VOA慢速英语:Things May Be Changing Soon For Some Crops In Africa

Things may be changing soon for some crops in Africa. A group called the African Orphan Crops Consortium says these plants are not getting enough attention. And it thinks they could help ease hunger and improve nutrition on the continent.
非洲一些作物的情况可能很快会发生改变。一家名为非洲孤生作物协会的组织称，这些作物没有得到足够的重视。并认为它们能够帮助非洲大陆缓解饥饿和改善营养。

The consortium opened the African Plant Breeding Academy last year in Nairobi, Kenya. The academy is the result of cooperation among international organizations. They are hoping to use genetic information from 100 African plants and trees that researchers have largely ignored, but food scientists say these crops have lots of possibilities.
该协会去年在肯尼亚首都内罗毕开办了非洲植物育种学院。该学院是国际组织之间合作的结果。他们希望利用非洲100种植物和树木的遗传基因，研究人员在很大程度上忽视了它们，但食品科学家称，这些作物存在很多的可能性。

Howard Yana-Shapiro is a senior fellow at the University of California, Davis. He is also the chief agricultural officer and global director of Plant Science and External Research for Mars Incorporated - the candy company.
Howard Yana-Shapiro是加州大学戴维斯分校的高级研究员。他也是糖果公司 - 玛氏食品公司植物科学与对外研究部门的农业主管和全球总监。

Mr Shapiro says he began thinking about ways to improve nutrition at the local level after seeing how poor nutrition affects children in Africa and India. He says a woman who does not eat right during her pregnancy can affect the physical and mental health of a baby. These problems, he says, can not be corrected.
Shapiro先生称，当他看到非洲和印度儿童如何受营养不良影响后，他开始思考在当地层面改善营养的办法。他说，一个妇女在怀孕期间饮食不当会影响到宝宝的身心健康，而这些问题无法得到纠正。

Mr Shapiro spoke to VOA from Nairobi. He said the African Plant Breeding Academy will work on many different kinds of plants.
Shapiro先生在内罗毕对美国之音谈到。他说，非洲植物育种学院将研究多种不同类型的植物。

He says hundreds of African plants have been ignored because they are not economically important in international trade. But food scientists say the plants still have value to people in Africa.
他说，数百种非洲植物已经被人们忽略，因为它们在国际贸易上不具经济重要性。但食品科学家称，这些植物对非洲人们仍具有价值。

The African Orphan Crops Consortium plans to train plant breeders and researchers over a one-year period about the genetics of these crops. The consortium hopes they will produce more food with higher nutritional levels.
非洲孤生作物协会计划就这些作物的遗传基因对植物育种人员和研究人员展开为期一年的培训。该协会希望他们能够繁育出更多具有更高营养价值的食物。

Mr Shapiro says anything researchers learn will be shared with the world without cost.
Shapiro先生称，研究人员发现的任何信息都将无偿与全世界分享。