VOA慢速英语:Kenya Farmers Call on Britain to Reverse Khat Ban

Kenyan farmers say a British ban on the plant known as khat will seriously affect their business and economy. Exports of khat, also called "miraa" are worth big money to Kenya. The farmers have exported the plant mainly to Britain, other European countries and Somalia.
肯尼亚农民称，英国对被称为阿拉伯茶的禁令将严重影响到了他们的业务和经济。阿拉伯茶也被成为miraa，它的出口是对于肯尼亚来说是一大笔财富。农民们主要将它出口到英国、欧洲其它国家和索马里。

Khat is growing in the colder climates of central Kenya. For years, people have been using it as a drug, biting on the leaves of the plant, can increase the heart beat and make the person feel more awake.
阿拉伯茶生长在肯尼亚中部的寒冷的气候条件下。多年来，人们一直把它作为一种药物，咀嚼它的叶子可以加快心跳，会使人感觉更加清醒。

Some Kenyan politicians and khat traders have called on the government to open talks with British officials to convince them to cancel the ban on khat. They say ending the ban would save Kenya's khat industry from collapse.
一些肯尼亚政客和阿拉伯茶贸易商已经呼吁政府与英国官员展开会谈，说服他们取消对阿拉伯茶的禁令。他们说，结束这一禁令能够拯救阿拉伯茶叶免于崩溃。

Kipkorir Menjo is the director of the Kenya Farmers Association, he says the ban will affect tens of thousands of people.
Kipkorir Menjo是肯尼亚农民协会的负责人。他说，禁令将影响到成千上万的人。

"The miraa industry is going to face a serious challenge because they are people in the supply chain, the farmers who are planting the crop, fellows who have been distributing, fellows who have been exporting. The whole industry is likely to collapse because this is a major market which has been earning this people good money, of course also earning the country foreign exchange."
“阿拉伯茶行业将要面对一次严峻挑战，因为农民、分销者和出口者都是供应链上的人。这整个行业都可能会奔溃，因为这一直是个让人赚大钱的重要市场，当然也为国家赚得外汇。”

Earlier this month, British Home Secretary Theresa May banned the leafy stimulant. She warned that traders could use Britain to move khat illegally to other European countries.
本月早些时候，英国内政大臣Theresa May禁止了这一叶菜类兴奋剂。她警告说，贸易商可能会利用英国将阿拉伯茶非法转运到欧洲其它国家。

Jephat Muroko is the  head of the Global Miraa Industry Dealers Network, he says the British's decision was made for political reasons.
Jephat Muroko是全球阿拉伯茶业经销商网络的负责人。他说英国的决定是出于政治原因。

"To me it's a pure politics, and not only politics but also oppressive to the miraa industry traders. I think it's part of the consequences. But I wonder about our government, why it's quiet about this thing."
“对我来说这纯粹是政治，不仅是政治，而且是对阿拉伯茶叶贸易商的压迫。我认为这是原因之一。但我不知道为什么我们的政府对此如此安静。”

Khat is already banned in most European countries, including France, Germany, and Netherlands. Kenyan traders exported about 20 tons of khat to the Netherlands weekly before the ban. Another 36 tons a week were sent to Britain.
阿拉伯茶已在大多数欧洲国家被禁止，包括法国、德国和荷兰。在禁令之前，肯尼亚贸易商一个星期出口20吨阿拉伯茶到荷兰，还有36吨出口到英国。

Kipkorir Menjo says khat farmers and traders need to start speaking up, so that Britain can lift the ban. If their efforts fail, he says, they will have to start planting other crops to earn money.
Kipkorir Menjo说，阿拉伯茶贸易商需要开始游说让英国解除禁令。如果他们的努力失败了，她说，他们就不得不开始种植其它作物来挣钱。

"If there will be no headway then they will have to think for other options, but I think for now I don't want to conclude that nobody will listen to them. Hopefully they will get some way out, but if it's not possible they will have to think some other ways of getting their livelihood."
“如果没有任何进展，那么他们将不得不考虑其它选择。但我觉得我不想一口咬定没人会听取他们的意见。希望他们能找到出路，但如果没有可能，他们就不得不考虑其它途径维持生计。”

As the farmers and traders study the latest development from Europe, another battle awaits them inside Kenya: The National Authority for the Campaign against Alcohol and Drug Abuse is urging the government to list khat as an illegal drug.
在农民和贸易商研究来自欧洲的最新进展时，肯尼亚国内另一场斗争在等待着他们：国家酒精和药物滥用主管部门正敦促政府将阿拉伯茶列为一种非法药品。