VOA慢速英语:Philippines Prepares for First Rice Harvest Since Typhoon Haiyan

Some farmers in the central Philippines are preparing for their first rice harvest since a powerful typhoon hit the country. Typhoon Haiyan caused major damage over a wide area and destroyed homes. The storm killed more than 6,000 people.
菲律宾中部的一些农民正在准备强台风海燕袭击该国以来的第一次水稻收割。台风海燕造成了大片地区损失严重，并摧毁家园。这次风暴还造成超过6000人死亡。

Florencio de la Cruz remembers typhoon Haiyan. He says he had harvested six tons of rice less than two weeks before the storm hit. Strong winds blew off the top of the storehouse where he kept his rice. Heavy rain nearly destroyed his harvest. However, the sun helped dry some of the crop and he was able to recover a little.
Florencio de la Cruz还记得台风海燕。他说，在这场风暴来袭前的不到两个星期，他刚收获了6吨大米。大风吹掉了他粮仓的顶部，暴雨几乎毁掉了他所有的收获。然而，太阳帮助晒干了一些粮食，他才能够恢复一点损失。

Late last year Florencio de la Cruz received rice seeds from the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization. The FAO helped start the planting season in the central Philippines. More than two thirds of the local population lives in poverty. Mr De la Cruz says, nothing would have happened without the seed program. He expects to harvest the new crop on March 28.
去年年底，Florencio de la Cruz获得了来自联合国粮农组织的水稻种子。粮农组织在菲律宾中部帮助开始这次播种季。超过三分之二的当地人口生活在贫困之中。De la Cruz先生说，如果没有该种子项目，这一切都不会发生。他预计在3月28日收割新粮。

Last year, officials said 63,000 hectares of rice had to be replanted after Haiyan struck. In 2012, another storm reduced the government's supply of seed. Philippine officials say the FAO donated 52 percent of the required seeds. The international community donated another 28 percent. The rest came from the Philippine government.
去年，官员称，台风海燕袭击过后，63,000公顷的水稻不得不重新种植。2012年，另一场风暴减少了政府的种子供给。菲律宾官员称，粮农组织捐赠了所需种子的52%，国际社会捐赠了另外28%，其余的来自菲律宾政府。

Graziano da Silva is the Director of the FAO. Earlier this month, He inspected the seed program in the area where Florencio de la Cruz lives.
Graziano da Silva是粮农组织总干事。本月初，他在Florencio de la Cruz的居住地视察了这一种子项目。

Mr da Silva says the farmers are receiving what he calls "certified quality" seeds. He says these seeds should produce more crops than the seeds farmers have now. But he says the first group of seeds was provided under less than perfect conditions.
da Silva先生称，这些农民收到了他所谓的“质量认证”的种子。他说，这些种子比农民现有的种子产量高。但是他说，首批种子未能在理想条件下提供。

"Remember the typhoon came exactly in the moment that was close in the time for another planting and we needed to do it in a week, two weeks and we did it. The most import is the result would be zero if we did not provide those," he said.
他说，“要知道，台风来临时正值播种下一季的时刻，我们需要在一两周内提供种子，我们也做到了。最重要的是如果我们不提供这些种子，最终收成就会是零。”

Mr Da Silva say the reaction of the international community and agencies in the Philippines was one of the quickest he has seen. He says the next step is to make sure the farmers get a fair price for their rice crops. He believes that this might influence them to plant even more.
Da Silva先生表示，国际社会和有关机构在菲律宾的反应是他所见过最快的一次。他说，下一步工作是确保农民的大米价格公平。他认为，这可能会影响农民们扩大种植。

Agencies say typhoon Haiyan destroyed 33 million coconut trees. Philippine officials have announced plans for large coconut clearing operation in the area where the typhoon hit. The goal is to plant new coconut trees.
有机构称，台风海燕摧毁了3300万棵椰子树。菲律宾官员已经宣布了在台风海燕袭击地区大规模清理椰子树行动的计划。他们的目标是种植新的椰子树。

The trees will need at least four years before they can produce fruit. For now, the agencies plan to help coconut farmers plant fast-growing crops like cassava and white corn.
这些树将需要至少4年才能结果。目前，该机构计划帮助椰农种植速生作物，如木薯和白玉米。