pbs高端访谈:奥巴马宣布将枪械管控作为第二任期的核心问题

 　　GWEN IFILL:The school shootings that shook the nation sparked a new call to action at the White House today. The president vowed¹ to have proposals ready for the new Congress that convenes² next month.

　　Somber³ scenes of mourning played out once again today in Newtown, Conn., while, in Washington, President Obama walked into the White House Briefing Room named for James Brady, the press secretary critically wounded in the shooting of President Reagan in 1981, to talk about gun violence.

　　PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: The fact that this problem is complex can no longer be an excuse for doing nothing.

　　GWEN IFILL:Instead, in the wake of the massacre⁴ at Sandy HookElementary School, Mr. Obama said, this time, the words need to lead to action on gun violence.

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　　BARACK OBAMA: The vast majority of responsible law-abiding gun owners would be some of the first to say that we should be able to keep an irresponsible law-breaking few from buying a weapon of war.

　　I'm willing to bet that they don't think that using a gun and using common sense are incompatible⁵ ideas.

　　There is a big chunk⁶ of space between what the Second Amendment⁷ means and having no rules at all.

　　GWEN IFILL:To that end, the president announced Vice⁸ President Biden and an administration team will craft recommendations on everything from gun laws to mental health to be sent to Congress by January.

　　BARACK OBAMA:This is not some Washington commission. This is not something where folks are going to be studying the issues for six months and publishing a report that gets read and then pushed aside. This is a team that has a very specific task, to pull together real reforms right now.

　　GWEN IFILL:The president bristled⁹ at a suggestion that he took little action on gun control during his first term. But he acknowledged the Sandy Hook massacre has been a wakeup call for all Americans.

　　He said the public could agree to reinstate a ban on assault-style weapons and close a loophole that allows private sales at gun shows without a background check. House Democrats¹¹ gathered on Capitol Hill also urged a ban on high-capacity ammunition¹² magazines.

　　California Congressman¹³ Mike Thompson:

　　REP. MIKE THOMPSON, D-Calif.: I have been a hunter all my life, and there's no reason to have a magazine that holds 30 shells. Why do you need 30 shells in a magazine? It's an assault magazine. That's all it can be.

　　Call it what it is, an assault magazine. And we don't have any reason to assault anyone in our communities, in our neighborhoods.

　　GWEN IFILL:Far from the political debate, in Newtown, the day's six funerals included a service for 27-year-old teacher Victoria Soto, who died trying to shield students from gunfire. And principle Dawn Hochsprung was laid to rest this afternoon.

　　Services were also held for two 7-year-olds, Daniel Barden and Chase Kowalski, and two 6-year-olds, Charlotte Bacon and Caroline Previdi.

　　But there were signs that the weight of crushing media coverage¹⁴ is wearing on the town, even as revulsion over the killings¹⁶ reverberates¹⁷ through the business world.

　　A private equity¹⁸ firm said this week it would sell its stake in the company that makes the semiautomatic rifle used in the shooting. And Wal-Mart removed a Web site listing for a similar model. Dick's Sporting Goods also suspended sales of all modern sporting rifles indefinitely.

　　Some reaction now to the president's remarks at a moment when governors and lawmakers are considering whether to pass new laws on their own.

　　Pat Quinn is the governor of Illinois and a Democrat¹⁰. He's pushing for a statewide ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. The State Senate recently rejected his bill.

　　We invited several Republican governors as well, but they declined our offer for tonight.

　　Gov. Quinn, two days before the Connecticut shootings, the court of appeals in Chicago knocked down your effort to make Illinois the one state which doesn't allow concealed²⁰ carry, people to privately²¹ conceal¹⁹ guns and firearms that they carry. That was a setback²² for you. Does this change anything?

　　GOV. PAT QUINN,D-Ill.: Well, number one, what the federal government said that is Illinois' law, which today doesn't allow for concealed carry—that means a loaded weapon concealed on a person and allowed to be taken to a public place—we have a law against that now, and the federal appellate court said we have to change our law.

　　The court did say we can have reasonable limitations on—whether it's called conceal carry—and we will be debating that over the next six months. That's the time limit we have.

　　It's ironic²³ that decision came only a couple of days before the events in Connecticut, where we saw high-capacity ammunition magazines connected to an assault weapon killing¹⁵ innocent children and their heroic teachers trying to save their lives.

　　So that's something that in Illinois we need to abandon any ability of ordinary people to have assault weapons. Those are military weapons, and we want to ban them and ban these high-capacity ammunition magazines.

　　And I see the president's call for us to work on this issue as something we in Illinois, his home state, we want to take to heart and show the whole nation that we can do this.

　　And so we're planning to work on this pronto and hopefully get action on it as quickly as possible.

　　GWEN IFILL:The president actually specifically—I know you heard today—made a point about both of those issues, not only assault weapons, but also about high-capacity ammunition clips.

　　PAT QUINN:Right.

　　GWEN IFILL:Is this something that should be a federal role or a state role to control those kinds of firearms?

