Unit 1B - The Meth Buster

The Meth Buster

Gail Cameron Wescott

This mom was determined to take back her neighborhood from drug dealers.

Nationwide Epidemic

Pink hat, pink boots, pink backpack — Susan York puts on her trademark outfit whenever she goes into battle. She may come across as a chatty, upbeat mom, but York is engaged in a deadly war. She is determined to wipe out the meth houses springing up in unsuspecting communities across the country. One of them nearly destroyed her own.

The first sign of trouble was the escalating traffic. Cars with stereos blasting were suddenly tearing through the tranquil block where Susan and Al York had settled four years earlier. The rural street in Mukilteo, Washington, 25 miles north of Seattle, was surrounded by woods and wetland bird sanctuaries. They thought it was the perfect place to raise their young daughter, Brooklynn.

Then, almost overnight it seemed, life turned upside down. The couple in the split-level across the street divorced, and the wife, LaShawn, began taking in renters to help with the mortgage. But plenty more was going on. Cars peeled in and out of the driveway following visits lasting less than five minutes. Unsavory-looking figures were spotted coming through the woods.

One summer night, the Yorks were jolted awake by the sound of breaking glass. A wild party in LaShawn's house was spilling out into the street, where revelers had ignited a roaring bonfire. Police broke it up, but the nightmare was really just beginning.

"We had no idea what was going on," says York, who had a demanding job as marketing director for a local hotel chain. "Fights were breaking out at night, and you could hear screams. We barely slept."

When a speeding car nearly killed her Welsh dog during an evening walk, York called the police in a rage. "It's not safe for children to be outside alone, much less ride their bikes," she nearly shouted.

An officer advised her to start taking down license plate numbers, along with makes and colors of cars, and report them daily to the precinct. Two weeks later, a sheriff's deputy confirmed what neighbors already suspected: LaShawn's split-level had been marked by law enforcement as a meth house.

"Well, why don't you shut it down?" demanded York. It was the beginning of a painful education.

"We live in a free country," explained Sheriff Rick Bart. "It's difficult to get the burden of proof we need for a search warrant. We can't be there all the time to get the information we need."

"Well," said York, "we'll get it for you." At the time, she'd never heard of methamphetamine, the cheap, dangerously addictive drug that has spawned a nationwide public health epidemic. Prolonged exposure triggers paranoia, neurological damage, and such overpowering dependence that users can think of nothing beyond the pursuit of more meth. Crime increases and fires break out from clumsy handling of chemicals as addicts cook up batches of the drug in home labs, threatening whole neighborhoods.

Empowered

York, whose own mother had become addicted to drugs and killed herself at age 47, now watched in horror as the drug scene unfolded on her own street. "We could smell the fumes and see the paranoia," she says. "One day I saw LaShawn up on her roof sweeping away 'little green men.'" Kids found syringes and drug pipes in the grass. Gunshots were heard in the house.

"We were terrified," says York. One Saturday, she and Brooklynn saw a guy in a black pickup violently ramming LaShawn's car, trying to push it into the wetlands. "I want my money!" he shouted.

"Next thing we knew," York recalls, "the guy was running toward my husband with a baseball bat." Another night she looked out the window to see cops jumping over her fish pond. That was it.

York called a neighborhood meeting at her hotel. Concerned residents organized teams to document what was going on. Working as a group empowered them. "When police made an arrest, we would line the street and cheer," York remembers. Unfortunately, the bad guys would sometimes be out on bail hours later, cooking more meth.

York was on the phone with the police every day. Each night, she sat by the window, sleeping an average of only three hours. It took more than two years — 855 days total — but they finally took back their block.

In all, police made at least 25 arrests for meth possession and other crimes, like parole violation and stolen property. LaShawn was sentenced to a year in prison, and her house was eventually sold.

When similar activity sprang up in another neighborhood home, York and her team helped police shut it down in 83 days. By then, they were pros.

Susan York gave up her $60,000 job to found Lead on America (leadonamerica.org). "I've used up nearly all my savings," she says, "but this is too important." Her immersion in the cause came at another price: She separated from her husband after 28 years of marriage.

Wearing her trademark pink, York goes into communities to teach them to work with law enforcement. So far, they've closed down 37 meth houses in Washington. Towns across the country are asking for help.

