VOA标准英语2010年-US Report Highlights Global Aspect, Th

The U.S. State Department issued its annual report on the global drug trade Monday, saying that narcotics¹ trafficking threatens the security, health and safety of people in the United States and around the world. 

The U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, David Johnson, says the illicit² drug trade presents a global challenge that affects all nations where drugs are produced, trafficked or consumed.

"Consumption of drugs is an international phenomenon," said David Johnson. "The country, regrettably, with the highest usage is Iran, and has substantial efforts under way themselves to help deter³ this.  But among the fastest-growing cocaine⁴ markets is not the United States.  They are the ones in Europe.  So it is a global problem."

Johnson says Colombia's cocaine production continues to decline significantly, even though the nation remains⁵ the largest coca-producing state in the Andes.  Still the report highlights Colombia as a key international success story, saying the nation's decade-long effort to wrest⁶ control from drug-trafficking insurgents⁷ has been remarkable⁸. 

But Johnson says Colombia's neighbor, Venezuela, has not shown a similar commitment to fight drug trafficking.

"What I would say is that if you look at the evidence on the ground where narcotics are emanating⁹ from, transiting¹⁰ into the Caribbean or to Africa and then onward¹¹ into Europe, you see an extraordinary path of particularly aviation exports out of the Venezuelan area next to the border of Colombia," he said.

Johnson says he has not seen a significant effort on Venezuela's part to stop that traffic. 

The State Department report says Venezuela does not cooperate consistently with countries working to reduce the flow of illicit drugs.  And it says armed groups in Colombia are linked to narcotics trafficking through Venezuela.

Two nations highlighted in the previous report as particularly worrisome - Mexico and Afghanistan - were again discussed this year. 

Johnson says U.S. counter-narcotics policy in Afghanistan has shifted away from poppy eradication¹² to focus on alternative livelihoods¹³, particularly in agriculture.

Johnson says narcotics trafficking throughout Afghanistan continues to present a challenge.  But he says poppy production areas declined by about 30 percent between 2007 and 2009.  Even so, Afghanistan produced more than 90 percent of the opium¹⁴ used to manufacture heroin¹⁵ last year.

Closer to home, Johnson stresses that the impact of Mexico-based drug cartel operations is felt in the United States well beyond the U.S.-Mexico border.

"The spillover, if you will, is more broadly into the United States," said David Johnson. "And some of the border communities can be, you know, not nearly as affected¹⁶ as some of the more inland areas are."  

The report praises Mexico's President Felipe Calderón as well as the nation's police, judges and citizens for confronting the Mexican drug cartels.  It points out that high-level traffickers were arrested last year and that Mexico is strengthening its police force with U.S. assistance.

In addition to the regions that are routinely associated with the narcotics trade, this year's drug report says West Africa, which had been largely ignored by drug traffickers, now serves as a major corridor for cocaine consumed in Europe. 
 

1 narcotics   

n.麻醉药( narcotic的名词复数 )；毒品；毒

参考例句：

• The use of narcotics by teenagers is a problem in many countries. 青少年服用麻醉药在许多国家中都是一个问题。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Police shook down the club, looking for narcotics. 警方彻底搜查了这个俱乐部，寻找麻醉品。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 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%。

3 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。

4 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。

5 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

6 wrest   

n.扭，拧，猛夺；v.夺取，猛扭，歪曲

参考例句：

• The officer managed to wrest the gun from his grasp.警官最终把枪从他手中夺走了。
• You wrest my words out of their real meaning.你曲解了我话里的真正含义。

7 insurgents   

n.起义，暴动，造反( insurgent的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The regular troops of Baden joined the insurgents. 巴登的正规军参加到起义军方面来了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Against the Taliban and Iraqi insurgents, these problems are manageable. 要对付塔利班与伊拉克叛乱分子，这些问题还是可以把握住的。 来自互联网

8 remarkable   

adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的

参考例句：

• She has made remarkable headway in her writing skills.她在写作技巧方面有了长足进步。
• These cars are remarkable for the quietness of their engines.这些汽车因发动机没有噪音而不同凡响。

9 emanating   

v.从…处传出，传出( emanate的现在分词 )；产生，表现，显示

参考例句：

• Even so, there is a slight odour of potpourri emanating from Longfellow. 纵然如此，也还是可以闻到来自朗费罗的一种轻微的杂烩的味道。 来自辞典例句
• Many surface waters, particularly those emanating from swampy areas, are often colored to the extent. 许多地表水，特别是由沼泽地区流出的地表水常常染上一定程度的颜色。 来自辞典例句

10 transiting   

通过（transit的现在分词形式）

参考例句：

• The effect of the transiting mechanic required reserve system vehicle is low. 准备金制度的传导机制的作用是很低的。
• I was busy transiting to the telescope. 我正忙着旋转望远镜。

11 onward   

adj.向前的，前进的；adv.向前，前进，在先

参考例句：

• The Yellow River surges onward like ten thousand horses galloping.黄河以万马奔腾之势滚滚向前。
• He followed in the steps of forerunners and marched onward.他跟随着先辈的足迹前进。

12 eradication   

n.根除

参考例句：

• The eradication of an established infestation is not easy. 根除昆虫蔓延是不容易的。
• This is often required for intelligent control and eradication. 这经常需要灵巧的控制与消除。

13 livelihoods   

生计，谋生之道( livelihood的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• First came the earliest individualistic pioneers who depended on hunting and fishing for their livelihoods. 走在最前面的是早期的个人主义先驱者，他们靠狩猎捕鱼为生。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件
• With little influence over policies, their traditional livelihoods are threatened. 因为马赛族人对政策的影响力太小，他们的传统生计受到了威胁。

14 opium   

n.鸦片；adj.鸦片的

参考例句：

• That man gave her a dose of opium.那男人给了她一剂鸦片。
• Opium is classed under the head of narcotic.鸦片是归入麻醉剂一类的东西。

15 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。

16 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。