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How many cows are too many, asks the Dutch government?
And is a nut a fruit?
Around the corner from the office of Mark Rutte, the Netherlands’ prime minister, lies the Koediefstraat, or “cow-thief street”. Many Dutch farmers might find the name appropriate: by their lights, the government wants to rustle their cattle. On June 10th it unveiled proposed limits to nitrogen pollution, such as ammonia from fertiliser and manure, to abide by eu biodiversity rules. Farms next to nature reserves must cut nitrogen output by 70%. About 30% of the country’s cows and pigs will have to go, along with a big share of cattle and dairy farms.
Since then farmers have protested so boisterously that one might think it was legal to drive a John Deere on the motorway. Pastures are festooned with the slogan “no farmer, no food”. Farmers have parked tractors in front of the Senate, harassed government ministers at their homes and blockaded distribution centres to press supermarkets to take sides. They tried to intimidate a vegetarian food company into removing passages on its website stating that cattle-raising contributes to climate change.
The Netherlands is the biggest nitrogen polluter in the eu. The density of cows in parts of the country exceeds that of any other region of Europe. The government says that Dutch farmers will be paid the full value of any land, cattle or machinery they have to take out of production, and will get subsidies to convert to ecological farming. But radical groups such as the Farmers’ Defence Force say they will resist anyway. Far-right politicians have taken up the cause, claiming that the pollution limits are in fact a conspiracy by the World Economic Forum (the organisers of the annual Davos shindig, much beloved by globalisers) to replace farms with housing for immigrants. On July 3rd the government appointed a mediator, but the farmers’ groups have refused to meet him.
When it comes to food, good intentions and poor planning seem to be a problem lately for the Netherlands. In March the new government promised to fight obesity by eliminating vat on fruit and vegetables. But as America’s government discovered in the 1980s when it labelled ketchup a vegetable, determining which foods fall into such categories is harder than it seems. (Is juice fruit? What about nuts? Italians think so. Fruit rolls?) Experts have been dispatched to study the problem. Perhaps the partisans of orange juice will prove less ornery than cattle farmers.
注释:
Rustle：v
1. 表示” 偷（牛马）”,means” take illegally”,如："rustle cattle"
2. 表示” 沙沙作响”,means” make a dry crackling sound”,如：Her silk dress rustled as she moved. 她走起路来丝绸衣裙沙沙作响。
3. 表示” 急速弄到”,means”get sth quickly”,如：I'll try and rustle you up something to eat. 我设法给你弄点吃的。
Unveil：v
表示” 揭开；公布”,means” remove the veil from”,如：Women must not unveil themselves in public in Islamic societies. 在伊斯兰教国家里，妇女们在公共场合不能揭开面纱。
Nitrogen: n
表示” 氮气，氮（元素符号N）”,means” a gas that is a simple substance, without color or smell, that forms most of the Earth's air”,如：The lamp is full of gaseous nitrogen. 灯里充满了气体氮。Nitrogen is a gas without colour or smell. 氮 气是一种无色无臭的气体。
Fertiliser：n
表示” 肥料；化肥”,means” any substance such as manure or a mixture of nitrates used to make soil more fertile”,如：Converting waste into fertiliser saves space in landfills and provides an extra source of revenue. 将垃圾变为肥料不仅不需要占用填埋场地，而且还能够增加财政收入。
Ammonia：n
表示” 氨”,means” a pungent gas compounded of nitrogen and hydrogen (NH3)”,如：Tests of the manure showed a high ammonia content. 这种肥料经过化验表明氨的含量很高。
Manure：v;n
动词表示“ 施肥”,means” spread manure, as for fertilization”,如：The peasants fertilize the field by using manure. 农民们施肥来使土地肥沃。
名词表示“肥料”,means” any animal or plant material used to fertilize land especially animal excreta usually with litter material”,如：Animal dung may be used as manure. 动物的粪便可以作为肥料使用。
Boisterous: adj
1. 表示”喧闹的；”,means”noisy and lacking in restraint or discipline”,如：But a boisterous freedom was in the air. 但空气中弥漫着放纵喧闹的气氛。
2. 表示”狂暴的”,means”violently agitated and turbulent”,如：The infinite sky is motionless overhead and the restless water is boisterous. 头上是静止的无垠的天空,不息的海水狂暴。
John Deere: n
表示“美国农业机械制造商”， means"United States industrialist who manufactured plows suitable for working the prairie soil (1804-1886)"
festoon: v
表示” 以花彩装饰”,means”decorate with strings of flowers”,如：The room was festooned with beautiful flowers.那个房间以美丽的花朵结成的花彩装饰着。
blockade: v；n
1. 动词表示”封锁；挡住”,means”hinder or prevent the progress or accomplishment of”,如：Our cruisers and destroyers continued to blockade the approaches.我们的巡洋舰和驱逐舰继续封锁所有的入口处。
2. 名词表示” 封锁”,means”prevents access or progress”,如：They are threatening to impose a blockade on the country. 他们威胁说要对该国实行封锁。
intimidate: v
表示”恐吓,威胁”,means” frighten, especially by making threats”,如：Bob intimidate the witness into silence.鲍勃威胁证人保持沉默。The gang tried to intimidate the bank manager. 那帮歹徒企图恐吓银行经理。
ecological : adj
表示”生态的；生态学的”,means”characterized by the interdependence of living organisms in an environment;”,如：The regional ecological system is fragile. 区域生态系统脆弱.
conspiracy: n
表示”阴谋；共谋”,means”a secret plan by two or more people to do sth against the law”,如：He revealed their conspiracy to overthrow the government.他泄露了他们推翻政府的阴谋。
take up the cause:
表示”投入事业”,means”pursue or resume”,如：She took up the cause of the underdog. 她为受迫的人的事业奋斗。
shindig：n
表示”舞会；大宴会”,means”a large and noisy party of people”,如：The president delivered the joke at the White House press corps' annual shindig.在白宫记者团年度聚会上，总统开了这个玩笑。
mediator: n
表示” 调解人”,means”a negotiator who acts as a link between parties”,如：She called in a mediator to settle the dispute.她请了一位调停人来调解这次争执。
obesity : n
表示” 肥胖；肥大”,means”more than average fatness”,如：Obesity is a problem for many people in western countries.西方国家很多人都有过度肥胖的问题。
vat : n
1. 表示”大桶，大缸”,means”a large open vessel for holding or storing liquids”,如：The worker is dyeing cloth in a vat. 工人正在一个大桶里染布。
2. 表示” 增值税(=value added tax)”,means” value added tax”,如：The office is asking for the vat papers.办事处要有关增值税的文件。
dispatch: v
表示” 派遣；发送”,means”send sb/sth off to a destination or for a special purpose”,如：A messenger was dispatched to take the news to the soldiers at the front.一名通讯员被派去给前线士兵送消息。
partisan：n; adj
1. 名词表示”强烈支持者；党羽；”,means”an ardent and enthusiastic supporter of some person or activity”,如：He is a staunch partisan of the Republican Party.他是共和党的坚定支持者。
2. 形容词表示” 偏袒的,党派性的”,means” showing strong often unreasoning support of a particular party,group,plan,etc. and dislike of any others”,如：The audience was very partisan,and refused to listen to the points she was making in her speech. 观众们很有偏见，拒绝聆听她发言中的要点。
Ornery: adj
表示”脾气坏的；故意刁难的”,means”having a difficult and contrary disposition;”,如：He was convinced he was loved by all; and he was, even when he was ornery trying to just get our attention. 他深信我们所有人都爱他，事实的确是这样，就算有时候他会耍脾气来吸引我们的注意力。
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