极端天气使小麦减产 英国农民望"粮"哀叹

The diminished wheat harvest will add to growing concerns about the amount of food that British farmers can grow per hectare. According to a new analysis by the development board, UK wheat and oilseed rape yields have barely improved since the 1980s, despite genetic developments and better fertilisers. No one reason is given but severe and fluctuating weather is thought to have played a part.
小麦的减产也增加了英国农民的担忧：每公顷的田地可以多产粮食。根据发展委员会的一份最新分析，尽管20世纪80年代以来基因技术有了一定发展，施肥技术有所进步，但是英国的麦田和油菜田没有得到什么改善。具体原因并不清楚，但是可以确定的是恶劣多变的天气是其中一个原因。

Other crops have been badly damaged by the past year's severe weather. Oilseed rape and oats have suffered, and sugar beet, which is grown on 125,000 hectares mainly in eastern England, has been hit by a mystery condition that has stopped seeds germinating and has cut production by 50% in some areas. "The weather has definitely had an impact. The affected crops were sown in the very cold weather," said Mark Stevens, a scientist with the British Beet Research Orgaanisation.
其它的作物也在去年遭到恶劣天气的严重破坏。油菜和燕麦都未能幸免于难，而主要生长在英格兰东部种植面积有12.5万公顷的甜菜也无故停止发芽，一些地区还减产50%。英国甜菜科研组织科学家马克·史提芬（Mark Stevens)说："天气肯定对此造成了影响。受影响的作物都是在寒冷的冬天种下的。”

The severe weather has also led to one of the latest fruit harvests in years. Major varieties of apple, including cox, are not expected to be in the shops until late September, said Adrian Barlow, chief executive of the trade body English Apples &Pears. "We don't yet know the long-term consequences of the winter. We have extremely cold weather which was good, but we have had trees with their feet in water for months and extremely windy conditions. But we are hopeful of a better harvest than last year."
极端的天气导致了水果的收成时间遇到几年来最晚的一次。英国苹果雪梨贸易司（English Apples&Pears）的首席执行官艾德里安·巴罗( Adrian Barlow)称，各类苹果，包括考可斯苹果，将在9月份下旬才会上架。他说：“我们仍然不知冬天会带来什么长远的影响。寒冷的天气对于果树的生长是很不错，但是果树的根都泡在水中几个月了，而且它们还生长在极度严寒的天气中。不管怎样，我们都期待比上一年有更好的收成。”

However, the long winter could make for a succulent soft fruit crop, according to Harry Hall, Britain's biggest strawberry grower. "The crop is around three weeks later than average but the fruit has had extra time to grow so the quality is really good," said Hall, who expects to sell 7,700 tonnes this year.
然而，英国最大的草莓种植者哈里·侯尔(Harry Hall )认为，漫长的冬天可以种植出多汁柔软的水果作物。他说：“作物一般在迟于平均收成期的三个星期内收成，而水果则有更长的时间成熟，质量定会很好。”侯尔希望能在今年售出7700吨草莓。