研究发现美国人希望出台更严格的枪支管制法

AS IT IS 2016-07-26 Study Finds Americans Want Stronger Gun Laws 研究发现美国人希望出台更严格的枪支管制法

A shooting in the American state of Florida has left two young men dead. The shooting took place early Monday outside a nightclub in the city of Fort¹ Myers. The club was holding a party for teenagers.

Police did not give a reason for the attack. But they said it was not an act of terrorism.

Club Blu released² a statement on Facebook after the shooting. It said, “We are deeply sorry for all involved. We tried to give the teens WHAT WE THOUGHT WAS A SAFE PLACE TO HAVE A GOOD TIME.”

The statement said the shooting began when parents were returning to the club to take their children home. And, it added, the young people at the party were not responsible for the attack.

Even before the attack, Americans increasingly³ support stronger gun laws

Florida is also the state where, last month, 49 people were shot and killed at a gay⁴ nightclub.

That shooting — along with many others in recent years — is once again pushing gun control to the front of public debate in the U.S.

A survey released this weekend by the Associated Press/GfK found that an increasing number of Americans support stronger gun laws.

Nearly two-thirds of respondents say they want stricter laws. Even more support nationwide bans on sales of semi-automatic assault⁵ weapons – guns that can kill many people quickly.

Most people who took the survey say they would like a national policy on gun restrictions⁶, instead of having different rules in every state. However, they say they do not believe lawmakers will do anything soon to bring about changes.

Up to this point, the U.S. Congress⁷ has failed to act on many of the proposals⁸ that surveys show most Americans support.

Americans are not feeling safe

The latest study also found that Americans are not feeling safe. Many are concerned they or a relative will be a victim of gun violence.

And, people who are not white are more likely to be very or extremely concerned about being victims of gun violence.

Alonzo Lassiter, who is African American, said he is worried about his 17-year-old son. His child is autistic. The young man has difficulty communicating and connecting with other people.

Lassiter says that if someone told his son to get on the ground and put his hands up, the young man might not understand or follow the directions.

"He may be an easy target," Lassiter said.

Another person, Milonne Ambroise, told the AP, “If you live in the United States in these days right now, you have to be concerned.

Ambroise is from Haiti, but now lives in Decatur, Georgia.

She said, “You could be on the street somewhere. You could be at a shopping mall thinking there will be a mass shooting and you will be in the middle of it. You can’t not think about it.”

For the first time in her 50 years in the U.S., Ambroise said, she finds the exit in every room in case she has to flee.

Words in This Story

nightclub – n. a place that is open at night, has music, dancing, or a show, and usually serves alcoholic⁹ drinks and food

gay – adj. of, relating to, or used by homosexuals

survey – n. n activity in which many people are asked a question or a series of questions in order to gather information about what most people do or think about something: poll¹⁰

autistic – adj. related¹¹ to a condition or disorder¹² that begins in childhood and that causes problems in forming relationships and in communicating with other people

shopping mall – n. a large building or group of buildings containing many different stores: mall

exit – n. something (such as a door) that is used as a way to go out of a place

1 fort   

n.要塞，堡垒，碉堡

参考例句：

• The fort can not be defended against an air attack.这座要塞遭到空袭时无法防御。
• No one can get into the fort without a pass.没有通行证，任何人不得进入要塞。

2 released   

v.释放( release的过去式和过去分词 )；放开；发布；发行

参考例句：

• He was released on bail pending committal proceedings. 他交保获释正在候审。
• With hindsight it is easy to say they should not have released him. 事后才说他们本不应该释放他，这倒容易。

3 increasingly   

adv.逐渐地，日益地，逐渐增加地

参考例句：

• Rivers are being increasingly made use of by man. 河流正在日益为人类所利用。
• I find it increasingly difficult to live within my income.我发现靠收入过日子越来越难了。

4 gay   

adj.同性恋的；色彩鲜艳的；n.(男)同性恋者

参考例句：

• I don't know he was a gay person.我不知道他是同性恋者。
• Spring comes round to the earth again and everything looks fresh and gay.春回大地，万象更新。

5 assault   

v.猛烈地攻击，袭击；n.突然而猛烈的攻击

参考例句：

• She appeared in court on charges of kidnapping and assault.她因受到拐骗和侵犯人身的指控而出庭。
• The trainees were put through an assault course.受训人员接受了突击训练课程。

6 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

7 Congress   

n.(代表)大会；(C-:美国等国的)国会，议会

参考例句：

• There were some days to wait before the Congress.大会的召开还有几天时间。
• After 18 years in Congress,he intented to return to private life.在国会供职18年后，他打算告老还乡。

8 proposals   

n.提议( proposal的名词复数 )；推荐；求婚；赞成提案

参考例句：

• The director has given her assent to the proposals. 负责人已表示同意提案。
• The police gave the proposals their full backing. 警方对这些提案给予全力支持。

9 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。

10 poll   

n.民意测验，民意调查，选举投票

参考例句：

• The result of the poll won't be known until midnight.选举结果要到午夜才能揭晓。
• They expected a heavy poll.他们期望会有很高的投票数。

11 related   

adj.有关系的，有关联的，叙述的，讲述的

参考例句：

• I am not related to him in any way.我和他无任何关系。
• We spent days going through all related reference material.我们花了好多天功夫查阅所有有关的参考资料。

12 disorder   

n.紊乱，混乱；骚动，骚乱；疾病，失调

参考例句：

• When returning back,he discovered the room to be in disorder.回家后，他发现屋子里乱七八糟。
• It contained a vast number of letters in great disorder.里面七零八落地装着许多信件。