经济学人:地中海移民 令人发指的人数

 　　Migrants in the Mediterranean¹

　　地中海移民

　　The numbers nightmare

　　令人发指的人数

　　Ever more people are drowning while trying to get to Europe

　　越来越多的人在前往欧洲的道路上溺水身亡

　　IN THE sea separating north Africa from the European Union, the phrase “calm waters” now has an ominous³ ring. After the weather improved this week, almost 8,500 illegal migrants were rescued. Some brought tales of horror: of chaos⁴ in Libya, of mistreatment and torture at the hands of people-smugglers, and of deaths at sea. As many as 400 died on April 12th when their boat capsized, apparently⁵ because they rushed to one side when rescuers appeared.

　　在欧洲和非洲的海峡之间，“平静的水面”这个词语现在可不是什么好预兆。本周天气转好之后，差不多有8500民非法移民获得了救援。他们中的一些身上有着骇人听闻的遭遇：有的来自混乱的利比亚；有的遭受走私者非人折磨；还有一些直接在海洋上失去了生命。4月12号，因为一艘船只倾覆，约400民非法移民者丧生，因为当救援船出现时，他们同时涌向了船的一侧。

　　地中海移民.jpg

　　Migrants sometimes lie to get sympathy. But the Italian authorities are taking seriously a claim that a trafficker threw to sharks the body of a dead (or perhaps unconscious) migrant, apparently overcome by fumes⁶.

　　这些非法移民有时候会通过撒谎来博得同情。但是意大利当局发布了一份严肃的声明说有一些走私者将死者（或者说仅仅是丧失意识）的躯体扔给鲨鱼，不过这明显是一种掩人耳目的做法。

　　The latest wave of arrivals confirms that the EU faces a challenge of unprecedented⁷ proportions. According to the International Organisation⁸ for Migration⁹, more than 15,000 people have reached Italy since the start of the year. The UN High Commissioner¹⁰ for Refugees says not enough is being done to save lives.

　　最新一波的移民潮肯定会让欧洲面临一次前所未有的挑战。根据联合国移民署的统计，从年初开始已经有超过15000人抵达了意大利。但是联合国难民署的高级专员表示为了拯救生命，我们做的还远远不够。

　　On humanitarian¹¹ grounds alone, the EU's present response, Operation Triton, is inadequate¹². The remit¹³ of its vessels¹⁴ is to patrol within 30 miles (48 km) off the Italian coast. Triton replaced the bigger Operation Mare² Nostrum¹⁵, which Italy suspended at the end of 2014 partly because other EU countries would not share the burden of search and rescue. Italy's partners say they have migration and asylum¹⁶ problems of their own. Anyway, many migrants who come ashore¹⁷ in Italy disappear north before being identified—with the connivance¹⁸ of the Italian authorities. Both numbers and drownings seem likely to rise.

　　从人道主义的角度上来说，欧盟对此现象的反应—Triton组织的行动并不够。该组织在意大利30海里（48千米的）海岸线上巡逻。Triton代替了之前一个更大的组织——Mare Nostrum，该组织因为欧盟其他成员国不愿负担搜索和救援的责任而被搁置。意大利的盟友们则表示，他们有各自的移民和救助问题。无论如何，因为意大利当局的默认，之前那些通过意大利渐渐消失的北部海岸线入境的非法移民都获得了正式身份。而现在，无论是移民人数，还是溺亡的人数看上去都会继续增加。

1 Mediterranean   

adj.地中海的；地中海沿岸的

参考例句：

• The houses are Mediterranean in character.这些房子都属地中海风格。
• Gibraltar is the key to the Mediterranean.直布罗陀是地中海的要冲。

2 mare   

n.母马，母驴

参考例句：

• The mare has just thrown a foal in the stable.那匹母马刚刚在马厩里产下了一只小马驹。
• The mare foundered under the heavy load and collapsed in the road.那母马因负载过重而倒在路上。