　　PAT QUINN:Ideally, we should have a federal law, similar to what was passed in 1994 by Sen. Dianne Feinstein and other members of Congress. That was a federal ban on assault weapons. It expired in 2004. I think that was regrettable. We need to extend it nationwide.

　　But I think in order to build the momentum²⁴—and I can really feel the momentum of everyday people banding together in the best traditions of democracy to have the voice of the people heard.

　　And I think the people of our country, and definitely of our state, want these assault weapons, these deadly assault weapons, military weapons, banned from any kind of civilian²⁵ use. And also these high-capacity ammunition magazines that go with those weapons that were used in places like Aurora²⁶, Colorado, and in Connecticut, we need to ban those as well.

　　And they aren't for hunting or anything like that or sport shooting. They're really designed to kill people. And we have got to protect the public safety.

　　GWEN IFILL:You're governor of a state that has urban areas, that has rural areas. The president today mentioned that, since last Friday, there have been gun incidents in Memphis, in Topeka, in Las Vegas, and in Alabama, other places, widely different.

　　And there's been an outcry about what happened in Newtown, a small exurban area. Do you think the argument is different in an urban area than it is in a rural area?

　　PAT QUINN:When it comes to protecting children, we're all in this together, Gwen.

　　Our state is the most diverse state in the union. We best reflect the population of the United States of America right in Illinois. We're the heart of the heartland. We're very diverse.

　　But I think we need to show the nation that a group of people committed to the common good can come together and pass a law that's necessary for the public safety.

　　Whether you're in a rural area, or suburban²⁷ or urban area, we all have children. We all—those of who are parents understand how precious life is. We had a great poet from Illinois, Carl Sandburg, who once said, “the birth of a baby is God's opinion that the world should go on.”

　　So, it's high time we protect our children, protect our babies from the harm of assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines.

　　GWEN IFILL:Do you have any sense that public opinion is shifting in your state?

　　PAT QUINN:Oh, I believe so. I don't think there's any question now.

　　Anecdotally, just visiting with the people on the street—and I was at a day care center today, an early childhood center. And you can tell how committed moms and dads are to getting a law passed to protect their children. No matter where you live in America, children come first.

　　The great thing about our country is that parents sacrifice some of their present in order to help their kids' future.

　　Well, the number one public safety measure for children in America today is to ban assault weapons. They have been used to cause great harm. Never again. And we also have to deal with these high-capacity ammunition magazines that go with them.

　　We can do this. We're Americans and it's high time that the people be heard.

　　GWEN IFILL:But if the public—if the public opinion is changing, anecdotally, from what you observed, why is it that gun sales have gone up so markedly in the days since this last shooting?

　　PAT QUINN:Well, I think it's, obviously, an issue where some people who want to have these particular weapons have run out to buy them.

　　I think that just should be an alarm bell to all of us that we must prohibit the sale and possession in the future of assault weapons, as well as high-capacity ammunition magazines. This law that was passed in 1994, that unfortunately expired in 2004, here we are in the 21st century.

　　Let's get it done in the best traditions of Abraham Lincoln's democracy. Abraham Lincoln believed in government of the people. I think a strong majority of people in our country, definitely our state, favor this reform law, and it's time we got to get it done for the people.

　　GWEN IFILL:But I guess what I'm asking, finally, is why—how do you know there won't be backlash to this sort of new—these sort of new controls?

　　PAT QUINN:There's always going to be some that don't favor a reform, don't favor any kind of step forward in public safety, and they maybe make, in my opinion, specious²⁸ arguments against that.

　　But I think the overwhelming majority of American citizens, after what we saw last Friday, and I think all of us saw in America the good people coming together to say, enough is enough.

　　It's time that we take action, that we be heard, not just an interest group, but, rather, the common good represented by the great majority of Americans.

　　We have done this before in our country's history. We have changed laws that were needed to be changed, and it's high time to do it now.

　　GWEN IFILL:Gov. Pat Quinn of Illinois, thanks for joining us.

　　PAT QUINN:Thank you.

1 vowed   

起誓，发誓（vow的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• He vowed quite solemnly that he would carry out his promise. 他非常庄严地发誓要实现他的诺言。
• I vowed to do more of the cooking myself. 我发誓自己要多动手做饭。

2 convenes   

召开( convene的第三人称单数 )； 召集； （为正式会议而）聚集； 集合

参考例句：

• The Premier convenes and presides over the executive meetings and plenary meetings of the State Council. 总理召集和主持国务院常务会议和国务院全体会议。 来自汉英非文学 - 中国宪法
• Chinese woman tenth the National People Congress convenes grandly today in Beijing. 中国妇女第十次全国代表大会今天在北京隆重召开。

3 somber   

adj.昏暗的，阴天的，阴森的，忧郁的

参考例句：

• He had a somber expression on his face.他面容忧郁。
• His coat was a somber brown.他的衣服是暗棕色的。

