VOA常速英语2007-Republican Presidential Candidates in US Appeal

By Jim Fry
Washington
05 October 2007
 

Gun control issues have faded into the background of national politics in the United States -- since Democrat¹ Al Gore² lost a close election for president in 2000.  Many in his party blamed the defeat on a backlash from voters who disagreed with the party's push for a few gun control measures in the 1990s. VOA's Jim Fry looks at the politics of gun control as America heads toward another presidential election.

While scholars estimate only one in four American adults own a firearm, an ability to do so is enshrined in the U.S. Constitution. Gun politics can have a powerful influence on U.S. elections.

Former Senator Fred Thompson – one of the leading Republican candidates for president – tells gun enthusiasts³ of his fervor⁴. "My first trip to New Hampshire after I announced my candidacy, I went to a gun store."

Thompson, and other leading Republicans candidates, recently spoke⁵ to a gathering⁶ of the private National Rifle Association -- known as the N.R.A.  Senator John McCain sometimes departs from his party's political line, but he does not do so here. When asked how important that interest group is in this election, he responded, "I think they're very important. They represent the heartland and grass roots of our Republican Party."

Politically active pro-gun groups oppose nearly all legislation that would regulate private possession and sale of firearms.  In recent years, they have mostly gotten their way.

A ban on sale of military-style assault weapons expired in 2004. The N.R.A. claims credit for the defeat of Democrat Al Gore in the 2000 presidential election. And N.R.A. officials told activists⁷ in Washington that a recent public opinion poll found two-thirds of respondents agree that no new guns laws are needed.

N.R.A. Executive vice⁸ president Wayne LaPierre recently said to the candidates, "You're here because you get it and because you know that those who don't get it usually don't win national elections in this country."

The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence has battled for new gun control laws for about two decades. The group's president, Paul Helmke, says he learned – as a small city mayor in the Midwest – that gun issues rarely decided⁹ local congressional elections. "The N.R.A. has been successful in spinning the idea that they are powerful politically."

He points to Bill Clinton's easy re-election in 1996 after championing the assault weapons ban.

But N.R.A. donors¹⁰ provide significant campaign funding.  A watchdog group counted more than $16 million injected into federal campaigns from 1990 through 2006.  And one handgun control group recently erected¹¹ a billboard¹² in Boston – mimicking¹³ a ransom¹⁴ note – stating the N.R.A. is holding the president and Congress hostage.

Seeking N.R.A. support, Republican Rudy Giuliani said to the group, "I think we did well, thank you" -- attempting to explain away his support of gun control measures as New York City mayor.

But the N.R.A. crowd gave its loudest ovations¹⁵ to Thompson -- who has roots in the rural south.

While the leading Democratic Party contenders have been mostly silent about gun control issues, Senator Barak Obama, early this year, spoke of students murdered on Chicago streets. "Then it is time for us to stand up to the gun lobby and say – ‘Enough!’ "

Gun control advocate Paul Helmke says nearly all the Democratic contenders have supported gun control measures. "Clearly, after the two parties choose their nominees¹⁶, this could be one of the defining issues between the two major party candidates."

Despite incidents, like the massacre¹⁷ at a Virginia university last spring, supporters of gun rights claim they hold the upper hand in national politics.

1 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。

2 gore   

n.凝血，血污；v.（动物）用角撞伤，用牙刺破；缝以补裆；顶

参考例句：

• The fox lay dying in a pool of gore.狐狸倒在血泊中奄奄一息。
• Carruthers had been gored by a rhinoceros.卡拉瑟斯被犀牛顶伤了。

3 enthusiasts   

n.热心人，热衷者( enthusiast的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• A group of enthusiasts have undertaken the reconstruction of a steam locomotive. 一群火车迷已担负起重造蒸汽机车的任务。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Now a group of enthusiasts are going to have the plane restored. 一群热心人计划修复这架飞机。 来自新概念英语第二册

4 fervor   

n.热诚；热心；炽热

参考例句：

• They were concerned only with their own religious fervor.他们只关心自己的宗教热诚。
• The speech aroused nationalist fervor.这个演讲喚起了民族主义热情。

5 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。

6 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

7 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

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 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

10 donors   

n.捐赠者( donor的名词复数 )；献血者；捐血者；器官捐献者

参考例句：

• Please email us to be removed from our active list of blood donors. 假如你想把自己的名字从献血联系人名单中删去，请给我们发电子邮件。
• About half this amount comes from individual donors and bequests. 这笔钱大约有一半来自个人捐赠及遗赠。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 ERECTED   

adj. 直立的，竖立的，笔直的 vt. 使 ... 直立，建立

参考例句：

• A monument to him was erected in St Paul's Cathedral. 在圣保罗大教堂为他修了一座纪念碑。
• A monument was erected to the memory of that great scientist. 树立了一块纪念碑纪念那位伟大的科学家。

12 billboard   

n.布告板，揭示栏，广告牌

参考例句：

• He ploughed his energies into his father's billboard business.他把精力投入到父亲的广告牌业务中。
• Billboard spreads will be simpler and more eye-catching.广告牌广告会比较简单且更引人注目。

13 mimicking   

v.（尤指为了逗乐而）模仿( mimic的现在分词 )；酷似

参考例句：

• She's always mimicking the teachers. 她总喜欢模仿老师的言谈举止。
• The boy made us all laugh by mimicking the teacher's voice. 这男孩模仿老师的声音，逗得我们大家都笑了。 来自辞典例句

14 ransom   

n.赎金，赎身；v.赎回，解救

参考例句：

• We'd better arrange the ransom right away.我们最好马上把索取赎金的事安排好。
• The kidnappers exacted a ransom of 10000 from the family.绑架者向这家人家勒索10000英镑的赎金。

15 ovations   

n.热烈欢迎( ovation的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Everywhere they appeared there were ovations. 他们出现在哪儿，哪儿就是一片欢呼声。 来自辞典例句
• There were notable standing ovations for the Iraqi and the Palestinian teams. 而且引人注目的是，伊拉克和巴勒斯坦代表团还受到了持久的掌声欢迎。 来自互联网

16 nominees   

n.被提名者，被任命者( nominee的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• She's one of the nominees. 她是被提名者之一。 来自超越目标英语 第2册
• A startling number of his nominees for senior positions have imploded. 他所提名的高级官员被否决的数目令人震惊。 来自互联网

17 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！