3 ominous   

adj.不祥的，不吉的，预兆的，预示的

参考例句：

• Those black clouds look ominous for our picnic.那些乌云对我们的野餐来说是个不祥之兆。
• There was an ominous silence at the other end of the phone.电话那头出现了不祥的沉默。

4 chaos   

n.混乱，无秩序

参考例句：

• After the failure of electricity supply the city was in chaos.停电后，城市一片混乱。
• The typhoon left chaos behind it.台风后一片混乱。

5 apparently   

adv.显然地；表面上，似乎

参考例句：

• An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽，豁然开朗。
• He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。

6 fumes   

n.(强烈而刺激的)气味，气体

参考例句：

• The health of our children is being endangered by exhaust fumes. 我们孩子们的健康正受到排放出的废气的损害。
• Exhaust fumes are bad for your health. 废气对健康有害。

7 unprecedented   

adj.无前例的，新奇的

参考例句：

• The air crash caused an unprecedented number of deaths.这次空难的死亡人数是空前的。
• A flood of this sort is really unprecedented.这样大的洪水真是十年九不遇。

8 organisation   

n.组织，安排，团体，有机休

参考例句：

• The method of his organisation work is worth commending.他的组织工作的方法值得称道。
• His application for membership of the organisation was rejected.他想要加入该组织的申请遭到了拒绝。

9 migration   

n.迁移，移居，（鸟类等的）迁徙

参考例句：

• Swallows begin their migration south in autumn.燕子在秋季开始向南方迁移。
• He described the vernal migration of birds in detail.他详细地描述了鸟的春季移居。

10 commissioner   

n.（政府厅、局、处等部门）专员，长官，委员

参考例句：

• The commissioner has issued a warrant for her arrest.专员发出了对她的逮捕令。
• He was tapped for police commissioner.他被任命为警务处长。

11 humanitarian   

n.人道主义者，博爱者，基督凡人论者

参考例句：

• She has many humanitarian interests and contributes a lot to them.她拥有很多慈善事业，并作了很大的贡献。
• The British government has now suspended humanitarian aid to the area.英国政府现已暂停对这一地区的人道主义援助。

12 inadequate   

adj.(for,to)不充足的，不适当的

参考例句：

• The supply is inadequate to meet the demand.供不应求。
• She was inadequate to the demands that were made on her.她还无力满足对她提出的各项要求。

13 remit   

v.汇款，汇寄；豁免（债务），免除（处罚等）

参考例句：

• I hope you'll remit me the money in time.我希望你能及时把钱汇寄给我。
• Many immigrants regularly remit money to their families.许多移民定期给他们的家人汇款。

14 vessels   

n.血管( vessel的名词复数 )；船；容器；（具有特殊品质或接受特殊品质的）人

参考例句：

• The river is navigable by vessels of up to 90 tons. 90 吨以下的船只可以从这条河通过。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• All modern vessels of any size are fitted with radar installations. 所有现代化船只都有雷达装置。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

15 nostrum   

n.秘方；妙策

参考例句：

• He told the patient that he had a nostrum.他告诉病人他有秘方。
• Photography studio provide you with a few small nostrum you must use.为您提供一些小妙策你一定用的着。

16 asylum   

n.避难所，庇护所，避难

参考例句：

• The people ask for political asylum.人们请求政治避难。
• Having sought asylum in the West for many years,they were eventually granted it.他们最终获得了在西方寻求多年的避难权。

17 ashore   

adv.在(向)岸上，上岸

参考例句：

• The children got ashore before the tide came in.涨潮前，孩子们就上岸了。
• He laid hold of the rope and pulled the boat ashore.他抓住绳子拉船靠岸。

18 connivance   

n.纵容；默许

参考例句：

• The criminals could not have escaped without your connivance.囚犯没有你的默契配合，是逃不掉的。
• He tried to bribe the police into connivance.他企图收买警察放他一马。