|
·外刊精读· 枪支自由是美国宪法赋予其人民的合法权利，但是枪支合法都会带来哪些不良后果呢？今天让我们跟随外刊一同了解。 原文导读 The consequences of gun violence in the USAn epidemic is hitting the US and ordinary citizens are unable to stop it. The reason is simple: the laws protect the killers. And thoseresponsible for making the laws haveabdicated their responsibility. The US Gun Violence Archive reports thatmass shootingsincreased from 269 in 2014 to 693 in 2021. The victims often include children, engulfed ina wave of violence and death that is increasingly targeting schools.Lawmakers — mostly Republican — systematically refuse to enact legislation that will effectively control arms sales. This frustrates most Americans, who support strictergun controls. In the meantime, kids go to school in constant fear that they will be the next victims of a mass shootingspree. According to Education Week, which has been tracking school shootings since 2018, there were 27 school shootings between the 1st January and 25th May 2022.About 40,000 Americans die each year ofgun homicides,suicides oraccidental shootings, in contrast, Japan, a country of 127 million people, on average reports approximately 10 gun-related deaths per year. One reason is that Japan has more effective gun control laws. While buying guns in the US is as easy as buying chewing gum, in Japan applicants must pass a long list of checks and tests. Theycomprise of a background check that includes interviews with friends and family and a thorough mental health evaluationcarried out by a certified hospital.The young men whocommit these acts of violence are sometimes suffering fromovert trauma, including childhood neglect whichmanifests as depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts and attempts; social isolation despite a desire to belong to a community of peers or others; and a feeling of powerlessness. They have nothing to lose and these violent acts can be understood as manifestations of self-hate and a desire to appropriate power.President Biden has proposed several important measures including a ban onassault weapons, expansion of background checks, obligatory safe storage of weapons, a 'red-flag' law and a repeal of the liability clause that shelters gun manufacturers from being sued.As the right to gun ownership is a legal right enshrined in theirconstitution, it is extremely difficult, if not impossible, for the US to ban guns completely. However, it could at least try to strengthen people's protection by introducing stricter gun control. Unfortunately, theCongress has rejected these proposals thanks to thetiresome andcostly struggle between the Democrats and the Republicans.Expectedly, the US will see endless arguments between gunopponents and supporters, while innocent people, particularly unarmed children, keep losing their lives in senseless shootings.Clearly, the US is nota haven for common people, butan arena for the many interest groups. Ultimately, what can people expect from a government thatis soobsessed with political fights that itoverlooks the life and death of itscommon people? The endless shooting sprees in the US justexpose the bloody scars of a so-called free US society. 知识点解读 第一段：An epidemic is hitting the US and ordinary citizens are unable to stop it. The reason is simple: the laws protect the killers. And those responsible for making the laws have abdicated their responsibility. The US Gun Violence Archive reports that mass shootings increased from 269 in 2014 to 693 in 2021. The victims often include children, engulfed in a wave of violence and death that is increasingly targeting schools.
参考译文：一场流行病正在袭击美国，普通公民对此束手无策。原因很简单：法律在保护凶手。而那些负责制定法律的人已经摒弃了他们的责任。美国枪支暴力档案馆报告称，大规模枪击事件从2014年的269起增加到2021的693起。受害者通常为陷入暴力和死亡浪潮的儿童，而暴力和死亡的浪潮正日益以学校为目标。
知识点解读：
1.Be responsible for: 对……负责任,例如，“You 'll be responsible for anything wrong.出了事唯你是问。”
拓展学习其近义表达：Take charge of：担任,负责，照料，例如，“He seemed to be very fond of Morel, and more or less to take charge of him.他似乎很喜欢毛莱尔，而且多少是在照顾他”assume/take responsibility for: 负起对…的责任，
例如，“The driver is supposed to take responsibility for passengers.司机应该为乘客负责。”be accountable for：能对...作出说明，负责，例如，“People being accountable for their own performance.员工将对他们自己的绩效承担责任。”
2.abdicate responsibility：推卸责任、逃避责任，例如，“Ask for help, don't abdicate responsibility or tough it out yourself: I learned this lesson very early on in my project management career.寻求帮助，不要推卸责任，也不要委屈了自己：我在项目经理这个职位上很早就知道了这一点。”
拓展学习类似的表达：relinquish responsibility, shirk responsibility, and evade responsibility.