4 massacre   

n.残杀，大屠杀；v.残杀，集体屠杀

参考例句：

• There was a terrible massacre of villagers here during the war.在战争中，这里的村民惨遭屠杀。
• If we forget the massacre,the massacre will happen again!忘记了大屠杀，大屠杀就有可能再次发生！

5 incompatible   

adj.不相容的，不协调的，不相配的

参考例句：

• His plan is incompatible with my intent.他的计划与我的意图不相符。
• Speed and safety are not necessarily incompatible.速度和安全未必不相容。

6 chunk   

n.厚片，大块，相当大的部分（数量）

参考例句：

• They had to be careful of floating chunks of ice.他们必须当心大块浮冰。
• The company owns a chunk of farmland near Gatwick Airport.该公司拥有盖特威克机场周边的大片农田。

7 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。

8 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

9 bristled   

adj. 直立的，多刺毛的 动词bristle的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• They bristled at his denigrating description of their activities. 听到他在污蔑他们的活动，他们都怒发冲冠。
• All of us bristled at the lawyer's speech insulting our forefathers. 听到那个律师在讲演中污蔑我们的祖先，大家都气得怒发冲冠。

10 democrat   

n.民主主义者，民主人士；民主党党员

参考例句：

• The Democrat and the Public criticized each other.民主党人和共和党人互相攻击。
• About two years later,he was defeated by Democrat Jimmy Carter.大约两年后，他被民主党人杰米卡特击败。

11 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》

12 ammunition   

n.军火，弹药

参考例句：

• A few of the jeeps had run out of ammunition.几辆吉普车上的弹药已经用光了。
• They have expended all their ammunition.他们把弹药用光。

13 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。

14 coverage   

n.报导，保险范围，保险额，范围，覆盖

参考例句：

• There's little coverage of foreign news in the newspaper.报纸上几乎没有国外新闻报道。
• This is an insurance policy with extensive coverage.这是一项承保范围广泛的保险。

15 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。

16 killings   

谋杀( killing的名词复数 )； 突然发大财，暴发

参考例句：

• His statement was seen as an allusion to the recent drug-related killings. 他的声明被视为暗指最近与毒品有关的多起凶杀案。
• The government issued a statement condemning the killings. 政府发表声明谴责这些凶杀事件。

17 reverberates   

回响，回荡( reverberate的第三人称单数 )； 使反响，使回荡，使反射

参考例句：

• His voice reverberates from the high ceiling. 他的声音自天花板顶处反射回来。
• No single phrase of his reverberates or penetrates as so many of La Bruyere's do. 他没有一个句子能象拉布吕耶尔的许多句子那样余音回荡，入木三分。

18 equity   

n.公正，公平，（无固定利息的）股票

参考例句：

• They shared the work of the house with equity.他们公平地分担家务。
• To capture his equity,Murphy must either sell or refinance.要获得资产净值，墨菲必须出售或者重新融资。

19 conceal   

v.隐藏，隐瞒，隐蔽

参考例句：

• He had to conceal his identity to escape the police.为了躲避警方，他只好隐瞒身份。
• He could hardly conceal his joy at his departure.他几乎掩饰不住临行时的喜悦。

20 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。

21 privately   

adv.以私人的身份，悄悄地，私下地

参考例句：

• Some ministers admit privately that unemployment could continue to rise.一些部长私下承认失业率可能继续升高。
• The man privately admits that his motive is profits.那人私下承认他的动机是为了牟利。

22 setback   

n.退步，挫折，挫败

参考例句：

• Since that time there has never been any setback in his career.从那时起他在事业上一直没有遇到周折。
• She views every minor setback as a disaster.她把每个较小的挫折都看成重大灾难。

23 ironic   

adj.讽刺的，有讽刺意味的，出乎意料的

参考例句：

• That is a summary and ironic end.那是一个具有概括性和讽刺意味的结局。
• People used to call me Mr Popularity at high school,but they were being ironic.人们中学时常把我称作“万人迷先生”，但他们是在挖苦我。

24 momentum   

n.动力，冲力，势头；动量

参考例句：

• We exploit the energy and momentum conservation laws in this way.我们就是这样利用能量和动量守恒定律的。
• The law of momentum conservation could supplant Newton's third law.动量守恒定律可以取代牛顿第三定律。

25 civilian   

adj.平民的，民用的，民众的

参考例句：

• There is no reliable information about civilian casualties.关于平民的伤亡还没有确凿的信息。
• He resigned his commission to take up a civilian job.他辞去军职而从事平民工作。

26 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。

27 suburban   

adj.城郊的，在郊区的

参考例句：

• Suburban shopping centers were springing up all over America. 效区的商业中心在美国如雨后春笋般地兴起。
• There's a lot of good things about suburban living.郊区生活是有许多优点。

28 specious   

adj.似是而非的；adv.似是而非地

参考例句：

• Such talk is actually specious and groundless.这些话实际上毫无根据，似是而非的。
• It is unlikely that the Duke was convinced by such specious arguments.公爵不太可能相信这种似是而非的论点。