is a condition where the body cannot control the amount of sugar in the blood.
糖尿病是一种身体无法控制血糖的疾病。
Diabetes can lead to serious health problems such as blindness and kidney failure.
糖尿病会导致严重的健康问题，如失明和肾衰竭。
Tongans are not getting enough exercise either.
汤加人也没有得到足够的锻炼。
Modern living is not so demanding physically.
现代生活对体力的要求不是很高。
People are not burning the fuel they eat.
人们没有在燃烧他们吃的燃料。
And scientists say that Pacific Island people have “the thrift gene”.
科学家表示，该太平洋岛国的居民有“节约基因”。
A person with the thrift gene stores more fat than other people.
拥有节约基因的人比其他人储存更多的脂肪。
The scientists say that long ago, the ability to store fat would have helped people survive the times when food was in short supply.
科学家表示，很久以前，储存脂肪的能力可以帮助人们在食物短缺的时代生存下来。
They say that this ability has been passed down to some people today.
他们表示，这种能力已经传给了如今的一些人。
They say that Tongans are among the people who have it.
他们表示，汤加人是拥有这种能力的人之一。
Something in their genes makes it easy for them to gain weight.
他们基因中的某些东西使他们很容易发胖。