Whenever she can, York rides with police when arrests are made. "She puts on that pink hat and pink boots, and here comes Susan," says Sgt. Tony Aston. "She's just awesome, this lady. She is not kidding. "

参考译文——斗毒勇士

斗毒勇士

盖尔·卡梅伦·韦斯科特

这位母亲决心把邻居从毒贩手里夺回来。

全国性的瘟疫

粉红色的帽子，粉红色的靴子，粉红色的背包——苏珊·约克每次进入战斗都穿上她的标志性服装。约克给人的印象或许是一个健谈乐观的妈妈，可她正在进行一场生死战斗。她决心打掉正在全国各地毫无戒心的社区中突然冒出来的毒品窝。其中有一个差一点就毁了她自己居住的社区。

出现麻烦的第一个征兆是越来越多的进进出出的车辆。苏珊和艾尔·约克四年前定居的原本宁静安谧的街区突然出现了大声播放着立体声音乐疾驰而过的汽车。位于华盛顿州西雅图北面25英里的穆基尔特奥的乡下街道四周原本是树林和湿地鸟类保护区。他们以为这是抚育他们的幼女布鲁克林的完美之地。

后来，看起来几乎是一夜之间，生活一下子变得乱七八糟。马路对面住在错层房子里的一对夫妻离了婚，妻子拉肖恩为了还抵押贷款开始揽进房客。可是事情远不止是出租房子。汽车在她的私家车道上一会儿进一会儿出，来客呆不到五分钟就走。人们常常看到一些看上去不三不四的人穿过树林走过来。

一个夏天的夜晚，约克一家人被砸碎玻璃的响声搅醒了。拉肖恩家举行狂野晚会的人涌到了街上，狂欢者在街上点燃了熊熊篝火。警察驱散了这场晚会，但是噩梦还刚刚开始。

"对于正在发生的事情我们一无所知，"约克说。其时，约克在一家当地的连锁旅馆担任营销经理，工作甚为繁重。"深更半夜会发生打斗，你可以听到尖叫声。我们几乎不能入睡。"

一天傍晚，约克正在遛狗，一辆超速行驶的汽车差一点碾死了她的威尔士狗，她怒气冲冲给警察局打了电话。"孩子们独自在外面走都不安全，更不用说骑自行车了，"她几乎是大喊着说。

一位警官建议她记下汽车牌照的号码，还有汽车的牌子和颜色，并每天向警察分局报告。两个星期后，县治安官的一位副手证实了邻居们早先的怀疑：拉肖恩的错层房子已经被执法机关标定为一个毒窝。

"那你们为什么不把它关掉？"约克责问道。这是一番痛苦教育的开始。

"嗯，我们生活在一个自由的国度，"县治安官里克·巴特解释说。"我们要获得搜查所需的举证是很困难的。我们不能一天到晚都呆在那儿去获取我们所需的情报。"

"嗯，"约克说，"我们将为你们获取情报。"当时，约克从未听说过脱氧麻黄碱，一种已经酿成全国性公共卫生瘟疫的便宜的极容易上瘾的毒品。长期使用会引起妄想狂病症、神经损伤和极强的依赖性，其结果是使用者整天就想着寻找更多的脱氧麻黄碱。犯罪增加，而瘾君子们在家庭实验室熬制成批毒品时由于对化学品处置笨拙常常会引发火灾，威胁整个社区的安全。

更加坚强自信

约克自己的母亲曾经吸毒成瘾，47岁自杀身亡，现在吸毒贩毒的场景就在她自己的街上展开，约克看着心中毛骨悚然。"我们可以闻到毒品的气味，看到妄想狂，"她说。"有一天，我见到拉肖恩站在屋顶上扫走‘绿色小矮人’。"孩子在草地里发现了毒品注射器和吸毒用的烟枪。拉肖恩的家里传来枪声。

"我们感到极度恐惧，"约克说。有一个星期六，她和布鲁克林看到一个家伙开着黑色敞篷小货车猛撞拉肖恩的汽车，试图将它推到湿地里去。"还我钱！"他大喊着。

"紧接着，"约克回忆道，"那个家伙拿着棒球球棒向我丈夫冲了过来。"还有一天夜里，她从窗户望出去看到警察从她的鱼塘上面跳过。就这样。

约克在她的旅馆里开了一个社区会议。焦虑的居民组织成小组来记录发生的事情。组织起来一起干使他们更加坚强自信。"当警察逮捕毒贩的时候，我们就排在街道两面欢呼，"约克记忆犹新。不幸的是，有时候没有过几个钟点这些坏蛋就又被保释出来，熬制更多的毒品。

约克每天都与警察通话。每天夜里，她坐在窗户旁观察，平均只睡三小时。花了两年多的时间——一共855天——但是他们终于将他们的街区夺了回来。

警察一共为持有毒品及诸如违反保释规定和盗窃财产等其他犯罪行为实施逮捕至少25次。拉肖恩被处一年监禁，她的房子最终也给卖了。

当类似的活动在街区另一栋房子里出现时，约克和她的团队用了83天就帮助警察把它给关了。到这个时候，他们都成了专家了。

苏珊·约克放弃了年薪6万美元的工作，创办了名为"引领美国"（leadonamerica.org）的网站。"我几乎花光了我的全部积蓄，"她说，"不过这件事太重要了。"她全身心投入这一事业还付出了另外一个代价：她和结婚28年的丈夫分居了。

