1·Better irrigation can dramatically improve crop yield and about 40% of the world's food supply is currently derived from irrigated land.
更好的灌溉可以显著提高作物产量；目前，全球约40%的粮食供应都来自于灌溉地。
2·Finally, the growing population was probably fed by increasing the number and size of irrigated fields.
最后，持续增加的人口很可能是通过不断扩大灌溉土地的面积和规模而得到食物供应的。
3·This is all reassuring—until you remember that irrigated agriculture accounts for 70 percent of the fresh water used by humans.
这些都很令人欣慰，不过你应该知道，农业灌溉消耗的水量占到了人类总耗水量的70%。
4·Water problems will worsen both because irrigated areas will suffer disproportionately from the effects of climate change and because diets are shifting towards meat, which is "thirsty".
水的问题会更加严重，一是因为灌溉地区将受到气候变化的影响，而是因为饮食消耗转向肉类，而生产肉类是很耗水的。
5·With water deliveries slashed because of drought and environmental disputes, he could plant only 20 percent of his property with irrigated crops this year.
因为干旱和环境恶化，供水大幅削减，他今年仅能在自己20%的土地上种植灌溉作物。