VOA标准英语2008年-Mexicans Stage Nationwide Anti-Crime Protest

Hundreds of thousands of Mexicans have marched in locations across the country to demand a stop to a wave of killings¹, abductions and shootouts. James Blears reports from Mexico City.
　
Thousands hold up lit candles at the main Zocalo square in Mexico City during a protest against the tide of killings, kidnappings and shootouts sweeping² the country, 30 Aug 2008

Scores of towns and cities took part in silent marches to show a united front against escalating³ kidnappings and murders.

In Mexico City, an overflow⁴ crowd of more than 100,000 gathered in the capital city's main Zocalo square. As indigenous⁵ musicians blew into sea shells to signal the start of the rally, protesters dressed in white, and cupping their hands around flickering⁶ candles, carried signs that read "Enough is Enough," "We want to live in peace" and "The Death Penalty For Kidnappers⁷."

Doctor Adiel Asch, who's colleague was recently shot in the leg in a robbery and kidnap attempt, stressed that this show of people power must convince the government to act now.

"I'm here for Mexico. I'm here for my children and for our future. I belive that this country deserves better and this is a demonstration⁸ that we can do better," said Asch.

Most crimes in Mexico go unsolved, with corrupt⁹ police and justice officials often complicating¹⁰ investigations¹¹.

Mariana Rios says she knows a family that suffered a double kidnapping. She says that many people in Mexico would never put their faith or trust in the police to resolve such a crime.

"The thing is that you don't trust in the police. So what they basically do is to try to negotiate with the kidnappers and eventually they all paid their randoms. There is no trust in the police and if you go you think you are putting at risk the life of your relative more than if you do something by [on] your own," she said.

Mexico is one of the worst countries in the world for abductions, along with conflict zones like Iraq and Colombia.

Violence has continued to climb in Mexico despite a crackdown launched by President Felipe Calderon after he took office in 2006.

Mr. Calderon deployed¹² more than 25,000 soldiers and federal police to fight drug cartels.

On August 21, President Calderon called a crime summit of state governors and other officials to discuss ways to combat the country's soaring crime rate. Well over 2,000 people have been killed in drug-related violence just this year.

The summit took place following widespread outrage¹³ over the kidnapping of a 14-year-old boy found dead even though his wealthy father had paid a ransom¹⁴.

Mexico has one of the highest abduction rates in the world, but many victims never report the crime because police are often involved. Several police officers were arrested in the case of the murdered teenager.

 

1 killings   

谋杀( killing的名词复数 )； 突然发大财，暴发

参考例句：

• His statement was seen as an allusion to the recent drug-related killings. 他的声明被视为暗指最近与毒品有关的多起凶杀案。
• The government issued a statement condemning the killings. 政府发表声明谴责这些凶杀事件。

2 sweeping   

adj.范围广大的，一扫无遗的

参考例句：

• The citizens voted for sweeping reforms.公民投票支持全面的改革。
• Can you hear the wind sweeping through the branches?你能听到风掠过树枝的声音吗？

3 escalating   

v.（使）逐步升级( escalate的现在分词 )；（使）逐步扩大；（使）更高；（使）更大

参考例句：

• The cost of living is escalating. 生活费用在迅速上涨。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The cost of living is escalating in the country. 这个国家的生活费用在上涨。 来自辞典例句

4 overflow   

v.(使)外溢，(使)溢出；溢出，流出，漫出

参考例句：

• The overflow from the bath ran on to the floor.浴缸里的水溢到了地板上。
• After a long period of rain,the river may overflow its banks.长时间的下雨天后，河水可能溢出岸来。

5 indigenous   

adj.土产的，土生土长的，本地的

参考例句：

• Each country has its own indigenous cultural tradition.每个国家都有自己本土的文化传统。
• Indians were the indigenous inhabitants of America.印第安人是美洲的土著居民。

6 flickering   

adj.闪烁的，摇曳的，一闪一闪的

参考例句：

• The crisp autumn wind is flickering away. 清爽的秋风正在吹拂。
• The lights keep flickering. 灯光忽明忽暗。

7 kidnappers   

n.拐子，绑匪( kidnapper的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• They were freed yesterday by their kidnappers unharmed. 他们昨天被绑架者释放了，没有受到伤害。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The kidnappers had threatened to behead all four unless their jailed comrades were released. 帮匪们曾经威胁说如果印度方面不释放他们的同伙，他们就要将这四名人质全部斩首。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 demonstration   

n.表明，示范，论证，示威

参考例句：

• His new book is a demonstration of his patriotism.他写的新书是他的爱国精神的证明。
• He gave a demonstration of the new technique then and there.他当场表演了这种新的操作方法。

9 corrupt   

v.贿赂，收买；adj.腐败的，贪污的

参考例句：

• The newspaper alleged the mayor's corrupt practices.那家报纸断言市长有舞弊行为。
• This judge is corrupt.这个法官贪污。

10 complicating   

使复杂化( complicate的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• High spiking fever with chills is suggestive of a complicating pylephlebitis. 伴有寒战的高热，暗示合并门静脉炎。
• In America these actions become executive puberty rites, complicating relationships that are already complicated enough. 在美国，这些行动成了行政青春期的惯例，使本来已经够复杂的关系变得更复杂了。

11 investigations   

（正式的）调查( investigation的名词复数 )； 侦查； 科学研究； 学术研究

参考例句：

• His investigations were intensive and thorough but revealed nothing. 他进行了深入彻底的调查，但没有发现什么。
• He often sent them out to make investigations. 他常常派他们出去作调查。

12 deployed   

（尤指军事行动）使展开( deploy的过去式和过去分词 )； 施展； 部署； 有效地利用

参考例句：

• Tanks have been deployed all along the front line. 沿整个前线已部署了坦克。
• The artillery was deployed to bear on the fort. 火炮是对着那个碉堡部署的。

13 outrage   

n.暴行，侮辱，愤怒；vt.凌辱，激怒

参考例句：

• When he heard the news he reacted with a sense of outrage.他得悉此事时义愤填膺。
• We should never forget the outrage committed by the Japanese invaders.我们永远都不应该忘记日本侵略者犯下的暴行。

14 ransom   

n.赎金，赎身；v.赎回，解救

参考例句：

• We'd better arrange the ransom right away.我们最好马上把索取赎金的事安排好。
• The kidnappers exacted a ransom of 10000 from the family.绑架者向这家人家勒索10000英镑的赎金。