It's a peaceful winter's day in the favela of Monte Azul, Sao Paulo. Customers sit chatting around the hot-dog stand (which accepts credit cards). A state “health agent” patrols the undulating main street, looking for sick people to advise. At the creche, the purple curtains are closed to let the children nap. And the rain runs neatly into the gutters, instead of flooding the street. A lot has changed since 20 years ago, when some local men worked as “security guards” for bakeries and supermarkets - which meant they were paid to murder suspected thieves.
这是在圣保罗Monte Azul贫民窟的一个平静的冬日。顾客们坐在热狗摊（可以用信用卡结账）周围闲聊着。一位政府“公共卫生联络员”在崎岖不平的大街上巡视着，以便为病人们提供咨询。在托儿所，紫色的门帘被放了下来，以免打扰孩子们午睡。雨水规整地流入排水沟，以往街道上雨水横流的景象不见了。与20年前相比，这里已经发生了翻天覆地的变化，当时一些当地人曾做过面包房和超市的“保安”，店家雇用他们干掉小偷嫌疑犯。