VOA常速英语:Indonesian-American Farmer Shares His Passion for Bees

Mulyadi Ibrahim starts his day greeting his queens.My wife says the queens are my girlfriends because I spent so much time taking care of them.His love for bees began thirty years ago when he discovered the art of beekeeping while studying agriculture in Canada.He’s been studying them for years and treats the little flying insects like his friends.So we have to treat these as living things, meaning when they’re sick they need medication. They need to be fed and that’s our role.We have to care for these bees so they survive—they call this sustainability.
Mulyadi Ibrahim以问候蜂后开始他的一天。我的妻子说蜂后是我的女朋友，因为我花了太多的时间照顾它们。他对蜜蜂的爱始于三十年前，当时他在加拿大研究农业时发现了养蜂的艺术。他研究蜜蜂多年，并像对待他的朋友一样对待这些飞行的昆虫。我们必须把蜜蜂看做生物，就是说它们生病的时候要给予药物治疗，给他们喂食，这是我们的角色。我们必须照顾这些蜜蜂，以让它们生存下去，这便是他们说的可持续性。
Born and raised in Indonesia, Mulyadi completed his studies in Canada before moving to the United States in 1995.His friends call him MO.His fascination for bees and honey production led him to start his own company — MOES Bee Apiaries.The beekeeping business is closely tied to food production and it’s vital to agriculture production.
Mulyadi出生于印度尼西亚，并在那里长大，后来在加拿大完成学业，并于1995年移居美国。他的朋友们戏谑他是卫生干事。他狂热迷恋着蜜蜂和蜂蜜制品，以至于后来他开创了自己的公司- MOES 养蜂场。养蜂业和粮食生产息息相关，对农业生产至关重要。
I have 32 colonies here.Every year in early February, we provide services to almond farmers.Mulyadi charges 150 dollars to rent his bees during the flowering cycle which typically lasts between four to six weeks.He also exports queen bees to other states that want to start their own colonies.Northern California’s subtropical climate is ideal for growing a wide variety of agricultural products, but many of the insects that pollinate them are either extinct or in short supply.So demand for Mulyadi’s insects are high.He says the biggest challenge for beekeepers is making sure the bees stay healthy.There are various types of illnesses that can harm bee colonies.There is a virus that can cause CCD or colony collapse disorder which can kill an entire colony in three to six months.
我在这有32个蜂群。每年二月初，我们都给杏农提供服务。在花期，Mulyadi以150美元的价格将他的蜜蜂租赁出去，花期一般持续四到六周。他还将蜂后出口到一些希望培育自己蜂群的州。北加利福尼亚的亚热带气候适合种植各种农产品，但是能够授粉的昆虫要么灭绝了，要么供不应求。所以，Mulyadi的蜜蜂需求量很高。他说养蜂人面临的最大挑战是确保蜜蜂保持健康。各种各样的疾病都可能给蜂群带来伤害。有种病毒可能导致毛囊角化病或者蜂群崩溃紊乱，这种疾病可能在三到六个月内杀死整个蜂群。
Like his bees, Mulyadi never stops working.He hopes to someday expand his bee farm to over 1,000 colonies.His dream to one day return to his home country of Indonesia and share his intimate knowledge of nature’s little helpers,tiny busy friends that convert the world’s flowers into honey and turns them into the fruits and vegetables that feed the world.
就像他养的蜜蜂一样，Mulyadi也从不停止工作。他希望有一天将他农场的蜂群扩大到1000个。他还梦想有一天回到祖国印度尼西亚，将自己熟知的大自然小帮手的知识分享给大家。这些身躯小巧、忙忙碌碌的朋友，将世界上的花变成蜂蜜，又将蜂蜜变成滋养世界的果蔬。
Maria Iman-Santoso and Naras Prameswari in Willows, California, Ariono Arifin VOA news
美国之音新闻，加利福尼亚州Willows的Maria Iman-Santoso和Naras Prameswari，Ariono Arifin报道。