2021年经济学人 美国成瘾药物滥用成灾(2)

The company peddled¹ theories of “pseudo-addiction” (for which the cure was said to be more opioids) and of “opiophobia” among sceptical doctors. The guardrails against harm buckled² in the face of Purdue’s wealth and the lawyers and lobbyists it could buy. Regulators endorsed³ ludicrous claims about the drug’s safety. A serious case brought by federal prosecutors⁴ in Virginia in the early 2000s was watered down by the Department of Justice. Thousands of doctors were given all-expenses-paid trips. Altogether, OxyContin took in $35bn in sales.

普渡制药公司向持怀疑态度的医生散播“假性成瘾”（据说治疗方法是服用更多的阿片类药物）和“阿片药恐惧症”的理论。普渡制药的财富以及它能够收买的律师和说客让防范危险的护栏垮了。监管机构认可了有关奥施康定安全性的荒唐说法。本世纪初，弗吉尼亚州联邦检察官提起的一起严重案件被司法部大事化了。普渡制药还承担了数千名医生的全部旅行费用。奥施康定的总销售额为350亿美元。

The results were brutal⁵. Other drug manufacturers soon followed Purdue’s lead. When OxyContin was reformulated in 2010 to make it more difficult to abuse, many Americans who were already addicted⁶ switched to heroin⁷ and, eventually, fentanyl. In 2019 a team of economists⁸ rigorously evaluating OxyContin’s impact concluded that its introduction and marketing⁹ “explain a substantial share of overdose deaths” over 20 years.

结果很残酷。其他药品生产商很快效仿了普渡制药公司的做法。2010年，普渡制药公司重新配制了奥施康定，使其更难滥用，许多已经上瘾的美国人因此转而使用海洛因，最终使用芬太尼。2019年，一个由经济学家组成的团队对奥施康定的影响进行了严格评估并得出结论：奥施康定的推出和销售“能够对20年来用药过量致死中的相当一部分进行解释”。

Purdue is now the subject of many lawsuits¹⁰ brought by state and city governments. Sifting¹¹ through the reams of evidence unearthed¹² by court proceedings¹³, Mr Keefe shows how callous¹⁴ some of the remaining Sacklers have been over the destruction wrought¹⁵ around them—blaming the problem on immoral¹⁶ addicts¹⁷ rather than the drug, and regarding themselves as victims of a media witch-hunt. Shiftless third-generation types are rendered with evident loathing¹⁸, skilfully¹⁹ skewered²⁰ by their own words in court or by Mr Keefe’s (anonymous) sources. One aspiring²¹ fashionista wishes an obstreperous²² journalist would focus less on her last name and more on the hoodies she designs.

普渡制药现在仍面临多个州和市政府提起的诉讼。通过筛选法庭诉讼中发现的大量证据，基夫先生展示了剩下的一些萨克勒家族成员在面对自己对周围造成的破坏时是多么冷酷无情，他们将问题归咎于不道德的瘾君子而不是毒品本身，并将自己视为遭受媒体政治迫害的受害者。无能的第三代萨克勒家族成员呈现出明显的厌恶情绪，他们在法庭上巧妙地用自己的话或基夫先生（匿名）的消息来源歪曲事实。其中一位有抱负的时尚达人甚至希望专横的记者能少关注自己的姓，多关注自己设计的连帽衫。

The company pleaded guilty to assorted²⁴ federal charges over its handling of OxyContin in November 2020. No Sacklers, and no executives, were obliged to acknowledge guilt²³ personally, however, “as if the corporation had acted autonomously²⁵, like a driverless car”, Mr Keefe observes. Still, the Sackler name is mud. Museums and universities refuse their money. The Sackler wing of the Metropolitan²⁶ Museum of Art, which houses an ancient Egyptian temple, was targeted by protesters chanting “Temple of greed! Temple of Oxy!” Purdue is bankrupt (and may not pay the retirement²⁷ benefits of its salespeople).

