VOA标准英语2010年-Rio de Janeiro Takes Tough Measures to

It's 2 AM in The City of God, one of Rio's most violent neighborhoods, and a Baile Funk, a dance party, is underway. It's often put on by violent drug gangs that control Rio's favelas, or poor neighborhoods. In the past, drug dealers¹ would strut² around showing off their weapons.
But no more. This party was put on by the police, who have driven out the gangs in a program to pacify³ the favelas. Captain José Luiz de Medeiros leads the Police Pacification⁴ Unit, or UPP, in the City of God.
"The first community to receive UPP, the people didn't have much confidence in the police," said Captain de Medeiros. "They were worried about being seen with a police officer or talking to a police officer.
They were worried we would not stay, the drug traffickers would come back, and there would be recriminations." Rio's drug gangs are notorious for violent confrontations⁵ with police, depicted⁶ here in the 2003 feature film, "The City of God."When the police enter the favelas, innocent bystanders are often killed in the crossfire⁷. Rio's police, accused of widespread corruption⁸ and extrajudicial killings⁹, are feared in the favelas.
But fears are fading. The UPP program is also designed to alleviate¹⁰ security concerns ahead of the World Cup and Summer Olympics. Thirty-five of Rio's favelas have been pacified¹¹ so far. Military police began entering communities two years ago. The gun battles sometimes lasted weeks and in one case a police helicopter was shot down. Then the Police Pacification Units came in, set up stations in the favelas, and started mending relations with communities. "Once the UPP goes in, and they have been in there for a while, they bring in the social programs," said de Medeiros.
In some communities, the drug gangs controlled electricity, cable television, and water. Often residents went without. Here, in the favela of Santa Marta, the Police Pacification Unit brought electricity and garbage collectionThe change has not gone unnoticed. At a sewing class in Santa Marta, Georgina Dos Santos Damasio told us things have turned around. "We don't have to worry about stray bullets," she said. "People can take their children to school and can let them play in the neighborhood. And we have more opportunities like this. People are willing to come into Santa Marta and teach us to sew."But not everyone is optimistic. This woman told us she is against the UPP program, but wouldn't say why. Another resident told us, off camera, "the police in Rio are still the police in Rio, and sometimes people disappear."According to police, this Baile Funk is part of the answer. For them, it's an opportunity to show they are a positive force in the community.? For these kids, it's just a good time.

1 dealers   

n.商人( dealer的名词复数 )；贩毒者；毒品贩子；发牌者

参考例句：

• There was fast bidding between private collectors and dealers. 私人收藏家和交易商急速竞相喊价。
• The police were corrupt and were operating in collusion with the drug dealers. 警察腐败，与那伙毒品贩子内外勾结。

2 strut   

v.肿胀，鼓起；大摇大摆地走；炫耀；支撑；撑开；n.高视阔步；支柱，撑杆

参考例句：

• The circulation economy development needs the green science and technology innovation as the strut.循环经济的发展需要绿色科技创新生态化作为支撑。
• Now we'll strut arm and arm.这会儿咱们可以手挽着手儿，高视阔步地走了。

3 pacify   

vt.使(某人)平静(或息怒)；抚慰

参考例句：

• He tried to pacify the protesters with promises of reform.他试图以改革的承诺安抚抗议者。
• He tried to pacify his creditors by repaying part of the money.他为安抚债权人偿还了部分借款。

4 pacification   

n. 讲和，绥靖，平定

参考例句：

• Real pacification is hard to get in the Vietnamese countryside. 在越南的乡下真正的安宁是很难实现的。
• Real pacification is hard to get in the Vietnamese countryside(McGeorge Bundy) 在越南的乡下真正的安宁是很难实现的（麦乔治·邦迪）

5 confrontations   

n.对抗，对抗的事物( confrontation的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• At times, this potential has escalated into actual confrontations. 有时，这一矛盾升级为实际的对抗。 来自英汉非文学 - 行政法
• These confrontations and uncertainties were bing played out for the first time on a global scale. 所有这一切对抗和不稳定，第一次在全球范围内得到充分的表演。 来自辞典例句

6 depicted   

描绘，描画( depict的过去式和过去分词 )； 描述

参考例句：

• Other animals were depicted on the periphery of the group. 其他动物在群像的外围加以修饰。
• They depicted the thrilling situation to us in great detail. 他们向我们详细地描述了那激动人心的场面。

7 crossfire   

n.被卷进争端

参考例句：

• They say they are caught in the crossfire between the education establishment and the government.他们称自己被卷进了教育机构与政府之间的争端。
• When two industrial giants clash,small companies can get caught in the crossfire.两大工业企业争斗之下，小公司遭受池鱼之殃。

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 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。

10 alleviate   

v.减轻，缓和，缓解(痛苦等)

参考例句：

• The doctor gave her an injection to alleviate the pain.医生给她注射以减轻疼痛。
• Nothing could alleviate his distress.什么都不能减轻他的痛苦。

11 pacified   

使（某人）安静( pacify的过去式和过去分词 )； 息怒； 抚慰； 在（有战争的地区、国家等）实现和平

参考例句：

• The baby could not be pacified. 怎么也止不住婴儿的哭声。
• She shrieked again, refusing to be pacified. 她又尖叫了，无法使她平静下来。