布莱尔首相演讲:Drugs[2]

TRANSCRIPT¹ OF THE PRIME MINISTER'S BROADCAST ON 10 MARCH 2000

I make no apologies for returning to the subject of drugs so soon. As I said three weeks ago, the threat drugs pose to our children is something which terrifies all parents.

Some of you may have seen the TV programme on Wednesday night about the death of Leah Betts after taking ecstasy². Not long ago, I sat down - with Mo Mowlam and Keith Hellawell, whos the UKs anti-drugs co-ordinator and I listened to Leahs parents talk about their grief and their anger and most of all their crusade for the future against drugs.

Their tragedy was every parents nightmare. And what was chilling as you listened to them was that you realised it could happen to anyones daughter, to anyones son.

Its why Im determined³ that, as a country, we will do everything we can to tackle the menace of drugs. But theres no point pretending we can do it alone.

Those behind this evil trade dont recognise national borders. The drugs that cause the most damage to our young people and to our society are not grown here. Theyre often not refined here. And the main supply routes, as you know, are usually controlled by criminal gangs based a long way from our shores.

Hard drugs sold on the streets of London or Glasgow can be grown in Afghanistan or Columbia and make a fortune for criminals based anywhere in the world.

So if we are serious about stopping the drugs trade we have to think and act internationally. Because unless we do, we will simply fail.

Of course, its up to us as countries to draw up our own policies and plans to tackle drugs. And the weapons we use wont⁴ always be the same in the fight against drugs.

Keith Hellawell is driving forward new policies and new approaches to tackling drugs here. Policies which are already making a difference.

And I was in Scotland yesterday to look at the Drug Enforcement Agency - set up as one of the first priorities of the new Scottish Parliament.

Its an exciting initiative intended to co-ordinate action against drugs north of the border and one we will be watching closely.

But whether we do things slightly differently in Scotland to England, or in the UK to the rest of the Europe, or indeed in Europe to the rest of the world, the real lesson for all of us is that we can only win this war against drugs together.

There is a great deal of good work already going on internationally particularly in Europe - between Governments, police forces and other anti-drug agencies such as customs.

But if we needed any reminder⁵ that more must be done, we only have to look at the amount of drugs still being peddled⁶ on our streets, the number of addicts⁷ and the amount of crime fuelled by drugs.

So we want to press European Union leaders to give an even higher priority to this battle.

There must be rapid progress, for instance, on agreeing minimum penalties throughout the European Union for those caught trafficking in drugs like cocaine⁸ and heroin⁹. Dealers¹⁰ must know they will face severe penalties wherever they are caught.

I also want us to work harder in Europe to learn from each other. We all share drug problems. We must also share the successful methods we have found to counter them.

And I want to see common targets so we can measure the success of our anti-drug action plans. By enabling us to compare our performance nationally, it will highlight the weaknesses so that we can put them right.

But we have also got to reach out beyond the existing European Union members to countries like Poland and Hungary - helping¹¹ those countries that want to join us.

We are already helping them economically to prepare for European Union membership. But we must also help them in the fight against international crime and drugs. Not just for their own sakes now but for the future of an enlarged European Union.

Britain will be setting a lead by expanding our own anti-drugs programmes with these countries.

Increasing the assistance, for instance, we already give in training police and customs officers. Providing the extra resources they need from sniffer dogs to computer software to spot money laundering¹².

So we are going to set a lead internationally. Keith Hellawell is doing this with INTERPOL and the United Nations. But we are also going to do more at home.

In the next few days, we will be unveiling the new Criminal Justice Bill. This will give police new powers to help break the link between drugs and crime. For the first time, they will be able to test for drugs suspects they have arrested for a whole range of offences.

Its a controversial move but one that I am convinced is right. Because I know you expect us to do all we can to combat the threat drugs pose to our families, our communities and our country. And thats what we will continue to do, whether at home or abroad.

1 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。

2 ecstasy   

n.狂喜，心醉神怡，入迷

参考例句：

• He listened to the music with ecstasy.他听音乐听得入了神。
• Speechless with ecstasy,the little boys gazed at the toys.小孩注视着那些玩具，高兴得说不出话来。

3 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

4 wont   

adj.习惯于；v.习惯；n.习惯

参考例句：

• He was wont to say that children are lazy.他常常说小孩子们懒惰。
• It is his wont to get up early.早起是他的习惯。

5 reminder   

n.提醒物，纪念品；暗示，提示

参考例句：

• I have had another reminder from the library.我又收到图书馆的催还单。
• It always took a final reminder to get her to pay her share of the rent.总是得发给她一份最后催缴通知，她才付应该交的房租。

6 peddled   

（沿街）叫卖( peddle的过去式和过去分词 )； 兜售； 宣传； 散播

参考例句：

• He has peddled the myth that he is supporting the local population. 他散布说他支持当地群众。
• The farmer peddled his fruit from house to house. 那个农民挨家挨户兜售他的水果。

7 addicts   

有…瘾的人( addict的名词复数 )； 入迷的人

参考例句：

• a unit for rehabilitating drug addicts 帮助吸毒者恢复正常生活的机构
• There is counseling to help Internet addicts?even online. 有咨询机构帮助网络沉迷者。 来自超越目标英语 第3册

8 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。

9 heroin   

n.海洛因

参考例句：

• Customs have made their biggest ever seizure of heroin.海关查获了有史以来最大的一批海洛因。
• Heroin has been smuggled out by sea.海洛因已从海上偷运出境。

10 dealers   

n.商人( dealer的名词复数 )；贩毒者；毒品贩子；发牌者

参考例句：

• There was fast bidding between private collectors and dealers. 私人收藏家和交易商急速竞相喊价。
• The police were corrupt and were operating in collusion with the drug dealers. 警察腐败，与那伙毒品贩子内外勾结。

11 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

12 laundering   

n.洗涤（衣等），洗烫（衣等）；洗（钱）v.洗（衣服等），洗烫（衣服等）( launder的现在分词 )；洗（黑钱）（把非法收入改头换面，变为貌似合法的收入）

参考例句：

• Separate the white clothes from the dark clothes before laundering. 洗衣前应当把浅色衣服和深色衣服分开。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He was charged with laundering money. 他被指控洗钱。 来自《简明英汉词典》