VOA英语2010年-Cancun Climate Conference Shielded from Mexi

Participants at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Cancun, Mexico are complaining about long delays amid heavy security. Some environmental activists¹ say they are being kept well away from conference sites, and when a group tried to stage a protest in front of the main conference hotel, security guards forced them to leave. But, there are good reasons for such measures in Mexico.

Mexico is trying to be a good host to people who have come to this conference from around the world. And Mexico wants them to leave with a good impression.

So Mexican Foreign Minister Patricia Espinosa is upset by criticism of logistics at this event.

"I would like your understanding," she said. "I can assure you that we are going to do our best to accommodate you."

What led to the gripes is this - getting up and down the narrow highway that connects Cancun's hotel zone with the conference site can take a good part of the day.

 

Even moving from one part of the conference zone to another means going through security much like at an airport.

Sena Alouka from Togo says he and his African colleagues noticed a lot more guns on display than at previous conferences.

"For us, it is like you are seeing those old Zapata movies from the bush of Latin America," he said. "We see for the first time.. for us, it is really funny for us to see them heavily armed."

There is tight security at this conference here in Cancun, partly because Mexico is undergoing a wave of violence connected with the war on drugs that has claimed over 28,000 lives in the past few years.

Far from the conference halls, many parts of Mexico have come to resemble war zones, with open gun battles and car bombs.

Mexican federal police and soldiers have had notable successes in recent weeks, killing² and capturing major drug traffickers.

But some parts of the country remain unstable³.

Cancun has seen little violence and its beaches seem far removed from anything unpleasant.

Visitors from countries that have gone through their own waves of violence understand the precautions.

This woman from Peru says Mexico is doing what it must.

"It depends on the situation and they are being cautious and I can understand that," she said.

Whatever is happening in other parts of Mexico, the scene at this conference is peaceful.

And that's the way Mexican officials say they want it to be.

1 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

3 unstable   

adj.不稳定的，易变的

参考例句：

• This bookcase is too unstable to hold so many books.这书橱很不结实，装不了这么多书。
• The patient's condition was unstable.那患者的病情不稳定。