美國酷熱天氣可能擡高全球糧價大綱
An intense heatwave is threatening havoc with this year's US grain harvest, burning up hopes of blockbuster yields and sending prices soaring.
一場熱浪正威脅今年美國的穀物收成。它澆滅了豐收的希望，穀物價格隨之暴漲。
Even a modest reduction in crops could send ripples through global food commodities markets, as the US is the world's top exporter of corn, soyabeans and wheat and stocks of the first two are relatively low.
由於美國是世界最大的玉米、大豆、小麥出口國，而玉米和大豆的儲量都相對較低，因此即使是收成的小幅降低，也會在全球糧食大宗商品市場引起連鎖反應。
Soyabean prices have surged to the highest level since the 2007-08 food crisis and the price of this year's corn crop has risen 30 per cent since mid-June. Worries about the size of the US crop come only months after drought hit the Latin American soyabean belt of Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay.
大豆價格已上漲至2007年和2008年糧食危機以來的最高水平，而今年玉米作物的價格自6月中旬以來已經上漲30%。在乾旱襲擊拉美地區巴西、阿根廷、烏拉圭和巴拉圭的大豆種植帶數月之後，人們就開始擔憂美國的收成情況。
Top US farming states such as Illinois and Indiana had suffered temperatures above 38ºC (100ºF) for several days already, with no let-up this week. "The forecast is going to remain pretty much the same over the next week. We're not looking at much of a break in the heat," said Matt Barnes, meteorologist at the National Weather Service's central Illinois office.
伊利諾伊和印第安納等美國主要的農業州已經連續幾天遭遇38攝氏度（華氏100度）以上的高溫天氣，並且本週也沒有減弱的跡象。美國國家氣象局伊利諾伊中心辦事處的氣象專家馬特•巴恩斯(Matt Barnes)說："未來一週的天氣預報基本維持不變，預計酷熱天氣不會中斷。"
Soyabean futures on Monday rose 1.5 per cent in early trading to $15.42 a bushel, the highest since July 2008. The oilseed price has surged 15 per cent since the beginning of June as the high temperatures blanketed farm fields.
週一早盤交易中，大豆期貨上升至每蒲式耳15.42美元，上漲1.5%，處於2008年7月以來的最高位。由於高溫襲擊美國農田，自6月初以來油籽價格上漲了15%。
Corn came within pennies of $7 a bushel for the first time since September as the heat places stress on stalks during their fragile pollination phase.
玉米價格自去年9月以來首次逼近每蒲式耳7美元，原因是高溫給正處於脆弱的授粉期的莖稈造成了影響。
"We aren't seeing widespread failure yet, but it sure is developing rapidly," said Brian Fuchs, climatologist at the National Drought Mitigation Centre.
美國乾旱緩解中心(National Drought Mitigation Centre)氣候學家布萊恩•福克斯(Brian Fuchs)說："目前還沒有出現大面積歉收，但這種趨勢正在快速發展。"
he shift in grain market sentiment caught traders and farmers off-guard. Lulled by an an early and successful planting season, money managers such as hedge funds one month ago had the smallest number of bullish bets on corn in two years.
穀物市場情緒的變化讓交易商和農民措手不及。由於今年播種季節較早而且相當成功，對衝基金等資金管理機構在一個月前持有的玉米多頭爲兩年來最低水平。