普渡制药公司在2020年11月承认了联邦政府对其处理奥施康定的各种指控。然而，基夫观察到，没有萨克勒家族成员和普渡高管是被迫亲自认罪，“就好像该公司是一辆无人驾驶汽车，都是自主的行动”。不过，萨克勒的名字已臭名昭著。博物馆和大学拒绝他们的赠款。有一座古埃及神庙珍藏在大都会艺术博物馆的萨克勒翼，抗议者们对着神庙高喊“贪婪神庙！奥施神庙！”普渡已经破产（可能不会支付其销售人员的退休福利）。

Yet ongoing²⁸ legal efforts to claw back the fortunes extracted by the owners appear unlikely to succeed. The implosion²⁹ of the empire of pain, it seems, comes with a golden parachute.

然而，目前正在进行的，追回普渡制药老板所榨取的财富的法律努力似乎不太可能成功。痛苦帝国的坍塌似乎还伴随着一个金色降落伞（规定员工如被解职即可获得大笔补偿金的聘约条款）。

1 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。

2 buckled   

a. 有带扣的

参考例句：

• She buckled her belt. 她扣上了腰带。
• The accident buckled the wheel of my bicycle. 我自行车的轮子在事故中弄弯了。

3 endorsed   

vt.& vi.endorse的过去式或过去分词形式v.赞同( endorse的过去式和过去分词 )；在（尤指支票的）背面签字；在（文件的）背面写评论；在广告上说本人使用并赞同某产品

参考例句：

• The committee endorsed an initiative by the chairman to enter discussion about a possible merger. 委员会通过了主席提出的新方案，开始就可能进行的并购进行讨论。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The government has broadly endorsed a research paper proposing new educational targets for 14-year-olds. 政府基本上支持建议对14 岁少年实行新教育目标的研究报告。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 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。

5 brutal   

adj.残忍的，野蛮的，不讲理的

参考例句：

• She has to face the brutal reality.她不得不去面对冷酷的现实。
• They're brutal people behind their civilised veneer.他们表面上温文有礼，骨子里却是野蛮残忍。

6 addicted   

adj.沉溺于....的，对...上瘾的

参考例句：

• He was addicted to heroin at the age of 17.他17岁的时候对海洛因上了瘾。
• She's become addicted to love stories.她迷上了爱情小说。

7 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。

8 economists   

n.经济学家，经济专家( economist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The sudden rise in share prices has confounded economists. 股价的突然上涨使经济学家大惑不解。
• Foreign bankers and economists cautiously welcomed the minister's initiative. 外国银行家和经济学家对部长的倡议反应谨慎。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 marketing   

n.行销，在市场的买卖，买东西

参考例句：

• They are developing marketing network.他们正在发展销售网络。
• He often goes marketing.他经常去市场做生意。

10 lawsuits   

n.诉讼( lawsuit的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Lawsuits involving property rights and farming and grazing rights increased markedly. 涉及财产权，耕作与放牧权的诉讼案件显著地增加。 来自辞典例句
• I've lost and won more lawsuits than any man in England. 全英国的人算我官司打得最多，赢的也多，输的也多。 来自辞典例句

11 sifting   

n.筛，过滤v.筛( sift的现在分词 )；筛滤；细查；详审

参考例句：

• He lay on the beach, sifting the sand through his fingers. 他躺在沙滩上用手筛砂子玩。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• I was sifting the cinders when she came in. 她进来时，我正在筛煤渣。 来自辞典例句

12 unearthed   

出土的（考古）

参考例句：

• Many unearthed cultural relics are set forth in the exhibition hall. 展览馆里陈列着许多出土文物。
• Some utensils were in a state of decay when they were unearthed. 有些器皿在出土时已经残破。

13 proceedings   

n.进程，过程，议程；诉讼(程序)；公报

参考例句：

• He was released on bail pending committal proceedings. 他交保获释正在候审。
• to initiate legal proceedings against sb 对某人提起诉讼

