VOA慢速英语 Father of Oregon Victim Says Gunman Targeted Christians

AS IT IS 2015-10-03 Father of Oregon Victim Says Gunman Targeted Christians¹

The father of a victim in the Oregon college shooting says the gunman targeted Christians.

Stacy Boylan spoke² to CNN television Thursday night. He said his daughter described the attack to him at the hospital. He said she told him that the gunman asked people what religion they were. If they answered “Christian,” he shot them, she reportedly told her father.

The shooter was identified as 26-year-old Chris Harper Mercer. His father, Ian Mercer, spoke on camera to the Reuters news service. Mr. Mercer said that he was “shocked.”

Carmen Nesnick is the stepsister of Chris Harper Mercer. She said her brother, “even if he was sad or mad, would try to cheer up everybody.”

The shooter reportedly raided³ a classroom at a small college in rural Oregon. He reportedly shot at teachers and students, killing⁴ at least nine people and injuring 20 others.   

The New York Times reported that neighbors of the suspect described him as reclusive. They said he kept to himself. He often wore military-type clothing, one said, although it was not known if he ever served in the military.

He reportedly made comments on social media and added photographs of the Irish Republican⁵ Army. He posted a photo of himself and others with weapons.  

President Barack Obama reacted angrily to the shooting on television and the Internet. He demanded that the American people push Congress to pass "common sense" gun laws. He said the majority of Americans, including many gun owners, want stronger gun laws.

The president said Americans have become numb⁶ to mass shootings in the U.S. He said such attacks have become routine. He said that more guns do not make people safer. He said that arguments in support of unregulated guns could not be taken seriously.

Words in This Story

reclusive – adj. staying alone or by oneself

numb – adj. lacking the power of sensation⁷; lack of feeling

unregulated – v. not controlled by law or government action

1 Christians   

n.基督教徒( Christian的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Christians of all denominations attended the conference. 基督教所有教派的人都出席了这次会议。
• His novel about Jesus caused a furore among Christians. 他关于耶稣的小说激起了基督教徒的公愤。

2 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。

3 raided   

对…进行突然袭击（raid的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• The enemy raided the docks. 敌人突然袭击了码头。
• Enemy troops raided our border areas. 敌军对我边境地区进行袭击。

4 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

5 republican   

n.拥护共和政体的人； adj.共和政体的，（Republican）共和党人，（Republican）共和党的

参考例句：

• Some families have been republican for generations.有些家庭世代都支持共和党。
• A third candidate has entered the contest for the Republican nomination.第三个候选人已经加入角逐共和党提名的行列。

6 numb   

adj.麻木的，失去感觉的；v.使麻木

参考例句：

• His fingers were numb with cold.他的手冻得发麻。
• Numb with cold,we urged the weary horses forward.我们冻得发僵，催着疲惫的马继续往前走。

7 sensation   

n.感觉，感知力，激动，轰动

参考例句：

• He lost all sensation in his legs through cramp.他的腿部因抽筋而失去知觉。
• Seeing him again after so many years was a strange sensation.那么多年以后又见到他，是一种不可思议的感觉。