经济学人:黑手党雄踞一方 地盘争夺战悄然打响

 　　Europe Mafias on the move

　　欧洲 黑手党正在扩张

　　Northward¹ creep

　　罪恶之手伸向北方

　　In Italy Mafia-organised crime is no longer only a southern phenomenon意大利黑手党犯罪不再局限于南部地区

　　TERRACINA is a sprawling² town south of Rome, popular as a destination for beachside weekends. Rivarolo Canavese nestles in the shadow of the Alps north of Turin. It has Roman ruins, a handsome 14th-century castle and fewer than 12,000 inhabitants. Neither of these very different places is in the traditional, southern heartland of Italy’s mafias. Yet both have recently been tainted—and dramatically so—by organised crime.

　　TERRACINA是罗马南部的一个外延小镇，拥有非常出名的周末海滩。Rivarolo Canavese坐落于都灵的南部，阿尔卑斯山脚下，那儿还残留着古罗马的遗迹，矗立着14世纪风格的城堡还有不到12,000的人口。这些地方和意大利黑手党传统的南部中心地带截然不同，但最近，这两处地方都受到了组织犯罪污浊的侵蚀，且形势严峻。

　　In August Gaetano Marino, suspected to be a leading member of the Neapolitan Camorra, died when he was shot after being lured³ off a beach in Terracina on which families were relaxing in the sun. And earlier this year the inhabitants of Rivarolo Canavese learned that their town council had been put under direct central government control, following an investigation⁴ that found evidence of infiltration⁵ by the ‘Ndrangheta, the mafia of Calabria.

　　Gaetano Marino 被怀疑是那不勒斯卡莫拉党的头领，八月的一天他和家人在Terracina的海滩晒太阳，却被诱离海滩枪杀。此外，今年早些时候，Rivarolo Canavese的居民知悉市镇委员会改由中央政府直接管辖。因为此前一项调查发现了卡拉布里行省的‘Ndrangheta黑暗势力渗透的证据。

　　The fact that the ‘Ndrangheta, a crime syndicate born in the toe of the Italian boot, should be found in cahoots with local politicians in a town 60km (38 miles) from the French border is striking evidence of something that is gradually becoming clear: the mafia is no longer a southern phenomenon in Italy, but a national one.

　　‘Ndrangheta犯罪团伙起源于于靴型意大利版图的“脚趾头部位”。证据显示他们竟然与距离法国边界60公里（38英里）的一小镇的政客勾结。这一发现拨云见日：黑手党不再局限于南部意大利，已蔓延向全国。

　　Of the 22 local authorities disbanded last year because of alleged⁶ infiltration by organised crime, four were outside the south. What is happening along the coast near Rome is unclear. Some investigators⁷ fear a turf war may have started between local hoodlums and Camorra mobsters intent on expanding their influence.

　　去年有22个地方政权被遣散就是因为被指控受到组织犯罪的渗透，其中有四个地方不在南部地区。靠近罗马的沿海地区依旧迷雾重重，一些调查员担心一场地盘争夺战已经在身为地头蛇的当地暴徒和旨在拓展势力范围的卡莫拉组织之间展开。

　　Other crime syndicates have already tried to establish a presence in the capital. In 2007 Cosa Nostra was found to be running a money-laundering operation from premises⁸ cheekily situated⁹ opposite the office of the prime minister. Two years later one of Rome’s most famous bars, the Cafe de Paris on the leafy Via Veneto, was closed after it was discovered that it had become a front for the ‘Ndrangheta. (It has since re-opened and uses a variety of products and produce from firms that have been confiscated¹⁰ from mobsters.)其他犯罪团伙甚至试图在首都发展其势力。在2007年，Cosa Nostra竟厚颜无耻地在首相府的对面建立洗钱基地。此事两年后，位于树木繁茂的威尼托区，一罗马著名酒吧 Cafe de Paris 被封，理由是该酒吧为‘Ndrangheta提供庇护。（此后，该酒吧又重新开张，使用的很多产品都由从匪帮收缴的公司生产。）The situation in Italy’s north is clearer. It had long been known that criminals from the south had put down roots in the richest parts of the country. A well-intentioned, if misguided, policy dating from the 1950s led to the removal of many suspected mobsters from their areas of operation and their “obligatory sojourn” elsewhere in Italy under curfew.

