VOA常速英语:Addressing the Drug Epidemic

The United States is in the midst of its most severe drug epidemic since the 1980s.Today, more people are dying from drug overdoses than from gun homicides and motor vehicles combined, said President Donald Trump:
美国正面临着上世纪80年代以来最严重的吸毒过量问题。如今在美国，吸毒过量致死的人数要多于枪击和车祸死亡人数的总和，特朗普总统表示：
“Last year, we lost at least 64,000 Americans to overdoses. That’s 175 lost American lives per day. That’s seven lost lives per hour in our country. Drug overdoses are now the leading cause of unintentional death in the United States by far.”
“去年，至少6.4万的美国民众死于吸毒过量，也就是说美国平均每天会因吸毒过量死亡175人，即每小时死亡7人。如今，吸毒过量已经成为美国非正常死亡的第一大杀手。”
“Ending the epidemic will require mobilization of government, local communities, and private organizations.It will require the resolve of our entire country,” said President Trump.
“遏制这种暴增趋势需要调动政府、当地社区以及民间组织的力量。这需要我们整个国家的决心，”特朗普表示。
The U.S. Department of State plays a key role in this effort.That’s because the crisis is fueled by heroin and synthetic opioids that were produced overseas,while transnational criminal organizations move this deadly product into the United States. For these reasons, the national strategy to respond to this crisis must include an international component, said Deputy Assistant Secretary for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, Jim Walsh.
美国国务院在相关工作中发挥着关键作用。这是因为这场危机是由海外生产的海洛因和合成阿片类药物引起的，而跨国犯罪组织则把这种致命产品带到了美国。由于这些原因，美国应对该危机的国家战略必须包含国际成分，美国国务院负责国际麻醉品和执法事务的代理助理国务卿吉姆·沃尔什说。
Already, we are seeing some successes. At the request of the United States, the United Nations recently placed two chemicals used to make the drug fentanyl on an international list of controlled substances.
目前，我们已经看到了一些进展。应美国要求，联合国最近将两种用于制造芬太尼药物的化学品列入了国际受控物质清单。
Since 2015, due in part to U.S. requests, China has taken uNPRecedented action, controlling 138 narcotic substances.
自2015年以来，在美国要求的部分影响下，中国采取了前所未有的行动，对138种麻醉品实施了控制。
The State Department is also using foreign assistance to strengthen Mexico’s capacity to interdict illegal drugs.This helps improve security along our shared border against the cross-border distribution of heroin and synthetic drugs.
美国国务院也在通过对外援助来加强墨西哥禁止非法毒品的能力。这有助于提升两国共同边界的安全，遏制海洛因及合成药物的跨境传播。
These efforts, along with a slew of new tools developed by the International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Bureau, which address addiction and demand for drugs, will also help address the opioid crisis domestically, said Deputy Assistant Secretary Walsh:
上述这些努力，加之美国国际麻醉品和执法事务局开发的很多解决毒瘾及毒品需求问题的新工具，都将有助于解决美国国内的阿片类药物危机，代理助理国务卿沃尔什说。
“With over 64,000 Americans dead from overdoses in 2016, with drug traffickers taking advantage of new ways to move and sell their product, including through the dark web,and rogue chemists developing assiduous new synthetic drugs at an alarming rate,we must constantly be adapting our approach in responding to new and deadly realities.”
“2016年有超过6.4万的美国民众因吸毒过量而死亡；毒贩会利用包括黑网在内的新途径运送和销售毒品；一些黑心化学家也在费尽心思，以惊人的速度开发新的合成毒品。因此，我们必须不断调整方法，以应对不断更新的、致命的现实。”
“This challenge is a dire one,” said Deputy Assistant Secretary Walsh, “and it will continue to be a top priority for the department.”
“面对这个挑战，我们还任重道远，”代理助理国务卿沃尔什说，“这一挑战将依然是部门工作的重中之重。”