2013年6月29日

On the Inside: Venezuela’s Most Dangerous Prison

On the Inside: Venezuela’s Most Dangerous Prison

透視:委內瑞拉至惡監牢

Family visitors during a celebration in the prison. In September 2008, family overnights were instituted as part of the Prison Humanization Plan, which sought to reduce conflict in the prisons and restore inmates' rights

His name is Wilmer Brizuela, Wilmito to his friends, but to the inmates of Vista Hermosa, he is simply the Pran, the unquestioned leader of one of Venezuela’s notorious prisons. Outside its walls, the Venezuelan national guard patrols; inside, the inmates live and die in a world of their own making. Brizuela has occasionally allowed reporters to visit for a few hours, but earlier this year, he gave photojournalist Sebastián Liste and me exclusive, full access to the prison for more than a week, revealing an improvised society that mirrors the one outside.

他的名字是Wilmer Brizuela,朋友都叫他Wilmito;但對於Vista Hermosa的囚犯來說,他就是統領委內瑞拉一座惡名昭彰的監獄,無人質疑。監獄牆外,國家警察例行巡邏;監獄牆內,囚犯們過活或死去,處在一個隔絕的世界。Brizuela偶爾會讓記者進監獄參觀數小時,但在今年初,唯獨攝影記者Sebastián Liste 和我能夠整整待了一週以上,讓我們看見最真實的面貌,一如牆外世界的倒影。

Brizuela, who is serving sentences of 10 years for kidnapping and 16 years for murder, believes that his rule over the 1,400 inmates of Vista Hermosa (Beautiful View) in the southern state of Bolívar is more humane than that of the Venezuelan prison authorities, who have been widely criticized by human-rights groups for the overcrowding, poor living conditions and corruption in the country’s prisons. Gang violence is rampant; last year 591 inmates were killed, according to the Venezuelan Observatory of Prisons, a watchdog group. Under strongman Hugo Chávez, advocates and journalists who reported on abuses in Venezuela’s prisons faced intimidation and threats of violence; conditions have not improved since Chávez’s death.
Brizuela因綁架被判10年徒刑,也因謀殺多了16年刑期。但他深信,他所掌控的Vista Hermosa(美麗景色),也就是位在玻利瓦爾州、關著1400囚犯的監獄,遠比委內瑞拉政府所管的要有人性。那些政府管轄的監獄,經常受到國際人權團體的批評,不是過擠、就是生活環境差,還有貪污腐敗的問題;幫派互毆十分猖獗。根據委內瑞拉監獄的瞭望人員,去年有591名死於鬥毆。在前總統查維茲強人的統治下,專門報導與撻伐委內瑞拉對犯人差勁待遇的人士,常被暴力恐嚇、威脅。而這些狀況,在查維茲死後,仍未改善。
Vista Hermosa is emblematic of these problems. Built in the 1950s to house 650 inmates, it now houses more than twice that number. As the population grew, clashes between prisoners and guards became common. Rather than improve conditions, prison authorities have allowed them to descend into near chaos. Since Brizuela, a champion boxer, and his gang took control of Vista Hermosa by force in 2005, drug use and violence are still widespread but tightly controlled. “So far we have achieved peace and a minimum of decent human living standards,” Brizuela says.
Vista Hermosa監獄建於1950年代,當時用來關650名犯人。但今日囚犯人數早已超過初始的兩倍,且隨著人數增長,囚犯與獄守的衝突日益頻繁,整個監獄有著過擠、生活環境差、幫派鬥毆等問題。這些狀況並未獲得改善,獄方反而無動於衷,讓秩序幾近混亂。雖然吸毒和鬥毆事件廣佈,但自從2005年,由曾是拳擊冠軍的囚犯Brizuela及他的手下暴力控管這座監獄後,已能掌控上述情況。他說,「目前為止我們擁有和平和人的基本生活條件。」
Entering Vista Hermosa during visiting hours feels a bit like stepping into the streets of a bustling slum. There are open-air vendors selling DVDs, medicine and snacks amid the unbearable heat and thumping techno music. There are plazas for dancing and a more formal ballroom for parties. In these areas, visiting women and children walk freely, the iron bars have been removed and the walls are freshly painted. The prison, like any society, has distinct subcultures. There are Christian evangelists, called varones, who live, pray and sing together and work hard to keep their spaces clean. Gay inmates have their own quarters, where they can live without fear of harassment.
進入Vista Hermosa監獄參觀數小時,感覺像踏進了喧鬧的貧民窟。這裡有露天的攤販,在難以忍受的酷熱和高分貝的電音舞曲中,兜售DVD、醫藥、小吃。這邊也有幾個能跳舞的廣場和辦party的正式大廳,來訪的女人和小孩在這自由走動,先前的鐵欄杆已被拆除、牆面也才粉刷不久。如同所有社會,這座監獄有獨特的次文化,包括人稱varon的基督福音士,他們群居生活、一起禱告、唱聖歌,辛勤打掃自己的環境;而同性戀也有屬於他們的區域,可以避開其他囚犯騷擾。
Vista Hermosa feels like an extreme version of Venezuela itself, in microcosm. Along with the families and celebrations, there is violence and despair. Dozens of addicts, their bodies withered by crack and other drugs, smoke and sleep in rows of hammocks or on piles of trash. Men serving time for sex crimes live in an area far removed from the other inmates. And this society of prisoners has a prison of its own the zone known as La Guerrilla, where gandules, the renegade inmates who have violated Vista Hermosa’s unwritten code, are kept under armed guard. Their inmate-jailers make surveillance rounds night and day armed with pistols, high-caliber revolvers and automatic rifles.
微觀而言,Vista Hermosa監獄正是委內瑞拉的縮影;暴力和絕望,伴隨著囚犯的家人團聚與歡慶。幾十個毒蟲,睡在成排的吊床或垃圾堆上,身體因為毒品和毒癮影響而萎縮;性侵犯則被隔離在遠離提他犯人的區域;而在這個囚犯組成的社會,還是有「囚犯」這個標籤的。那些違背監獄遊戲規則的犯人,會被關在La Guerrilla區,由其他武裝囚犯看守;看守人早晚巡邏時都帶著手槍、大口徑的左輪,和來福槍。
Prisons like Vista Hermosa, which Brizuela says generates about $3 million a year in profit from illegal activities and weekly taxes paid to the Pran by the inmates, could not function without the complicity of corrupt officials who allow drugs and weapons inside. Even the Pran fears them. As Brizuela puts it, “The arms are for protecting us from the national guard.”
Brizuela說,像Vista Hermosa這樣的監獄,透過非法交易和每週得到的保護費,一年賺進了三百萬美元。而這樣的好處,都託委內瑞拉政府腐敗的福;因為他們爭隻眼閉隻眼,讓監獄裡出現毒品和槍枝交易。即便是目前掌控這座監獄的頭頭,還是會怕政府官員。因此Brizuela說,「這些我們擁有的武器是用來保護我們,免於國家看守的侵害」。

