【时事阅读】悼念袁隆平院士

5月22日，"杂家水稻之父"袁隆平院士逝世。袁隆平生前在中国粮食安全、提高世界粮食产量做出了卓越贡献。今天，给大家分享新华社相关的一篇英语文章。

World leaders, representatives of international organizations and experts have been mourning the death on Saturday of Chinese scientist Yuan Longping, whose lifelong research in high-yield rice varieties help feed people around the world.

"Today, we mourn the passing of a true food hero. Chinese scientist Yuan Longping saved millions of people from hunger by developing the first hybrid rice strains," the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs tweeted.

"He passed away today at 91 (due to illness) but his legacy and his mission to end hunger lives on," it said.

Having spent over five decades in hybrid rice research, Yuan, an academician with the Chinese Academy of Engineering, has helped China work a great wonder － feeding nearly one-fifth of the world's population with less than 9 percent of the world's total land.

Qu Dongyu, Director-General of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, on Saturday expressed his sadness over Yuan's passing.

"Deeply saddened by the death of Prof. Yuan Longping, my dear Master. He devoted his life to the research of hybrid rice, helping billions achieve food security," wrote Qu on his Twitter account.

"You were my Inspiration. May you rest in peace," Qu added.

Born in Beijing in 1930, Yuan succeeded in cultivating the world's first high-yield hybrid rice strain in 1973, which was later grown on a large scale in China and other countries to substantially raise output.

"We have learned with great sadness the passing of the Chinese academician, father of hybrid rice, professor Yuan Longping," said Fanomezantsoa Lucien Ranarivelo, minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries of Madagascar, in a condolence message on behalf of the ministry and in his own name published Saturday on Facebook.

In Madagascar, the output of rice was raised from 3 tons to 10 tons per hectare, thanks to Yuan's fruitful research and a hybrid rice R&D center in the town of Malagasy co-built with China National Hybrid Rice R&D Center, an institution he founded.

Nowadays, sponsored by the center's training program, Madagascan technicians can travel to the Chinese central city of Changsha, where Yuan's team headquartered, and receive tailored advice.

Otilia Tomo, director of Mozambique Agricultural Research Institute, said that during a visit to China in 2019, she was impressed by varieties of saline-alkali tolerant or higher-yield rice that Yuan's team presented.

Mozambique was also challenged by the task of increasing yields, said Tomo, adding that in 2020, three varieties which her team brought from China and tested in Mozambique have delivered "satisfactory results."

The results are single-season and preliminary, noted Tomo, "but I can say they are promising," and her institute will carry on the studies to fight hunger, she said in an interview with Xinhua.

Yuan's passing is not only sad news to the Chinese people, but also a great loss to humanity, said Shahzad Ali Malik, CEO of Guard Agriculture Research and Services Co., Ltd in Pakistan.

Speaking of his first meeting with Yuan in 1998, Malik said the scientist had told him "businessmen usually wish for a speedier benefit through their investment, yet seed-breeding is not an industry with quick profit, there may even be no profit."

The talks showcase Yuan's high hopes of serious interest in rice-breeding from a potential partner, he noted.

Later on, the two sides have undergone two decades of cooperation in developing hybrid strains, and Pakistan's rice planting has ushered in an era of great economic and social benefits, helping many in the rural area to shake off poverty, according to Malik.

Ivo Mello, a renowned rice expert in Brazil, was also saddened by the news of Yuan's passing. "His legacy will be remembered for generations," said Mello, technical director of the Rice Institute of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil's leading rice-producing state.

Ramping up research input to develop higher-yield hybrid rice strains is a matter of great importance to countries with a huge population, such as China and India, and more broadly, to the eradication of global hunger, said Mello, whose institute has for years been promoting the growing of hybrid rice in Brazil.

By early 1970s, most biologists and agronomists around the world believed that a sustainable way of cross-breeding robust and high-yield rice varieties was a mission impossible, yet Yuan, with his research, proved the opposite and has since become a science hero of his motherland, wrote the German public broadcast ARD program "Tagesschau" in an obituary on Saturday.

【词汇解析】

1. mourn v. 悼念，哀悼，为……哀痛

mourn sb's death/ loss/ passing

She still mourns the death of her husband.

她仍然在为丈夫的死而哀伤。

2. variety n. 熟词僻义（动植物的）种类，品种：

The lake has more than 20 varieties of fish.

那个湖泊出产 20 多种鱼。

3. feed v. 喂养，饲养，为……提供食品：

Have you fed the cat?

你喂猫了吗？

4. passing n. 去世，逝世（委婉说法）

Nothing could fill the gap in her life left by his passing.

他去世以后什么都不能填补她生活中的空虚。

5. save v. 救，拯救，挽救

save sb./ sth. from sth

He saved the child from drowning.

他救起了那个溺水儿童。

6. the first hybrid rice strains 第一代杂交水稻

7. pass away v. （婉辞，指去世）亡故

His mother passed away last year.

他母亲去年去世了。

8. due to （同because of）由于，因为

The court of inquiry ruled that the crash was due to pilot error.

调查庭裁定飞机失事是由驾驶员的失误造成的。

9. lives on v. 继续活着；继续存在

She died ten years ago but her memory lives on.

她十年前就去世了，但她还留在人们的记忆中。

10. academician n. 院士，学会会员

11. sadden v. 使伤心，使难过

Those who knew him are saddened by his death.

认识他的那些人都为他的去世感到难过。

12. food security 粮食安全

food safety 食品安全

13. succeed v. 成功，达成

succeed in doing sth

Scientists claim they have succeeded in finding a cure for cancer.

科学家声称他们发现了一种治疗癌症的方法。

14. cultivate v. 种植，培育；（同 grow）

We cultivated maize and watermelons.

我们种玉米和西瓜。

15. output n. 产量；产品（同production）

Output is up 30% on last year.

产量比去年提高了30%。

16. learn v. 获悉，得知，听到

I didn't tell her the truth. She would learn it for herself soon enough.

我没有告诉她真相，很快她自己就会知道的。

17. on behalf of 代表（或代替）某人

On behalf of the department I would like to thank you all.

我谨代表全系感谢大家。

18. sponsor v. 赞助（活动、节目等）

sports events sponsored by the tobacco industry

由烟草业赞助的体育赛事

19. tailored adj. 根据特别需要的，专门的：

tailored financial advice

量身定制的理财建议

20. impress v. 使钦佩；使留下深刻印象

We were very impressed by the standard of work.

工作水准之高给我们留下了深刻的印象。

21. satisfactory adj. 令人满意的，够好的，合适的

His progress this term has been satisfactory.

他这学期的进步令人满意。

22. preliminary adj. 初步的；预备的：

the preliminary stages of the competition

竞赛的预备阶段

a preliminary draft 初稿

23. seed-breeding 良种繁育

24. showcase v. 展示，显示

Jack found a film role that showcased all his talents.

杰克找到了充分展示他才华的电影角色。

24. rice-breeding 培育水稻

25. for generations 世世代代，一代又一代

26. leading adj. 最好的；最重要的；最成功的

the leading industrial nations

主要的工业国

27. research input 研究投入

28. more broadly 更广泛地说

29. institute n. （教育、专业等）机构，机构建筑

a research institute研究所

the Institute of Chartered Accountants

（英国皇家）特许会计师协会

30. opposite adj. 相反的人（事务），对立物

If anything, the opposite was true.

要我说的话，情况正好相反。

 

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