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In the Japanese village of Kamimomi, a small group of farmers began gathering their rice in extreme heat, two weeks earlier than usual.
在日本的神美村，一小群农民在极端高温下开始收割大米，时间比平时早了两周。
Kamimomi is in Japan’s western Okayama prefecture.
神美村位于日本西部的冈山县。
The area is called "the Land of Sunshine" because of its good weather.
由于气候宜人，该地区被称为“阳光之地”。
But farmers working in the mountainside rice fields say climate change is hurting the harvest of rice.
但在山腰稻田工作的农民表示，气候变化正在损害水稻的收成。
Joji Terasaka farms in Okayama.
Joji Terasaka在冈山务农。
He said last year a hot period dried up the rice.
他说，去年炎热的天气让大米太干了。
He added, "I am worried about that this year because it will be just as hot."
他补充说，“今年的情况我也很担心，因为今年也会一样热。”
This year Japan had its hottest July on record.
今年，日本经历了有记录以来最热的7月。
The Japan weather agency said temperatures were 2.16 degrees Celsius higher than average.
日本气象厅表示，气温比平均水平高出2.16摄氏度。
Worldwide, there has been a 1.2-degree Celsius rise in average temperature since 1850.
自1850年以来，全球平均气温上升了1.2摄氏度。
Scientists agreed that warming needs to be limited to 1.5 degrees Celsius to prevent the worst effects of climate change.
科学家们一致认为，升温需要控制在1.5摄氏度以内，以防止气候变化产生最严重的影响。
Last year, Japan had a poor rice harvest nationwide because of unusually hot weather.
去年，由于异常炎热的天气，日本全国水稻歉收。
Officials say the drop in harvest in Japan was partly responsible for a shortage of rice this summer.
官员们表示，日本收成的下降是今年夏天大米短缺的部分原因。
The low supply of rice in markets forced sellers to limit each buyer to one rice bag.
市场上大米供应不足，这迫使卖主限制每个买主只能买一袋大米。
Yuji Masutomi is a researcher at the National Institute for Environmental Studies in Tsukuba, north of Tokyo.
Yuji Masutomi是位于东京北部筑波的国立环境研究所的研究员。
He said, "Perhaps people think that an increase of one degree Celsius in average temperature isn't much.
他说：“也许人们认为平均气温上升1摄氏度并不多。
But it's quite a big change for plants and crops."
但这对植物和农作物来说是一个相当大的变化。”
Masutomi said the rising temperatures also hurt the quality of the grain.
Masutomi说，气温上升也影响了粮食的质量。
Last year, the farming ministry noted that at least one-fifth of rice farms have reported a drop in quality from rising temperatures.
去年，农业部指出，至少五分之一的水稻农场报告说，由于气温上升，大米的质量下降了。
"Not only is the appearance not good; people say the taste drops too," Masutomi said.
“不仅外表不好；人们说味道也变差了。”
Another problem the farmers in Kamimomi face is working under high heat.
神美的农民面临的另一个问题是在高温下工作。
The average age of agricultural workers in Japan is nearly 69, among the oldest in the world.
日本农业工人的平均年龄接近69岁，是世界上年龄最大的国家之一。
Older people are especially likely to suffer from the heat.
老年人尤其容易受到高温的影响。
For half of the year, farmers work in the heat to produce rice.
一年中有一半的时间，农民们在高温下种植水稻。
To deal with climate change, the government is urging the use of heat-resistant varieties of rice.
为了应对气候变化，政府正在敦促使用耐热品种的水稻。
One strain, developed by a research center near Tokyo, is called Sai no Kizuna.
其中一种是由东京附近的一个研究中心研发的，名为Sai no Kizuna。
Naoto Ohoka manages rice breeding at Saitama's Agricultural Technology Research Center.
Naoto Ohoka在埼玉县农业技术研究中心负责水稻育种。
Ohoka said, "Last year and this year have been extremely hot, but even in those conditions, Sai no Kizuna maintained a certain level of quality.”
Ohoka说：“去年和今年都非常炎热，但即使在这样的条件下，Sai no Kizuna也保持了一定的质量水平。”
Sai no Kizuna was developed in 2012 to better survive high heat, wind and certain pests and diseases.
Sai no Kizuna是在2012年研发的，可以更好地抵御高温、大风和某些病虫害。
Masutomi recommends that similar varieties of rice should be introduced across Japan by the 2040s.
Masutomi建议到21世纪40年代在日本各地推广类似的水稻品种。
But it can take up to 10 years to develop a new strain.
但它可能需要长达10年的时间才能培育出一种新的子株。
After it is approved for the market, farmers must then decide to grow it.
在批准上市后，农民必须决定种植它。
The most widely grown strain of rice is Koshihikari, which does not do well in high heat.
目前日本种植最广泛的水稻品种是Koshihikari，它在高温下生长不好。
Even so, older farmers have not always been willing to change to other varieties.
即便如此，年长的农民也不愿意更换种其他品种。
Farming ministry data show that heat-resistant varieties grow in only around 15 percent of Japanese rice fields.
日本农务省的数据显示，日本只有约15%的稻田种植的是耐热品种。
I’m Jill Robbins.
吉尔·罗宾斯报道。