3.mass shootings：大规模扫射，例如，“The incident was one of the worst mass- shootings in U. S. history - one that reignited debate over security measures at American schools.这起事件是美国历史上最严重的集体枪杀案之一，由此引发了在美国校园安全措施的争论。”
4.be engulfed in:实际意思表示“被吞没”，例如，“The farm was engulfed in drifting sands.该农场被流沙淹没了。”延申意思表示“被(某思想、感情等) 吞噬；使沉浸在；使深陷于”，例如，“to be engulfed in grief on the death of… 因…去世而沉浸在悲痛中”。
其近义表达为：be immersed in：例如，“Don ' t be immersed in love.别再儿女情长了。”be overwhelmed by：例如，“But when we got inside , we were overwhelmed by its spacious view.但一进院子，就豁然开朗了，一树树梨花迎面扑来。”
5.a wave of: 蜂拥而至的,拥挤的一批,例如，“Panic on the stock market set off a wave of selling. 股票市场上人心惶惶，掀起抛售浪潮。” | 第二段：Lawmakers — mostly Republican — systematically refuse to enact legislation that will effectively control arms sales. This frustrates most Americans, who support stricter gun controls. In the meantime, kids go to school in constant fear that they will be the next victims of a mass shooting spree. According to Education Week, which has been tracking school shootings since 2018, there were 27 school shootings between the 1st January and 25th May 2022.
参考译文：立法者——大多数是共和党人——系统性地拒绝制定可以有效控制武器交易的立法。这让大多数美国人感到沮丧，因为他们支持更严格的枪支管制。与此同时，孩子们上学时总是担心自己会成为大规模枪击事件的下一个受害者。自2018年以来一直追踪校园枪击事件的《教育周刊》称，2022年1月1日至5月25日，共发生27起校园枪击事件。
知识点解读：gun controlspree | 第三段：About 40,000 Americans die each year of gun homicides, suicides or accidental shootings, in contrast, Japan, a country of 127 million people, on average reports approximately 10 gun-related deaths per year. One reason is that Japan has more effective gun control laws. While buying guns in the US is as easy as buying chewing gum, in Japan applicants must pass a long list of checks and tests. They comprise of a background check that includes interviews with friends and family and a thorough mental health evaluation carried out by a certified hospital.
参考译文：每年约有40000名美国人死于他人的枪支、用枪支自杀或死于意外枪击，而日本这个拥有1.27亿人口的国家，平均每年约只有10人死于枪支。原因之一是日本有更有效的枪支管制法律。虽然在美国购买枪支和购买口香糖一样容易，但在日本，申请人必须通过一长串的检查和测试，包括背景调查、与朋友和家人的面谈，以及由认证医院进行的全面心理健康评估。
知识点解读：
1.gun homicide：枪杀（他杀）。
2.suicide: 自杀，常见表达为commit suicide, 例如，“People say it requires no courage to commit suicide.人们说寻短见不需要勇气。”其近义词为：self-destruction, self-murder, and self-annihilation
3.accidental shooting：意外枪杀
4.comprise of: 由...组成，例如，“A storm is comprised of heavy rain and high winds.暴风雨有暴雨，并伴有狂风。”其同义表达为：consist of : 由...组成，例如，“The book consists of eight chapters.那书共有八章。”be made up of: 由...组成，例如，“The country is made up of meadow and marsh.那地区全是草地和沼泽。”
5.carry out：贯彻,执行,实现，例如，“These aims will be carried out through to the end.这些目标将贯彻到底。” | 第四段：The young men who commit these acts of violence are sometimes suffering from overt trauma, including childhood neglect which manifests as depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts and attempts; social isolation despite a desire to belong to a community of peers or others; and a feeling of powerlessness. They have nothing to lose and these violent acts can be understood as manifestations of self-hate and a desire to appropriate power.
参考译文：实施这些暴力行为的年轻人有时是那些遭受明显创伤的人，包括童年时期的忽视，表现为抑郁、焦虑、自杀念头和尝试自杀行为；尽管渴望加入同龄人或其他人的团体，但他们被社会孤立；以及一种无力感。他们没有什么可失去的，这些暴力行为可以被理解为自我仇恨和对权力的渴望的表现。
知识点解读：
1.Commit：犯(罪等)；干(坏事等)，做(某事)，例如，“I shall commit my thoughts to paper.我可以把我的喜怒哀乐诉诸笔端。”
2.overt trauma：显性创伤
3.manifest as：显现出，表现为，例如，“Opportunities, new beginnings, and fresh starts will manifest as a result of the enormous energy being released.机会、新起点、崭新的开始会显化，因此，大量的能量会释放。” | 第五段：President Biden has proposed several important measures including a ban on assault weapons, expansion of background checks, obligatory safe storage of weapons, a 'red-flag' law and a repeal of the liability clause that shelters gun manufacturers from being sued.
