日本食品四面楚歌
The number of governments that have banned Japanese food imports due to fears of radiation contamination is growing. On Friday, China joined Singapore and the U.S. in halting some imported foods from radiation-affected areas of Japan. Other governments are expected to take similar precautionary measures as Japan struggles to contain the damage from the Fukushima nuclear plant.
由於擔心核輻射擴散，越來越多的國家下令禁止進口來自日本的食品，這對日本地震災區的經濟來說真是雪上加霜。
The situation at the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant remains precarious after several workers there suffered radiation burns while attempting to cool one of the damaged reactors.
福島核電站的情況仍然不穩定，在幾位日本工人試圖冷卻受損反應堆而受到核輻射灼傷之後，已經有好幾個國家監測到來自日本的放射性物質。
Although the extent of contamination remains unclear, the damage to farms and livelihoods is spreading. At one of Japan's busiest fish markets, Yasumichi Tanaka said the daily catch is dwindling. "Fish supplies from the radiation contaminated regions have been totally halted."
儘管這次核污染的範圍和程度目前還不明朗，但是日本農業和水產業受到的打擊卻在擴大。一個魚販說：“來自核輻射污染地區的魚類供應已經完全停止了。”
Produce markets also have taken a hit. Retailers say some customers are avoiding all vegetables, not just those likely to be contaminated.
International orders have suffered, as well.
蔬菜市場也在劫難逃。零售商們說，有些顧客乾脆什麼蔬菜都不買，並不僅僅是那些可能受到污染的東西。
On Friday, China joined the growing list of countries that have halted food imports from affected regions. State TV reported the banned items included milk products, fruit, vegetables and seafood.
In Singapore, where some Japanese foods already are banned, restaurant manager Connie Hon said her customers are worried. "Consumer confidence is yes, somewhat shaken, I would say, amongst some of the Singapore populace, but that can't be helped, I think."
在新加坡，餐館經理康妮洪說，顧客們都感到擔憂。“在新加坡民衆當中，顧客的信心的確受到了一些打擊，實在是沒辦法。”
And at another popular restaurant, manager Nakakita Yoshihiko said the menu has changed. "First of all, they want to know the food comes from where and is it safe or not? These are two major questions and it's very easy to answer. It does not come from Fukushima, and Singapore is able to check all the items to make sure the food is safe."
在另外一家日本料理餐館，經理中北吉彥說，他們已經把菜單更改了。他說：“首先，顧客都想知道食品來自哪裏，是否安全？這是他們提出的兩個主要問題，也非常容易回答。沒有一樣東西來自福島，新加坡可以檢查所有東西以確保食品安全。”Canada, Australia and Russia have adopted similar bans on Japanese foods. Health and security researcher Bill Durodie said more countries are likely to follow. "The reality is the United States made the decision a few days ago and it's almost inevitable that once a country that size has decided to act in that way, others will follow suit."
衛生安全專家比爾·杜羅迪說，如果福島核輻射不能很快得到控制，更多的國家會採取措施限制進口日本食品。他說：“實際情況是，美國幾天前做出了決定，不可避免的是，這麼大的一個國家都決定採取行動了，其他國家肯定會跟着做。”
But an expert on the politics of energy said the danger of radiation-contaminated foods is greatly exaggerated. Charles Ebinger at the Brookings Institution told VOA that an average adult would have to drink a quart of contaminated milk each day for one year to receive the same radiation as one CAT scan.
然而能源專家說，核輻射污染食物的危險被過份誇大了。查爾斯·艾秉格是華盛頓智囊團布魯金斯學會能源安全項目主任。他告訴美國之音，一個成年人如果每天喝一升受到污染的牛奶，那麼他得喝一年才能受到等同於一次CAT掃描給人體帶來的輻射量。
Ebinger said the one certainty is the economic damage to Japan's northeast. "That particular part of Japan is deeply dependent on agriculture and fish, so I think inside the Japanese economy, we'll see pockets of areas that have been exposed to contamination, see their economy hurt very much."
可是現在一個又一個國家開始限制日本食品的進口，日本東北部受到經濟損失將是確定無疑了。艾秉格說：“日本東北地區特別依賴農業和漁業。所以，在日本經濟中，我們將看到那些受到核污染地區的經濟遭受重創。”
Many European countries have yet to announce bans on Japanese food imports. Germany and France have started screening food samples. They say there will be no restrictions on Japanese food imports, however, until the test results are back.
很多歐洲國家還沒有宣佈禁止進口日本食品。只有德國和法國開始對來自日本的食品加強抽樣檢查，不過他們說，在得出檢測結果之前，不會限制日本食品的進口。
