2006年VOA标准英语-Mexico Attempts to Combat Crime

By Greg Flakus
Mexico City
17 January 2006
 
watch Mexico Crime report

A lot of attention has been focused on the millions of Mexican workers who are crossing the border illegally to find work in the United States. They fill jobs many Americans prefer not to take. They also reduce the unemployment problem in Mexico, and the remittances¹ they send back home benefit Mexico's economy.

But there is another group of émigrés Mexico does not want to see leave: hundreds of middle and upper-class families have been buying properties in cities such as Houston and San Antonio, to escape violent crime in their home country.  That has a negative impact on the Mexican economy. But their fears persist despite some significant advances in the fight against crime there.

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Mexico City crime  
  

In many Mexican border towns, the streets resemble shooting galleries, as rival drug gangs fight it out. Innocent civilians² are sometimes caught in the crossfire³. Here in Mexico City, the biggest threat comes from kidnapping gangs. Mexico is now second only to Colombia as the world's worst country for kidnapping.

Special Mexican police units created by President Vicente Fox have taken on organized crime and scored some successes reducing the incidence of certain types of kidnapping, assault and robbery.

But Mexican criminal justice expert Jorge Chabat says it's hardly enough.

 
Jorge Chabat 
  
"In terms of kidnappings, the problem is a little bit better. The problem has decreased in gravity because the federal agents who do the investigation⁴ in that area it is working pretty well, but only in preventing kidnapping,” he says. “When they are dealing⁵ with drug trafficking, the results are pretty bad, we do not see any success there."

Mr. Chabat says the enormous profits from the illicit⁶ drug trade fuel corruption⁷ and that taking out one gang leader only opens the way for others to move in.  He says the climate of violence has a negative impact on the nation's overall economy.

"This is one of the associated costs of the insecurity. It is not only the people in the streets who pay for that, it is also the economy, the Mexican economy, that pays for that."

 
Professor Cecilia Toro
  
Part of the problem is the low regard Mexicans have for their police.  From her office at the Colegio de Mexico institute of higher learning, Professor Cecilia Toro blames society at large for police corruption.

"Society is responsible for the kind of police we have,” she told us. “You see Mexicans go out in the street and if they commit a minor⁸ infraction⁹, the first thing they want is to give some money to the police to get rid of him. We do not really want the police we are asking for."

Ms. Toro says police officers who try to resist corruption and really pursue drug traffickers and other dangerous criminals often find themselves without adequate support.

"To be an honest police, bring this man to the court and know that the next day he will be on the street and probably trying to get you, I would not be a police in that situation," said the professor.

She says judicial¹⁰ reforms must go hand-in-hand with any attempts to modernize¹¹ and professionalize police forces. Ms. Toro agrees with government officials who cite progress in some areas in the fight against crime. But she says the lucrative¹² drug trade and the battles between rival factions¹³ have created a dangerous class of killers¹⁴, who will continue to be a challenge.

"For very little, for 5,000 pesos, you can find someone who is armed and willing to kill someone."

She says facing the power of the drug trafficking gangs and the criminal community they have fostered is Mexico's biggest challenge.

1 remittances   

n.汇寄( remittance的名词复数 )；汇款，汇款额

参考例句：

• He sends regular remittances to his parents. 他定期汇款给他父母。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Remittances sometimes account for as much as 20% of GDP. 在这些国家中，此类汇款有时会占到GDP的20%之多。 来自互联网

2 civilians   

平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓

参考例句：

• the bloody massacre of innocent civilians 对无辜平民的血腥屠杀
• At least 300 civilians are unaccounted for after the bombing raids. 遭轰炸袭击之后，至少有300名平民下落不明。

3 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。

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 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。

6 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%。

7 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

8 minor   

adj.较小(少)的，较次要的；n.辅修学科；vi.辅修

参考例句：

• The young actor was given a minor part in the new play.年轻的男演员在这出新戏里被分派担任一个小角色。
• I gave him a minor share of my wealth.我把小部分财产给了他。

9 infraction   

n.违反；违法

参考例句：

• He was criticized for his infraction of the discipline.他因违反纪律而受到了批评。
• Parking at the bus stop is illegal,Motorists committing this infraction are heavily fined.在公交站停车是违法的，触犯此条的司机将受重罚。

10 judicial   

adj.司法的，法庭的，审判的，明断的，公正的

参考例句：

• He is a man with a judicial mind.他是个公正的人。
• Tom takes judicial proceedings against his father.汤姆对他的父亲正式提出诉讼。

11 modernize   

vt.使现代化，使适应现代的需要

参考例句：

• It was their manifest failure to modernize the country's industries.他们使国家进行工业现代化，明显失败了。
• There is a pressing need to modernise our electoral system.我们的选举制度迫切需要现代化。

12 lucrative   

adj.赚钱的，可获利的

参考例句：

• He decided to turn his hobby into a lucrative sideline.他决定把自己的爱好变成赚钱的副业。
• It was not a lucrative profession.那是一个没有多少油水的职业。

13 factions   

组织中的小派别，派系( faction的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The gens also lives on in the "factions." 氏族此外还继续存在于“factions〔“帮”〕中。 来自英汉非文学 - 家庭、私有制和国家的起源
• rival factions within the administration 政府中的对立派别

14 killers   

凶手( killer的名词复数 )； 消灭…者； 致命物； 极难的事

参考例句：

• He remained steadfast in his determination to bring the killers to justice. 他要将杀人凶手绳之以法的决心一直没有动摇。
• They were professional killers who did in John. 杀死约翰的这些人是职业杀手。