14 callous   

adj.无情的，冷淡的，硬结的，起老茧的

参考例句：

• He is callous about the safety of his workers.他对他工人的安全毫不关心。
• She was selfish,arrogant and often callous.她自私傲慢，而且往往冷酷无情。

15 wrought   

v.引起；以…原料制作；运转；adj.制造的

参考例句：

• Events in Paris wrought a change in British opinion towards France and Germany.巴黎发生的事件改变了英国对法国和德国的看法。
• It's a walking stick with a gold head wrought in the form of a flower.那是一个金质花形包头的拐杖。

16 immoral   

adj.不道德的，淫荡的，荒淫的，有伤风化的

参考例句：

• She was questioned about his immoral conduct toward her.她被询问过有关他对她的不道德行为的情况。
• It is my belief that nuclear weapons are immoral.我相信使核武器是不邪恶的。

17 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

18 loathing   

n.厌恶，憎恨v.憎恨，厌恶( loathe的现在分词)；极不喜欢

参考例句：

• She looked at her attacker with fear and loathing . 她盯着襲擊她的歹徒，既害怕又憎恨。
• They looked upon the creature with a loathing undisguised. 他们流露出明显的厌恶看那动物。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

19 skilfully   

adv. (美skillfully)熟练地

参考例句：

• Hall skilfully weaves the historical research into a gripping narrative. 霍尔巧妙地把历史研究揉进了扣人心弦的故事叙述。
• Enthusiasm alone won't do. You've got to work skilfully. 不能光靠傻劲儿，得找窍门。

20 skewered   

v.（用串肉扦或类似物）串起，刺穿( skewer的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He skewered his victim through the neck. 他用扦子刺穿了受害人的脖子。 来自辞典例句
• He skewered his foot on a nail. 他的脚踩在钉子上了。 来自互联网

21 aspiring   

adj.有志气的；有抱负的；高耸的v.渴望；追求

参考例句：

• Aspiring musicians need hours of practice every day. 想当音乐家就要每天练许多小时。
• He came from an aspiring working-class background. 他出身于有抱负的工人阶级家庭。 来自辞典例句

22 obstreperous   

adj.喧闹的，不守秩序的

参考例句：

• He becomes obstreperous when he's had a few drinks.他喝了些酒就爱撒酒疯。
• You know I have no intention of being awkward and obstreperous.你知道我无意存心作对。

23 guilt   

n.犯罪；内疚；过失，罪责

参考例句：

• She tried to cover up her guilt by lying.她企图用谎言掩饰自己的罪行。
• Don't lay a guilt trip on your child about schoolwork.别因为功课责备孩子而使他觉得很内疚。

24 assorted   

adj.各种各样的，各色俱备的

参考例句：

• There's a bag of assorted sweets on the table.桌子上有一袋什锦糖果。
• He has always assorted with men of his age.他总是与和他年令相仿的人交往。

25 autonomously   

adv. 自律地，自治地

参考例句：

• To learn autonomously in the network environment is totally new to students. 基于网络环境下的自主学习对学生来说，是一种全新的学习方式。
• The QC-RS can operate autonomously or by remote control. QC-RS能实现自动操作或通过遥控来操作。

26 metropolitan   

adj.大城市的，大都会的

参考例句：

• Metropolitan buildings become taller than ever.大城市的建筑变得比以前更高。
• Metropolitan residents are used to fast rhythm.大都市的居民习惯于快节奏。

27 retirement   

n.退休，退职

参考例句：

• She wanted to enjoy her retirement without being beset by financial worries.她想享受退休生活而不必为金钱担忧。
• I have to put everything away for my retirement.我必须把一切都积蓄起来以便退休后用。

28 ongoing   

adj.进行中的，前进的

参考例句：

• The problem is ongoing.这个问题尚未解决。
• The issues raised in the report relate directly to Age Concern's ongoing work in this area.报告中提出的问题与“关心老人”组织在这方面正在做的工作有直接的关系。

29 implosion   

n.向内破裂，内爆

参考例句：

• The population explosion is accompanied by a population implosion.人口爆炸还伴随着人口爆聚。