VOA慢速英语2016--多名民主党议员呼吁严格控枪

AS IT IS 2016-06-24 #NoBillNoBreak: Democrats¹ Demand Gun Reforms 多名民主党议员呼吁严格控枪

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U.S. Congressional Democrats have been demanding that the House of Representatives votes on gun-control legislation.

The Democratic Party lawmakers began the protest on Wednesday.

Congressman² John Lewis of Georgia asked House Democrats to join him in a sit-in on the House floor to force a vote. Lewis was active in America’s civil rights movement, and took part in non-violent sit-in protests half a century ago.

The protest on the House floor continued through the night and into Thursday afternoon. The lawmakers held up pieces of paper with the names of gun violence victims. They spoke³ about the country’s need for stronger gun control measures.

Republicans in the U.S. Senate rejected four proposed gun measures earlier this week. The four bills were offered after the deadliest mass shooting in American history. Forty-nine people died in the attack at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida.

The House of Representatives was supposed to suspend work this week until after the Fourth of July, a U.S. government holiday. But angry Democrats demanded that the House vote on gun-control bills before it closed for Independence Day. They shouted, “no bill, no break!”

The hashtag #nobillnobreak trended for more than 24 hours on Facebook and Twitter.

The Speaker of the House, Paul Ryan, ordered that television cameras on the house floor be turned off. Without cameras recording⁴ their protest, the lawmakers turned to social media live-streaming tools, like Facebook Live and Periscope⁵, to film the protest.

After the cameras were turned off, the congressional television channel, C-SPAN, began showing the lawmakers’ Facebook Live videos of the protest on TV.

And Periscope created a channel for users to watch all of the #nobillnobreak videos.

The House officially adjourned⁷ on Thursday, without voting on gun-control measures. Lawmakers will return to work after the July 4th holiday.

John Lewis spoke to reporters after he and the House Democrats ended their protest Thursday afternoon. “The fight is not over,” he said. “This is just one step.”

Words in This Story

sit-in - n. a kind of protest in which demonstrators occupy a place and refuse to leave until their demands are met

gay - adj. used by those who are sexually attracted to someone who is the same sex

nightclub - n. a place that is open at night, has music, dancing, or a show, and usually serves alcoholic⁸ drinks and food

adjourn⁶ - v. to end something (such as a meeting or session) for a period of time

1 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 Congressman   

n.（美）国会议员

参考例句：

• He related several anecdotes about his first years as a congressman.他讲述自己初任议员那几年的几则轶事。
• The congressman is meditating a reply to his critics.这位国会议员正在考虑给他的批评者一个答复。

3 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。

4 recording   

n.录音，记录

参考例句：

• How long will the recording of the song take?录下这首歌得花多少时间？
• I want to play you a recording of the rehearsal.我想给你放一下彩排的录像。

5 periscope   

n. 潜望镜

参考例句：

• The captain aligned the periscope on the bearing.船长使潜望镜对准方位。
• Now,peering through the periscope he remarked in businesslike tones.现在，他一面从潜望镜里观察，一面用精干踏实的口吻说话。

6 adjourn   

v.（使）休会，（使）休庭

参考例句：

• The motion to adjourn was carried.休会的提议通过了。
• I am afraid the court may not adjourn until three or even later.我担心法庭要到3点或更晚时才会休庭。

7 adjourned   

（使）休会， （使）休庭( adjourn的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The court adjourned for lunch. 午餐时间法庭休庭。
• The trial was adjourned following the presentation of new evidence to the court. 新证据呈到庭上后，审讯就宣告暂停。

8 alcoholic   

adj.（含）酒精的，由酒精引起的；n.酗酒者

参考例句：

• The alcoholic strength of brandy far exceeds that of wine.白兰地的酒精浓度远远超过葡萄酒。
• Alcoholic drinks act as a poison to a child.酒精饮料对小孩犹如毒药。