2006年VOA标准英语-Mexican Officials Reject Criticism by US A

By Greg Flakus
Houston
27 January 2006

An incident on the U.S. border with Mexico Monday, in which Mexican troops allegedly entered U.S. territory in the state of Texas to protect an illicit² drug shipment, has created friction³ between the two nations.  Drug and immigrant smuggling⁴ operations have become a threat not only to bilateral⁵ relations, but to the safety and security of people on both sides of the border.

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Police photo of alleged¹ incursion
  

The alleged incursion by Mexican troops on Monday in Hudspeth County, Texas has set off a flurry of complaints, counter complaints and accusations⁶ that reveal a basic gap in the way some issues are perceived by officials on this side of the border and the way they are perceived in Mexico. 

Mexican Foreign Minister Luis Ernesto Derbez has rejected criticism from U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Tony Garza who, in a diplomatic note sent Wednesday, demanded a complete investigation⁷ of the incident. Mr. Derbez denied that the armed men dressed in Mexican army uniforms at the border crossing Monday were Mexican soldiers and suggests they could have been U.S. soldiers dressed up to look like Mexican soldiers.

He cites a case from May of last year in which 16 U.S. soldiers were convicted of involvement in a drug smuggling operation as proof that the U.S. military is not above such activity. But he offers no evidence that U.S. soldiers ever posed as Mexican soldiers and crossed over the border with a drug shipment, as happened on Monday.

U.S. law enforcement officials say that while there are certainly cases of drug-related corruption⁸ in this country, the problem is much larger in Mexico.  One man who has observed the situation for many years is Arvin West, the sheriff of Hudspeth County, whose deputies were held at bay Monday by the uniformed men who came over the border from Mexico. He says Mexican military units on the border assist drug traffickers on a regular basis.

"They are military personnel drawing a pay check from the Mexican government, as well as from the narcotics⁹ traffickers," he said.  "They are like the border crossing [guards] there, anything that comes by them, they get paid for and anything that comes back the other way they get paid for."

Sheriff West says this activity draws on the Mexican tradition of the mordida, Spanish slang for bribery¹⁰, which is usually done on a small scale by citizens trying to avoid a fine for a traffic violation¹¹. But law enforcement officials and crime experts on both sides of the border say the mordida practice has turned into something much larger and far more sinister¹², as a result of the enormous amount of money generated by narcotics trafficking.

The other matter of concern for law enforcement personnel on the border is the frequency of the incursions by Mexican soldiers and police units. U.S. Congressman¹³ Tom Tancredo, a Republican from the state of Colorado, says there have been over 200 such incidents in the past 10 years. U.S. Senator John Cornyn, a Republican from Texas, says the Immigration and Border Security Committee he chairs will soon hold a hearing on the alleged incursions.

Ambassador Garza's call for an investigation included some strong language critical of Mexico for its rhetoric¹⁴ opposing efforts by the United States to protect its borders. But U.S. officials, for the most part, have refrained from criticizing Mexico.

 
Vicente Fox 
  
Mexican President Vicente Fox is also trying to defuse the tension.

He says the relations between his country and the United States go well beyond any particular incidents that may occur day-to-day on the border. He adds that bilateral relations remain strong and cites the continuing cooperation between the two nations on trade and other issues.

That view is shared by many people in the United States who see benefits from maintaining good relations with their southern neighbors, even if there are occasional irritants.  When a group of private citizens tried to form a border watch to help stop the entry of illegal immigrants and drug shipments near Brownsville, Texas recently, it was rejected by Cameron County's elected officials. They said the continued growth and prosperity of the border town is dependent on "the goodwill¹⁵ of our brothers in Mexico."

1 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

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 friction   

n.摩擦，摩擦力

参考例句：

• When Joan returned to work,the friction between them increased.琼回来工作后，他们之间的摩擦加剧了。
• Friction acts on moving bodies and brings them to a stop.摩擦力作用于运动着的物体，并使其停止。

4 smuggling   

n.走私

参考例句：

• Some claimed that the docker's union fronted for the smuggling ring.某些人声称码头工人工会是走私集团的掩护所。
• The evidence pointed to the existence of an international smuggling network.证据表明很可能有一个国际走私网络存在。

5 bilateral   

adj.双方的，两边的，两侧的

参考例句：

• They have been negotiating a bilateral trade deal.他们一直在商谈一项双边贸易协定。
• There was a wide gap between the views of the two statesmen on the bilateral cooperation.对双方合作的问题，两位政治家各自所持的看法差距甚大。

6 accusations   

n.指责( accusation的名词复数 )；指控；控告；（被告发、控告的）罪名

参考例句：

• There were accusations of plagiarism. 曾有过关于剽窃的指控。
• He remained unruffled by their accusations. 对于他们的指控他处之泰然。

7 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。

8 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。

9 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》

10 bribery   

n.贿络行为，行贿，受贿

参考例句：

• FBI found out that the senator committed bribery.美国联邦调查局查明这个参议员有受贿行为。
• He was charged with bribery.他被指控受贿。

11 violation   

n.违反(行为)，违背(行为)，侵犯

参考例句：

• He roared that was a violation of the rules.他大声说，那是违反规则的。
• He was fined 200 dollars for violation of traffic regulation.他因违反交通规则被罚款200美元。

12 sinister   

adj.不吉利的，凶恶的，左边的

参考例句：

• There is something sinister at the back of that series of crimes.在这一系列罪行背后有险恶的阴谋。
• Their proposals are all worthless and designed out of sinister motives.他们的建议不仅一钱不值，而且包藏祸心。

13 Congressman   

n.（美）国会议员

参考例句：

• He related several anecdotes about his first years as a congressman.他讲述自己初任议员那几年的几则轶事。
• The congressman is meditating a reply to his critics.这位国会议员正在考虑给他的批评者一个答复。

14 rhetoric   

n.修辞学，浮夸之言语

参考例句：

• Do you know something about rhetoric?你懂点修辞学吗？
• Behind all the rhetoric,his relations with the army are dangerously poised.在冠冕堂皇的言辞背后，他和军队的关系岌岌可危。

15 goodwill   

n.善意，亲善，信誉，声誉

参考例句：

• His heart is full of goodwill to all men.他心里对所有人都充满着爱心。
• We paid ￡10,000 for the shop,and ￡2000 for its goodwill.我们用一万英镑买下了这家商店，两千英镑买下了它的信誉。