World Leaders Pledge to Combat Food Crisis
罗马峰会达成协议解决粮食危机

 
World leaders at a UN summit in Rome have pledged to reduce trade barriers and boost agricultural production to combat a global food crisis. At the end of a 3-day world food security summit in Rome, delegates approved a declaration resolving to ease the suffering caused by soaring food prices.

各国领导人在罗马召开的联合国粮食峰会上承诺削减贸易壁垒，增加粮食生产，以对抗全球粮食危机。在为期三天的会议结束后，与会代表通过宣言，寻求缓解高粮价的方案。

It was no easy matter for the delegates at the world food security summit in Rome to reach an agreement on a final declaration to ease increasing hunger in the world. Nearly 5,000 representatives from more than 180 countries spent three days discussing how to ease the suffering caused by soaring food prices.

对于汇集罗马的与会代表来说，达成反饥饿的共同宣言并不容易。来自180多个国家的将近5千名代表用了三天时间来探讨如何缓解高粮价引发的苦难。

Delegates held their talks at the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization. At the end of a long third day, an agreement was reached. FAO Director General Jacques Diouf had said at the start of the conference that the time had come for action.

这次峰会在联合国粮农组织的总部召开。会议的第三天，也就是最后一天，峰会达成了协议。粮农组织总干事雅克.迪乌夫表示，解决粮食危机迫在眉睫。

"We have approved a declaration, you know that it has not been very easy as usual and, in addition, during the discussions, the third elements of the global framework for action, global framework for action, that document was also presented in the framework of the task force," he said.

迪乌夫说：“我们通过了一项宣言。你们知道，象往常一样，这件事并不容易。此外，在讨论过程当中，工作小组还审议了全球行动框架的有关文件。”

He added that what essentially was reached at the Rome conference was a political declaration of intent to ease hunger. The document calls for swift help for small-holder farmers in poor countries who need seed, fertilizers and animal feed in time for the approaching planting season. But it remains to be seen if the words adopted in Rome will translate into changed farm or trade policies at home.

迪乌夫说，罗马峰会最终达成的实际上是一项对抗饥饿的政治宣言。这份文件呼吁立即向贫困国家的小农场主提供帮助。他们急需种子、化肥、饲料援助，以便赶上即将到来的种植季节。但是，罗马宣言的文字能否转化成有关国家的贸易和农业政策，尚有待观察。

Diouf said the gathering wasn't a pledging conference but billions of US dollars from countries, regional banks and the World Bank were promised to combat hunger.

迪乌夫说，尽管这次大会并非筹款会议，但是，一些国家、地区银行、以及世界银行仍然承诺提供几十亿美元用于对抗饥饿。

"At the closing of the conference the representative of the United States indicated that they would be committing 5 billion US dollars over the next years in support of agriculture and food security," he said.

迪乌夫说：“在大会结束的时候，美国代表表示，美国将在未来五年内投入50亿美元用于农业和食品安全。”

Some Latin American countries have raised strong objections to the declaration. These included Cuba that was disappointed the document does not criticize the long-standing U.S. embargo against the Communist-run island.

包括古巴在内的一些拉美国家对宣言表达了强烈的反对意见。古巴对于宣言没有批评美国长期对古巴实行的贸易禁运政策表达了失望。

Argentina was unhappy over the language about trade barriers. It says the declaration does not blame farm subsidies in the US, European Union and other Western food-producers for a major role in driving up prices.

阿根廷对于宣言有关贸易壁垒的措辞表示不满。阿根廷代表认为，宣言没有批评美国、欧盟以及其他西方国家的农业补贴对粮价上涨产生的主要影响。

Delegates at the summit also discussed the contentious issue of biofuels, recognizing that there are both "challenges and opportunity."

出席罗马峰会的代表们还讨论了生物燃料这个具有争议性的问题。代表们承认，生物燃料既是挑战，也是机遇。