VOA慢速英语:Groups Press for US Ban on Antibiotics in Healthy Animals

Antibiotics are used to cure bacterial infections. But about fifty years ago, farmers started to give small amounts of these drugs to healthy animals in their feed. Scientists found that antibiotics improve the growth rate of animals.
抗生素被用于治疗细菌感染。但是大约在50年前，农民开始在健康动物的饲料中添加少量抗生素。科学家们发现，抗生素可以提高动物的生长率。

But the practice soon led to criticism. Public health experts observed antibiotic-resistant bacteria growing in these animals. Experts say bacteria develop resistance from continual exposure to antibiotics. And resistant bacteria can make it harder to treat infections in humans.
但是该做法很快就引起人们的批评。公共卫生专家观察到这些动物体内抵抗抗生素的细菌的生长。专家称，由于持续接触抗生素，某些细菌产生了抗药性。抗药性细菌会使得治疗人类的细菌感染更加困难。

Today big livestock producers around the world use antibiotics for animal growth. Some countries are considering restrictions or already have them. South Korea is banning the practice in July. The European Union began to enforce a ban five years ago. Several EU members had already stopped the practice before that.
今天，全世界各地大型牲畜生产者使用抗生素来促进动物的生长。一些国家正在考虑或者已经禁止这种做法。韩国将于7月份禁止该做法。欧盟五年前就已经开始执行禁令。欧盟几个成员国在此之前已经禁止了这种行为。

In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration first proposed to ban antibiotic use in healthy animals in nineteen seventy-seven. Congress, however, asked for more research. Today there is no ban. But in June of last year the FDA asked producers to stop the practice over time.
在美国，食品和药物管理局曾经在1977年建议禁止在健康的动物之中使用抗生素。但是国会要求进行更多研究。直至现在也没禁止。但是去年6月份，食品和药物管理均要求生产者逐渐停止这种做法。

That recommendation was not enough for some critics. Five environmental and consumer groups are asking a court to force a ban by the federal agency. Steve Roach is with the group Food Animal Concerns Trust, or FACT.
该建议对于一些批评家来说是不够的。五个环境和消费者组织要求法庭强制联邦机构出台禁令。Steve Roach是食用动物关怀信托(Food Animal Concerns Trust)的工作人员。

STEVE ROACH: "As far as we can tell, all they were trying to do was kindly ask the industry to make changes.  And we just do not believe that is [an] adequate response."
Steve Roach：“据我们所知，他们所做的只是试图友好地要求整个行业做出改变。但是我们不相信会得到充分的响应。”

His group wants the government to ban the use of two common antibiotics at levels below those used to treat sick animals.
他所在的组织希望政府禁止使用低于治疗患病的动物的剂量的两种抗生素。

STEVE ROACH: "After thirty years, I think it is time for someone to put a little more pressure on them. And that is what the aim of the lawsuit is."
STEVE ROACH：“经过三十多年，我认为是时候有人对他们施加更大的压力。这就是我们此次诉讼的目的。”

Supporters of low-level antibiotic use in animals say there is no solid evidence linking it to drug-resistant infections in humans. They also say that in addition to increasing growth, the drugs help suppress diseases in animals confined together in large feeding operations.
支持在动物中使用低剂量的抗生素的人们则表示，没有明确证据表明这种做法与人类抗药性细菌感染有关。他们还说，除了促进生长之外，抗生素还可以抑制大型饲养机构中的动物患病。

Ron Phillips is with the Animal Health Institute, a trade group for the animal-drug industry. He says suppressing animal disease means a safer food supply.
Ron Phillips是动物药物行业贸易组织,动物卫生研究所(Animal Health Institute)的工作人员。他称抑制动物疾病意味着食品供应更加安全。

RON PHILLIPS: "Sicker animals result in greater contamination on the meat.  So the way to control pathogens on the farm, so that they do not transfer through the food chain, is to make sure we have healthy farm animals."
RON PHILLIPS：“患病的动物会造成更大的肉类污染。所以，在农场上抑制病原菌，防止细菌进入食物供应链的做法就是确保我们拥有更健康的家畜。”

Experts say the largest source of resistant bacteria is the overuse and misuse of antibiotics among people.
专家称抗药性细菌最大的来源是人们滥用和误用抗生素。