Monsanto protests scheduled in 36 countries

　　抗議孟山都活動計劃在36個國家舉行

　　原文鏈接：http://rt.com/usa/monsanto-march-protests-world-069/#_=_

　　抗議孟山都的示威者(攝影：Reuters / Bernardo Montoya)

　　An international protest planned for later this month against biotechnology company Monsanto is slated to span six continents and include demonstrations in dozens of countries around the globe.

　　在本月底(2013年5月25日，周六)跨越全球六大洲，數十個國家計劃舉行反對生物技術公司孟山都的抗議示威。

　　Amid growing concerns over St. Louis, Missouri-based Monsanto and the impact the company is having on agriculture, activists have planned rallies for later this month in 36 countries.

　　由于越來越擔心總部位于密蘇里州圣路易斯的孟山都以及其生產的轉基因產品對于農業的影響，社會活動家們已計劃本月遲些時候在36個國家舉行集會。

　　Monsanto, a titan of the emerging biotech industry, has come under attack from environmentalists, agriculturalists and average consumers over the company’s conduct in the realm of genetically-modified organisms and genetically-engineered foods. Despite research on the effects of GMO crops being largely considered inconclusive, Monsanto has lobbied hard in Washington and around the globe to be able to continue manufacturing lab-made foods without the oversight that many have demanded.

　　生物技術產業巨頭孟山都推動轉基因生物與轉基因食品的做法已經遭到環境保護者、農學家們以及普通的消費者們的攻擊。盡管對于轉基因作物可能造成的影響的研究被許多人認為尚不確定，但孟山都在華盛頓及全球極力游說，以便在許多人要求監管而被忽略的情況下繼續制造實驗室制作食品。

　　In March, Congress passed a biotech rider dubbed the “Monsanto Protection Act” by its critics that essentially allows that company and others that use GMOs to plant and sell genetically-altered products without gaining federal permission.

　　2013年3月，國會通過了被批評為“孟山都保護法”的一個生物技術附加條款，該條款實質上允許孟山都與轉基因的其他使用者可以在未取得聯邦批準情況下種植與銷售轉基因產品。

　　“The provision would strip federal courts of the authority to halt the sale and planting of an illegal, potentially hazardous GE crop while the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) assesses those potential hazards,” dozens of food businesses and retailers wrote Congress before the bill was passed.

　　“該條款將在美國農業部還在評估那些潛在的危險過程中，剝奪聯邦法院暫停銷售與種植非法的、潛在危險的轉基因作物的權利”，在該附加條款尚未通過前，數十位食品業者與零售商在給國會的信中這樣寫道。

　　“停止孟山都自1901年以來殺死了數百萬人”(攝影：Reuters / Gary Cameron)

　　　In the weeks since the rider was approved within an annual agriculture spending bill, anti-Monsanto sentiment has only increased. The international day of protest scheduled for May 25 is now looking at becoming one for the record books, and even a number of celebrities have lent their star power to help raise awareness of the movement.

　　在年度農業支出法案內批準了該項附加條款后的數周中，反孟山都情緒進一步高漲。計劃2013年5月25日舉行的抗議孟山都國際日，目前看來將載入歷史記錄，甚至相當數量名人已經利用他們的名人效應幫助提高對于這項運動的意識。

　　“Here in America you don’t get the right to know whether you’re eating genetically modified organisms,” award-winning music performer Dave Matthews says in a video for the march that has been uploaded to the Web. Comedian Bill Maher and actor Danny DeVito also appeared in the clip to plead with people around the world to rally against GMO companies.

　　“在美國，你甚至沒有權利知道自己是否吃轉基因生物”，獲獎音樂演奏明星Dave Matthews今年3月在為這次抗議行動宣傳錄像中這樣說，這一錄像已上傳到互聯網。戲劇演員Bill Maher與演員Danny DeVito也在電視片段中現身，呼吁世界各地人民舉行反對轉基因公司的抗議集會。

　　But even as the anti-Monsanto movement increases in intensity, the company itself continues to generate record-setting profits. In April the company announced a 22 percent increase in net profits, and representatives for the companies said they expect to see that trend continue.

　　但是，盡管反對孟山都的運動范圍和數量不斷增加，但是孟山都本身仍一直創造破紀錄的利潤。今年4月，公司宣布凈利潤增加22%，公司的代表說，他們期望持續這種趨勢。

　　"So our bottom line business outlook today means the momentum that we anticipated in our first quarter has clearly carried through into even stronger business results for the second quarter," CEO Hugh Grant told analysts and reporters during a phone call last month.

　　“所以今天我們的底線商業前景，意味著我們頭一個季度預期的勢頭勢必會進入第二季度，產生更為強勁的業務結果”，孟山都的最高執行官(CEO)休斯·格蘭特(Hugh Grant)上月在一次電話中對分析家與記者們這樣說。

　　許多國家都舉行反對孟山都惡魔的示威活動(攝影：AFP Photo / Pedro Pardo)

　　Earlier this year, Grant told the Wall Street Journal that despite an international backlash, venues around the world have been unable to link to his company with any concrete health risks caused by their products.

　　今年早些時候，格蘭特曾告訴《華爾街時報》，盡管在國際上遭遇反彈，但世界各地的轉基因種植地卻未能把孟山都與其轉基因產品造成的任何具體的健康風險相聯系。

　　“They're the most-tested food product that the world has ever seen. Europe set up its own Food Standards Agency, which has now spent €300 million ($403.7 million), and has concluded that these technologies are safe,” Grant said in January. “France determined there's no safety issue on a corn line we submitted there. So there's always a great deal of political noise and turmoil. If you strip that back and you get to the science, the science is very strong around these technologies.”

　　“它們(孟山都的轉基因食品)是世界上見過的做過最大量試驗的食品。歐洲建立了他們自己的食品標準機構，到目前為止花費了3億歐元(4037萬美元)，并且得出的結論是這些技術是安全的”，格蘭特今年1月說。“法國確定我們向那里提交的玉米品系沒有安全問題。所以總是有大量的政治噪聲與混亂。如果你排除這些，進入科學，圍繞這些技術的科學非常強大。”

　　But despite those claims, anti-Monsanto actions are expected to continue as planned around the world — and in those very countries. Four demonstrations are scheduled for Britain, including events in London and Bristol, and two separate events are scheduled for May 25 in Paris. In the US, demos are planned in 48 of the 50 states, plus the District of Columbia.

　　但是盡管有這樣一些斷言，反對孟山都的行動預計將如計劃的那樣在世界各地持續– 并且特別在那樣一些國家。在英國，5月25日計劃中有四項示威，包括在倫敦與布里斯托爾，在巴黎計劃中有兩項單獨活動。在美國50個州中，48個州計劃了示威活動，包括哥倫比亞特區(美國聯邦直轄區)。

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