VOA慢速英语：干旱天气威胁着意大利著名的葡萄和橄榄作物

Farmers in Italy's famous Tuscany area are struggling to save grape and olive crops threatened by a heatwave and drought conditions.
意大利著名的托斯卡纳地区的农民,正在努力拯救受到热浪和干旱条件威胁的葡萄和橄榄作物。
 
A lack of rainfall since spring has even affected plants that traditionally grow well in hot and dry weather.
自春季以来降雨严重不足,一些本该在炎热干燥天气中生长良好的植物也受到了影响。
 
In San Casciano in Val di Pesa, near Florence, olive trees line the hillsides. But farmers say the dry soil is preventing the trees from producing the normal amount of fruit.
在佛罗伦萨附近 Val di Pesa 的圣卡西亚诺，橄榄树排列在山坡上。但农民说，干燥的土壤正在阻碍树木生产正常数量的水果。
 
Tuscany is famous around the world for its olive oil and wine from grapes. But growers in the area say dry, hot weather has recently had a major effect on the crops and harmed production.
托斯卡纳以其橄榄油和葡萄酒而闻名于世。但该地区的种植者表示，最近干燥炎热的天气对作物产生了重大影响,并损害了产量。
 
"We had a very dry spring with practically no rain from March to today," olive grower Filippo Legnaioli told Reuters. He said this year's heat and lack of water happened during an important time, when the flowers were changing to fruit.
“从 3 月到今天，这里的春天非常干燥，几乎没有下雨。”橄榄种植者 Filippo Legnaioli 告诉路透社。他说，今年的高温和缺水恰好发生在开花结果的重要时期。
 
Without water, many flowers fall to the ground before they can produce fruit. Legnaioli said this year's oil production could be reduced by up to 60 percent.
没有水，很多花还没来得及结果就掉在地上。Legnaioli 表示，今年的橄榄油产量可能减少多达 60%。
 
Other olive growers have decided to change some of their farming methods. They have added extra watering systems to make up for the lack of rainfall and hot temperatures.
其他橄榄种植者决定改变耕作方法。他们增加了额外的浇水系统，以弥补降雨不足和高温。
 
Farmer Luigi Calonaci told Reuters the "rescue" watering methods aim "to protect the production of olives on the plants."
农民 Luigi Calonaci 告诉路透社，“救援”浇水方法的目的是“保护植物上橄榄的生产”。
 
The system works through a pipe placed beneath the trees to release small amounts of water. Calonaci's farm has also been using a white netting material to protect the plants from olive fruit flies, whose larvae feed on the fruit of the trees. While the farmers say that problem is not directly related to the drought, it can also cause big crop losses.
该系统通过放置在树下的管道释放少量水。Calonaci 的农场还一直在使用白色网兜来保护植物免受果蝇的侵害，橄榄果蝇的幼虫以树上的果实为食。虽然农民说这个问题与干旱没有直接关系，但它也可能造成巨大的作物损失。
 
The effects of climate change have not only affected production and plants but have also created new areas in Italy where crops can be grown. A few years ago, olive farms were mainly found in hot and dry areas such as Sicily. Now, areas such as Val d'Aosta in the far north of Italy - which is famous for its ski resorts and mountains - can produce their own oil.
气候变化的影响不仅影响了生产和植物，还在意大利开辟了新的作物种植区域。几年前，橄榄园主要分布在西西里等炎热干燥的地区。现在，以滑雪胜地和山脉而闻名的意大利最北部的 Val d'Aosta 等地区都可以出产橄榄油了。
 
Climate change is also affecting wine crops in Tuscany. In Chianti, for example, September is normally the month for the yearly grape harvest. But with continued high temperatures, many grapes are ripening earlier than expected.
气候变化也在影响托斯卡纳的葡萄酒作物。例如，在基安蒂，9 月通常是每年葡萄收获的月份。但随着持续的高温，许多葡萄的成熟时间比预期的要早。
 
"We have smaller grapes, and we expect the number of grapes to be lower than the average of the last few years," said Sergio Zingarelli, who helps lead a local grape farming group.
“我们的葡萄较小，预计今年葡萄的数量将低于过去几年的平均水平。”帮助领导当地葡萄种植集团的塞尔吉奥·津加雷利说。
 
In addition to the reduction in grapes caused by the current heatwave, wine growers also have to deal with other extreme weather events.
除了当前热浪造成的减产外，葡萄种植者还必须应对其他极端天气事件。
 
Paolo Cianferoni is the owner of Chianti's "Caparsa" winery. He said a hailstorm recently destroyed 40 percent of grapes in the area. He told Reuters, "Luckily the quality of the grapes has not been affected, so we'll see what happens."
Paolo Cianferoni 是基安蒂“Caparsa”酒庄的所有者。他说，最近一场冰雹摧毁了该地区 40% 的葡萄。他告诉路透社，“幸运的是葡萄的质量没有受到影响，所以我们拭目以待吧。”
 
I'm Bryan Lynn.
布莱恩·林恩报道。