评论
打印
From VOA Learning English, this is the Agriculture Report.
这里是美国之音慢速英语农业报道。
As weather cools across the United States, a growing number of Americans visit farms. They harvest apples enjoy hay wagon rides and walk in the fields. These people are called "agri-tourists." They improve the economy of rural areas and help farmers increase their profits.
随着美国各地天气变冷，越来越多美国人去农场参观。他们摘苹果，坐干草车，走在田间地头。这些人被称之为“农业观光客。”他们改善了农村地区的经济并帮助农民提高收入。
School children are walking in a corn field maze. The corn is cut into tricky passageways that make it difficult to find a way out.
学童们走在玉米地迷宫中。这些玉米地被分割成复杂的通道，很难找到出路。
The children are from Yorktown Elementary School in Bowie Maryland. They have traveled to Montpelier Farms in Prince George’s County which is also in Maryland. The farm is about 40 kilometers from The White House.
这些孩子来自马里兰州鲍伊市的约克镇小学。他们来到了同在马里兰州的乔治王子县蒙彼利埃农场。该农场距离白宫大约有40公里。
Debbie Pierson is the student's teacher.
黛比·皮尔逊（Debbie Pierson）是这些学生的老师。
"We go on these kind of field trips so that the children will have a hands-on experience of what it's like to be on a farm," Pierson said.
她说，“我们进行这种类型的实地参观，这样孩子们就能对农场的一切都有切身体验。”
Amy Etsy-Smith is visiting the farm with her children.
艾米·艾蒂丝-史密斯（Amy Etsy-Smith）正和她的孩子一起参观农场。
"We come about once a year, Lots of fun, yes. The kids enjoy it. This was her favorite part, was choosing the pumpkin." Amy said.
艾米说，“我们每年来一次，这里很有趣。孩子们都很喜欢。这是她最喜欢的环节--挑选南瓜。”
When Mike Dunn opened the family farm to agri-tourists in 2008, he had only a corn maze, a pumpkin field and hay wagon rides. But he says, so many people visited that he soon increased the number of activities. He says he hopes he will someday make a larger profit from visitors than from farming.
当2008年麦克·邓恩（Mike Dunn）向农业观光客开放这个家庭农场时，这里只有玉米地迷宫、南瓜园以及乘坐干草车项目。但他表示，因为这么多人参观，他很快增加了活动项目的数量。他说，他希望有一天游客项目能比农场经营带来更多收入。
"Our agri-tourism revenue might be 30 percent of our entire farm income. We'd like to grow it to one day maybe 60 percent," Dunn said.
邓恩说，“农业旅游收入可能占到整个农场收入的30%。我们希望有一天能将这一比例提高到60%。”
Americans spent more than $700 million on agri-tourism activities in the United States in 2012. That is an increase of 24 percent from 2007.
2012年美国人在农业旅游活动上花费了7亿多美元，比2007年提高了24%。
In Loudoun County Virginia, there are farms where grapes are grown for use in making wine. Many of the farms let people visit, and drink the wine that is made there. Bill Hatch owns the Zephaniah Farm Vineyard. He holds wine tastings in his home.
维吉尼亚州劳顿郡有些种植葡萄用于酿酒的农场。这些农场许多都允许人们参观，并饮用产自这里的葡萄酒。比尔·哈奇(Bill Hatch)拥有Zephaniah葡萄庄园。他在家中举办品酒会。
"We are doubling the number of visitors to our farm every year. We have an average of 250 people on a weekend. That’s pretty much average throughout the year," Hatch said.
哈奇表示，“我们农场的游客数量每年翻番。平均每个周末会有250位游客过来。”
As more people visit farms, more farmers are adding activities in which visitors can take part.
随着农业观光客增多，越来越多农场主增加了游客可以参与的活动项目。
Malcolm Baldwin owns WeatherLea Farm and Vineyard in Loudoun County. Six years ago, he began letting people be married at his farm. They can also sleep at the farm overnight. Mr. Baldwin says the money he makes from these activities let him keep his small farm operating.
马尔科姆·鲍德温（Malcolm Baldwin）在劳顿郡拥有WeatherLea葡萄庄园。6年前，他开始允许人们在他的农场举办婚礼。他们还能在农场过夜。鲍德温先生表示，他从这些活动项目中赚的钱让他得以维持农场经营。
"But without the animals, and without the vines, the wedding business wouldn't be as profitable, because people like to see the vines. They like to see the animals and without which I don’t think this will be a popular place," Baldwin said.
鲍德温说，“但是如果没有这些动物，没有这些葡萄藤，婚礼业务就不会有如此有利可图。因为人们喜欢葡萄藤，喜欢动物。如果没有这些，我认为这地方就不会受欢迎了。”
And that's the VOA Learning English Agriculutre Report. I'm Caty Weaver.
以上就是本期美国之音慢速英语农业报道的全部内容。我是卡蒂·韦弗(Caty Weaver)。
本栏目视频字幕与文本并不完全对应，且视频播放缓冲时间较长，敬请谅解！