2013年6月27日

On the Inside: Venezuela’s Most Dangerous Prison

每日一看---On the Inside: Venezuela’s Most Dangerous Prison (2)

今天來看之前沒看完的部份吧!

On the Inside: Venezuela’s Most Dangerous Prison


Prisoners preparing pipes used to smoke crack cocaine

His name is Wilmer Brizuela, Wilmito to his friends, but to the inmates of Vista Hermosa, he is simply the Pran, the unquestioned leader of one of Venezuela’s notorious prisons. Outside its walls, the Venezuelan national guard patrols; inside, the inmates live and die in a world of their own making. Brizuela has occasionally allowed reporters to visit for a few hours, but earlier this year, he gave photojournalist Sebastián Liste and me exclusive, full access to the prison for more than a week, revealing an improvised society that mirrors the one outside.

他的名字是Wilmer Brizuela,朋友都叫他Wilmito;但對於Vista Hermosa的囚犯來說,他就是統領委內瑞拉一座惡名昭彰的監獄,無人質疑。監獄牆外,國家警察例行巡邏;監獄牆內,囚犯們過活或死去,處在一個隔絕的世界。Brizuela偶爾會讓記者進監獄參觀數小時,但在今年初,唯獨攝影記者Sebastián Liste 和我能夠整整待了一週以上,讓我們看見最真實的面貌,一如牆外世界的倒影。

