2007-09-15, Criminal Families

Cape¹ Town, South Africa enjoys one of the world's most striking settings. But like the rest of the country, this city is suffering the pain of violence. The murder rate is nearly ten times that of the US. One of the most dangerous places is Manenberg, a township or a solder² that was a trash hit for a part-time’s outcast. Chuky is 20, a ruleless product of a brutal³ environment. He has no ties to anyone, and he’s looking for something that feels like family. In Manenberg, that often means joining a gang. Down this mean streets walk gangs like the Americans, the Hardlivings and the Clever Kids.

We are the Clever Kids, you see. We rob, we kill, you see.

As Lord of the Clever Kids, Jackle sets the clues criminal agenda. But he is more than a leader of the pack, he is a father figure. For many Clever Kids, the gang is the closest thing they have to a real family. Chuky has no home. His parents devoiced years ago. He rounded up living with his mother until the night his step-father behaved badly and Chuky came to blows with him.

And I sit there and watch TV, and I hear my sister crying. And I ask her what’s wrong, and she says, he beat me. And I take a knife out of the cupboard and I stab him. And my mother says I must leave her home.

Now Chuky has accepted in invitation to Clever Kids’ headquarters. Joining the gang could provide him with the sort of family. To keep thre preceding secret, members speak in gangster⁴ language ,a mix of Africons and soser, a tribal⁵ tongue. To test Chuky’s skill and lurk⁶, Jackle stares into pull-off attacks. Any lurk will go to the gang but if he is caught, he is on his own. At an over parts on the edge of Clever Kids *, in full view of the neighborhood, Chuky pauses to keys traffic on the protestrial* way. Suddenly, he slashes⁷ a purse. He flees with his victim in tearful pursuit, heading for the trapper's outlets⁸ for the gang's territory.

Personage * is only source of income, to get paid they stand streetside waiting for chances to extra cash from taxidrivers. Most drivers are quick with a contribution. *often ask for donations behind the pestle⁹. The time has come Chuky’s elicitation¹⁰. A greasily¹¹ ride of blood brotherhood¹². Every gang has its particular virtue¹³. Chuky gets a Clever Kids’ tattoo¹⁴ jacked into his skin with still polish. The newest gangster has the honor of needing the first-score of chemically enhanced *. His new maids make it crystal clear that they have replaced the family he was born into.

You are my family. You must go kill even your father for your brother. Because it is one blood.

Their ruster longer by one. The Clever Kids head on to Manenberg's murderous **. Chuky’s their brother now, bound by blood, and ready to face the darkness with the only family he really has.

1 cape   

n.海角，岬；披肩，短披风

参考例句：

• I long for a trip to the Cape of Good Hope.我渴望到好望角去旅行。
• She was wearing a cape over her dress.她在外套上披着一件披肩。

2 solder   

v.焊接，焊在一起；n.焊料，焊锡

参考例句：

• Fewer workers are needed to solder circuit boards.焊接电路板需要的工人更少了。
• He cuts the pieces and solders them together.他把那些断片切碎，然后把它们焊在一起。

3 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。

4 gangster   

n.匪徒，歹徒，暴徒

参考例句：

• The gangster's friends bought off the police witness.那匪徒的朋友买通了警察方面的证人。
• He is obviously a gangster,but he pretends to be a saint.分明是强盗，却要装圣贤。

5 tribal   

adj.部族的，种族的

参考例句：

• He became skilled in several tribal lingoes.他精通几种部族的语言。
• The country was torn apart by fierce tribal hostilities.那个国家被部落间的激烈冲突弄得四分五裂。

6 lurk   

n.潜伏，潜行；v.潜藏，潜伏，埋伏

参考例句：

• Dangers lurk in the path of wilderness.在这条荒野的小路上隐伏着危险。
• He thought he saw someone lurking above the chamber during the address.他觉得自己看见有人在演讲时潜藏在会议厅顶上。

7 slashes   

n.（用刀等）砍( slash的名词复数 )；（长而窄的）伤口；斜杠；撒尿v.挥砍( slash的第三人称单数 )；鞭打；割破；削减

参考例句：

• They report substantial slashes in this year's defense outlays. 他们报道今年度国防经费的大量削减。 来自辞典例句
• Inmates suffered injuries ranging from stab wounds and slashes to head trauma. 囚犯们有的被刺伤，有的被砍伤，而有的头部首创，伤势不一而足。 来自互联网

8 outlets   

n.出口( outlet的名词复数 )；经销店；插座；廉价经销店

参考例句：

• The dumping of foreign cotton blocked outlets for locally grown cotton. 外国棉花的倾销阻滞了当地生产的棉花的销路。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• They must find outlets for their products. 他们必须为自己的产品寻找出路。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

9 pestle   

n.杵

参考例句：

• He ground the rock candy with a mortar and pestle.他自己动手用研钵和杵把冰糖研成粉。
• An iron pestle can be ground down to a needle.只要功夫深，铁杵磨成针。

10 elicitation   

引出； 诱出； 抽出； 启发

参考例句：

• Requirements engineering consists of activities like requirements elicitation, specification and validation. 需求工程包括的活动有需求捕获，需求定义和需求验证。
• Application of Teaching Method of Elicitation for the Engineering Graphics Course. 工程制图课程教学改革的思考与实践。

11 greasily   

adv.多脂，油腻，滑溜地

参考例句：

• Mugridge was back in the galley, he became greasily radiant. 茂格立治回到厨房里来，满面是小人得志的神气。 来自辞典例句
• He did not mean to be greasily confidential to Miss Quested, only to enlist her support. 他也不是故意向奎斯迪小姐献殷勤显示出好像推心置腹，不过想得到她的支持而已。 来自辞典例句

12 brotherhood   

n.兄弟般的关系，手中情谊

参考例句：

• They broke up the brotherhood.他们断绝了兄弟关系。
• They live and work together in complete equality and brotherhood.他们完全平等和兄弟般地在一起生活和工作。

13 virtue   

n.德行，美德；贞操；优点；功效，效力

参考例句：

• He was considered to be a paragon of virtue.他被认为是品德尽善尽美的典范。
• You need to decorate your mind with virtue.你应该用德行美化心灵。

14 tattoo   

n.纹身，(皮肤上的)刺花纹；vt.刺花纹于

参考例句：

• I've decided to get my tattoo removed.我已经决定去掉我身上的纹身。
• He had a tattoo on the back of his hand.他手背上刺有花纹。