Organizers of the Port-au-Prince International Jazz Festival recently announced that the music event has been postponed. The reason given was an increase in gang activity in the Haitian capital.
太子港国际爵士音乐节组织方最近宣布该音乐活动已被推迟。组织方给出的原因是海地首都帮派活动的增加。

The festival, usually held in January, brings together musicians from more than 12 countries every year.
该音乐节通常在每年1月份举行，将汇集来自12个以上国家的音乐家们。

Milena Sandler is director of the Haiti Jazz Foundation which organizes the festival. She told the French News Agency, "We can't take the risk, either for the 150 musicians or for our teams or for the public."
米莱娜·桑德勒是负责组织该音乐节的海地爵士乐基金会的负责人。她对法新社表示：“无论是为了这150位音乐家，还是为了我们的团队或是公众，我们都不能冒险。”

Sandler added, "We have been thinking for a while now that it would be difficult...to stage a festive event in this context."
桑德勒还表示：“我们已经考虑了一段时间，在这种情况下很难去举办音乐节活动。”

In recent months, gangs have gone beyond the poorer areas of Port-au-Prince and have increased the number of kidnappings.
最近几个月，帮派已经越过了太子港的贫民区，并增加了绑架事件的发生次数。

Their control over the capital regularly prevents secure access to oil stations. As a result, fuel shortages have harmed the transportation industry. Many hospitals, businesses and schools have been forced to reduce their services.
他们对首都的控制经常妨碍安全地进入加油站。结果，燃料短缺损害了运输业。许多医院、企业和学校被迫减少服务。

The United States and Canada have suggested that their citizens living in Haiti have an emergency plan to leave the country.
美国和加拿大已经建议其居住在海地的公民制定离境应急计划。

Sandler is hopeful that the music festival will take place sometime in 2022.
桑德勒希望该音乐节能够在2022年的某个时候举行。

"If the situation in the country does not allow for the usual format of concerts over eight days, we will still have something and it won't be virtual," she said.
她说：“如果国内现状不允许举办耗时8天以上的常规形式的音乐节，我们仍然会举办一些活动，而且不会是虚拟活动。”

Sandler added that the festival's Haitian and international partners were considering a program for the end of June.
桑德勒还说，海地国内和国际合作伙伴在考虑明年6月底举办该音乐节的方案。

The only time the festival has been canceled was in 2010. That year, a huge earthquake severely damaged Port-au-Prince and other towns on January 12, killing more than 200,000 people.
该音乐节唯一一次被取消是在2010年。那年1月12日发生的大地震严重破坏了太子港和其它城镇，并造成超过20万人遇难。

I'm Jonathan Evans.
我是乔纳森·埃文斯。(51VOA.COM原创翻译，请勿转载，违者必究！)

Organizers of the Port-au-Prince International Jazz Festival recently announced that the music event has been postponed. The reason given was an increase in gang activity in the Haitian capital.

The festival, usually held in January, brings together musicians from more than 12 countries every year.

Haiti's "SMS Kreyol" performs during the 15th edition of the Port-au-Prince International Jazz Festival "PAPJAZZ" on January 19, 2021.

Milena Sandler is director of the Haiti Jazz Foundation which organizes the festival. She told the French News Agency, "We can't take the risk, either for the 150 musicians or for our teams or for the public."

Sandler added, "We have been thinking for a while now that it would be difficult...to stage a festive event in this context."

In recent months, gangs have gone beyond the poorer areas of Port-au-Prince and have increased the number of kidnappings.

Their control over the capital regularly prevents secure access to oil stations. As a result, fuel shortages have harmed the transportation industry. Many hospitals, businesses and schools have been forced to reduce their services.

The United States and Canada have suggested that their citizens living in Haiti have an emergency plan to leave the country.

Sandler is hopeful that the music festival will take place sometime in 2022.

"If the situation in the country does not allow for the usual format of concerts over eight days, we will still have something and it won't be virtual," she said.

Sandler added that the festival's Haitian and international partners were considering a program for the end of June.

The only time the festival has been canceled was in 2010. That year, a huge earthquake severely damaged Port-au-Prince and other towns on January 12, killing more than 200,000 people.

I'm Jonathan Evans.

Jonathan Evans adapted this story for Learning English based on a report by Agence France-Presse. Mario Ritter, Jr. was the editor.

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Words in This Story

gang –n. a group of criminals

context –n. the situation in which something happens; the group of conditions that exist where and when something happens

access –n. being able to get near, at, or to something or someone

format –n. the form, design or ways something is organized and presented

virtual — adj. existing or occurring on computers or on the Internet