VOA常速英语2017--美国墨西哥共同打击毒品犯罪

The United States is experiencing a serious drug addiction 1 and abuse problem. In 2016, some 64,000 Americans died of drug overdoses from both legal and illegal narcotics 2. Drug overdoses are now the leading cause of injury death in the United States, outnumbering both traffic crashes and gun-related deaths.

目前，美国有严重的毒品成瘾和毒品滥用问题。2016年，大约有6.4万名美国公民死于服药品过量，其中既有合法麻醉药物，也有非法毒品。服药过量如今已经成为美国伤害死亡的头号杀手，其致死人数超过了交通事故和枪支致死。

Much of the illegal narcotics are smuggled 3 into the United States from Mexico by powerful transnational criminal organizations. These organizations are highly organized, complex enterprises, whose business model of selling drugs in the United States is resilient and immensely profitable.

很多非法毒品都是通过一些颇有势力的跨国犯罪组织走私到美国境内的。这些组织纪律性极强，架构复杂，其贩卖毒品的运作模式弹性极强，牟利极高。

Mexico is also deeply afflicted 5 by these criminal organizations. These organizations have become increasingly violent in the past decade, ravaging 6 entire towns and villages, preventing the government from functioning to the best of its ability, and targeting journalists to stifle 7 freedom of the press.

墨西哥深受这些犯罪组织的迫害之苦。这些组织在过去的十年中愈发暴力，他们将很多城镇村庄洗劫一空，让墨西哥政府无法充分发挥能力，他们还以记者为目标，目的是湮没舆论自由。

This is a grave problem that our countries share. Deaths related to transnational criminal organizations and from the drugs they peddle 8 affect communities on both sides of our border, said Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan at the December 14 U.S. – Mexico Strategic Dialogue on Disrupting Transnational Criminal Organizations. Close collaboration 9 is the only way we can tackle a problem that has no regard for international borders.

这是美墨两国都有的严重问题。因跨国犯罪组织及其所贩卖毒品造成的死亡影响了美墨两国边境的许多社群，副国务卿约翰 苏丽文在12月14日召开的美国-墨西哥打击跨国犯罪组织战略对话中发表致辞道。密切合作是我们解决这个无国界问题的唯一途径。

Eleven U.S. law enforcement agencies are represented in the U.S. embassy and consulates 10 across Mexico to work closely with their Mexican state and federal counterparts. And through the Merida Initiative, we’re helping 11 to build the capacity of Mexican law enforcement and judicial 12 institutions.

有11家美国执法机构入驻到美国在墨西哥的大使馆和领事馆中，以与墨西哥的州立机构和联邦机构密切合作。通过梅里达倡议，我们助力构建墨西哥执法机构和司法机构的能力。

The United States and Mexico have also increased cross-border communications and coordination 13 to improve the efficiency and efficacy of their security cooperation. Both countries are exploring ways to disrupt the financial flows of transnational criminal organizations and target those involved in the drug trade at each stage of the process.

美墨两国也加强了跨境沟通和协作，目的是提升两国安全合作的效率。两国正在探索途径，打击跨境犯罪组织的资金流动，打击毒品贩卖各个环节的参涉人员。

Additionally the United States is working to minimize the drug demand that fuels these criminal organizations to smuggle 4, distribute, and sell for profit.

此外，美国正在努力将毒品需求最小化，正是有了毒品需求，犯罪组织才会通过走私、流通、贩卖毒品牟利。

Transnational criminal organizations present some of the gravest threats to U.S. security today, said U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen. For that reason, Detecting, deterring 14, and dismantling 15 these networks continues to be of utmost importance to the Trump 16 Administration, she said.

跨国犯罪组织对当今美国的安全构成了严重威胁，美国国土安全部部长斯蒂恩 尼尔森(Kirstjen Nielsen)如是说道。所以，发现、阻止、击破这些犯罪网络依然是特朗普政府最重要的任务，她如是说道。

The United States is proud to call Mexico its partner in targeting this threat in production and distribution networks not only throughout Mexico and the United States, but throughout Central America. Together we can be leaders in the entire region to combat this threat.

美国很骄傲能做墨西哥的伙伴国，一道打击构成威胁的生产流通网络，不仅在墨西哥和美国，也在整个中美洲。只要一起，我们就能引领整个中美洲打击这一威胁。