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Members of the Native American Navajo tribe in Arizona have been raising sheep for over 500 years.
亚利桑那州美洲土著纳瓦霍部落居民养羊已有500多年的历史。
The Navajo started working with sheep when Spanish colonists brought the animals to North America.
当西班牙殖民者把羊带到北美时，纳瓦霍人开始与羊打交道。
They raised them for meat to eat and wool to keep warm.
他们饲养羊是为了吃肉，用羊毛保暖。
And it helped turn the Southwest into a center of economic activity.
这帮助西南地区变成了经济活动的中心。
But that way of life is in danger of ending.
但这种生活方式正面临终结的危险。
Navajo people are raising fewer sheep for several reasons: it is harder to get a permit to do so, younger people are not interested in being shepherds and climate change is making it harder to get food and water for the sheep.
纳瓦霍人养羊数量减少的原因有几个：更难获得养羊的许可证，年轻人对成为牧羊人不感兴趣，气候变化使羊更难获得食物和水。
In past years, Navajo families in the large western states of Utah, Arizona and New Mexico raised hundreds of sheep.
在过去的几年里，犹他州、亚利桑那州和新墨西哥州等西部大州的纳瓦霍家庭饲养了数百只羊。
The sheep were of the well-known Churro breed.
他们饲养的是著名的Churro羊。
Now, many families are only raising only a few.
现在，许多家庭只养几只羊。
Some have completely given up.
有些家庭已经完全放弃养羊了。
Amy Begaye is 25.
艾米·贝加伊今年25岁。
She has been working with sheep since she was a girl.
她从小就和羊打交道。
At first, her family gave her small jobs when it was time to butcher the sheep.
起初，到了宰羊的时候，她的家人安排她做一些零碎的工作。
She collected their blood in a container and held their legs.
她把羊的血收集在一个容器里，抱住它们的腿。
But now, she competes in butchering competitions.
但现在，她参加了屠宰比赛。
At a recent competition called the Miss Navajo Nation pageant, she had to cut the sheep into parts in a limited amount of time.
在最近举行的纳瓦霍民族小姐选美比赛中，她必须在有限的时间内把羊切成几部分。
She said she respects the work of butchers.
她说，她尊重屠夫的工作。
"We butcher the sheep because it is a way of our life," said Begaye, who won the competition.
贝加伊赢得了比赛，她说：“我们宰羊是因为这是我们的一种生活方式。”
"That's how my ancestors were able to provide food for their families."
“我的祖先就是这样养家糊口的。”
There is another Navajo family called the Begays, and they work with sheep.
还有另一个纳瓦霍家族贝盖一家，他们也养羊。
On most days, Jay Begay, Sr. takes the sheep out to graze near the community of Rocky Ridge, Arizona.
在大多数日子里，老杰伊·贝盖都会带着羊群到亚利桑那州洛基里奇社区附近吃草。
He uses a walking stick for support and takes dogs along to keep the sheep moving in the right direction.
他撑着拐杖，带着狗让羊群朝着正确的方向移动。
The family had about 200 sheep in the past but have since reduced their numbers to 50.
这家人过去大约有200只羊，但后来数量减少到50只。
His son, Jay Begay, Jr. said a friend told him, "You can't blame people for not wanting to work this hard."
他的儿子小杰伊·贝盖说，一位朋友告诉他：“你不能责怪那些不想这么努力工作的人。”
Begay added that it is harder now because of climate change.
贝盖补充说，由于气候变化，现在更难了。
A long stretch of dry weather called a drought has reduced the number of sheep.
长时间干旱导致羊的数量减少了。
The Navajo Department of Agriculture said there were about 200,000 sheep in 2017.
纳瓦霍农业部表示，2017年大约有20万只羊。
The next count is in 2024 and they expect the number to be lower.
下一次统计是在2024年，他们预计这个数字会更低。
Water is hard to find and a recent Supreme Court decision said the U.S. government is not required to find water for the Navajo reservation.
水很难找到，最高法院最近的一项裁决称，美国政府不需要为纳瓦霍保留地寻找水。
Valentina Clisto is a past pageant winner, like Amy Begaye.
与艾米·贝加伊一样，瓦伦蒂娜·克里斯托是上一届选美大赛的冠军。
She said when she visited other Navajo communities, the people complained about the lack of water.
她说，当她走访其他纳瓦霍社区时，人们抱怨缺水。
She said dry weather means the sheep cannot find grass to eat.
她说，干燥的天气意味着羊找不到草吃。
Instead, those who raise the animals must pay for costly food.
而养羊的人却必须要为昂贵的食物买单。
Lester Craig remembers when his family had 600 sheep.
莱斯特·克雷格还记得他家曾有600只羊的时候。
His mother would sell their wool to buy school clothes.
他的母亲常常卖掉羊毛来买校服。
Craig stopped raising sheep because his family lives on land polluted by a nearby uranium mine.
克雷格不再养羊了，因为他家周遭的土地被附近的铀矿污染了。
An accident in 1979 made their water unusable.
1979年的一次事故使他们的水无法使用。
He now has to travel about 30 minutes to a filling station to get water for his family and the few animals they have left.
他现在必须花大约30分钟的时间到一个加油站，为他的家人和他们剩下的几只动物取水。
In addition to climate change, pollution and water problems, Navajo members say the U.S. government is restricting the number of animals that can live on the land.
除了气候变化、污染和水资源问题外，纳瓦霍人表示，美国政府正在限制可以在这片土地上生活的动物的数量。
Some have to wait for years for grazing permits.
有些人不得不等待多年才能获得放牧许可证。
Meranda Laughter said her family had 300 sheep five years ago.
梅兰达·劳特说，五年前，她家有300只羊。
They only have 10 now.
他们现在只有10只。
Although many worry about the future, Laughter is hopeful.
虽然许多人担心未来，但劳特充满希望。
She said more education and better land management can eliminate some of the recent problems.
她说，更多的教育和更好的土地管理可以消除最近的一些问题。
She added that the land just needs time to heal and recover.
她补充说，这片土地需要时间来愈合和恢复。
"We just need to give the land time to breathe," she said.
她说：“我们只需要给这片土地喘息的时间”。
I'm Dan Friedell.
丹·弗里德尔为您播报。
译文为可可英语翻译，未经授权请勿转载！
