Passage Sixteen (Mules)
Although the top men in smuggling business must work together, most of a syndicate’s small fry, especially the mules, know only their immediate contacts.If caught there is little they can give away.A mule probably will not even know the name of the person who gives him his instructions, nor how to get in touch with him.Usually he even does not know the person to whom he has to make delivery.He will be told just to sit tight in a certain hotel or bar until someone contacts him.In this way if he is blown, coming through airport customs he cannot unwittingly lead agents to the next link in the chain.All the persons at the receiving end do is to hang around the airport among the waiting crowd, and see that the mule comes through safely.If he does not, he is dimply written off as a loss.To make identification of mules easier, several syndicates have devised their own “club ties” so that a mule wearing one can immediately be picked out. Mules often receive careful training before embarking on their first journey.One Beirut organization, for example, uses a room with three airline seats in it.There the trainee mules sit for hours on end wearing weighted smuggling vests beneath their clothes, so that they become accustomed to standing up after a long flight in a natural way, and without revealing what they are carrying.An outfit in Brussels maintained a comfortable apartment where the mules could relax and get a firm grip on themselves on the night before their first journey; they were helped to dress before setting out for the airport in the morning.More often than not a courier will not know precisely where he is going or what flight number is until he is actually handed his tickets at the airport.This prevents the careless boast in some bar or to a girl friend the night before.
Mules occasionally run off with the goods to keep the profit themselves.As insurance against this, a syndicate often sends a high-up on the same plane to keep a wary eye on couriers, particularly new ones.Even then things can go badly wrong.One international currency smuggler who was having trouble getting money out of Britain was offered help by a group of men who said they were in a position to “fix thing” - for a fee of course.Foolishly, the smuggler agreed to accept their help.When he got to London’s Heathrow Airport, he handed over to one of the men a black suitcase containing nearly $90,000 in cash, destined for Frankfurt.Just to keep an eye on things, the smuggler went along on the same plane.When they landed at Frankfurt he was handed back his suitcase.He beat a straight path to the men’s toilet, opened the case, and found only old clothes. The courier had switched suitcase en route, but the smuggler could hardly run to the police and complain that “the man who was smuggling money out of England for me has stolen it.”
1.What is a “mule”?
[A] A person who sends smuggling goods for a syndicate is called mule.
[B] A person in charge of smuggling goods is called mule.
[C] A person who makes delivery for a syndicate is called mule.
[D] A person who receives instructions from a smuggler is called mule.
2.The sentence “if he is blown” in line (6) is closest in meaning to
[A] if he is arrested.
[B] if he is recognized, but not necessarily arrested.
[C] if he is recognized and arrested.
[D] if he runs away.
3.Why does the author give an example in the last paragraph?
[A] To show how a smuggler is caught.
[B] To show a smuggler is afraid of the police.
[C] To show to keep a wary eye on couriers is useless.
[D] To show mules may keep the profit for themselves.
4.how does a mule work?
[A] Jointly.
[B] Independently.
[C] consciously.
[D] Separately. Vocabulary
1.fry小魚(yú)群,小生物群。這里的small fry是指辛迪加之子公司,小走私集團(tuán)或走私者
2.sit tight 穩(wěn)坐不動(dòng),堅(jiān)持下去,這里指一直坐等著,等到有人來(lái)和他聯(lián)系。
3.blown欠賬的,被炸毀的。這里指走私分子“出事”
4.write off銷賬,被勾銷的項(xiàng)目。這里指把出事的騾子從名單上勾掉。
5.written off as a loss作為損失銷賬。
6.embark (on)開(kāi)始搞,從事,上船。
7.grip緊握
8.high up高處,這里指高一級(jí)走私人
9.fix thing這里指“擺平事情”,解決問(wèn)題
10.beat踏上
11.switch轉(zhuǎn)變,調(diào)換
難句譯注
1.In this way if he is blown, coming through airport customs he cannot unwittingly lead agents to the next link in the chain.
「結(jié)構(gòu)簡(jiǎn)析」條件句
「參考譯文」這樣,一旦在他通過(guò)機(jī)場(chǎng)檢查處時(shí)出事,他不可能愚蠢地把檢查事務(wù)官引到鎖鏈的下一個(gè)環(huán)節(jié)。
2.There the trainee mules sit for hours on end wearing weighted smuggling vests beneath their clothes, so that they become accustomed to standing up after a long flight in a natural way, and without revealing what they are carrying.
