人教版高中英语必修四Unit 2课文翻译

Unit 2 Working the land

―Reading―

A PIONEER FOR ALL PEOPLE

造福全人类的先驱者

Although he is one of China's most famous scientists, Yuan Longping considers himself a farmer, for he works the land to do his research. 尽管是中国最著名的科学家之一，袁隆平仍然认为自己是个农民，因为他在田里耕作，进行科学研究。Indeed, his sunburnt face and arms and his slim, strong body are just like those of millions of Chinese farmers, for whom he has struggled for the past five decades. 的确，他被太阳晒得黝黑的脸庞和和手臂，以及他那瘦削而又结实的身躯，就跟其他千百万中国农民一样，过去50年来，他一直在努力帮助他们。Dr Yuan Longping grows what is called super hybrid rice. 袁博士种植的是被称为“超 级杂交水稻的”的稻种。 In 1974, he became the first agricultural pioneer in the world to grow rice that has a high output. 1974年，他成为世界上第一位种植高产水稻的农业先锋。This special strain of rice makes it possible to produce one-third more of the crop in the same fields. 这种特殊的稻种使得同样的田地多收获三分之一的产量。Now more than 60% of the rice produced in China each year is from this hybrid strain.如今中国每年出产的稻米有60%以上出自这种杂交稻种。

Born in a poor farmer's family in 1930, Dr Yuan graduated from Southwest Agricultural College in 1953. 袁博士1930年出生，1953年毕业于西南农学院。Since then, finding ways to grow more rice has been his life goal. 从那时起，找到水稻高产的方法就成为他一生的目标。As a young man, he saw the great need for increasing the rice output. 年轻时，他就看到了稻田增产的巨大需求。 At that time, hunger was a disturbing problem in many parts of the countryside. 当时，饥荒是许多农村地区面临的严重问题。Dr Yuan searched for a way to increase rice harvests without expanding the area of the fields. 袁博士要在不增加土地面积的基础上寻求达到增收稻谷的途径。 In 1950, Chinese farmers could produce only fifty million tons of rice. 1950年，中国农民只能生产五千万吨稻谷， In a recent harvest, however, nearly two hundred million tons of rice was produced. 而近来却生产了将近两亿吨稻谷。These increased harvests mean that 22% of the world's people are fed from just 7% of the farmland in China. 这一粮食产量的增加意味着中国仅仅7%的耕地养活了世界22%的人口。 Dr Yuan is now circulating his knowledge in India, Vietnam and many other less developed countries to increase their rice harvests. 袁博士现在在印度、越南和很多其他欠发达国家传播提高水稻产量的知识。 Thanks to his research, the UN has more tools in the battle to rid the world of hunger. 多亏了他的研究，联合国在消除世界饥饿的战斗中有了更多的办法。Using his hybrid rice, farmers are producing harvests twice as large as before. 用他的杂交水稻种子，农民种出的粮食比以前多了一倍。

Dr Yuan is quite satisfied with his life. 袁博士很满意他的生活。However, he doesn't care about being famous. He feels it gives him less freedom to do his research. 但是，他对成名并不在意，并且觉得出名后搞科研就不那么自由了。 He would much rather keep time for his hobbles. 他宁愿把时间花在自己的业余爱好上。He enjoys listening to violin music, playing mah-jong, swimming and reading. 他喜欢听小提琴乐曲、打麻将、游泳和读书。Spending money on himself or leading a comfortable life also means very little to him. 在自己身上花钱或者享受舒适的生活对袁博士来说意义不大。Indeed, he believes that a person with too much money has more rather than fewer troubles. 事实上，他认为一个人有了太多钱，他的麻烦事只会更多，而不是更少。 He therefore gives millions of yuan to equip others for their research in agriculture. 于是，他拿出好几百万元帮助其他人进行农业科学研究。

Just dreaming for things, however, costs nothing. 梦想是不花本钱的。 Long ago Dr yuan had a dream about rice plants as tall as sorghum. Each ear of rice was as big as an ear of corn and each grain of rice was as huge as a peanut. 很久以前，袁博士曾在梦里看到水稻长得像高粱一样高，稻穗跟玉米穗一样大，而每粒稻谷像花生米一样大。 Dr Yuan awoke from his dream with the hope of producing a kind of rice that could feed more people. 袁博士从梦中醒来，希望能种植一种能养活更多人的水稻。Now, many years later, Dr Yuan has another dream: to export his rice so that it can be grown around the globe. 在很多年后的今天，袁博士还有另外一个梦想，那就是他的稻谷可以出口并长遍全球。One dream is not always enough, especially for a person who loves and cares for his people.一个梦想总是不够的，尤其对一个热爱和关心人民的人来说更是如此。

Using Language

Reading

CHEMICAL OR ORGANIC FARMING?

