VOA慢速英語:主要雞肉生產商將停止使用抗生素

The largest chicken meat producer in the United States says it will stop giving its birds antibiotics that doctors use to treat humans.Tyson Foods made the announcement April 28. It said it plans to complete the change by 2017.

美國最大的雞肉制造商表示將停止對雞類使用人類抗生素。Tyson食品在4月28日作此聲明。并稱在2017年徹底完成改革。

Health experts say over use of the medicines is part of the reason more bacteria are becoming resistant to them.

健康專家稱過度使用藥物是細菌抗藥性增強的原因之一。

Farmers have fed livestock small amounts of antibiotics for many years. The drugs help the animals grow faster and prevent the spread of sickness among farm animals that live close together.

農場主多年來一直向家畜喂食少量抗生素，因為這種藥物可以幫助家畜長得更快并且可以防止集體養(yǎng)殖家畜間的疾病傳播。

But bacteria living in and on the animals develop and become immune to the drugs. In other words, the antibiotics no longer have any effect. These drug-resistant bacteria then enter the bodies of people who eat the birds or livestock. Then, infections in humans become more costly and difficult to treat. Sometimes, treatment does not work at all.

但是家畜體內的細菌自身會調節(jié)適應這一環(huán)境從而產生免疫性。換句話說，就是喂食抗生素對抑制細菌生長不會再有任何作用。這些抗藥性細菌隨后會進入食用這種家禽類食品的人類體內。從而人類感染疾病的治療費用就會更高也更難以治愈，一些時候甚至是無法治療的。

Donnie Smith is the president of Tyson Foods. He says the company has already begun reducing its use of antibiotics.

Donnie Smith是Tyson食品公司的主席。他說其公司已經開始減少抗生素的使用。

“As a result of our efforts, only a very small percentage of our chicken flocks receive human antibiotics today.”

通過我們的努力，現在只有非常少的一部分雞群使用人類抗生素。

He says the company will stop giving its birds antibiotics by the end of 2017.

他說其公司將會在2017年底停止向家畜使用抗生素。

Sasha Stashwick is a policy expert at the Natural Resources Defense Council, and environmental group. The NRDC has been calling for an end to the use of antibiotics in animals for many years. Ms. Stashwick says other companies have recently announced their decision to end the use of the medicine in the animals they produce.

Sasha Stashwick是自然資源保護委員會和環(huán)保組織的政策專家。NRDC多年來一直呼吁停止對動物使用抗生素。Stashwick說其他公司最近也宣布了停止對其生產的肉類家畜使用抗生素。

“…we’re seeing that over a third of the industry at this point either has eliminated the use of medically-important antibiotics in its production or has made a public commitment to do so within the next few years.”

我們看到在這一點上有超過三分之一的生產商或者取消了對其產品使用抗生素或者已經公開承諾在近幾年內停止使用抗生素。

While the use of antibiotics in birds and livestock is decreasing in the U.S. and Europe, it is expected to increase in the developing world. There is a growing demand for meat there. Livestock producers in those countries are using methods that require antibiotics to keep animals healthy.

在美國和歐洲地區(qū)禽類和家畜類抗生素的使用正在減少的同時，預計在發(fā)展中國家的使用情況將會上升。發(fā)展中國家的肉類需求不斷上升，所以其所在國家的家畜肉類生產商需要采取措施使用抗生素來保證家畜的健康。

Ramanan Laxminarayan is the director of the Center for Disease Dynamics,Economics and Policy. He says Tyson’s announcement shows food producers can continue to operate without using the drugs.

Ramanan Laxminarayan是疾病動力中心的經濟和政策主任。他說Tyson公司的聲明表示生產商不使用抗生素生產工作也可以繼續(xù)。

Mr. Laxminarayan says if producers provide cleaner living conditions and better nutrition for their animals, they will not need to give them antibiotics. But he says the buying public must pressure farmers to stop using the drugs.

Laxminarayan說如果生產商給家畜提供更加清潔和營養(yǎng)條件的話就不需要使用抗生素。但是他說大眾消費者需要向生產商施壓要求其停止使用抗生素。

I’m Marsha James.

VOA science correspondent Steve Baragona reported this story from Washington. Christopher Jones-Cruise adapted it for Learning English. CatyWeaver was the editor.

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Words in This Story

antibiotic – n. a drug that is used to kill harmful bacteria and to cure infections

livestock – n. farm animals (such as cows, horses, and pigs) that are kept,raised, and used by people

immune – adj. not capable of being affected by a disease

flock – n. a group of birds or animals (such as sheep)

eliminate – v. to remove (something that is not wanted or needed)

commitment – n. a promise to do or give something