Brizuela, who is serving sentences of 10 years for kidnapping and 16 years for murder, believes that his rule over the 1,400 inmates of Vista Hermosa (Beautiful View) in the southern state of Bolívar is more humane than that of the Venezuelan prison authorities, who have been widely criticized by human-rights groups for the overcrowding, poor living conditions and corruption in the country’s prisons. Gang violence is rampant; last year 591 inmates were killed, according to the Venezuelan Observatory of Prisons, a watchdog group. Under strongman Hugo Chávez, advocates and journalists who reported on abuses in Venezuela’s prisons faced intimidation and threats of violence; conditions have not improved since Chávez’s death.
Brizuela因綁架被判10年徒刑,也因謀殺多了16年刑期。但他深信,他所掌控的Vista Hermosa(美麗景色),也就是位在玻利瓦爾州、關著1400囚犯的監獄,遠比委內瑞拉政府所管的要有人性。那些政府管轄的監獄,經常受到國際人權團體的批評,不是過擠、就是生活環境差,還有貪污腐敗的問題;幫派互毆十分猖獗。根據委內瑞拉監獄的瞭望人員,去年有591名死於鬥毆。在前總統查維茲強人的統治下,專門報導與撻伐委內瑞拉對犯人差勁待遇的人士,常被暴力恐嚇、威脅。而這些狀況,在查維茲死後,仍未改善。
Vista Hermosa is emblematic of these problems. Built in the 1950s to house 650 inmates, it now houses more than twice that number. As the population grew, clashes between prisoners and guards became common. Rather than improve conditions, prison authorities have allowed them to descend into near chaos. Since Brizuela, a champion boxer, and his gang took control of Vista Hermosa by force in 2005, drug use and violence are still widespread but tightly controlled. “So far we have achieved peace and a minimum of decent human living standards,” Brizuela says.
Vista Hermosa監獄建於1950年代,當時用來關650名犯人。但今日囚犯人數早已超過初始的兩倍,且隨著人數增長,囚犯與獄守的衝突日益頻繁,整個監獄有著過擠、生活環境差、幫派鬥毆等問題。這些狀況並未獲得改善,獄方反而無動於衷,讓秩序幾近混亂。雖然吸毒和鬥毆事件廣佈,但自從2005年,由曾是拳擊冠軍的囚犯Brizuela及他的手下暴力控管這座監獄後,已能掌控上述情況。他說,「目前為止我們擁有和平和人的基本生活條件。」
Entering Vista Hermosa during visiting hours feels a bit like stepping into the streets of a bustling slum. There are open-air vendors selling DVDs, medicine and snacks amid the unbearable heat and thumping techno music. There are plazas for dancing and a more formal ballroom for parties. In these areas, visiting women and children walk freely, the iron bars have been removed and the walls are freshly painted. The prison, like any society, has distinct subcultures. There are Christian evangelists, called varones, who live, pray and sing together and work hard to keep their spaces clean. Gay inmates have their own quarters, where they can live without fear of harassment.
進入Vista Hermosa監獄參觀數小時,感覺像踏進了喧鬧的貧民窟。這裡有露天的攤販,在難以忍受的酷熱和高分貝的電音舞曲中,兜售DVD、醫藥、小吃。這邊也有幾個能跳舞的廣場和辦party的正式大廳,來訪的女人和小孩在這自由走動,先前的鐵欄杆已被拆除、牆面也才粉刷不久。如同所有社會,這座監獄有獨特的次文化,包括人稱varon的基督福音士,他們群居生活、一起禱告、唱聖歌,辛勤打掃自己的環境;而同性戀也有屬於他們的區域,可以避開其他囚犯騷擾。

2013年6月25日

On the Inside: Venezuela’s Most Dangerous Prison

On the Inside: Venezuela’s Most Dangerous Prison
透視:委內瑞拉至惡監牢

Drug users and those who violate the unwritten rules imposed by the inmates who control Vista Hermosa are confined to one area known as La Guerrilla.

吸毒犯和違反監獄遊戲規則的囚犯,皆由掌控Vista Hermosa監獄的頭號犯人看管,監禁在La Guerrilla區。

His name is Wilmer Brizuela, Wilmito to his friends, but to the inmates of Vista Hermosa, he is simply the Pran, the unquestioned leader of one of Venezuela’s notorious prisons. Outside its walls, the Venezuelan national guard patrols; inside, the inmates live and die in a world of their own making. Brizuela has occasionally allowed reporters to visit for a few hours, but earlier this year, he gave photojournalist Sebastián Liste and me exclusive, full access to the prison for more than a week, revealing an improvised society that mirrors the one outside.

