美国国家公共电台 NPR--Why Bolivia and Colombia want coca leaf, cocaine's main ingredient, legalized

Why Bolivia and Colombia want coca leaf, cocaine¹'s main ingredient, legalized

Transcript²

Two of the world's biggest cocaine suppliers, Colombia and Bolivia, want the U.N. to remove the coca leaf from its list of dangerous drugs. They argue the leaf has many uses unrelated to narcotics⁴.

LEILA FADEL, BYLINE⁵: Two of the world's biggest cocaine suppliers are about to call for legalization of the main ingredient in cocaine, the coca leaf. Bolivia and Colombia are expected to make that pitch today at a U.N. meeting in Europe. NPR's Carrie Kahn reports.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

CARRIE KAHN, BYLINE: Every Jan. 11, Bolivia celebrates Acullico, coca leaf day.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

KAHN: On the government's Facebook page, this year's celebration highlighted leaf farmers and Indigenous⁶ leaders, many holding signs reading, coca is not cocaine and praising its uses and market potential. John Walsh, a drug policy expert at the Washington, D.C.-based advocacy group WOLA, agrees.

JOHN WALSH: Coca should not be in the same list as cocaine.

KAHN: The list contains prohibited substances recognized by the United Nations Commission on Narcotic³ Drugs and controlled worldwide. Walsh says, apart from its illicit⁷ use to make cocaine, coca has healthy uses in teas and medicines.

WALSH: Also related to - identified with culture and cultural rights and Indigenous rights. And it's a denial of those rights and cultures to classify it as something that needs to be abolished.

KAHN: Colombia and Bolivia must first ask the U.N.'s World Health Organization to study coca's nonnarcotic benefits - a lengthy⁸ process. Colombia's leftist president, Gustavo Petro, backs the campaign. He's a staunch opponent of the U.S.-backed war on drugs and often talks about its harm on poor coca farmers, like in this speech to the U.N. General Assembly last year.

(SOUNDBITE OF SPEECH)

PRESIDENT GUSTAVO PETRO: (Speaking Spanish).

KAHN: He decried⁹ the demonization of subsistence coca farmers who, he claims, have few crop options. Both Bolivia and Colombia, however, have said little about what they plan to propose this week, disappointing some activists¹⁰. Neither government returned NPR's calls requesting comment. Ana Maria Rueda of the Peace Ideas Foundation in Bogota says expectations have been high to see Petro's rhetoric¹¹ and action at the high-profile international drug forum¹².

ANA MARIA RUEDA: So he will miss the opportunity to set up the stage, to be clear on his position. He will have others, but this was the first.

KAHN: Coca cultivation¹³ reached record highs last year. A senior State Department official told NPR that, quote, "the U.S. would have concerns about any action at the U.N. that might facilitate increased production and trafficking of cocaine."

Carrie Kahn, NPR News.

1 cocaine   

n.可卡因，古柯碱（用作局部麻醉剂）

参考例句：

• That young man is a cocaine addict.那个年轻人吸食可卡因成瘾。
• Don't have cocaine abusively.不可滥服古柯碱。

2 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

3 narcotic   

n.麻醉药，镇静剂；adj.麻醉的，催眠的

参考例句：

• Opium is classed under the head of narcotic.鸦片是归入麻醉剂一类的东西。
• No medical worker is allowed to prescribe any narcotic drug for herself.医务人员不得为自己开处方使用麻醉药品。

4 narcotics   

n.麻醉药( narcotic的名词复数 )；毒品；毒

参考例句：

• The use of narcotics by teenagers is a problem in many countries. 青少年服用麻醉药在许多国家中都是一个问题。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Police shook down the club, looking for narcotics. 警方彻底搜查了这个俱乐部，寻找麻醉品。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

6 indigenous   

adj.土产的，土生土长的，本地的

参考例句：

• Each country has its own indigenous cultural tradition.每个国家都有自己本土的文化传统。
• Indians were the indigenous inhabitants of America.印第安人是美洲的土著居民。

7 illicit   

adj.非法的，禁止的，不正当的

参考例句：

• He had an illicit association with Jane.他和简曾有过不正当关系。
• Seizures of illicit drugs have increased by 30% this year.今年违禁药品的扣押增长了30%。

8 lengthy   

adj.漫长的，冗长的

参考例句：

• We devoted a lengthy and full discussion to this topic.我们对这个题目进行了长时间的充分讨论。
• The professor wrote a lengthy book on Napoleon.教授写了一部有关拿破仑的巨著。

9 decried   

v.公开反对，谴责( decry的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The measures were decried as useless. 这些措施受到指责，说是不起作用。
• The old poet decried the mediocrity of today's writing. 老诗人抨击了现代文体的平庸无奇。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

10 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 rhetoric   

n.修辞学，浮夸之言语

参考例句：

• Do you know something about rhetoric?你懂点修辞学吗？
• Behind all the rhetoric,his relations with the army are dangerously poised.在冠冕堂皇的言辞背后，他和军队的关系岌岌可危。

12 forum   

n.论坛，讨论会

参考例句：

• They're holding a forum on new ways of teaching history.他们正在举行历史教学讨论会。
• The organisation would provide a forum where problems could be discussed.这个组织将提供一个可以讨论问题的平台。

13 cultivation   

n.耕作，培养，栽培（法），养成

参考例句：

• The cultivation in good taste is our main objective.培养高雅情趣是我们的主要目标。
• The land is not fertile enough to repay cultivation.这块土地不够肥沃，不值得耕种。