India wheat export ban: Why it matters to the world
By Shruti Menon
matter [ˈmætə(r)] v. 要紧
It matters. 它很重要。
It matters to…… 对……很重要 India has defended its decision to ban wheat exports after criticism that it could worsen the global food supply situation in the wake of the Ukraine war.
印度已为其禁止小麦出口的决定进行了辩护。该决定先前遭受批评，被认为会使乌克兰战争造成的全球粮食供应紧张形势进一步恶化。
defend [dɪˈfend] v. 保卫；为……辩护
worsen [ˈwɜːsn] v. （使）恶化
in the wake of 紧紧跟随；随着……而来 "If everyone starts to impose export restrictions... that would worsen the crisis," German Food and Agriculture Minister Cem Ozdemir said after the ban was announced in May.
“如果每个国家都开始实施出口限制……那将加剧危机，”德国食品和农业部长杰姆·奥兹德米尔在印度5月宣布禁令后表示。
impose [ɪmˈpəʊz] v. 强制推行，强制实行 But India's Commerce Minister, Piyush Goyal, says the export ban should not affect global markets because it is not a major wheat exporter.
但印度商务部长皮尤什·戈亚尔表示，出口禁令不会影响全球市场，因为印度不是主要的小麦出口国。
So what has been the impact of India's move?
那么，印度禁止小麦出口的决定有何影响？
Global wheat prices rise
全球小麦价格上涨
India's ban was announced on 13 May, after unseasonably hot weather affected the wheat crop, sending local prices soaring.
印度的禁令于5月13日宣布，此前异常炎热的天气影响了小麦作物，导致当地小麦价格飙升。
unseasonably [ʌnˈsiːznəbli] adv. 不合时令地；不合时宜地
soar [sɔː(r)] v. （数量、价值、水平、规模等）急升，猛涨 Although India is not a major wheat exporter, the move unsettled global markets with the Chicago benchmark wheat index rising by nearly 6%.
尽管印度不是主要的小麦出口国，但此举令全球市场动荡，芝加哥基准小麦指数上涨近 6%。
unsettle [ʌnˈset(ə)l] v. 使动摇；使不安定
benchmark [ˈbentʃmɑːk] n. 基准
index [ˈɪndeks] n.（物价和工资等）指数 The prices of some of the main types of wheat rose for several days, peaking on 17 to 18 May.
一些主要小麦品种的价格连续几天上涨，在 5 月 17 日至 18 日达到顶峰。
peak [piːk] v. 达到高峰，达到最大值；n. 巅峰，顶点 Wheat prices had risen throughout March and April after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, as had the prices of other foodstuffs.
俄乌战争后，小麦价格在整个 3 月和 4 月都在上涨，其他食品的价格也是如此。
foodstuff [ˈfuːdstʌf] n. 食品，食物 Disruption caused by the war means that millions of tonnes of wheat have been unable to leave Ukraine, which is one of the world's biggest exporters.
战争造成的扰乱使数百万吨小麦无法离开乌克兰，乌克兰是世界上最大的出口国之一。
disruption [dɪsˈrʌpʃn] n. 妨碍，扰乱 Kelly Goughary, of the agriculture data research group Gro Intelligence, explains that India's ban led to a further price surge because "global buyers were depending on supplies from India after exports from the Black Sea region plunged".
农业数据研究集团Gro Intelligence的凯利·高格里解释说，印度的禁令导致价格进一步飙升，因为“在黑海地区的出口暴跌后，全球买家依赖印度的供应”。
surge [sɜːdʒ] n. 激增，猛增；v. 急剧上升，激增
plunge [plʌndʒ] v. 骤降 Who's been affected by India's ban?
谁受到了印度小麦出口禁令的影响？
India is the world's second biggest wheat producer, but accounts for less than 1% of the global wheat trade. It keeps a lot of it to provide subsidised food for the poor.
