From VOA Learning English, this is the Agriculture Report.

这里是美国之音慢速英语农业报道。

Alpacas are large animals with long, thick hair. They are related to camels and llama. Most of them live in the Andean area of South America. But a growing number of them are being raised in the United States. VOA recently visited an Alpaca Farm near Washington to find out why.

羊驼是一种有着长长的、厚实的毛发的动物。它们和骆驼及美洲驼有关系。它们中的多数生活在南美洲的安第斯地区。但越来越多的羊驼在美国被喂养。美国之音近日走访了华盛顿附近的一家羊驼养殖场以找到原因。

Alpacas are being sheared at an Alpaca Farm in Maryland, less than an hour away from the nation's capital. Shearing is the process of removing that thick, heavy covering of fleece from the animal. Some of the alpacas quietly let the owners shear them, but some of them do not like it at all.

在距离首都华盛顿不到一个小时车程的马里兰州的一家羊驼养殖场，羊驼们正在被剪毛。剪毛就是从动物身上剪掉厚实毛发的过程。有些羊驼安静地让主人剪毛，还有些羊驼一点也不喜欢剪毛。

The alpacas on Sugarloaf Farm are sheared to keep them cool during the hot summer months. The shearing is also profitable for farm owner Kevin Brandt. He says there is a growing demand for alpaca wool.

糖块农场（Sugarloaf Farm）的羊驼被剪掉羊毛，使得它们在炎热的夏季保持凉爽。剪羊毛对农场主凯文·勃兰特（Kevin Brandt）来说也是有利可图的。他说人们对羊驼毛的需求在不断增长。

"We're finding that there are more people in the marketplace looking for alpaca yarns because it's considered to be hypoallergenic, and it's really as soft as cashmere," Brandt said.

勃兰特说：“我们发现市场上有越来越多人在寻找羊驼毛线，因为它被认为是低过敏性的毛线，而且和羊绒一样柔软。”

Mr Brandt and his workers turn the fleece from the animals into yarn, using an equipment at the farm. Mr Brandt sales natural and colored yarn, and other alpaca products in his store at the farm. But that is not the only way he makes money from his animals.

勃兰特和他的员工使用农场的一台设备将这些羊毛纺成纱线。勃兰特在农场的商店里出售原色和染色的纱线，以及其它羊毛制品。但这并不是他从羊驼身上赚钱的唯一途径。

"We raise and sell alpacas as bred females. We also sell pet males and fiber males to others. We also have a stud service where we'll take our stud males around for hire," Brandt said.

勃兰特说：“我们喂养和出售育种雌羊驼，还向他人出售宠物雄羊驼。我们还提供配种服务，将配种雄羊驼四处出租。”

Mr Brandt says he entered the Alpaca of farming business, because he and his family love the animals.

勃兰特说，他进入羊驼养殖行业，是因为他和家人都喜欢这种动物。

"My wife Nancy and oldest daughter and I were at the local country fair and we decided to stop into one more barn before we went home and it happened to be the alpaca barn and almost instantly we fell in love with the alpacas," Brandt said.

勃兰特：“我老婆南希、大女儿和我当时在本地的集市上，我们决定在回家前再进一家畜棚看看，而这家刚好是羊驼畜棚。几乎是在一瞬间我们都爱上了羊驼。”

Experts estimate there are about 300,000 alpacas in the United States. Mr Brandt says fewer alpacas live in places other than South America. The Farm's website says 99 percent of the 3 million alpacas in the world live in Peru, Bolivia and Chile.

据专家预计，目前在美国大约有3万头羊驼。勃兰特表示，很少有羊驼生活在南美以外的地方。该农场的网站称，全球300万头羊驼的99%生活在秘鲁、玻利维亚和智利。

"Alpaca are just a wonderful livestock. They're gentle. We've raised our three kids here and it's a wonderful lifestyle to have," said Brandt.

勃兰特：“羊驼是一种奇妙的牲畜。它们很温和。我们在这里养大了三个孩子，这是一种美妙的生活方式。”

And as more and more people learn about the joy and money alpacas can bring, he believes there will be even more farms like his.

随着越来越多人了解到羊驼可以带来的乐趣和财富，他认为会有更多像他这样的农场。