2006年VOA标准英语-Violence Grips Mexican Border Cities

By Greg Flakus
Laredo, Texas
09 October 2006

The U.S. ambassador to Mexico, Tony Garza, recently stirred controversy¹ by warning Americans about rising crime levels in Mexico, especially in border towns where drug-trafficking gangs have been fighting over territory. The most violent place now is Nuevo Laredo, just across the Rio Grande River from Laredo, Texas.

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Downtown Nuevo Laredo, Mexico   
  
This is the busiest land port in the United States, with millions of dollars in commerce flowing both ways across the border on a daily basis.

But not all the commerce here is legal. Drug trafficking flourishes, and rival gangs fight for control. In recent weeks, people in Nuevo Laredo have had to take cover, as gunmen fought it out on the streets.

Mexican President Vicente Fox has sent special federal agents to Nuevo Laredo, but he bristled² at Ambassador Garza's warning about security in Mexico, saying the overall crime rate in the United States is higher than in Mexico.
 
 
Pedro Albuquerque
  
But economist³ Pedro Albuquerque of Texas A & M University at Laredo says criminals have free rein⁴ in some Mexican border towns.

"The problem is, the law is not being enforced on the Mexican side of the border," said Pedro Albuquerque.

Professor Albuquerque, a native of Brazil, cites statistics showing very few violent crimes in Laredo, while hundreds of cases of murder and assault in Nuevo Laredo remain unresolved.

"The question that has to be asked is, why is it that the drug traffickers settle [establish] their headquarters in Mexico and not in the U.S.," he said. "They could perfectly⁵ settle them in the U.S. There are many reasons why it would be even better for them. The reason they settle them in Mexico is that the levels of law enforcement there are lower."
 
 
Raul Salinas
  
Laredo's new mayor, Raul Salinas, is a former FBI agent who spent time in Mexico working with law enforcement groups there. He says many citizens of Laredo are now nervous about crossing the river because of the public shootings that have occurred.

"They are fighting each other, the organized crime organizations," said Raul Salinas. "The unfortunate thing is that those bullets do not have names on them, and they hit innocent people caught in the crossfire⁶, and I think that is what people are concerned about."

Mayor Salinas says crime in Laredo is low, even by U.S. standards, in spite of the violence across the border. He says his police force is made up of well-trained and well-paid professionals, who respond quickly and effectively to any problem. The same week in which the people of Nuevo Laredo were terrified by a 40-minute shoot-out on their streets, a gunman entered a store in Laredo with an automatic rifle threatening to kill another man. Within minutes police had both men in custody⁷, and the case is currently under investigation⁸.

Salinas suggests that Mexico would have better law enforcement, if the government were to provide better support for police.

"They have to pay them, and they have to pay them well, and give them good benefits, good training," he said. "You provide that, and provide a good livelihood⁹, and make them proud of being a police officer. Unfortunately, there is a lot of temptation when you are dealing¹⁰ with hundreds of thousands of dollars that can be made available to you, if you look the other way."

Mayor Salinas says he believes Mexican President-Elect Felipe Calderon understands the gravity of the situation, and will take decisive action against criminal organizations, once he becomes president in December. Salinas says there are many courageous¹¹ Mexican police officers ready to respond to such a call.

"I worked in Mexico City for five and a half years, and I saw officers who really put their lives on the line, and they were making $600 or $700 a month. Is that worth it? I do not think so," said Mayor Salinas.

A recent report by The World Economic Forum¹² said that crime in Mexico is harming the nation's economy, as well as its society.

1 controversy   

n.争论，辩论，争吵

参考例句：

• That is a fact beyond controversy.那是一个无可争论的事实。
• We ran the risk of becoming the butt of every controversy.我们要冒使自己在所有的纷争中都成为众矢之的的风险。

2 bristled   

adj. 直立的，多刺毛的 动词bristle的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• They bristled at his denigrating description of their activities. 听到他在污蔑他们的活动，他们都怒发冲冠。
• All of us bristled at the lawyer's speech insulting our forefathers. 听到那个律师在讲演中污蔑我们的祖先，大家都气得怒发冲冠。

3 economist   

n.经济学家，经济专家，节俭的人

参考例句：

• He cast a professional economist's eyes on the problem.他以经济学行家的眼光审视这个问题。
• He's an economist who thinks he knows all the answers.他是个经济学家，自以为什么都懂。

4 rein   

n.疆绳，统治，支配；vt.以僵绳控制，统治

参考例句：

• The horse answered to the slightest pull on the rein.只要缰绳轻轻一拉,马就作出反应。
• He never drew rein for a moment till he reached the river.他一刻不停地一直跑到河边。

5 perfectly   

adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The witnesses were each perfectly certain of what they said.证人们个个对自己所说的话十分肯定。
• Everything that we're doing is all perfectly above board.我们做的每件事情都是光明正大的。

6 crossfire   

n.被卷进争端

参考例句：

• They say they are caught in the crossfire between the education establishment and the government.他们称自己被卷进了教育机构与政府之间的争端。
• When two industrial giants clash,small companies can get caught in the crossfire.两大工业企业争斗之下，小公司遭受池鱼之殃。

7 custody   

n.监护，照看，羁押，拘留

参考例句：

• He spent a week in custody on remand awaiting sentence.等候判决期间他被还押候审一个星期。
• He was taken into custody immediately after the robbery.抢劫案发生后，他立即被押了起来。

8 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

9 livelihood   

n.生计，谋生之道

参考例句：

• Appropriate arrangements will be made for their work and livelihood.他们的工作和生活会得到妥善安排。
• My father gained a bare livelihood of family by his own hands.父亲靠自己的双手勉强维持家计。

10 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

11 courageous   

adj.勇敢的，有胆量的

参考例句：

• We all honour courageous people.我们都尊重勇敢的人。
• He was roused to action by courageous words.豪言壮语促使他奋起行动。

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。