约克穿着她那标志性的粉红色衣裳，走进社区教人们与执法机关一起工作。到目前为止，他们已经在华盛顿州关掉了37个毒窝。全国各地的城镇都在向他们寻求帮助。

只要约克有空，她都跟警察一起驾车到抓捕现场。"她戴上那顶粉红色的帽子，穿上粉红色的靴子，苏珊就这样来了，"警佐托尼·阿斯顿说。"这位女士，她真的令人敬畏。她可不是闹着玩的。"

Key Words:

epidemic        [.epi'demik]   

n. 传染病，流行病

adj. 流行的，传染性

tranquil   ['træŋkwil]    

adj. 安静的，宁静的，稳定的，不变的

rural        ['ru:rəl]   

adj. 农村的

overnight       ['əuvə'nait]    

n. 前晚

adj. 通宵的，晚上的，前夜的<

settled    ['setld]   

adj. 固定的；稳定的 v. 解决；定居（settle

block      [blɔk]     

n. 街区，木块，石块

n. 阻塞(物), 障

trademark      ['treidmɑ:k]   

n. 商标

lasting    ['læstiŋ] 

adj. 永久的，永恒的

动词last的现在分

Engaged        [in'geidʒd]     

adj. 忙碌的，使用中的，订婚了的

mortgage      ['mɔ:gidʒ]      

n. 按揭，抵押贷款

license    ['laisəns] 

n. 执照，许可证，特许

vt. 允许，特许，

director   [di'rektə, dai'rektə]

n. 董事，经理，主管，指导者，导演

warrant   ['wɔ:rənt]

n. 正当理由，根据，委任状，准许

vt. 保

rage        [reidʒ]    

n. 狂怒，大怒，狂暴，肆虐，风行

v. 大怒

demanding    [di'mændiŋ]  

adj. 要求多的，吃力的

deputy    ['depjuti]

adj. 代理的，副的

n. 代表，副手

sheriff     ['ʃerif]    

n. 郡治安官，郡长

confirmed      [kən'fə:md]    

adj. 习惯的，积习的，确认过的，证实的 动词conf

nightmare      ['nait.mɛə]     

n. 恶梦，使人极其痛苦的事情或经历，梦魇

dependence   [di'pendəns]  

n. 依赖，信赖，上瘾

exposure        [iks'pəuʒə]     

n. 面临（困难），显露，暴露，揭露，曝光

clumsy    ['klʌmzi] 

adj. 笨拙的，笨重的，不得体的

threatening    ['θretniŋ]

adj. 威胁(性)的，凶兆的 动词threaten的现

epidemic        [.epi'demik]   

n. 传染病，流行病

adj. 流行的，传染性

scene      [si:n]

n. 场，景，情景

paranoia [.pærə'nɔiə]   

n. 偏执狂，妄想狂

overpowering        [,əuvə'pauəriŋ]      

adj. 压倒性的；无法抵抗的

violently  ['vaiələntli]     

adv. 猛烈地，激烈地，极端地

baseball  ['beis.bɔ:l]      

n. 棒球

organized      ['ɔ:gənaiz]      

v. 组织

property ['prɔpəti]

n. 财产，所有物，性质，地产，道具

violation [.vaiə'leiʃən]   

n. 违反，违背，妨碍

possession     [pə'zeʃən]      

n. 财产，所有，拥有

trademark      ['treidmɑ:k]   

n. 商标

arrest      [ə'rest]   

vt. 逮捕，拘留

n. 逮捕，拘留

concerned     [kən'sə:nd]    

adj. 担忧的，关心的

block      [blɔk]     

n. 街区，木块，石块

n. 阻塞(物), 障

immersion     [i'mə:ʃən]

n. 浸入(专心)

separated      ['sepəreitid]   

adj. 分居；分开的；不在一起生活的 v. 分开；隔开

参考资料：

1. 大学英语精读(第三版) 第六册:Unit1B The Meth Buster(1)_大学教材听力 - 可可英语
2. 大学英语精读(第三版) 第六册:Unit1B The Meth Buster(2)_大学教材听力 - 可可英语
3. 大学英语精读(第三版) 第六册:Unit1B The Meth Buster(3)_大学教材听力 - 可可英语

大学英语精读(第三版) 第六册:Unit1B The Meth Buster(4)_大学教材听力 - 可可英语