VOA标准英语2009年-Drug Trafficking Leads to Addiction Proble

By Fid Thompson
Quinhamel, Guinea-Bissau
03 November 2009

For the past few years, the tiny West African country of Guinea-Bissau has become a key transit¹ point for drugs traffickers shipping² cocaine³ to Europe. This has led to a rise in the number of crack-cocaine addicts⁵. Those struggling to quit drugs face an uphill struggle in a country with few medical resources. 

Under the shade of a large mango tree, a group of recovering drug addicts make tea and chat.

 
Karamba Kebe, a recovering crack and heroine addict⁴, chats with other patients at 'Desavio Jovem', Guinea-Bissau's only drug rehab center
Thirty-five-year-old Karamba Kebe sits among them. This is his second week at "Desavio Jovem", a drug rehabilitation⁶ center in Guinea-Bissau.

Kebe says he was recently deported⁷ from Portugal.

Kebe says he got into trouble while working in the drugs business. He was caught and sent back to Africa, he says, with nothing. They said he was crazy. But, Kebe says, he is not crazy. He says his family took him in despite everything and sent him to the center to get treatment for his my drug problem. Kebe says he was in very bad shape.

Kebe is one of 55 recovering drug addicts and alcoholics⁸ currently living in the center. Two one-story, whitewashed⁹ buildings sit in a tranquil¹⁰ spot on a river inlet, 30 kilometers to the northwest of the capital. This is the only drug rehabilitation center in the country.

In the past few years, the amount of cocaine passing through West Africa has risen dramatically. Between 2005 and 2007, 33 tons of cocaine were seized in the region compared to prior seizures¹¹ of one ton for the entire African continent. The United Nations estimates more than one quarter of the drugs consumed in Europe passes through West Africa.

Father Domingos Té established "Desavio Jovem" in 2002 with help from the international drug rehab organization, Global Teen Challenge. Té says he has seen changes during the past few years.

Té says in Guinea-Bissau people use cannabis. But with the introduction of stimulant¹² drugs like cocaine, lots of young people have gone crazy. They are using the drug in the form of crack and this causes so many social problems, Té says. Some use violence and steal to get money to buy these drugs. Té says this is a huge worry because more and more of our young people are consuming cocaine.

Most addicts in Guinea Bissau use crack cocaine. It gives a cheap quick high, is highly addictive¹³ and has one of the severest withdrawals¹⁴ of any drug. With no therapy drug like methadone to calm the physical cravings, medical supervision¹⁵ is very important for an addict's recovery.

Té's center helps addicts get off drugs through a faith-based, residential¹⁶ rehabilitation program, based on methods used by Global Teen Challenge's rehabilitation centers elsewhere in the world.

Six staff members have been trained in counseling, but there are no psychologists, no doctors, and no medicine. The most the center can offer is guidance, a mattress¹⁷ and meals.

Augostinho Té, a cousin of Father Domingos Té, is a former drug addict who works at the center. Despite its meager¹⁸ resources, he says the center saved his life.

Augostinho says he is grateful to Pastor¹⁹ Domingos. The people in the center welcomed him and educated him, he says. Now he has a home with a wife and a son. He says he is living a happy life that would not have been possible without the center.

But, with few resources and a flood of cocaine passing through Guinea Bissau, many young people face an uphill struggle to free themselves from drugs.

1 transit   

n.经过，运输；vt.穿越，旋转；vi.越过

参考例句：

• His luggage was lost in transit.他的行李在运送中丢失。
• The canal can transit a total of 50 ships daily.这条运河每天能通过50条船。

2 shipping   

n.船运（发货，运输，乘船）

参考例句：

• We struck a bargain with an American shipping firm.我们和一家美国船运公司谈成了一笔生意。
• There's a shipping charge of ￡5 added to the price.价格之外另加五英镑运输费。

3 cocaine   

n.可卡因，古柯碱（用作局部麻醉剂）

参考例句：

• That young man is a cocaine addict.那个年轻人吸食可卡因成瘾。
• Don't have cocaine abusively.不可滥服古柯碱。

4 addict   

v.使沉溺；使上瘾；n.沉溺于不良嗜好的人

参考例句：

• He became gambling addict,and lost all his possessions.他习染上了赌博，最终输掉了全部家产。
• He assisted a drug addict to escape from drug but failed firstly.一开始他帮助一个吸毒者戒毒但失败了。