「結(jié)構(gòu)簡(jiǎn)析」主從句。主句中分詞斷語(yǔ)wearing修飾trainee.從句中and連接兩組介詞短語(yǔ),后有一賓語(yǔ)從句what they are carrying.這實(shí)際上是with(without) +v-ing+object基本句型。
「參考譯文」在那里,走私者衣服下穿著裝有東西的厚厚的走私背心,連續(xù)幾個(gè)小時(shí)坐著,所以他們?cè)陂L(zhǎng)時(shí)間飛行后,能習(xí)慣于很自然地站起來(lái)而不暴露他們身上攜帶的一切。
3.An outfit in Brussels maintained a comfortable apartment where the mules could relax and get a firm grip on themselves on the night before their first journey; they were helped to dress before setting out for the airport in the morning.
「結(jié)構(gòu)簡(jiǎn)析」句子結(jié)構(gòu)復(fù)雜。Where定語(yǔ)從句修飾apartment,從句中and連接兩個(gè)謂語(yǔ)動(dòng)詞,后面又用分毫隔開(kāi)另一句分句。
「參考譯文」布魯塞爾一家走私集團(tuán)長(zhǎng)期包了一套舒適的公寓。在那里走私分子可以休息,在第一次上路前的夜晚,好好控制下自己;早上出發(fā)去機(jī)場(chǎng)前,有人幫他們穿好衣服。
寫(xiě)作方法與文章大意
這是一篇介紹走私分子(綽號(hào)為騾子)的文章,采用一般到具體的寫(xiě)作手法。先從走私集團(tuán)對(duì)具體走私分子實(shí)行單線,單方面聯(lián)系,分配任務(wù),以免他被逮住后出賣更多的人,危及走私集團(tuán)。接貨地點(diǎn)的人根據(jù)各集團(tuán)自制的識(shí)別標(biāo)志“會(huì)員聯(lián)系信號(hào)帶”和走私者聯(lián)系。隨后是具體培訓(xùn)走私分子,防范措施及出岔子等一般面謝佐以具體例子作說(shuō)明,如:貝魯特走私集團(tuán)培訓(xùn)和從倫敦運(yùn)送美金到法蘭克福的事件。
答案詳解
1.C mule,騾子是為走私集團(tuán)交貨人的稱呼,綽號(hào)。
A. 是為走私集團(tuán)具體運(yùn)送走私貨物的人。只運(yùn)送,不交貨不能成為騾子。
B.負(fù)責(zé)走私貨物的人。也不對(duì),負(fù)責(zé)者不一定運(yùn)送和交貨。
D.從走私者那里接受指示的人。更不對(duì)。
2.B blown原義為:欠賬了的,被炸毀的,壞了等。這里指:走私分子在過(guò)海關(guān),機(jī)場(chǎng)檢查處出事,不一定被逮捕。
A.逮捕。
C.認(rèn)出,逮捕。
D.逃跑。都不符合blown原義。
3.D 說(shuō)明走私分子會(huì)把利益歸己。最后一段第一句“有時(shí),走私分子帶著貨物逃跑,把利益歸己”。走私集團(tuán)為防范此事,常常派遣高級(jí)人物監(jiān)視走私人,特別是新走私者,也于事無(wú)補(bǔ)。這段的具體例子:“走私者和委托人同機(jī)飛行,到法蘭克福機(jī)場(chǎng),9萬(wàn)美金也是不翼而飛,走私者已經(jīng)撈到手。”就是說(shuō)明走私者可以為自己留下財(cái)路。
A.走私者被捕之事,例子中沒(méi)有提及。
B.走私者不去警察局報(bào)案,并不易定是害怕警察局,而是報(bào)不了。
C.監(jiān)督毫無(wú)用處。是副線。
4.D單個(gè)干。這在第一段一開(kāi)始就點(diǎn)明:“走私商的上層人物(頭面人物)必須一起工作,而大多數(shù)辛迪加的小組織,特別是走私分子,他們只知道他們的直接聯(lián)系人。一旦他們被逮捕,就沒(méi)有什么可以出賣的。一個(gè)騾子甚至連給他指示的人的姓名都不知道,也不知道如何和此人聯(lián)系”。
A.共同干。
B.獨(dú)立干,走私分子不是獨(dú)立,大多數(shù)是在監(jiān)督之下。
C.有意識(shí)地干,上下都是有意識(shí)地干。