　　意大利北部形式已逐渐明朗。南部罪犯植根于全国最富饶之地的事实早已为人所知。追溯到19世纪50年代的宵禁，政策本意虽好，但却是错的，这使得可疑匪帮离开原本活动范围来到意大利其他的“强制逗留地”。

　　Thanks to three recent and wide-ranging investigations¹¹, it is now clear that the ‘Ndrangheta not only has acquired an unrivalled ascendancy¹² in the north, but that its presence and influence is far greater than had been suspected (or acknowledged by northern politicians). Police and prosecutors¹³ claim to have identified no fewer than 24 locali (‘Ndrangheta clans) in Lombardy, the wealthy region around Milan, and Piedmont, of which Turin is the capital.

　　正由于近期三项大范围的调查，情况现已清晰。‘Ndrangheta 的成长在北方无人能及，甚至他的势力已经远远超出估计（或者说超出北方政客的认识）。警察和检察官声称，在伦巴第、米兰附近富裕地区、以及以都灵为省会城市的皮得蒙，能够确定是locali（‘Ndrangheta 家族）的不下24人。

　　The first two investigations, which targeted Lombardy, led in November 2011 to the conviction of 110 defendants¹⁴. The written judgment¹⁵, published in June, is a profoundly unsettling document. It refers to more than 70 instances of suspected intimidation¹⁶ in and around the country’s financial capital involving “firearms, ammunition¹⁷ and, in some cases, explosives”. On September 18th, a 75-year old businessman was shot in the leg near Milan in what looked suspiciously like a mafia ambush¹⁸.

　　前两项调查都在伦巴第展开，于2011年11月坐实了110名被告人的罪行。书面判决书在6月公布，着实让人不安。书中公布了逾70起发生在全国金融之都及周边地区的涉嫌恐吓犯罪行为，其中涉及枪支、弹药、甚至在一些案件中炸药的使用。9月18日，一名75岁商人在米兰附近被一枪射中大腿，怀疑是黑手党伏击。

　　The third investigation—Operation Minotaur, focused on Piedmont—led to the arrest of 172 people. It was this that prompted the disbanding of the council in Rivarolo Canavese. There, ‘Ndrangheta bosses are said to have worked with a local politician to get him elected to the European Parliament. One was overheard by investigators to boast proudly that he and his men could command 11,000 votes from towns in the Alpine¹⁹ foothills.

　　第三项调查代号“米诺陶行动”，聚焦于皮德蒙，协助逮捕了172名罪犯。正是由于这项调查，才加快了Rivarolo Canavese委员会的遣散。据说，在Rivarolo Canavese，Ndrangheta 的领导层与当地一名政客狼狈为奸，给政客投票使其进入欧洲议会。还有一件调查者无意中听到的事，一名黑帮高层自豪的吹嘘：在阿尔卑斯山麓区域，只要我一声令下，就有11000人为我投票。

 

1 northward   

adv.向北；n.北方的地区

参考例句：

• He pointed his boat northward.他将船驶向北方。
• I would have a chance to head northward quickly.我就很快有机会去北方了。

2 sprawling   

adj.蔓生的，不规则地伸展的v.伸开四肢坐[躺]( sprawl的现在分词 )；蔓延；杂乱无序地拓展；四肢伸展坐着（或躺着）

参考例句：

• He was sprawling in an armchair in front of the TV. 他伸开手脚坐在电视机前的一张扶手椅上。
• a modern sprawling town 一座杂乱无序拓展的现代城镇

3 lured   

吸引，引诱（lure的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• The child was lured into a car but managed to escape. 那小孩被诱骗上了车，但又设法逃掉了。
• Lured by the lust of gold,the pioneers pushed onward. 开拓者在黄金的诱惑下，继续奋力向前。

