美国国家公共电台 NPR--The Supreme Court strikes down N.Y. law that restricts concealed carrying of guns

The Supreme¹ Court strikes down N.Y. law that restricts concealed² carrying of guns

Transcript³

The Supreme Court ruling that negates⁴ New York's concealed weapons law has divided the state. Some say it will endanger more people, others applaud the court's support of Second Amendment⁵ rights.

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

A decades-old movie set in New York mentions the Sullivan Law. That's the gun law the Supreme Court struck down yesterday. In that old movie, "On The Waterfront," a corrupt⁶ union boss is under investigation⁷. And he seizes the pistols of his mob-style thugs so they won't get arrested for carrying concealed weapons.

(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "ON THE WATERFRONT")

LEE J COBB: (As Johnny) Did you ever hear of the Sullivan Law? They'll be down on us for the slightest infraction⁸ now, anything. I'm going to be indicted⁹ any minute. Come on now, give me, give me, give me. When you get it through your heads, they're dusting off a hot seat for me.

INSKEEP: We're a law-abiding union, he says. So he takes the guns. And in the climactic scene, he beats up Marlon Brando's character instead of shooting him. Now, if you remade that movie in 2022, you would have to tweak the script because the Supreme Court threw out that century-old law and made it easier for law-abiding citizens in New York to get a license¹⁰ to carry concealed firearms. NPR's Brian Mann is covering this. Hey there, Brian.

BRIAN MANN, BYLINE¹¹: Hey, Steve.

INSKEEP: What did the law do?

MANN: Well, New York's been one of half a dozen states that until now have required people to demonstrate some kind of special need before they could get a permit to carry firearms out in public. So two men who applied¹² for these public carry permits were rejected. They filed a lawsuit¹³. And their case made its way all the way to the Supreme Court. So in this majority ruling yesterday, Judge - Justice Clarence Thomas said New York's restrictions¹⁴ on carrying guns outside the home do, in fact, violate the Second Amendment. He concluded that New York officials have been using too much discretion¹⁵, denying these permits to law-abiding people. In his dissenting¹⁶ opinion, Justice Stephen Breyer points out that guns are claiming more than 40,000 American lives every year. Breyer said this ruling is going to burden efforts to curb¹⁷ that violence, not just in New York state, but across the country.

INSKEEP: I would imagine New York state officials are also dissenting.

MANN: Yeah, they're furious. I spoke¹⁸ yesterday, Steve, with Byron Brown. He's mayor in Buffalo¹⁹, where 10 people were killed in that mass shooting just in May.

BYRON BROWN: The nation is reeling from mass shootings. So the timing²⁰ of this Supreme Court decision could not have been worse.

MANN: And officials here are also alarmed that guns could now be a lot more common in crowded places, like New York City's subway system, Times Square and places like Central Park.

INSKEEP: How does this affect other states?

MANN: Yeah. This ruling could make guns much more common in public areas. Also, in states like California, Massachusetts, New Jersey²¹, leaders in those states are condemning²² this decision. They say they're going to try to work around it, looking for new ways to limit the impact. That could include designating more sensitive places where guns aren't allowed. In a press conference yesterday, New York City's mayor, Eric Adams, a former NYPD police officer, called on New York's legislature to hold a special session to pass new gun laws.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

ERIC ADAMS: We will not allow the men and women of the police department to be subjected to further danger, making their already difficult jobs even more harrowing.

MANN: But, you know, Steve, all these states face a complicated path now. It's unclear what new regulations will pass muster²³ before this very conservative Supreme Court.

INSKEEP: I want to dwell on your state, New York, for a minute. A lot of urban areas, of course, but also a lot of rural areas, a lot of political opinions. How are people responding?

MANN: Well, Republican lawmakers are praising this ruling. But there are also business owners who sound really nervous. I spoke with Benji White yesterday. He runs a coffee shop in Westport, N.Y.

BENJI WHITE: I'm one of those people who thinks that we're safer when there are fewer guns in the community. And I would not like to see or know that anybody's coming in my shop carrying. And if I saw one, I'd be very uneasy.

MANN: I also spoke with Frank Slycord yesterday, a bar owner in Port Henry, N.Y., who describes himself as very conservative, very pro-Second Amendment, pro-gun rights. There were actually a bunch of rifles up on the walls of his bar. But he, too, voiced concern about the idea of more people turning up in his bar with guns.

FRANK SLYCORD: I can understand the theory about wanting to be protected, protect your family when you're out and about. I'm still a little iffy about the thought that you can take one anywhere you go. If you're carrying a firearm, are you going to be more likely to pull your firearm?

MANN: So Steve, this is something now that people are going to be faced with, not just in New York, but in half a dozen states, like California and Massachusetts, where carrying guns in public has been strictly²⁴ regulated. I should say, elected officials in all of those states are now scrambling²⁵ to react to this. And they're looking at possible new regulations. We'll see where that goes.

