2007年VOA标准英语-Los Angeles Tackles Persistent Gang Problem

By Mike O'Sullivan
Los Angeles
08 March 2007

Los Angeles has hundreds of street gangs that lure¹ inner-city youngsters into lives of crime. VOA's Mike O'Sullivan reports, the problem goes back many decades, but local officials say they are finally making progress in their battle against gangs.

Gangs mark their turf with graffiti, warning rivals to stay out. The groups thrive in parts of Los Angeles that are mired² in poverty, mostly African-American and immigrant neighborhoods.

There are community programs to help kids get out of gangs. In the seaside neighborhood of Venice, one intervention⁴ program is called Venice 2000.

 
Claudia Bracho 
Claudia Bracho works with youngsters who are on probation⁵ after breaking the law.

"It is generations and generations of gangs and their uncles and their fathers," she said. "It is generational, and that is just what they know. That is all they know. They just know this little block, this little area."

The problems often start with petty theft and drug use. Then the criminal acts can escalate⁶. The Venice neighborhood was the scene of a gang war in the 1990s, with dozens of shootings.

 
Melvyn Hayward Jr. 
Melvyn Hayward Jr., program director for Venice 2000, was a gang member. He says youngsters can easily cross the line from mischief⁷ into crime.

"Oftentimes, kids do not understand that they have crossed that line," he said. "I did not understand it. And, you really have to have, I would say, individuals in your peer group, who understand that line, and are willing to deter⁸ you from jumping over that line. And, in my case, I did not have that."

Jorja Leap teaches social welfare at the University of California, Los Angeles, and studies gangs. She says gangs offer protection in tough neighborhoods, and a sense of belonging.

 
Homeboy Industries 
"You know, there are a few liabilities," he said. "You may not live to see the age of 21. You may wind up incarcerated⁹ at some point. But, a lot of kids are willing to trade this off for that sense of security, as strange as that sounds, that the gang provides."

A project called Homeboy Industries provides job skills for gang members, who call themselves homeboys.

 
Father Gregory Boyle 
A Catholic priest, Father Gregory Boyle, founded the project, and he recently welcomed U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa to one of his sites. The mayor says, with help, these kids can turn their lives around.

"Young people, when they feel there are no options, when there are no job opportunities, when they do not have the skills to make it, they lose hope," he said. "And, when you lose hope, what else do you have? What else do you have?"

Seventeen-year-old Jose Vasquez' father, uncle and mother belonged to gangs. He was also attracted to life as a gang member, which he calls "gang-banging."

"My family all gang-banged, [also] my friends [did]," he said. "So, since I was eight years old, we just started doing our thing, and got into the 'hood³ [inner-city neighborhood], and just started gang-banging ourselves."

At Homeboy Industries, Vazquez is trying to distance himself from his gang in South-Central Los Angeles.

 
Gabriel Hinojos 
Former gang member Gabriel Hinojos has worked for Homeboy Industries for three years, and says it has changed his life.

"I got an apartment, a car," he said. "They helped me get my driver's license¹⁰. I have even been to the White House and met Laura Bush. I am finally making real money, you know, right money, clean money. And it feels great."

Los Angeles gangs have spread through immigrant communities to Central America. U.S. and Central American officials met in Los Angeles recently to discuss the international problem.

Police have counted 23,000 violent gang crimes in Los Angeles in the past five years, but they say heightened law enforcement is just one of the answers. Those who work with gangs call for more good community programs, like Homeboy Industries and Venice 2000, and efforts to help students stay in school.

They say a comprehensive approach to the persistent¹¹ gang problem may finally bring peace to the city's neighborhoods, and hope to its youngsters.

1 lure   

n.吸引人的东西，诱惑物；vt.引诱，吸引

参考例句：

• Life in big cities is a lure for many country boys.大城市的生活吸引着许多乡下小伙子。
• He couldn't resist the lure of money.他不能抵制金钱的诱惑。

2 mired   

abbr.microreciprocal degree 迈尔德（色温单位）v.深陷( mire的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The country was mired in recession. 这个国家陷入了经济衰退的困境。
• The most brilliant leadership can be mired in detail. 最有才干的领导也会陷于拘泥琐事的困境中。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

3 hood   

n.头巾，兜帽，覆盖；v.罩上，以头巾覆盖

参考例句：

• She is wearing a red cloak with a hood.她穿着一件红色带兜帽的披风。
• The car hood was dented in.汽车的发动机罩已凹了进去。

4 intervention   

n.介入，干涉，干预

参考例句：

• The government's intervention in this dispute will not help.政府对这场争论的干预不会起作用。
• Many people felt he would be hostile to the idea of foreign intervention.许多人觉得他会反对外来干预。

5 probation   

n.缓刑(期)，(以观后效的)察看；试用(期)

参考例句：

• The judge did not jail the young man,but put him on probation for a year.法官没有把那个年轻人关进监狱，而且将他缓刑察看一年。
• His salary was raised by 800 yuan after his probation.试用期满以后，他的工资增加了800元。

6 escalate   

v.(使)逐步增长(或发展)，(使)逐步升级

参考例句：

• It would tempt Israel's neighbors to escalate their demands.它将诱使以色列的邻国不断把他们的要求升级。
• Defeat could cause one side or other to escalate the conflict.失败可能会导致其中一方将冲突升级。

7 mischief   

n.损害，伤害，危害；恶作剧，捣蛋，胡闹

参考例句：

• Nobody took notice of the mischief of the matter. 没有人注意到这件事情所带来的危害。
• He seems to intend mischief.看来他想捣蛋。

8 deter   

vt.阻止，使不敢，吓住

参考例句：

• Failure did not deter us from trying it again.失败并没有能阻挡我们再次进行试验。
• Dogs can deter unwelcome intruders.狗能够阻拦不受欢迎的闯入者。

9 incarcerated   

钳闭的

参考例句：

• They were incarcerated for the duration of the war. 战争期间，他们被关在狱中。 来自辞典例句
• I don't want to worry them by being incarcerated. 我不想让他们知道我被拘禁的事情。 来自电影对白

10 license   

n.执照，许可证，特许；v.许可，特许

参考例句：

• The foreign guest has a license on the person.这个外国客人随身携带执照。
• The driver was arrested for having false license plates on his car.司机由于使用假车牌而被捕。

11 persistent   

adj.坚持不懈的，执意的；持续的

参考例句：

• Albert had a persistent headache that lasted for three days.艾伯特连续头痛了三天。
• She felt embarrassed by his persistent attentions.他不时地向她大献殷勤，使她很难为情。