美国国家公共电台 NPR U.S. Agents Fire Tear Gas At Migrants Trying To Cross Mexico Border

U.S. Agents Fire Tear Gas At Migrants Trying To Cross Mexico Border

RACHEL MARTIN, HOST:

In the early hours of the new year, American Border Patrol agents fired tear gas into Mexico. They say they were aiming at about 150 people who were trying to breach¹ the border fence and enter the U.S. NPR's Daniella Cheslow has more.

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UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #1: (Coughing).

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #2: (Speaking Spanish).

DANIELLA CHESLOW, BYLINE²: Migrants cough and bend over as they walk through a haze³ of tear gas in Mexico, near Tijuana. It's dark out in this video from Reuters. And these men, women and children were trying to climb over and under the fence of the U.S. border. They were part of a caravan⁴ of thousands of Central American migrants who left Honduras on foot in October.

They say they're fleeing violence and poverty at home. They've been waiting in Mexico ever since for a chance to apply for asylum⁵ in the U.S. Some decided⁶ to take matters into their own hands and cross illegally. One man pleads with border agents in video aired by NBC News.

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UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #3: (Speaking Spanish).

CHESLOW: He says, "I understand, but why not give an opportunity to women and children who need it?" The Department of Homeland Security says the migrants were, quote, "a violent mob" who attacked U.S. agents with projectiles⁷. An Associated Press photographer at the scene says the migrants threw rocks after the tear gas was fired. Twenty-five migrants were detained, and others returned to Mexico. Amnesty International says firing the tear gas was cruel and inhumane and calls for an investigation⁸.

This is the second time American agents have fired tear gas at the migrants. In November, Mexico called for an investigation after U.S. Border Protection officers fired gas across the boundary. Border fortification has paralyzed Washington. Today is the 12th day of a partial government shutdown, after President Trump⁹ demanded $5 billion for a wall, and Democrats¹⁰ refused to issue the funding.

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PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: We have to have a wall as part of border security, and we're working on it.

CHESLOW: Democrats take control of the House Thursday and plan to vote on a bill to end the shutdown. They say it will not include funding for the wall. Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen toured the border over the weekend. Her visit came after two Guatemalan children died in U.S. custody¹¹ in December.

Daniella Cheslow, NPR News, Washington.

1 breach   

n.违反，不履行；破裂；vt.冲破，攻破

参考例句：

• We won't have any breach of discipline.我们不允许任何破坏纪律的现象。
• He was sued for breach of contract.他因不履行合同而被起诉。

2 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

3 haze   

n.霾，烟雾；懵懂，迷糊；vi.(over)变模糊

参考例句：

• I couldn't see her through the haze of smoke.在烟雾弥漫中，我看不见她。
• He often lives in a haze of whisky.他常常是在威士忌的懵懂醉意中度过的。

4 caravan   

n.大蓬车；活动房屋

参考例句：

• The community adviser gave us a caravan to live in.社区顾问给了我们一间活动住房栖身。
• Geoff connected the caravan to the car.杰弗把旅行用的住屋拖车挂在汽车上。

5 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。

6 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

7 projectiles   

n.抛射体( projectile的名词复数 )；（炮弹、子弹等）射弹，（火箭等）自动推进的武器

参考例句：

• These differences are connected with the strong absorption of the composite projectiles. 这些差别与复杂的入射粒子的强烈吸收有关。 来自辞典例句
• Projectiles became more important because cannons could now fire balls over hundreds or yards. 抛射体变得更加重要，因为人们已能用大炮把炮弹射到几百码的距离之外。 来自辞典例句

8 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

9 trump   

n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭

参考例句：

• He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
• The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手，作为他的王牌。

10 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 custody   

n.监护，照看，羁押，拘留

参考例句：

• He spent a week in custody on remand awaiting sentence.等候判决期间他被还押候审一个星期。
• He was taken into custody immediately after the robbery.抢劫案发生后，他立即被押了起来。