China plagued by locusts 中国遭蝗害

Huge swarms of locusts have been destroying crops in northern China - a region which is already suffering from its worst drought in more than a decade.

Two areas have been struck by the locust plague at once.

In north-central China, at least six provinces have been hit by massive infestations, and in the far north-western province of Xinjiang, another large swarm of insects is rapidly chewing its way through the summer crop.

In the worst affected areas of Xinjiang, local farmers are reporting infestation levels of 4,000 locusts per square metre.

According to one local paper, this is the biggest outbreak of locusts in a quarter of a century.

已在经受一场十年不遇的旱情的中国北方，近来庄稼又被大量蝗虫所危害。

同时有两个地区遭到蝗灾。

在华北，至少有六个省大面积遭蝗虫袭击，在遥远的西北部的新疆，大量蝗虫也在快速扫荡夏季庄稼。

在新疆灾害最严重的地方，当地农民说每平方米蝗虫数量可达4,000只。

据一家地方报纸说，这是25年来爆发的最大的一场蝗灾。