VOA慢速英語(yǔ)：英美貿(mào)易談判在農(nóng)業(yè)問(wèn)題上產(chǎn)生沖突

US, Britain Clash Over Farming Issues During Trade Talks

英美貿(mào)易談判在農(nóng)業(yè)問(wèn)題上產(chǎn)生沖突

Britain and the United States have opened exploratory talks on a trade agreement. Such an agreement would take effect after Britain officially leaves the European Union.

英國(guó)和美國(guó)就貿(mào)易協(xié)定開(kāi)展了探索性會(huì)談。這類協(xié)議將會(huì)在英國(guó)正式退出歐盟后生效。

The withdrawal, known as Brexit, is set for March 29.

英國(guó)脫歐定在3月29日。

Sharp differences have arisen between British and U.S. officials over agricultural issues. Britain is resisting U.S. demands to open its markets to farm products currently banned under EU law.

英美官員之間在農(nóng)業(yè)問(wèn)題上出現(xiàn)了尖銳分歧。英國(guó)抵制美國(guó)要求放開(kāi)根據(jù)目前歐盟法律受禁農(nóng)產(chǎn)品的市場(chǎng)。

The most widely reported example is Europe's import ban on American "chlorinated chicken." In the United States, the meat processing industry washes chickens in chlorine to remove harmful bacteria. Europe says that an over-dependence on chlorine lowers overall production and cleanliness on poultry farms.

報(bào)道最多的案例就是歐洲對(duì)美國(guó)“氯洗雞”的進(jìn)口禁令。美國(guó)肉類加工業(yè)使用氯水清洗雞肉以便去除有害細(xì)菌。歐洲表示，過(guò)度依賴氯水會(huì)降低家禽養(yǎng)殖場(chǎng)整體產(chǎn)量和清潔度。

U.S. officials are disputing the claim.

美國(guó)官員駁斥了這種說(shuō)法。

Use of artificial growth hormones

使用人工生長(zhǎng)激素

The European Union has also banned imports of meat from American cows that have been treated with artificial growth hormones. Natural hormones control growth in animal or plant cells.

歐盟還禁止進(jìn)口使用人工生長(zhǎng)激素的美國(guó)牛肉。天然激素控制動(dòng)植物細(xì)胞的生長(zhǎng)。

American farmers use artificial hormones to increase the size of animals or to increase milk production. But EU officials warn that one commonly used growth hormone may cause cancer. They add there is not enough scientific information on other hormones to approve their use in food.

美國(guó)農(nóng)民使用人工激素來(lái)提高動(dòng)物的體型或增加產(chǎn)奶量。但是歐盟官員警告說(shuō)，某種常用生長(zhǎng)激素可能會(huì)致癌。他們還說(shuō)，也沒(méi)有足夠科學(xué)資料證明其它激素可以在食品中使用。

U.S. officials have made it clear that any future trade deal with Britain must see these food bans dropped.

美國(guó)官員明確表示，未來(lái)與英國(guó)達(dá)成的任何貿(mào)易協(xié)議都必須先拋棄這些食品禁令。

Former U.S. lawmaker Darrell Issa is President Donald Trump's choice to lead the U.S. government's Trade and Development Agency. Issa says that the millions of Britons visiting the United States every year enjoy perfectly safe food.

美國(guó)前議員達(dá)雷爾·伊薩(Darrell Issa)是川普總統(tǒng)欽點(diǎn)的美國(guó)貿(mào)易發(fā)展署署長(zhǎng)。伊薩表示，每年有數(shù)百萬(wàn)訪問(wèn)美國(guó)的英國(guó)人都食用了完全安全的食物。

"We'd like to have that arrangement being one in which, in Britain, you can choose to have American chicken, American beef, or other agricultural products, just as you could when you come to the United States. It is a key lynchpin of an agreement. Financial, manufacturing and agriculture have to be free and fair."