5 addicts   

有…瘾的人( addict的名词复数 )； 入迷的人

参考例句：

• a unit for rehabilitating drug addicts 帮助吸毒者恢复正常生活的机构
• There is counseling to help Internet addicts?even online. 有咨询机构帮助网络沉迷者。 来自超越目标英语 第3册

6 rehabilitation   

n.康复，悔过自新，修复，复兴，复职，复位

参考例句：

• He's booked himself into a rehabilitation clinic.他自己联系了一家康复诊所。
• No one can really make me rehabilitation of injuries.已经没有人可以真正令我的伤康复了。

7 deported   

v.将…驱逐出境( deport的过去式和过去分词 )；举止

参考例句：

• They stripped me of my citizenship and deported me. 他们剥夺我的公民资格，将我驱逐出境。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The convicts were deported to a deserted island. 罪犯们被流放到一个荒岛。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 Alcoholics   

n.嗜酒者，酒鬼( alcoholic的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Many alcoholics go on drinking sprees that continue for days at a time. 许多酒鬼一次要狂饮好几天。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Do you have a copy of the Alcoholics Anonymous book? 你手上有戒酒匿名会的书吗？ 来自互联网

9 whitewashed   

粉饰，美化，掩饰( whitewash的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The wall had been whitewashed. 墙已粉过。
• The towers are in the shape of bottle gourds and whitewashed. 塔呈圆形，状近葫芦，外敷白色。 来自汉英文学 - 现代散文

10 tranquil   

adj. 安静的, 宁静的, 稳定的, 不变的

参考例句：

• The boy disturbed the tranquil surface of the pond with a stick. 那男孩用棍子打破了平静的池面。
• The tranquil beauty of the village scenery is unique. 这乡村景色的宁静是绝无仅有的。

11 seizures   

n.起获( seizure的名词复数 )；没收；充公；起获的赃物

参考例句：

• Seizures of illicit drugs have increased by 30% this year. 今年违禁药品的扣押增长了30%。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Other causes of unconsciousness predisposing to aspiration lung abscess are convulsive seizures. 造成吸入性肺脓肿昏迷的其他原因，有惊厥发作。 来自辞典例句

12 stimulant   

n.刺激物，兴奋剂

参考例句：

• It is used in medicine for its stimulant quality.由于它有兴奋剂的特性而被应用于医学。
• Musk is used for perfume and stimulant.麝香可以用作香料和兴奋剂。

13 addictive   

adj.(吸毒等)使成瘾的，成为习惯的

参考例句：

• The problem with video game is that they're addictive.电子游戏机的问题在于它们会使人上瘾。
• Cigarettes are highly addictive.香烟很容易使人上瘾。

14 withdrawals   

n.收回，取回，撤回( withdrawal的名词复数 )；撤退，撤走；收回[取回，撤回，撤退，撤走]的实例；推出（组织），提走（存款），戒除毒瘾，对说过的话收回，孤僻

参考例句：

• He has made several withdrawals from his bank account. 他从银行账户上提了几次款。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• It is not the bank's policy to deduct interest on withdrawals. 提款需扣除利息这并非是本银行的政策。 来自辞典例句

15 supervision   

n.监督，管理

参考例句：

• The work was done under my supervision.这项工作是在我的监督之下完成的。
• The old man's will was executed under the personal supervision of the lawyer.老人的遗嘱是在律师的亲自监督下执行的。

16 residential   

adj.提供住宿的；居住的；住宅的

参考例句：

• The mayor inspected the residential section of the city.市长视察了该市的住宅区。
• The residential blocks were integrated with the rest of the college.住宿区与学院其他部分结合在了一起。

17 mattress   

n.床垫，床褥

参考例句：

• The straw mattress needs to be aired.草垫子该晾一晾了。
• The new mattress I bought sags in the middle.我买的新床垫中间陷了下去。

18 meager   

adj.缺乏的，不足的，瘦的

参考例句：

• He could not support his family on his meager salary.他靠微薄的工资无法养家。
• The two men and the woman grouped about the fire and began their meager meal.两个男人同一个女人围着火，开始吃起少得可怜的午饭。

19 pastor   

n.牧师，牧人

参考例句：

• He was the son of a poor pastor.他是一个穷牧师的儿子。
• We have no pastor at present:the church is run by five deacons.我们目前没有牧师：教会的事是由五位执事管理的。