White House rules out new gun control laws

 WASHINGTON, July 26 (Xinhua) -- White House Spokesman Jay Carney on Thursday ruled out new gun control laws, saying U.S. President Barack Obama will focus on other measures to reduce gun violence.

Speaking at a regular briefing, Carney said Obama supports a ban on the sale of assault weapons that expired in 2004, but has no intention of pushing for its renewal¹, adding "there are things we can do short of legislation and short of gun laws that can reduce violence in our society."

The comment came one day after Obama told a National Urban League convention in New Orleans that AK-47s "belong in the hands of soldiers, not the hands of criminals." He emphasized background checks as effective means to prevent those with criminal records and the "mentally unbalanced" from obtaining guns, while faulting the Congress for lack of progress in reducing gun violence.

"We have to remember that in the wake of an awful event" like the shooting that killed 12 people in Aurora², Colorado, "violence is not an isolated³ incident in America, and we need to take a broader look and tackle it from a number of different directions," said Carney.

The Aurora shooting has revived the gun control debate. However, both the White House and presumed Republican nominee⁴ Mitt⁵ Romney have effectively dismissed the prospects⁶ of stricter gun control. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin said earlier Thursday he saw " zero" chance of such legislation passing Congress in the near future.

1 renewal   

adj.(契约)延期，续订，更新，复活，重来

参考例句：

• Her contract is coming up for renewal in the autumn.她的合同秋天就应该续签了。
• Easter eggs symbolize the renewal of life.复活蛋象征新生。

2 aurora   

n.极光

参考例句：

• The aurora is one of nature's most awesome spectacles.极光是自然界最可畏的奇观之一。
• Over the polar regions we should see aurora.在极地高空,我们会看到极光。

3 isolated   

adj.与世隔绝的

参考例句：

• His bad behaviour was just an isolated incident. 他的不良行为只是个别事件。
• Patients with the disease should be isolated. 这种病的患者应予以隔离。

4 nominee   

n.被提名者；被任命者；被推荐者

参考例句：

• His nominee for vice president was elected only after a second ballot.他提名的副总统在两轮投票后才当选。
• Mr.Francisco is standing as the official nominee for the post of District Secretary.弗朗西斯科先生是行政书记职位的正式提名人。

5 mitt   

n.棒球手套，拳击手套，无指手套；vt.铐住，握手

参考例句：

• I gave him a baseball mitt for his birthday.为祝贺他的生日，我送给他一只棒球手套。
• Tom squeezed a mitt and a glove into the bag.汤姆把棒球手套和手套都塞进袋子里。

6 prospects   

n.希望，前途(恒为复数)

参考例句：

• There is a mood of pessimism in the company about future job prospects. 公司中有一种对工作前景悲观的情绪。
• They are less sanguine about the company's long-term prospects. 他们对公司的远景不那么乐观。