VOA慢速英语:Long History, Unclear Future for 'Golden Rice'

as a result结果, 因此

例句：As a result, he had to leave.
      结果他只得离开。

      There was a substantial growth of industry and foreign trade increased as a result.
      由于工业的大发展, 对外贸易也发展了。

2.The scientists also thought of a plan to give away this Golden Rice for free to poor farmers.

give away赠送; 赠予; 颁发;分发

例句：She decided to give these old clothes away.
      她决定把这些旧衣服送给别人。

      He gave away most of his fortune to the poor.
      他把他的大部分财产都送给了穷人。

3.He blames the delays on too many rules about genetically modified crops.

blame on把责任推给…

例句：They blamed the failure on John.
      他们把失败的责任推给约翰。

      You can't blame the rise in prices on the government.
      你不能把物价上涨归咎于政府。

too many太多……

例句：You eat too many carbohydrates
      你吃淀粉质食物太多了!

4.Several months ago they questioned whether Golden Rice could do much for vitamin A deficiency.

whether,if

if和whether通用，都表示“是否”的意思。一般来说，后者比较正式，在口语中前者常用来代替后者。但两者有时具有不同的暗示。用whether时，正反两面的选择意义较强，问话人并不在意回答是肯定还是否定；而用if时，则比较强调单方面，即正面，问话人希望得到肯定的回答。另外，还要注意以下几点：

一、whether和if都可以与or not连用；但写在一起时，只能用whether，不能用if。如：

    I don't care whether (或if) it will rain or not．

I don't  care  whether  or  not  it  will  rain.  (不用if)

二、在引导宾语从句时，应注意：

1、表示“是否”时，两词都能引导宾语从句。

I wonder if/whether you can examine him now．

2、宾语从句移置句首时，用whether，不用if。

Whether it is true or not， I can't say．

3、宾语从句为否定形式时，通常用if，而不用whether。

I asked Tom if Mary  wouldn’t come．

4、作discuss等词的宾语，用whether不用if。

We discussed whether we should buy the gift for him．

三、在下列情况下，只能用whether，不能用if。

1、与不定式连用时，只能用whether．

    He can't decide whether to accept or refuse．  

    2、在介词后，只能用whether。

    Everything depends on whether he is ready．  

    3、在名词后作同位语时，只能用whether。   

The question whether they ought to stop working was discussed among the workers．

I have no idea whether he is there． 

    4、引导主语从句时，只能用whether。

    Whether  he comes or not doesn't concern me．

    5、引导表语从句时，只能用whether。

    What Maria doesn't  know is whether there will be enough snow．  

四、if可引导条件状语从句，译作“如果”，whether可引导让步状语从句，译作“不管、无论”。

If I were you，I would not buy．

Whether he agrees or not，I shall go there．