印度是世界第二大小麦生产国，但仅占全球小麦贸易量的不到 1%。它保留了大量粮食来为穷人作为补贴食品。
account for （比例）占
subsidised [ˈsʌbsɪdaɪzd] adj. 补贴的，补助的 But just before announcing the ban, India was aiming to boost exports by shipping a record 10 million tonnes of wheat this year - compared with just two million last year.
但就在宣布禁令之前，印度正试图扩大小麦出口，计划今年出口创纪录的 1000万吨小麦，而去年仅为 200 万吨。
It was offering supplies to new markets in Asia and Africa, and even after the ban, several countries said they were in touch with India to keep exports going.
它向亚洲和非洲的新市场提供小麦供应，即使在禁令之后，一些国家表示他们正与印度保持联系以让其继续出口。
India says some countries will still receive wheat exports, and that it will "continue to assist neighbours in their hour of need."
印度表示，一些国家仍将获得小麦出口，并将“继续在邻国需要时提供帮助”。
in one’s hour of need 在某人困难的时刻 Its top export markets are Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka - as well as the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
其最大的出口市场是孟加拉国、尼泊尔和斯里兰卡，以及阿拉伯联合酋长国。
In 2019-20, Sri Lanka and UAE imported more than 50% of their wheat from India, according to the Observatory of Economic Complexity (OEC), and Nepal imported more than 90%.
根据经济复杂性观察站的数据，在2019-20年，斯里兰卡和阿联酋50%以上的小麦从印度进口，而尼泊尔占到90%以上。
It is not yet clear whether these countries will still get Indian wheat under existing contracts, or will receive supplies under future deals.
目前尚不清楚这些国家是否仍会根据现有合同获得印度小麦，还是会根据未来交易获得供应。
It is not yet clear 目前尚不清楚 However, Egypt says that government purchases of Indian wheat will continue. It's one of the biggest importers of wheat globally.
然而，埃及表示政府将继续购买印度小麦。埃及是全球最大的小麦进口国之一。
The International Monetary Fund has called on India to reconsider the export ban, saying it could play a significant role in helping alleviate the current wheat supply crisis for those countries most affected by the war in Ukraine.
国际货币基金组织呼吁印度重新考虑出口禁令，称它可以在帮助那些受乌克兰战争影响最严重的国家缓解当前小麦供应危机方面发挥重要作用。
International Monetary Fund 国际货币基金
call on 呼吁; 公开请求
alleviate [əˈliːvieɪt] v. 减轻，缓和 Bad weather and fertiliser prices
恶劣天气和化肥价格
fertiliser [ˈfɜːtəlaɪzə(r)] n. 化肥 Apart from the war in Ukraine, the weather has had an impact in some major wheat-exporting countries.
除了乌克兰战争，天气对一些主要小麦出口国也产生了影响。
"Drought, floods and heat waves threaten crops in some other major producers [US, Canada and France]," says Kelly Goughary of Gro Intelligence.
“干旱、洪水和热浪威胁着其他一些像美国、加拿大和法国这样的主要生产国的作物，” Gro Intelligence的凯利·高格里说。
Global wheat production for the 2022-23 period will be the lowest for four years, and global stocks of wheat are predicted to be at their lowest for six years, according to a US government report.
根据美国政府的一份报告，2022-23 年全球小麦产量将是四年来的最低水平，预计全球小麦库存将处于六年来的最低水平。
predict [prɪˈdɪkt] v. 预计
be predicted to预测 Gro Intelligence also points out that global fertiliser prices have tripled over the past year, risking "significant" reductions in crop yields this year.
Gro Intelligence 还指出，全球化肥价格在过去一年中上涨了两倍，使今年农作物产量面临“大幅”下降的风险。
triple [ˈtrɪp(ə)l] v. （使）成为三倍
yield [jiːld] n. 产量；v. 产生（收益、效益等），产生（结果） It estimates that this - together with other factors - means global wheat stocks are down to their lowest level since the 2008 financial crisis.
Gro Intelligence估计，这与其他因素一起会使得全球小麦库存降至2008年金融危机以来的最低水平。
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