他的名字是Wilmer Brizuela,朋友都叫他Wilmito;但對於Vista Hermosa的囚犯來說,他就是統領委內瑞拉一座惡名昭彰的監獄,無人質疑。監獄牆外,國家警察例行巡邏;監獄牆內,囚犯們過活或死去,處在一個隔絕的世界。Brizuela偶爾會讓記者進監獄參觀數小時,但在今年初,唯獨攝影記者Sebastián Liste 和我能夠整整待了一週以上,讓我們看見最真實的面貌,一如牆外世界的倒影。

Brizuela, who is serving sentences of 10 years for kidnapping and 16 years for murder, believes that his rule over the 1,400 inmates of Vista Hermosa (Beautiful View) in the southern state of Bolívar is more humane than that of the Venezuelan prison authorities, who have been widely criticized by human-rights groups for the overcrowding, poor living conditions and corruption in the country’s prisons. Gang violence is rampant; last year 591 inmates were killed, according to the Venezuelan Observatory of Prisons, a watchdog group. Under strongman Hugo Chávez, advocates and journalists who reported on abuses in Venezuela’s prisons faced intimidation and threats of violence; conditions have not improved since Chávez’s death.

Brizuela因綁架被判10年徒刑,也因謀殺多了16年刑期。但他深信,他所掌控的Vista Hermosa(美麗景色),也就是位在玻利瓦爾州、關著1400囚犯的監獄,遠比委內瑞拉政府所管的要有人性。那些政府管轄的監獄,經常受到國際人權團體的批評,不是過擠、就是生活環境差,還有貪污腐敗的問題;幫派互毆十分猖獗。根據委內瑞拉監獄的瞭望人員,去年有591名死於鬥毆。在前總統查維茲強人的統治下,專門報導與撻伐委內瑞拉對犯人差勁待遇的人士,常被暴力恐嚇、威脅。而這些狀況,在查維茲死後,仍未改善。

2013年6月23日

heartbreaker

每日一詞---heartbreaker



其實前些日子就想介紹這個詞了,但就怕自己了解得不夠全面,所以還是花點時間查了它的用法。heartbreaker通常指讓人心碎的人,意思有好有壞:好的是說某人很有魅力,卻又難以觸及;壞的就是指某人花心放蕩,專傷害別人的心。好,來看些句子吧!

That guy has a lot of girlfriends; he is a heartbreaker. 那傢伙有一堆女朋友,一定傷了很多人的心。

Look how gorgeous that woman is, she is such a heartbreaker; I know I have no chance with her. 你看,那女人這麼美,一定勾走了許多人的心;我自己肯定搭不上她。



2013年6月22日

stand the test of time

每日一語---stand the test of time



今天要看的是stand the test of time. 相信從字面不難猜出它的意思,就是指「經得起時間考驗」。好,來看一下Englishbaby英文學習網的介紹+本人的譯文吧!

Have you ever seen a big structure like a house or a tree that has just collapsed? There was no disaster or anything. There wasn’t a storm that knocked the tree down, or a fire that destroyed the house. You know what caused the damage? It was simply time.
你看過房子或大樹這種貌似穩重的物體崩壞嗎?而且還是在沒有天然災害發生的狀況下發生---樹不是因為颱風而倒,房子也不是被大火所吞噬。你知道是什麼造成這種崩壞的嗎?其實就是「時間」。

Time can damage other things, too. Time can damage a friendship, when two friends grow apart and no longer have anything to talk about with each other. Time can damage a relationship, when small fights turn into bigger ones. Whether object or relationship, something must be very strong to stand the test of time.
時間也能摧毀其他東西。時間能損害友情---當兩個好朋友成長、分道揚鑣後,彼此間就難有共通話題。時間也能損害一段關係---特別是當小爭執演變為大爭吵。不管有形還是無形,有些事物總能經得起時間考驗。


接著,來看兩個句子吧!

“It looks solid, but we’ll have to see if it can stand the test of time. “
雖然它看來穩固,但我們還是要確定是否耐得住時間的考驗。
“They just celebrated their 50 year wedding anniversary. Their relationship has really stood the test of time.”
那對夫妻才剛慶祝完五十周年結婚紀念;他們的情誼真的經得起時間考驗。

2013年6月19日

pitch in

每日一語---pitch in



好,今天看的是pitch in;大家應該都曉得help out吧,pitch in在這裡也是同個意思,就是「一起幫忙、協助完成某事」等等。來看幾個句子吧!

Let's all pitch in and get Mom something really nice for Christmas. 讓我們一起搞定這件事,然後給媽媽一個聖誕禮物。

If we all pitch in, we'll get the cleaning done faster. 如果我們同心協力,整潔工作很快就能完成了。

Jake pitched in and helped take care of his little sister when his mom was sick. 傑克媽媽生病時,他便幫忙做家事、照顧妹妹。


2013年6月16日

hunch

每日一詞---hunch



hunch這個字當動詞是說彎腰駝背、聳或拱起的意思,不過呢,今天要看的是名詞用法---也就是「直覺」、「預感」;直接看例句吧!

