VOA常速英语:Staving Off Hunger in Ethiopia and Kenya(翻译)

The Famine Early Warning Systems Network, or FEWS NET, a U.S. government-funded provider of information and analysis on food insecurity, is signaling that the hunger and nutrition situation in southeastern Ethiopia is deteriorating, with numerous households in the drought-ridden Somali regional state already experiencing severe food insecurity.Likewise in Kenya, although the situation is not as dire, insufficient March-to-May rainfall has left people living in the country’s arid and semi-arid regions at risk of crisis-level food insecurity in the near future.
饥荒预警系统网络（FEWS NET）是由美国政府资助，负责提供粮食危机信息和分析数据，该机构正预警埃塞俄比亚东南部地区饥饿和营养状况日益恶化，索马里州大量遭受旱灾的家庭正面临严峻的粮食危机。肯尼亚也是如此，尽管情况没有那么严重，但3-5月降水不足使生活在该国干旱、半干旱地区的人们不久将有遭受粮食危机的风险。

In 2011, the Horn of Africa suffered one of the worst droughts on record. The next few years saw sub-par rainfall, which means that the hardest-hit regions did not have the chance to recover, either for growing grain or replenishing pasturage.Then came the 2015-2016 season, and the abnormally warm El Nino phase of the global weather pattern. As a result, the most fragile regions in the arid Horn of Africa, once again saw the deterioration of agricultural and livestock production,rising food prices, and a future wrought with hunger, malnutrition, and resulting diseases.
2011年，非洲之角遭受了历史上最严重干旱的之一。之后几年降水量低于平均水平，这意味着干旱最严重的地区没有机会得到恢复，无法种植粮食、补充牧草。2015年至2016年，全球天气受厄尔尼诺影响异常温暖。因此，干旱的非洲之角最脆弱的地区再次面临农业和畜牧业生产状况的恶化，粮食价格上升，人们在未来会受到饥饿、营养不良，和由此引发疾病的困扰。

Today, 7.8 million Ethiopians are suffering acute food insecurity, as are 2.6 million Kenyans.
今天，780万埃塞俄比亚人正遭受严重的粮食危机，260万肯尼亚人面临同样情况。

That is why the United States announced in early August that it will deliver more than 169 million dollars’ worth of humanitarian aid for Ethiopia and Kenya.
这就是为什么美国在8月初宣布它将为埃塞俄比亚和肯尼亚提供1.69多亿美元的人道主义援助。

In doing so, the United States is scaling up emergency food assistance.The funds will provide such necessities as specialized nutrition supplies to treat malnourished children, safe drinking water, and essential health services.
为了实践诺言，美国扩大了紧急粮食援助的规模。资金将用于提供必需品，诸如为营养不良儿童提供专门的营养品，提供安全饮用水和基本健康服务。

In Ethiopia, this assistance will provide food aid for about three million people.In addition to aid for Kenyans affected by the drought, the United States is also providing support for refugees in Kenya who have fled drought and conflict in their own countries.
在埃塞俄比亚，这种援助将为约300万人提供粮食。除了帮助受干旱影响的肯尼亚人，美国还帮助肯尼亚难民，他们因干旱和冲突逃离自己的国家。

“It is not a famine, but it is rising up to the levels of getting close to famine,” said Matt Nims, acting director of Food for Peace at the U.S. Agency for International Development, or USAID."That is why we want to act now so that we’re not into that stage.”
“这不是一次饥荒，但却接近饥荒水平，”马特·尼姆斯说，他是美国国际开发署（USAID）粮食换和平办公室代理主任。“这就是为什么我们想立刻行动，这样才不会遭受饥荒。”