Ricky Martin Urges Crackdown on Child Sex Trade

 

By Peter Heinlein

Pop icon¹ Ricky Martin has gone to the United Nations to appeal for global action to protect children from sexual predators².
 
The singer perhaps best known for his hit song Livin' La Vida Loca is making a sobering appeal for a crackdown on the child sex tourism industry.
 
"I want to see abolition³ of this slavery, and in order for that happen, I need leaders, I need the governments to be part of this. I need the world to step out of denial and see this for what it is. This is a very intense crime and it's happening all over the world."
 
The 32-year-old Puerto Rican sensation has become a leading spokesman in the fight against exploitation of children. He came to the United Nations to spur ambassadors and world leaders to action against what he called a $7 billion a year criminal enterprise.
 
"We have to scream this issue. Like I said before, there's a lot of people in denial out there, and even the victims do not know that they are victims."
 
Addressing a packed conference room at U.N. headquarters, Martin referred to sex tourism as 'organized crime'. He singled out Cambodia and the Philippines as among the favorite destinations of sex tourists.
 
Also at the U.N. news conference, Homeland Security official Michael Garcia said the United States is cracking down on sex tourists. He pointed⁴ to a recently-passed law that lengthens⁵ jail terms and reduces the standard of proof in child sex cases. 
 
In the 10 years before its passage, only two cases were filed against child sex tourists in the United States. Since the so-called Protect Act went into effect last year, the number of prosecutions⁶ has risen to seven.

Peter Heinlein, VOA news, the United Nations.
注释：
predator 掠夺者
crackdown 镇压，打击
abolition 废除
spur 驱策
ambassador 大使
Cambodia 柬埔寨
prosecution 起诉

1 icon   

n.偶像，崇拜的对象，画像

参考例句：

• They found an icon in the monastery.他们在修道院中发现了一个圣像。
• Click on this icon to align or justify text.点击这个图标使文本排齐。

2 predators   

n.食肉动物( predator的名词复数 )；奴役他人者（尤指在财务或性关系方面）

参考例句：

• birds and their earthbound predators 鸟和地面上捕食它们的动物
• The eyes of predators are highly sensitive to the slightest movement. 捕食性动物的眼睛能感觉到最细小的动静。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 abolition   

n.废除，取消

参考例句：

• They declared for the abolition of slavery.他们声明赞成废除奴隶制度。
• The abolition of the monarchy was part of their price.废除君主制是他们的其中一部分条件。

4 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

5 lengthens   

（时间或空间）延长，伸长( lengthen的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• In summer, the daylight hour lengthens. 夏天，白天的时间长。
• Summer lengthens (out) into autumn. 夏去秋来。

6 prosecutions   

起诉( prosecution的名词复数 )； 原告； 实施； 从事

参考例句：

• It is the duty of the Attorney-General to institute prosecutions. 检察总长负责提起公诉。
• Since World War II, the government has been active in its antitrust prosecutions. 第二次世界大战以来，政府积极地进行着反对托拉斯的检举活动。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件