参考译文：拜登总统提出了几项重要措施，包括禁止攻击性武器、扩大背景调查、强制安全储存武器、“红旗”法以及废除保护枪支制造商免受起诉的责任条款。
知识点解读：1.assault weapon：攻击性武器。 | 第六段：As the right to gun ownership is a legal right enshrined in their constitution, it is extremely difficult, if not impossible, for the US to ban guns completely. However, it could at least try to strengthen people's protection by introducing stricter gun control. Unfortunately, the Congress has rejected these proposals thanks to the tiresome and costly struggle between the Democrats and the Republicans.
参考译文：由于拥有枪支的权利是美国宪法中规定的合法权利，美国要彻底禁止枪支即使可能，也极其困难。然而，美国至少可以通过引入更严格的枪支管制来加强对人们的保护。不幸的是，由于民主党和共和党之间令人厌烦且代价高昂的斗争，国会拒绝了这些提案。
知识点解读：
1.Constitution：宪法，例如，“The United States Constitution requires that President be a natural-born citizen, thirty-five years of age or older.美国宪法要求总统是生于美国本土的公民，三十五岁以上。”
2.the Congress：美国国会，固定表达，例如，“As you know, the Congress and many auto executives and union people think that the company should be bailed out with government funds.我们知道，美国国会、很多汽车企业的高管还有工会，都认为通用公司应该得到政府资金的救援。”
3.tiresome: 令人厌烦的，烦人的，例如，“Nobody likes to attend the tiresome lecture.谁也不愿意上那个令人生倦的课。”类似的词构成还有：awesome, troublesome, and cumbersome.4.Costly：昂贵的，代价高的，例如，“The election process is long and costly.选举的过程冗长而且耗资巨大。” | 第七段：Expectedly, the US will see endless arguments between gun opponents and supporters, while innocent people, particularly unarmed children, keep losing their lives in senseless shootings.
参考译文：可以料想的是，美国将会出现枪支反对者和支持者无休止的争论，而无辜的人，特别是手无寸铁的儿童，不断在无谓的枪击中丧生。
知识点解读：1.opponents and supporters：正反双方。 | 第八段：Clearly, the US is not a haven for common people, but an arena for the many interest groups. Ultimately, what can people expect from a government that is so obsessed with political fights that it overlooks the life and death of its common people? The endless shooting sprees in the US just expose the bloody scars of a so-called free US society.
参考译文：显然，美国不是普通民众的避风港，而是众多利益集团的竞技场。最终，人们能从一个如此沉迷于政治斗争而忽视普通民众生死的政府那里得到什么？美国无休止的枪击案只是暴露了所谓自由美国社会的血腥伤疤。
知识点解读：
1.a haven for：……的避风港，是一个非常地道的表达，且非常形象，例如，“Home is a haven for human survival, is the eternal theme of humanity. People are wandering the ship, the home is warm shore.家是人赖以生存的避风港，是人类永恒的主题，人是漂泊的船，家是温暖的岸。”
2.an arena for:……的竞技场，例如，“The middle east is just an annoyance, an arena for the big powers to strut their stuff as we are now seeing with Libya.中东的确是个麻烦的地方，像个竞技场一样，众多势力在那里耀武扬威，就像我们在利比亚看到的一样。”
3.be obsessed with: 沉溺于、被迷住，例如，“As a species , we are obsessed with superficial appearance.作为一个物种，我们迷恋肤浅的外表。” 其近义表达还有如下，大家可以灵活替换：be preoccupied with, be consumed by, be captivated by, be devoted to, and be fixated on
4.common people：普通老百姓、普通人，例如，“Once untied , we common people are able to conquer nature, too.只要团结起来，我们老百姓也能移山倒海。”
5.Expose：暴露、遭受，例如，“We are exposed to the most calamitous accidents.我们遭受着极大的灾难。” |
专栏：外刊中的知识星球 各位薯粉~ 2023年，番薯翻硕教研团队已推出多个知识干货专栏，帮助大家更好地备考，专栏《外刊中的知识星球》每周三、五准时更新，通过精读的方式来深度学习英文阅读与写作，提高你的英语水平！
每周三、周五不见不散哦~
|
