英语新闻丨今年“打脸最狠”的水果，可能是荔枝？

The output of litchi in Guangdong province, one of its major production bases, is predicted to hit 876,400 metric tons this year, down 51 percent year-on-year.作为其主要生产基地之一，广东省今年的荔枝产量预计将达到87.64万吨，同比下降51%。That has led to a price hike in markets in the western part of Guangdong.这导致了广东西部市场的价格上涨。Litchi prices in the city of Maoming have risen by between 30 percent and more than 100 percent compared with last year.与去年相比，茂名市的荔枝价格上涨了30%到100%以上。Litchi from western Guangdong usually ripens earlier than fruit from other places.来自广东西部的荔枝通常比来自其他地方的水果成熟得更早。Chen Houbin, a chief scientist with the National Litchi Longan Industrial Technology System, said the predicted output of litchi across the country this year will be 1.78 million tons, down 42.5 percent from the previous year.国家荔枝龙眼产业技术体系首席科学家陈厚彬表示，今年全国荔枝产量为178万吨，较上年同期下降42.5%。The Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region is projected to harvest about 410,000 tons of litchi this year, a year-on-year reduction of 59 percent, while Hainan province is expected to produce about 200,000 tons, a year-on-year drop of 15 percent.广西壮族自治区今年预计收获荔枝约41万吨，同比减少59%，海南省预计生产约20万吨，同比下降15%。Chen, also a researcher at South China Agricultural University, attributed the reduction to a warm winter, which prevented mid- to late-maturing varieties from flowering properly.陈厚彬也是华南农业大学的研究员，他认为温暖的冬天阻碍了中晚熟品种正常开花，从而造成了荔枝产量的减少。Continuous extreme weather, including storms, hailstones and tornadoes, also affected the harvest, he said.他说，包括风暴、冰雹和龙卷风在内的持续的极端天气也影响了收成。Guangdong enjoyed a bumper litchi harvest last year, causing the litchi trees to become weak, and their vigor has yet to return to its optimal state. And litchi harvests typically occur in alternating years of high and low yields, Chen said.广东去年的荔枝大丰收，导致荔枝树身体虚弱，其活力尚未恢复到最佳状态。陈厚彬说，荔枝的收获存在“大小年”的情况。He urged related departments to rely on technology to promote high-quality development of the litchi industry.他敦促相关部门依靠技术来促进荔枝产业的优质发展。"More litchi varieties with better temperature requirements should be cultivated through seed selection, hybridization and biotechnology methods," he said.他说：“应该通过种子选择、杂交和生物技术方法培育更多温度需求较好达到的荔枝品种。”Targeted measures should be taken to strengthen the trees, and manage nutrition and plant protection, while promoting soil improvement technology, nutrition diagnosis guidance, and modern agricultural equipment in litchi orchards, he added.他补充说，应采取有针对性的措施以加强树木建设、管理树木营养和进行植物保护，同时提升荔枝果园的土壤改良技术、营养诊断指导和现代农业设备。Earlier this month, the Litchi Meteorological Service Center was launched by the Guangdong Meteorological Service and Guangdong Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, providing special meteorological services to local orchards and litchi growers.本月早些时候，广东省气象局和广东省农农部启动了荔枝气象服务中心，为当地果园和荔枝种植者提供特殊气象服务。Zeng Zong, deputy director of the Guangdong Meteorological Service, said the center will accelerate the automation of litchi meteorological observation, the digitization and intelligence of services, and the integration of scientific research and business services, to enhance the scientific and technological capabilities of meteorological support for the high-quality development of the industry.广东气象局副局长曾琮说，该中心将加快荔枝气象观测自动化、服务数字化和智能化，科研与商务服务的整合，增强气象支持科技能力，促进行业优质发展。Huang Yun, a litchi grower in Lingshui, Hainan, said a good harvest would not be achieved without good planting management.海南陵水的荔枝种植者黄云（Huang Yun）说，没有良好的种植管理，就不会有好收成。Litchi trees often bear fruit in the rainy season, and disease and insect prevention, as well as drainage, are particularly important for a good harvest, said Huang, adding that he usually uses organic fertilizers to improve soil quality and builds ditches to ensure good drainage before the rainy season arrives.荔枝树在雨季经常结出果实，病虫害防治以及排水对好收成特别重要，黄云（Huang Yun）说，他通常使用有机肥料来改善土壤质量，修建沟渠，以确保良好的排水。Lin Changzhen, director of the Caixianyuan Fruit and Vegetable Cooperative in Gaozhou, Guangdong, said her cooperative has been using multiple methods, including expanding e-commerce platform channels, training professional talent and enhancing industrial technology to help expand litchi sales, stabilize the market and increase income growth.广东省高州市采鲜园果蔬合作社社长林常珍说，她的合作机构一直采用多种方式，包括扩大电子商务平台渠道、培养专业人才、加强产业技术，以帮助扩大荔枝销售、稳定市场、增加收入增长。Logistics and services are also important, as litchi is a highly seasonal fruit, she added.她补充说，物流和服务也很重要，因为荔枝是一种季节性的水果。mid- to late-maturing varieties中晚熟品种disease and insect prevention病虫害防治seasonal fruit季节性水果