VOA慢速英语:2014 the International Year of Family Farming

Family farming has been called the main form of agriculture around the world. The United Nations has declared 2014 the International Year of Family Farming.
家庭农业被称为世界各地农业的主要形式。联合国已经宣布2014年为国际家庭农业年。

The U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization says, the year-long campaign is designed to increase public understanding of farms under operating by families.
联合国粮食和农业组织称，长达一年的活动旨在提升公众对家庭经营的农场的认识。

It says farm families are important producers of food for growing populations, but many family farms do not provide the same work benefits as large company farms. Many family farms can not provide retirement plans, health care or child care.
它说，农场家庭是不断增长人口的食物的重要生产商，但许多家庭农场不能提供和大公司农场相同的福利。许多家庭农场不能提供退休计划、医疗保健或儿童看护。

So the FAO wants to get family farming included in national policies that support agriculture. The goal is to create a balanced and equal environment so family farmers can succeed.
因此，粮农组织希望让家庭农场能涵括在农业支持的国家政策中。目的是创建一个均衡平等的环境，让农民家庭可以成功。

FAO officials say they will try to learn more about the difficulties family farmers face and ways to support them. Weather problems, price drops and weak world economies can hurt family farmers. For many, a single crop can mean failure or survival.
粮农组织官员称，他们将尝试更多了解家庭农户面临的困难，以及支持他们的方法。天气问题、价格下降以及疲软的世界经济可能会伤害到农民家庭。对许多人来说，单一作物可能就意味着成与败。

Family farms operate in different ways around the world. Men run the majority of them. Generally Men own or pay to use the land, decide which crops to grow and supervise the sales. Women are more often the planters and harvesters of the crops. Very long work days are usual on family farms. It is difficult for many family farmers around the world to gain the land, water and other resources needed to farm.
世界各地的家庭农场以不同方式经营，他们中的绝大多数由男性经营。一般男性拥有或租用土地，决定种什么作物并且监督销售。女性更多是作为种植者和收割者。家庭农场的工作时间一般都很长。对世界各地的许多家庭农户来说获得土地、水和其它资源都很困难。

The U.N. has helped establish more than fifty national committees to deal with these issues. The committees are made up of representatives of family farm committees. Together they decided on 5 goals to reach by 2014.
联合国已经帮助建立了50多个国家委员会来处理这些问题。这些委员会是由家庭农场委员会的代表组成。他们共同决定了2014年要实现的5个目标。

One is to establish policies to make equal the rights of men and women farmers. They also want to guarantee that nations have the right to develop their own food production. The committees hope to require governments to accept and follow certain environmental guidelines. And they warn governments of mainly agricultural populations to provide financial support to farmers. Finally, the committees agreed to work to support young people in agriculture.
一是制定政策确保男女农民权利平等。他们还希望保证各国有权发展自己的粮食生产。该委员会希望要求政府接受并遵循一定的环境准则。同时他们警告主要由农业人口组成的国家向农民提供财政支持。最后，该委员会同意致力于支持年轻人从事农业。

Family farms have been around for hundreds of years. They could continue to exist for hundreds more. But experts say family farms will need support to compete in the face of technological improvements and increasing international trade.
家庭农场已经存在了数百年，它们仍将继续存在数百年。但专家称，家庭农场需要得到支持来面对和科技进步以及国际贸易增长的竞争。