VOA慢速英语听力：美国农业部将瞄准高食品成本，提高竞争力 US Agriculture Department to Target High Food Costs, Increase Competition.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) says it aims to lower food prices and increase competition among agricultural businesses.
美国农业部表示，其目标是降低食品价格并增加农业企业之间的竞争。
The department plans to work with 31 states and the District of Colombia to target unfair price-setting activities. It also plans to act against anticompetitive behavior in the food and agriculture sectors.
该部门计划与31个州和哥伦比亚特区合作，针对不公平的定价活动。此外，该部门还计划采取措施打击食品和农业领域的反竞争行为。
On Wednesday, the USDA said it would work with a group of attorneys from both political parties. It aims to enforce laws on price fixing and the consolidation of businesses.
周三，美国农业部表示将与两党的律师团队合作。其目标是执行有关价格操纵和企业整合的法律。
The government says farmers have been unhappy about low prices for their products and unfair contracts with the biggest buyers and processors in the agriculture industry.
政府表示，农民对其产品低廉的价格以及与农业行业最大买家和加工企业的不公平合同感到不满。
Months of rising food prices have some farm groups and lawmakers wondering if companies were unfairly raising prices. Recent reports, however, show that food prices are easing.
数月来食品价格不断上涨，使一些农业团体和立法者对公司是否在不公平地提高价格感到担忧。然而，最近的报告显示食品价格正在回落。
In a statement, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said: "We can ensure a more robust and competitive agricultural sector."
农业部长汤姆·维尔萨克在一份声明中表示：“我们可以确保一个更加强大和具有竞争力的农业部门。”
The partnership will bring attention to anticompetitive activities including price fixing and gouging. Price gouging happens when a seller demands unfairly high prices from buyers during periods of increased demand.
这一合作伙伴关系将引起人们对包括价格操纵和哄抬价格在内的反竞争活动的关注。哄抬价格是指在需求增加时，卖方向买家索要不合理高价。
The department also said it wants to create new research programs to study the problem.
该部门还表示希望创建新的研究项目来研究这个问题。
In the coming months, USDA will also complete new rules under the Packers and Stockyards Act. A top administration official spoke about the changes in a call with reporters. The Packers and Stockyards Act is a law meant to protect members of the livestock, meat and poultry industries from unfair trade and businesses that have too much influence over markets known as monopolies.
在接下来的几个月里，美国农业部还将完成《肉类包装场和牲畜场法案》的新规定。一位高级行政官员在与记者的电话会议上谈到了这些变化。《肉类包装场和牲畜场法案》旨在保护畜牧业、肉类和禽类产业的成员免受不公平贸易和对市场具有过多影响力的企业（称为垄断企业）的影响。
The USDA says it has already proposed two of the three expected rules.
美国农业部表示，已经提出了三项预期规定中的两项。
The department will also give money to expand the meat and poultry industries. The goal is to increase the number of processing choices available to farmers who raise animals.
该部门还将提供资金来扩大肉类和禽类产业。其目标是增加养殖农民可选择的加工方式数量。
Vilsack said the new effort is linked to President Joe Biden’s executive order this month supporting competition in the American economy. The order calls for a “whole-of-government” competition policy.
维尔萨克表示，这一新举措与乔·拜登总统本月签署的支持美国经济竞争的行政命令有关。该命令呼吁“全政府”竞争政策。
Words in This Story
sector – n. an area of an economy
attorney – n. lawyer
consolidate – v. to join or combine together into one thing
artificially – adj. not happening or existing naturally
robust – adj. strong and healthy