化学耕作还是有机耕作?

Over the past half century, using chemical fertilizers has become very common in farming. 在过去的半个世纪里，在耕作中使用化肥已经非常普遍。Many farmers welcomed them as a great way to stop crop disease and increase production. 很多农民喜欢使用化肥。把化肥作为防治农作物病虫害和提高产量的重要手段。 Recently, however, scientists have been finding that long-term use of these fertilizers can cause damage to the land and, even more dangerous, to people's health. 然而，最近科学家发现长期使用这些肥料会造成土地受损，甚至更危险的是，会对人们的健康造成危害。

What are some of the problems caused by chemical fertilizers? 化肥带来的问题有哪些呢? First, they damage the land by killing the helpful bacteria and pests as well as the harmful ones. 首先，化肥在杀死病菌和害虫的同时也会杀死有益的细菌和昆虫，从而破坏土地。Chemicals also stay in the ground and underground water for a long time. 化学物质还会在地里和地下水中保存很长时间，This affects crops and, therefore, animals and humans, since chemicals get inside the crops and cannot just be washed off. 而这会影响到庄稼，进而影响到动物和人类，因为化学成分会进入到农作物中，并且不能被冲洗掉。These chemicals in the food supply build up in people's bodies over time. 随着时间的推移，食物中的这些化学成分会在人体中堆积。Many of these chemicals can lead to cancer or other illnesses. 很多化学成分能导致癌症或其他疾病。 In addition, fruit, vegetables and other food grown with chemical fertilizers usually grow too fast to be full of much nutrition. 另外，施过化肥的水果、蔬菜和其他食物通常生长得过快而营养不足。 They may look beautiful, but inside there is usually more water than vitamins and minerals. 它们表面上很好看，但里面通常是含过多的水分，而不是维生素和矿物质。

With these discoveries, some farmers and many customers are beginning to turn to organic farming. 由于这些发现，一些农民和消费者开始转向有机耕作。 Organic farming is simply farming without using any chemicals. 有机耕作就是不用任何化学肥料的耕作。They focus on keeping their soil rich and free of disease. 农民关心的是保持土壤肥沃并且免受病害。A healthy soil reduces disease and helps crops grow strong and healthy. 健康的土壤会减少病虫害并且帮助农作物茁壮成长。 Organic farmers, therefore, often prefer using natural waste from animals as fertilizer. 因此，有机耕作的农民通常喜欢把天然的动物粪便当作肥料。 They feel that this makes the soil in their fields richer in minerals and so more fertile. 他们认为这样会使地里的土壤更富含矿物质，因而也会更加肥沃， This also keeps the air, soil, water and crops free from chemicals.同时还可以让空气、土壤、水以及农作物不受化学物质的污染。

Organic farmers also use many other methods to keep the soil fertile. 有机耕作的农民也使用很多其他的方法来保持土地肥沃。They often change the kind of crop in each field every few years, for example, growing corn or wheat and then the next year peas or soybeans. 在同一块地里，他们经常每隔几年就换种农作物。 例如，种玉米和小麦后来年再改种豌豆或大豆。 Crops such as peas or soybeans put important minerals back into the soil, making it ready for crops such as wheat or corn that need rich and fertile soil. 像豌豆或大豆这样的农作物将重要的矿物质带回土壤，从而使之适宜于种植要求土地肥沃的农作物，比如玉米或小麦。 Organic farmers also plant crops to use different levels of soil, for example, planting peanuts that use the ground's surface followed by vegetables that put down deep roots. 有机耕作的农民还种植多种农作物来利用不同层次的土壤。比如，他们先种植生长于浅层土壤的花生，然后再种植生根于深层土壤的蔬菜。Some organic farmers prefer planting grass between crops to prevent wind or water from carrying away the soil, and then leaving it in the ground to become a natural fertilizer for the next year's crop还有一些有机耕作者喜欢在农作物之间种草，以防止水土流失，并且把草留在地里，从而成为来年农作物的天然肥料。 These many different organic farming methods have the same goal: to grow good food and avoid damaging the environment or people's health. 这些不同的有机耕作的方法有着同样的目标：种植好的粮食，避免损害环境或者人们的健康。

人教版高中英语必修四Unit 2课文翻译