INSKEEP: NPR's Brian Mann is in upstate New York. Brian, thanks.

MANN: Thank you, Steve.

1 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

2 concealed   

a.隐藏的，隐蔽的

参考例句：

• The paintings were concealed beneath a thick layer of plaster. 那些画被隐藏在厚厚的灰泥层下面。
• I think he had a gun concealed about his person. 我认为他当时身上藏有一支枪。

3 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

4 negates   

v.取消( negate的第三人称单数 )；使无效；否定；否认

参考例句：

• Alcohol negates the effects of the drug. 酒精能使药物失效。
• The lack of deep hardening in these alloys negates their use. 这些合金缺乏深层硬化能力使它们无法利用。 来自辞典例句

5 amendment   

n.改正，修正，改善，修正案

参考例句：

• The amendment was rejected by 207 voters to 143.这项修正案以207票对143票被否决。
• The Opposition has tabled an amendment to the bill.反对党已经就该议案提交了一项修正条款。

6 corrupt   

v.贿赂，收买；adj.腐败的，贪污的

参考例句：

• The newspaper alleged the mayor's corrupt practices.那家报纸断言市长有舞弊行为。
• This judge is corrupt.这个法官贪污。

7 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

8 infraction   

n.违反；违法

参考例句：

• He was criticized for his infraction of the discipline.他因违反纪律而受到了批评。
• Parking at the bus stop is illegal,Motorists committing this infraction are heavily fined.在公交站停车是违法的，触犯此条的司机将受重罚。

9 indicted   

控告，起诉( indict的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The senator was indicted for murder. 那位参议员被控犯谋杀罪。
• He was indicted by a grand jury on two counts of murder. 他被大陪审团以两项谋杀罪名起诉。

10 license   

n.执照，许可证，特许；v.许可，特许

参考例句：

• The foreign guest has a license on the person.这个外国客人随身携带执照。
• The driver was arrested for having false license plates on his car.司机由于使用假车牌而被捕。

11 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

12 applied   

adj.应用的；v.应用，适用

参考例句：

• She plans to take a course in applied linguistics.她打算学习应用语言学课程。
• This cream is best applied to the face at night.这种乳霜最好晚上擦脸用。

13 lawsuit   

n.诉讼，控诉

参考例句：

• They threatened him with a lawsuit.他们以诉讼威逼他。
• He was perpetually involving himself in this long lawsuit.他使自己无休止地卷入这场长时间的诉讼。

14 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

15 discretion   

n.谨慎；随意处理

参考例句：

• You must show discretion in choosing your friend.你择友时必须慎重。
• Please use your best discretion to handle the matter.请慎重处理此事。

16 dissenting   

adj.不同意的

参考例句：

• He can't tolerate dissenting views. 他不能容纳不同意见。
• A dissenting opinion came from the aunt . 姑妈却提出不赞同的意见。

17 curb   

n.场外证券市场，场外交易；vt.制止，抑制

参考例句：

• I could not curb my anger.我按捺不住我的愤怒。
• You must curb your daughter when you are in church.你在教堂时必须管住你的女儿。

18 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

19 buffalo   

n.(北美)野牛；(亚洲)水牛

参考例句：

• Asian buffalo isn't as wild as that of America's. 亚洲水牛比美洲水牛温顺些。
• The boots are made of buffalo hide. 这双靴子是由水牛皮制成的。

20 timing   

n.时间安排，时间选择

参考例句：

• The timing of the meeting is not convenient.会议的时间安排不合适。
• The timing of our statement is very opportune.我们发表声明选择的时机很恰当。

21 jersey   

n.运动衫

参考例句：

• He wears a cotton jersey when he plays football.他穿运动衫踢足球。
• They were dressed alike in blue jersey and knickers.他们穿着一致，都是蓝色的运动衫和灯笼短裤。

22 condemning   

v.（通常因道义上的原因而）谴责( condemn的现在分词 )；宣判；宣布…不能使用；迫使…陷于不幸的境地

参考例句：

• The government issued a statement condemning the killings. 政府发表声明谴责这些凶杀事件。
• I concur with the speaker in condemning what has been done. 我同意发言者对所做的事加以谴责。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

23 muster   

v.集合，收集，鼓起，激起；n.集合，检阅，集合人员，点名册

参考例句：

• Go and muster all the men you can find.去集合所有你能找到的人。
• I had to muster my courage up to ask him that question.我必须鼓起勇气向他问那个问题。

24 strictly   

adv.严厉地，严格地；严密地

参考例句：

• His doctor is dieting him strictly.他的医生严格规定他的饮食。
• The guests were seated strictly in order of precedence.客人严格按照地位高低就座。

25 scrambling   

v.快速爬行( scramble的现在分词 )；攀登；争夺；（军事飞机）紧急起飞

参考例句：

• Scrambling up her hair, she darted out of the house. 她匆忙扎起头发，冲出房去。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• She is scrambling eggs. 她正在炒蛋。 来自《简明英汉词典》