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Recording 3
录音3
Good morning, class. My topic today is how to feed a hungry world.
同学们，早上好。我今天讲话的主题是“如何养活饥饿的世界”。
The world's population is expected to grow from 6.8 billion today to 9.1 billion by 2050.
目前世界人口有68亿，预计到2050年将增长到91亿。
Meanwhile, the world's population more than doubled from 3 billion between 1961 and 2007.
相比之下，1961年世界人口为30亿，到2007年翻了一番多。
Simultaneously, food production has been constrained by a lack of scientific research.
同时，由于缺乏科学研究，所以粮食产量受限。
Still, the task of feeding the world's population in 2050 seems "easily possible".
不过，到2050年养活世界人口的任务似乎“很容易完成”。
What is needed is a second green revolution.
我们需要的是第二次绿色革命。
This is an approach that is described as the sustainable growth of global agriculture.
这是一种被称为全球农业可持续增长的方法。
Such a revolution will require a wholesale shift of priorities in agricultural research.
这样一场革命将需要全面转移农业研究重点。
There is an urgent need for new crop varieties.
迫切需要新品种的作物。
They must offer higher yields, but use less water, nitrogen-rich fertilizers or other inputs.
新品种的农作物的产量要更高，但使用的水、富含氮的肥料或其他投入要更少。
These new crops must also be more resistant to drought, heat and pests.
这些新作物还必须具有更强的抗旱性、耐热性和抗虫性。
Equally crucial is lower-tech research into basics such as crop rotation and mixed farming of animals and plants on small farms.
同样重要的是对诸如作物轮作和小型农场动植物混养等基础知识的低端技术研究。
Developing nations could score substantial gains in productivity by making better use of modern technologies and practices.
发展中国家通过更好地利用现代技术和实践，可以大大提高生产力。
But that requires money.
但这需要资金。
It is estimated that to meet the 2050 challenge, investment must double to $83 billion US dollars a year.
据估计，为了迎接2050年的挑战，投资金额必须翻一番，即每年要投入830亿美元。
Most of that money needs to go towards improving agricultural infrastructure.
其中的大部分资金需要用于改善农业基础设施。
Everything from production to storage and processing must improve.
从生产到储存再到加工，每个环节都必须改进。
However, research agendas need to be focused on the needs of the poorest and most resource-limited countries.
然而，研究议程要重点关注最贫穷国家和资源最有限国家的需求。
It is there that most of the world's population lives, and it is there that population growth over the next decades will be the greatest.
世界上大部分人口都生活在那些国家，而且未来几十年，那里的人口增长将是最多的。
To their credit, the world's agricultural scientist are embracing such a broad view.
值得赞扬的是，全球农业科学家支持这个宏观的视角。
In March, for example, they came together at the first Global Conference on Agricultural Research to begin working out how to change research agendas to help meet the needs of farmers in poorer nations.
例如，农业科学家们三月份在第一届全球农业研究会议上聚集，开始研究如何改变研究议程，帮助满足较贫穷国家农民的需求。
But these plans will not bear fruit unless they get considerably more support from policy-makers.
但这些计划如果得不到决策者更多的大力支持，将不会有成效。
The growth in public agricultural-research spending peaked in the 1970s and has been shrinking ever since.
农业研究公共支出的增长在20世纪70年代达到顶峰，此后一直在缩减。
The big exception is China, where spending has far surpassed other countries over the past decade.
中国与此格外不同，在过去十年中，中国在这方面的支出远远超过了其他国家。
China seems set to transition to become the key supplier of relevant science and technology to poorer countries.
中国似乎准备好转型成为向较贫穷国家提供相关科技的主要供应国。
But developed countries have a humanitarian responsibility, too.
但发达国家也负有人道主义责任。
Calls by scientists for large increases in the appropriation of funds for public spending on agricultural research are more than justified.
而且科学家呼吁大幅增加农业研究公共支出的拨款是相当合理的。
Questions 22 to 25 are based on the recording you have just heard.
请根据你听到的录音回答问题22至问题25。
Q22: What is an urgent need for feeding the world's population in 2050, according to the speaker?
问题22：根据讲话者所说，为了在2050年养活全世界人口，迫切需要什么？
Q23: Where should most of the money be invested to feed the ever-growing population?
问题23：大部分资金应该投到哪里来养活不断增长的人口？
Q24: Why does the speaker give credit to the world's agricultural scientists?
问题24：为什么讲话者赞扬全球的农业科学家？
Q25: What makes China exceptional in comparison with the rest of the world?
问题25：与世界上其他国家相比，是什么让中国与众不同？
