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A small insect is hurting Tunisia’s prickly pears, an important source of money for the North African country's economy.
一种小昆虫正在伤害突尼斯的仙人掌，而仙人掌是这个北非国家经济的重要收入来源。
Bassem Sahnoun, a farmer struggling to deal with the insect problem, used the term “insomnia,” meaning an inability to sleep, to describe the issue.
巴塞姆·萨赫农是一位努力应对昆虫问题的农民，他用“失眠”这个词来形容这个问题，这个词意为无法入睡。
"Our biggest fear, which has caused me insomnia, is the fear of the cochineal insect that threatens our harvest," he said.
“我们最大的恐惧，让我失眠的恐惧，是对威胁我们收成的胭脂虫的恐惧，”他说道。
The insect is known to some as the prickly pear cochineal.
这种昆虫被一些人称为刺梨胭脂虫。
Farmers and experts say it has damaged large areas and caused concerns about its economic effects since it was first discovered in the country in 2021.
农民和专家表示，自2021年在该国首次发现以来，它已经破坏了大片地区，并引发了对其经济影响的担忧。
The bug gets the sap from cactus pads, causing yellowing and eventual death of the plants.
这种虫子从仙人掌垫中获取汁液，导致植物变黄并最终死亡。
Agricultural expert Faouzi Zayani inspected dying prickly pear trees.
农业专家法乌兹-扎亚尼检查了垂死的仙人掌树。
He said, "The cochineal insect affects the prickly pear tree.
他说：“胭脂虫影响了仙人掌树。”
As you can see, the trees are dying, and consequently, we are losing the essence of things, which is the cultivation of prickly pears.”
正如你所看到的，树木正在死亡，因此，我们正在失去事物的本质，那就是种植仙人掌。
Zayani said the insect was first discovered in Mexico.
扎亚尼说这种昆虫最初是在墨西哥发现的。
"It was present there, and they treated it and had prevention methods," he added. "Then it spread to Morocco in 2015.
“这种虫子当时就在那里，他们对其进行了治疗，并采取了预防措施，”他补充说。“然后在2015年传播到了摩洛哥。”
This insect also came to Tunisia in October 2021 in the city of Mahdia."
这种昆虫也于2021年10月来到突尼斯的马赫迪耶市。
Zayani estimates that prickly pears represent about 12 percent of Tunisia's agricultural land, making it second only to olive trees in agricultural wealth.
扎亚尼估计，仙人掌约占突尼斯农业用地的12%，在农业财富方面仅次于橄榄树。
The pears cover approximately 600,000 hectares and are an important source of money for thousands of people, particularly women who harvest and sell the fruit.
这些树占地约60万公顷，是成千上万人的重要收入来源，尤其是那些采摘和销售水果的妇女。
Sahnoun told Reuters, “This is our livelihood, it requires a lot of labor, and it's not just the farmer who benefits from it.”
萨赫农告诉路透社，“这是我们的生计，需要大量的劳动力，而且不仅仅是农民从中受益。”
The Tunisian government and international organizations are now taking steps to try to help deal with the insect’s effects.
突尼斯政府和国际组织现在正在采取措施，试图帮助应对这种昆虫的影响。
The Food and Agriculture Organization started a $500,000 emergency project to introduce biological control methods such as ladybugs, which are hunters of the insect.
粮食及农业组织启动了一个50万美元的紧急项目，以引入生物防治方法，如瓢虫，它们是这种昆虫的猎手。
The Tunisian Ministry of Agriculture is promoting sustainable control measures, including changes in agricultural methods, pruning, and cleaning in production areas.
突尼斯农业部正在推广可持续的控制措施，包括改变农业方法、修剪和清理生产区域。
"We must have a sustainable solution for the cochineal insect.This situation should not continue in this way," said Naima Mahfoudhi, an official at the ministry of agriculture.
我们必须为胭脂虫找到一个可持续的解决方案。这种情况不应该再这样继续下去了，”农业部的一位官员奈玛·马赫福迪说道。
At his farm, Sahnoun takes measures to clean and protect his healthy prickly pear trees.
在他的农场，萨赫农采取措施来清洁和保护他健康的仙人掌树。
But it will be a difficult job if the crisis continues and keeps drying up prickly pear trees. "It starts at the bottom of the tree," he said.
但如果危机持续下去，刺梨树不断干枯，这将是一项艰巨的工作。 “他说："从树的底部开始干枯。”
Selma Jridi, who owns prickly pear trees, says the problem is out of her control.
塞尔玛·杰里迪拥有仙人掌树，她说这个问题超出了她的控制范围。
She said, "God's will prevails, this is God's judgment… “
她说，“上帝的旨意占了上风，这是上帝的审判……”
I’m Ashley Thompson.
我是阿什利·汤普森。
