托福閱讀機經(jīng)背景： 非洲重視世界水資源論壇

1、智課網(wǎng)TOEFL備考資料托福閱讀機經(jīng)背景： 非洲重視世界水資源論壇 African ministers say water is vital to improving health and economic development on the continent. Africa placed high on the agenda at the 6th World Water Forum in Marseille, France, March 12-17. 非洲國家部長說，水對于改進非洲大陸的健康和經(jīng)濟起著十分重要的作用。在法國馬賽舉行的第六屆世界水資源論壇上，非洲問題成為了會議的重點。 Ba

2、i-Mas Taal is the executive secretary of the African Ministers Council on Water, also known as AMCOW. He said African nations are committed to clean water and sanitation. 非洲水事部長理事會執(zhí)行秘書白馬斯.塔爾說，非洲各國致力于清潔水源和衛(wèi)生條件。 “We are putting up the economic case investment in water how it helps in the development o

3、f a nation. That water is the driving force for economic development,” he said. 他說：“我們把投資水源作為經(jīng)濟手段，看看這是否可以幫助一個國家的經(jīng)濟發(fā)展。因為水是經(jīng)濟發(fā)展的動力?！?Taal said there was a time when African governments were hesitant about investing in water and sanitation. They didnt see what the return on investment would be. Thats c

4、hanged. 塔爾說，一段時間以來，非洲國家政府在投資水資源和衛(wèi)生方面猶豫不決。他們不知道投資回報如何。這種情況已經(jīng)發(fā)生了改變。 “The heads of state have committed themselves to building the infrastructure of Africa - to move the economic growth rate of Africa from four to six percent to 12 percent by 2040. To do that, they have developed an infrastructure prog

5、ram for the development of Africa,” he said. 他說： “各國首腦已經(jīng)保證致力于建設(shè)非洲的基礎(chǔ)設(shè)施，力圖將非洲的經(jīng)濟發(fā)展從4%拉升到6%，進而爭取在2040年提高到12%的水平。為了能實現(xiàn)這個目標(biāo)，各國制訂了基礎(chǔ)設(shè)施項目，以便推進非洲的發(fā)展?！?Good investment He said investing one dollar in water can bring a return of $4 to $12 in benefits. One of the benefits is better health. 塔爾說，為水源投資一美元，就可以獲得4

6、到12美元的收益。其中一個收益就是民眾可以享受更好的健康條件。 “We know that in Africa over 60 percent of hospital beds are occupied with patients with water borne diseases. So if you invest in water and give them clean water, you are going to reduce your medical bill. Because they are not having clean water. They are drinking co

7、ntaminated water from boreholes, from wells that are not treated. So, give them clean water then you will reduce the medical bill,” he said. 他說：“我們知道，在非洲，超過60%的病人住院都是因為飲水導(dǎo)致的疾病。因此如果投資水源，讓民眾有潔凈的飲水，醫(yī)療方面的開支就會減少。因為沒有潔凈水源，他們只能挖坑引用污染的水，喝從井里打來沒有處理過的水。因此為民眾提供潔凈水源，你就可以減少在醫(yī)療方面的花費。” Clean water and sanitation a

8、lso mean more children in school. 有了潔凈飲水和衛(wèi)生條件，就意味著更多的孩子可以上學(xué)。 “The children and girl child, they are not going to school because they are going every day kilometers and kilometers to fetch water. But of you provide water at the village level they dont have to go those kilometers to fetch water. Then

9、they can go to school and become more productive in the future,” he said. 塔阿說：“孩子們特別是女孩子不能上學(xué)，是因為有些孩子每天要走好幾公里，到很遠的地方去取水。一旦在各個村莊提供水源后，他們就不用再走出這么遠的路程去取水了。這樣他們就都有時間去上學(xué)了。有了知識，將來他們的生活也會更有成效?！?Taal added irrigation can play a major role in ensuring food security and development. 塔爾說，引水灌溉在食品安全和經(jīng)濟發(fā)展方面發(fā)揮主要的作用

10、。 “If you depend on raid-fed agriculture in West Africa or Sahelian countries, it rains between two and three months and you dont even know when the rains are coming. Sometimes they start, you plant, and the rains do not come for 3 weeks. All your seeds die. So, telling them that you need to lift th

11、e water from the ground or from the rivers by building infrastructure to water those plants. Once you do that youll have revenue from those agricultural products,” he said. 他說：“在西非或者薩赫勒地區(qū)的國家，如果靠天吃飯，雨季只有兩三個月，而沒人知道什么時候可能下雨。有的時候雨水來了，你也播種了，但隨后3個星期沒有雨水，種子也都枯死了。因此重要的是告訴民眾，要興建基礎(chǔ)設(shè)施，從地下取水，從遠處的河流中引水灌溉，方便農(nóng)業(yè)。一旦

12、有利水利保障，農(nóng)業(yè)生產(chǎn)就會帶來收獲，有了糧食就有能富裕?！?As for non-agriculture business, Taal said Coca Cola, Nestle and Africas beer breweries have been working to use water more efficiently. He says in South African bars, for example, the price of a drink depends on the cost of water used to make ice. 至于非農(nóng)業(yè)生產(chǎn)，塔爾說，像可口可樂、雀巢咖

13、啡、非洲啤酒廠等都在更加有效地利用水源。他說在南非的酒吧中，一杯飲料的價格要看其中的冰塊是什么水制成的。 African heads of state, ministers and other officials have endorsed a position paper for the water forum. 非洲國家的領(lǐng)導(dǎo)人、各國部長和其他官員都贊成這次論壇形成的文件。 “Commit ourselves to mobilize the required resources and commit all necessary efforts to achieve the MDGs, go

14、al targets, for water supply and sanitation in Africa,” said Taal. 塔爾說“我們致力于動員一切所需的資源，利用所有必須的努力來達到千年發(fā)展目標(biāo)，為非洲人民帶來水源供應(yīng)，提供衛(wèi)生環(huán)境?！?He said Africas message was heard loud and clear at the World Water Forum. 他說非洲國家大聲清楚的呼聲在世界水資源論壇上展現(xiàn)得十分明白。 “Africa came here and Africa has made its voice heard. And Africa ha

15、s come out with solutions that we take back to the continent and implement so that water will be available to our people,” he said. 他說：“非洲來到了這次論壇，非洲的聲音清楚地表現(xiàn)了出來。非洲帶著解決方案來到這里，表明我們要在非洲土地上作主，要付諸行動，讓水源服務(wù)于我們的人民?！?Currently, Taal says, 340 million Africans do not have access to clean water and 500 million do not have access to decent sanitation.