2023年02月28日 VOA慢速英语：朝鲜就粮食安全问题举行农业会议

North Korea has held a major agriculture conference as experts warn about worsening food shortages in the country.
朝鲜举行了一次重要的农业会议，因为专家警告该国粮食短缺问题正在恶化。
 
State media reported North Korean leader Kim Jong Un began the high-level meeting of the ruling Workers' Party on Sunday.
官方媒体报道称，朝鲜领导人金正恩周日开始召开执政的劳动党高层会议。
 
Officials said the purpose of the conference was to discuss ways to improve agriculture to strengthen North Korea's economy. The official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported Workers' Party leaders are seeking ways to establish a "rural revolution" for North Korea.
官员们说，这次会议的目的是讨论改善农业以加强朝鲜经济的方法。官方的朝鲜中央通讯社 (KCNA) 报道说，劳动党领导人正在寻求为朝鲜建立“农村革命”的方法。
 
The report said the meeting was meant to help identify "immediate, important" agricultural issues to help improve the state of "national economic development." KCNA did not say whether Kim spoke during the meeting or how long it would last.
报道称，这次会议旨在帮助确定“紧迫、重要”的农业问题，以帮助改善“国民经济发展”状况。朝中社没有说明金正恩是否在会谈期间发言，也没有说明会谈持续多长时间。
 
International experts have warned that food insecurity issues have worsened in North Korea. The difficulties are linked to economic restrictions placed on the country over its nuclear weapons and missile programs. In addition, lockdowns related to the COVID-19 pandemic severely hurt the economy.
国际专家警告说，朝鲜的粮食不安全问题已经恶化。这些困难与该国因其核武器和导弹计划而受到的经济限制有关。此外，与 COVID-19 大流行相关的封锁严重损害了经济。
 
Earlier this month, South Korea's unification ministry said the planned meeting to discuss agriculture added to evidence that the food situation in North Korea "seems to have deteriorated."
本月早些时候，韩国统一部表示计划举行的讨论农业的会议进一步证明朝鲜的粮食形势“似乎已经恶化”。
 
The U.S.-based 38 North program is a policy group that watches developments in North Korea. It said in a report last month that "food availability has likely fallen below the bare minimum with regard to human needs." The group noted that food insecurity was at its worst level since severe starvation rates affected the country in the 1990s.
总部设在美国的 38 North 计划是一个关注朝鲜事态发展的政策组织。它在上个月的一份报告中表示，“粮食供应可能已低于人类需求的最低限度。”该组织指出，自 1990 年代严重饥饿率影响该国以来，粮食不安全处于最严重的水平。
 
Most experts have said North Korea's current food situation is not near the extremes of the 1990s, when hundreds of thousands of people died of starvation. However, some experts have said the country's food insecurity is likely at its worst point since Kim took power in 2011.
大多数专家都表示，朝鲜目前的粮食状况并没有接近 1990 年代的极端情况，当时有数十万人死于饥饿。然而，一些专家表示，该国的粮食不安全状况可能处于金正日 2011 年上台以来最严重的时期。
 
North Korea needs about 5.5 million tons of grain each year to feed its 25 million people. Last year, the country's production was estimated to be 4.5 million tons. That was a 3.8 percent drop from 2020, South Korea's government estimates showed.
朝鲜每年需要大约 550 万吨粮食来养活其 2500 万人口。去年，该国的产量估计为 450 万吨。韩国政府的估计显示，这比 2020 年下降了 3.8%。
 
It is not clear what action the meeting will result in. Some experts say North Korea will use the gathering to increase public support of Kim during his disputes with the United States and its allies over his nuclear weapons program.
目前尚不清楚这次会议将采取什么行动。一些专家表示，在金正恩与美国及其盟友就其核武器计划发生争执期间，朝鲜将利用这次聚会来增加公众对金正恩的支持。
 
Although North Korea's economic situation remains difficult, Kim has pushed to expand his nuclear weapons and missile programs. He has sought to position North Korea as a nuclear power and has called for economic restrictions on the country to be removed.
尽管朝鲜的经济形势依然艰难，金正恩已推动扩大其核武器和导弹计划。他试图将朝鲜定位为核大国，并呼吁取消对该国的经济限制。
 
Last year was a record year for weapons testing activities in the country. This month, the North launched ballistic missiles and carried out tests on other weapons too.
去年是该国武器测试活动创纪录的一年。本月，朝鲜发射了弹道导弹，并对其他武器进行了试验。