他說(shuō)：“我們希望有這樣的安排，你在英國(guó)也能選用美國(guó)雞肉、牛肉等農(nóng)產(chǎn)品，就像你來(lái)美國(guó)時(shí)一樣。這是協(xié)議的關(guān)鍵一環(huán)，金融、制造業(yè)和農(nóng)業(yè)都必須自由平等。”

The U.S. ambassador to Britain, Woody Johnson, recently wrote about the issue in Britain's The Telegraph newspaper. He attacked what he called "myths" over American farming, claiming they are part of an effort to protect the interests of British farmers.

美國(guó)駐英國(guó)大使伍迪·約翰遜(Woody Johnson)最近在英國(guó)《電訊報(bào)》上撰文談到了這個(gè)問(wèn)題。他攻擊了對(duì)美國(guó)農(nóng)業(yè)的“流言”，稱這是為了保護(hù)英國(guó)農(nóng)民利益。

British food quality concerns

英國(guó)食品質(zhì)量擔(dān)憂

Britain has repeatedly said that it will not lower food quality rules after it leaves the EU. In answer to Ambassador Johnson's comments, British international trade minister Liam Fox said his country would not compromise.

英國(guó)一再表示離開(kāi)歐盟后不會(huì)降低食品質(zhì)量規(guī)定。英國(guó)國(guó)際貿(mào)易部長(zhǎng)利亞姆·?？怂?Liam Fox)在回應(yīng)約翰遜大使的言論時(shí)表示，英國(guó)不會(huì)妥協(xié)。

Fox spoke to the British Broadcasting Corporation.

?？怂菇邮芰擞?guó)廣播公司的采訪。

"Will we accept things that we believe are against the interests of our consumers or our producers? No, we won't. It's a negotiation."

他說(shuō)：“我們會(huì)接受那些我們認(rèn)為侵犯消費(fèi)者或生產(chǎn)商利益的事情嗎?不，我們不會(huì)接受，這是談判。”

The dispute over American meat imports is also influencing debate over the Irish border, a major issue in Britain's attempt to cancel its EU membership.

關(guān)于美國(guó)肉類進(jìn)口的爭(zhēng)議也影響到了在愛(ài)爾蘭邊境問(wèn)題上的爭(zhēng)議。愛(ài)爾蘭邊境是英國(guó)試圖退出歐盟時(shí)遇到的一個(gè)主要問(wèn)題。

British and EU officials want to avoid border inspections between Northern Ireland, which is part of Britain, and the Republic of Ireland, an EU member state. Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar recently expressed fears that the border could open a back door into the EU. In other words, EU members might import products that fail to meet their food safety requirements.

英國(guó)和歐盟官員希望避免在作為英國(guó)一部分的北愛(ài)爾蘭和作為歐盟成員的愛(ài)爾蘭共和國(guó)之間實(shí)行邊檢。愛(ài)爾蘭總理利奧·拉拉德卡(Leo Varadkar)最近表示擔(dān)心這一邊境可能會(huì)打開(kāi)歐盟的后門(mén)。換句話說(shuō)，歐盟成員國(guó)可能會(huì)進(jìn)口不滿足食品安全要求的產(chǎn)品。

Varadkar told reporters, "If at some point in the future the United Kingdom were to allow chlorinated chicken or beef with hormones into their markets, we wouldn't want that coming into our markets or the European Union as well."

拉拉德卡對(duì)記者表示：“如果將來(lái)某個(gè)時(shí)候英國(guó)允許“氯洗雞”或是含有激素的牛肉進(jìn)入英國(guó)市場(chǎng)，我們也不希望它們進(jìn)入我國(guó)市場(chǎng)或是歐盟市場(chǎng)。”

The United States says a trade deal would help British industries, like financial services. And Britain appears interested in strengthening its position in the post-Brexit world as an international trading power.

美國(guó)表示，貿(mào)易協(xié)議將會(huì)有助于英國(guó)產(chǎn)業(yè)，像金融服務(wù)業(yè)。英國(guó)似乎有興趣加強(qiáng)該國(guó)在脫歐后作為國(guó)際貿(mào)易大國(guó)的地位。

I'm Jonathan Evans.

喬納森·埃文斯報(bào)道。