I have a hunch he'll run for reelection. 我有預感他會參加再選。

He always had a hunch that Harry would come back but didn't advertise it in case of he was wrong. 他總感覺Harry會回來,但又怕自己搞錯,所以沒敢開口。



2013年6月14日

the world is (one's) oyster

每日一語---the world is (one's) oyster



好的,先來看一下oyster這個詞,它是指牡蠣或產珍珠的蚌,有時引申為美食、囊中之物。所以,這個片語就表示「世界盡是某人的」、「前途無限好」等等的意思。來看看幾個例句吧!

I feel like the world is my oyster. 我覺得自己行雲流水,做什麼都得心應手。

The world is your oyster when you're young and healthy and feel free to go anywhere. 年輕、健康、沒束縛,這個世界都屬於你的。

Now that you have a graduate degree, the world is your oyster. 既然都有碩士學位了,機會多得等你挑。




2013年6月11日

slave driver

每日一詞---slave driver



好的,今天來看一個有點嚇人的詞,那就是slave driver!它原本是指「監督奴隸工作的人」;相信大家都知道,早期的奴隸都很可憐,總是被工頭鞭打、欺壓。但現在幾乎沒有奴隸制了,可是這個詞還是活了下來---用來引申為「壞上司」、「沒人性的老闆」。來看看例句吧!

The director is a real slave driver, but actors still clamor for the opportunity to work with him. 雖然那位導演很嚴苛,所有的演員還是搶著要和他合作。

He is such a slave driver! I can't believe he wants us to come on Sunday. 他真的很沒人性!竟然要我們星期天去他那裡。



2013年6月10日

lost in thought

每日一語---lost in thought

相信常看美劇的朋友們,對這片語應該不陌生。那它究竟是什麼意思呢?lost當形容詞是指「失落的」、「遺失的」或「茫然的」,而在這裡,比較接近「茫然的」。所以囉,整個的意思就是若有所思、正在想其他事情,而沒注意到週遭的一切;來看些例子吧!


I didn't answer right away because I was lost in thought. 因為在想其他事情,我沒馬上回答問題。

He often lost in thought, looking out the window. 他常若有所思,總是看著窗外。




2013年6月9日

drop a line

每日一語---drop a line



今天來看的是drop a line,猜猜看這是什麼意思吧!drop當動詞就是「落下」、「掉下」的意思,而line當名詞則是指「行、列、線」,也可說指文字的「行」。所以囉,這個片語就是「寫信給某人(drop someone a line)」;來看看例句吧!

I dropped Aunt Jane a line last Thanksgiving. 上次感恩節時,我給珍姑姑寫了封信。

She usually drops me a few lines around the first of the year. 她總在一年初始寫信給我。

Drop me a line when you get promoted. 升遷後記得寫幾句告訴我呀!



2013年6月6日

wing it

每日一語---wing it



好,今天來看的是wing it. wing本身是指「翅膀」、「羽翼」;但在這邊,wing it則是說「毫無準備、隨機應變」的意思,有時也可引申為「船到橋頭自然直」。來看些例句吧!

I didn't have time to write a speech, so I just had to wing it in front of a large audience. 因為我沒時間寫講稿,所以只好在一大群觀眾前即席演出。

Sharon lost her lecture notes, so she had to wing it. 雪倫弄丟了課堂筆記,所以考試時只好隨機應變。

Don't worry. Just go out there and wing it. 別擔心,直接去那邊,然後靈機應變吧!



2013年6月4日

not know beans about sth

每日一語---not know beans about sth



今天要介紹的片語是 not know beans about sth. bean本身是指豆子,在這邊引申為「少量」、「一點」的意思。所以呢,這個片語就是說「對某事不了解」、「一竅不通」。來看例句吧!


He doesn't know beans about the insurance business at all. 他對壽險業一點都不了解。

Bill doesn't know beans about flying an airplane. Bill對駕駛飛機一竅不通。



2013年6月3日

bummer

每日一詞---bummer



好,今天來看的是bummer。bummer當名詞是指「失敗」、「不愉快、煩人的事件或經歷」。直接來看例句吧!

Getting stranded at the airport was a real bummer. 卡在機場等待實在很煩人。

My wallet was stolen at the bar last night. It's total a bummer. 我的皮夾昨晚在酒吧被偷了,真是有夠倒楣。