The United States Department of Agriculture has given farmers permission to plant genetically engineered sugar beets with some conditions.  
美国农业部（USDA）已经同意农民种植转基因甜菜，但有一些条件。

A USDA agency ruled on the most popular variety of Roundup Ready sugar beets. 
农业部的一个专门机构对最常见的抗草甘膦甜菜做出了裁定。

The agency said the genetically engineered sugar beets do not harm the environment or increase threats by pests.
表示转基因甜菜不会对环境造成损害，也不会增加虫害的威胁。

The Monsanto Company makes Roundup Ready crops. 
孟山都公司生产抗草甘膦作物。

The genetic change in the sugar beets makes them resist the herbicide or weed killer known as Roundup.
甜菜里的基因发生了改变，从而能够抵抗“农达”除草剂。

The action lets growers plant the genetically changed sugar beets if they obey certain rules. 
农业部的此举表明，只要种植者遵守某些规定，他们就可以种植转基因甜菜。

The USDA agency expects to finish its full environmental study of the sugar beets by May of next year. 
农业部该机构预计到明年5月结束转基因甜菜对环境影响的全面研究。

Then it will decide if it will permit unlimited planting of the crops. 
然后他们将决定是否无条件允许转基因甜菜的种植。

Sugar beets provide about half of America's sugar supply.
甜菜的供糖量大约占到全美总供应量的一半。

The government agency had unconditionally approved the genetically engineered sugar beets in 2005. 
农业部曾于2005年无条件批准种植转基因甜菜。

But after legal action, the United States District Court for the Northern District of California cancelled the agency's approval last year. 
但经过诉讼，加州北部的地方法院去年撤消了该项许可。

The court said the Agriculture Department needed to perform a complete study of the environmental effects of the sugar beets.
该法院表示，农业部需要就转基因甜菜对环境的影响做一个全面的研究。

Jim Greenwood leads the Biotechnology Industry Organization. 
詹姆斯·格林伍德是“生物技术工业组织（简称BIO）负责人。

The group represents more than 1,000 biotechnology companies and other organizations. 
该组织代表1000多家生物技术公司及其他机构。

Mr. Greenwood says the current decision is a reasonable step. 
格林伍德表示，农业部的这项决定非常合理。

He says it lets farmers make planting choices while the environmental statement is being completed.
根据此项决定，在有关机构进行环境影响评估的同时，农民可以做出是否种植的选择。

But activist groups for the environment and food safety question the product's safety. 
但环保和食品安全团体则质疑转基因甜菜的安全性。

They will take legal action in the same federal court that issued the ruling last year. 
他们在去年宣布裁决的同一家联邦法院发起诉讼。

Lawyer Paul Achitoff of the organization Earthjustice said:
“地球正义”组织的保罗·阿契托夫律师称。

"We do expect to be able to challenge that decision before the district court."
“我们确实希望能在地区法院发难之前质疑这项决定。

The Roundup Ready opponents say genetically engineered crops can cross-pollinate and damage other crops. 
抗草甘膦作物的反对者称转基因作物会同其它作物异花授粉，从而危害其它作物。

And they say the crops can cause the growth of weeds that resist Roundup.
此外，转基因作物会导致抗除草剂野草的生长。

Last year, the United States Supreme Court considered its first case about genetically engineered crops. 
去年，美国最高法院受理了首例关于转基因作物的案件。

The court rejected a lower court's decision to ban sale of genetically engineered alfalfa seeds until the government completed a study of their effects on the environment.
一个下级法院裁定，在政府对转基因苜蓿环境影响研究完成之前禁止销售转基因苜蓿种子，但这一裁决被最高法院驳回。