VOA慢速英语:Experts Link East Africa Drought to La Niña in the Pacific

East Africa's drought is the worst in sixty years. Scientists say the dry conditions in the Horn of Africa are at least partly the result of an event half a world away.
东非目前的干旱是六十年来最严重的。科学家们称，造成非洲之角干旱至少部分的结果是距离半个地球之遥的事件导致的。

The event is called La Niña, which means "little girl" in Spanish. A La Niña begins when waters become cooler than normal in the eastern Pacific Ocean near the equator. Changes in wind currents can then affect weather around the world. A related event, called an El Niño, happens when the waters become unusually warm.
该事件被称为拉尼娜(La Nina)现象，在西班牙语中是“小女孩”的意思。当赤道附近东太平洋的水比正常偏冷的时候就会出现拉尼娜事件。气流的变化会影响世界各地的天气。另外一种相关事件被称为厄尔尼诺(El Ninos)，当海水变得异常温暖的时候发生。

La Niñas and El Niños happen about every three to five years. The latest La Niña began in July of last year and ended in May. The conditions can last for up to two years.
拉尼娜和厄尔尼诺现象大约每三到五年的时间就会发生。最近一次拉尼娜从去年的7月份开始，并在今年的5月份结束。这种情况会持续长达两年的时间。

Wassila Thiaw studies Africa for the Climate Prediction Center at the National Weather Service in the United States. With a La Niña, Mr. Thiaw says the easterly winds that are supposed to bring moisture into East Africa are reduced.
Wassila Thiaw在美国国家气象局气候预测中心负责研究非洲。Wassila Thiaw称，随着拉尼娜现象的发生，本应该为东非带来水分的东风被减弱。

WASSILA THIAW: “There was less moisture coming into East Africa and therefore rainfall is reduced.”
Wassila Thiaw：“进入东非的水分减少，因此降雨量也减少。”

Starting late last year, rains that were supposed to fall over Somalia, southern Ethiopia and northern Kenya failed. That part of the Horn of Africa has a second rainy season from March through May. Mr. Thiaw says that one failed, too, but for different reasons.
从去年年底开始，原本应该下降在索马里，埃塞俄比亚南部和肯尼亚北部的降雨未如期而至。非洲之角的这部分地从3月份到5月份是第二个雨季。Thiaw称，这里也有一场降雨未到，不过是因为不同的原因。

WASSILA THAW: “What played out here during the March-April-May season we do not think that is really La Niña.  But it [is] probably mostly due to the atmospheric conditions that prevailed at that time.”
WASSILA THAW：“从3月份到5月份，我们认为不是拉尼娜现象在发挥作用。而可能是由于当时的大气环境。”

Mr. Thiaw says La Niña conditions might begin again by the end of this year. And if that happens, he says, then the October-through-December rainy season could again be dryer than normal.
Wassila Thiaw表示，拉尼娜现象可能在今年年底会再次开始。如果出现这种情况，10月份到12月份的雨季可能也会比往常更加干旱。

Climate researcher Simon Mason at Columbia University in New York says East Africa has been getting drier over about the last ten years. Mr. Mason says this is at least partly the result of global warming. Rising temperatures in the Indian Ocean create conditions that pull moisture away from East Africa.
在纽约哥伦比亚大学气候研究员Simon Mason说，过去十年，东非地区已经越来越少雨。Mason先生说，这至少有部分原因是全球气候变暖的结果。印度洋温度的上升为水汽远离东非地区创造了条件。

Claudia Ringler at the International Food Policy Research Institute also points to another issue. She said by Skype that much of the land in the drought-affected areas is not very productive even in good times.
国际粮食政策研究所的Claudia Ringler还指出了另一个问题。她通过Skype说，受干旱影响地区的大部分土地即使在顺境中也并未丰收。

CLAUDIA RINGLER: “It will not get any better. Even if we have a bit more rainfall, the general potential for more food production is not expected to improve dramatically in the region.”
Claudia Ringler：“这里将不会有所好转。即使我们得到更多降雨，该地区粮食生产力要大幅提升的可能性也不大。”

In the United States, the latest La Niña pushed moisture away from the south, causing severe droughts. Texas has suffered billions of dollars in agricultural losses. Changes in the winds pushed the rain toward northern states, causing floods.
在美国，最新的拉尼娜现象导致水分远离南部，造成严重的旱灾。得克萨斯州遭受了数十亿美元的农业损失。风向的改变使降雨推向北部各州，造成洪灾。