4 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。

5 infiltration   

n.渗透；下渗；渗滤；入渗

参考例句：

• The police tried to prevent infiltration by drug traffickers. 警方尽力阻止毒品走私分子的潜入。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• A loss in volume will occur if infiltration takes place. 如果发生了渗润作用，水量就会减少。 来自辞典例句

6 alleged   

a.被指控的，嫌疑的

参考例句：

• It was alleged that he had taken bribes while in office. 他被指称在任时收受贿赂。
• alleged irregularities in the election campaign 被指称竞选运动中的不正当行为

7 investigators   

n.调查者，审查者( investigator的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• This memo could be the smoking gun that investigators have been looking for. 这份备忘录可能是调查人员一直在寻找的证据。
• The team consisted of six investigators and two secretaries. 这个团队由六个调查人员和两个秘书组成。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 premises   

n.建筑物，房屋

参考例句：

• According to the rules,no alcohol can be consumed on the premises.按照规定，场内不准饮酒。
• All repairs are done on the premises and not put out.全部修缮都在家里进行，不用送到外面去做。

9 situated   

adj.坐落在...的，处于某种境地的

参考例句：

• The village is situated at the margin of a forest.村子位于森林的边缘。
• She is awkwardly situated.她的处境困难。

10 confiscated   

没收，充公( confiscate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Their land was confiscated after the war. 他们的土地在战后被没收。
• The customs officer confiscated the smuggled goods. 海关官员没收了走私品。

11 investigations   

（正式的）调查( investigation的名词复数 )； 侦查； 科学研究； 学术研究

参考例句：

• His investigations were intensive and thorough but revealed nothing. 他进行了深入彻底的调查，但没有发现什么。
• He often sent them out to make investigations. 他常常派他们出去作调查。

12 ascendancy   

n.统治权，支配力量

参考例句：

• We have had ascendancy over the enemy in the battle.在战斗中我们已占有优势。
• The extremists are gaining ascendancy.极端分子正逐渐占据上风。

13 prosecutors   

检举人( prosecutor的名词复数 )； 告发人； 起诉人； 公诉人

参考例句：

• In some places,public prosecutors are elected rather than appointed. 在有些地方，检察官是经选举而非任命产生的。 来自口语例句
• You've been summoned to the Prosecutors' Office, 2 days later. 你在两天以后被宣到了检察官的办公室。

14 defendants   

被告( defendant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The courts heard that the six defendants had been coerced into making a confession. 法官审判时发现6位被告人曾被迫承认罪行。
• As in courts, the defendants are represented by legal counsel. 与法院相同，被告有辩护律师作为代表。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件

15 judgment   

n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见

参考例句：

• The chairman flatters himself on his judgment of people.主席自认为他审视人比别人高明。
• He's a man of excellent judgment.他眼力过人。

16 intimidation   

n.恐吓，威胁

参考例句：

• The Opposition alleged voter intimidation by the army.反对党声称投票者受到军方的恐吓。
• The gang silenced witnesses by intimidation.恶帮用恐吓的手段使得证人不敢说话。

17 ammunition   

n.军火，弹药

参考例句：

• A few of the jeeps had run out of ammunition.几辆吉普车上的弹药已经用光了。
• They have expended all their ammunition.他们把弹药用光。

18 ambush   

n.埋伏(地点)；伏兵；v.埋伏；伏击

参考例句：

• Our soldiers lay in ambush in the jungle for the enemy.我方战士埋伏在丛林中等待敌人。
• Four men led by a sergeant lay in ambush at the crossroads.由一名中士率领的四名士兵埋伏在十字路口。

19 alpine   

adj.高山的；n.高山植物

参考例句：

• Alpine flowers are abundant there.那里有很多高山地带的花。
• Its main attractions are alpine lakes and waterfalls .它以高山湖泊和瀑布群为主要特色。