中国制造 美国对攻击性武器的需求

 In May 2000, Representatives Nancy Pelosi, Pete Stark¹, and Carolyn McCarthy wrote a letter to their House counterparts urging them to deny China a far-reaching and highly-coveted trade status called Permanent Normal Trade Relations. In their warning, the three Democrats² didn’t mention the potentially damaging economic or political ramifications³ of such a relationship with China or even invoke⁴ the country’s infamous⁵ human-rights record. Instead, they focused on one specific issue: semi-automatic weapons.

2000年5月，众议院议员Nancy Pelosi, Pete Stark以及 Carolyn McCarthy给众议院的其他同僚写了一封信，敦促他们不要授予对中国来说意义深远而又梦寐以求的贸易地位，即永久正常贸易关系。在这封信中，三名民主党人没有提及与中国建立这样的关系会产生怎样破坏性的经济或政治影响，也没有提及该国臭名昭著的人权记录。他们提及的是：半自动武器。

From 1987 until 1994, some 42 percent of all rifles imported into the United States had come from China. The representatives noted⁶ that an embargo⁷ had been imposed in 1994 because, in just a few years, China “had exported almost one million Chinese rifles to the United States—more than made by all U.S. manufacturers combined in 1992.” Conferring this new trade designation, they argued, would effectively unravel⁸ the embargo and allow assault rifles like the SKS semi-automatic to become cheaply available again. “What made them attractive was their power and inexpensive price, only $55.95,” they wrote of the SKS, noting its popularity among neo-Nazis, gangs, and white supremacists. The letter concluded, “Don't give China the power to decide gun policy in the United States.” The bill was signed into law that October.

从1987年到1994年间，美国进口的步枪中有42%来自中国。三名议员称1994年实施了禁运，因为在几年时间里中国就“向美国出口了将近100万支中国步枪，这比美国制造商1992年全年产量总和都多。”他们称如果授于中国这个贸易地位，那么将对禁运造成抵消，从而像SKS这样的半自动步枪将再次变得廉价可得。“这些枪支的吸引力在于其火力和不贵的价格，只要55.95美元，”他们这样评价SKS步枪，还称这种步枪很受新纳粹，帮派以及白人至上主义者欢迎。这封信最后总结道，“不要给予中国权力来干涉美国的枪支政策。”这项法案当年10月通过议会变成了法律。

Heated talk about semi-automatic weapons is, relatively⁹ speaking, only a somewhat recent development. After being adopted by the army in the 1960s, assault rifles were modified for sale to civilians¹⁰ in the late 1970s, but as late as the mid-’80s, American consumers didn’t express much interest in them. They were pricey and exotic, and to hunters, using a modified army weapon that fired lower caliber¹¹ bullets than hunting rifles emblemized inefficiency¹².

对半自动武器的热烈讨论相对来说是近来的事情。1960年代被军队采用后，突击步枪得到改良并于70年代向大众出售。但是到了80年代中期，美国消费者对他们没有什么兴趣了。因为价格高而且不好用，对于猎人来说，使用这种子弹口径比猎枪子弹口径小的军队改良武器根本干不成事。

Here is how Robert Spitzer, a professor of political science at SUNY Cortland and the author of several books on gun policy, frames the way Americans went from being uninterested in assault weapons to being passionate¹³ about them. “There’s no real market for the guns [in the ‘70s]. They’re not selling very well,” he says. “Part of it is that they’re expensive and people aren’t really acquainted with them.” But China’s relations with the United States began to improve around the same time that American manufacturers were introducing these semi-automatic weapons. “In the mid-to-late 1980s, the Chinese dump a lot of cheap, knock-off assault-style weapons on the American market,” Spitzer explains. “The cost is far less and there begins to be an appetite for these weapons.”

来自纽约州立大学科特兰分校的政治学教授兼几本枪支政策书籍的作者Robert Spitzer诉说了美国人如何从对突击步枪不感兴趣到对它们充满热爱。“70年代几乎不存在枪支市场。销售情况并不好，”他说。“部分原因是昂贵而且人们不了解这种枪支。”但是同一时间中国和美国的关系开始升温，所以美国厂家开始引进这些半自动武器。“在80年代中后期，中国向美国倾销了很多廉价仿制的攻击性武器，”他解释道。“价格更低，于是人们对这种武器的需求开始增加。”

1 stark   

adj.荒凉的；严酷的；完全的；adv.完全地

参考例句：

• The young man is faced with a stark choice.这位年轻人面临严峻的抉择。
• He gave a stark denial to the rumor.他对谣言加以完全的否认。

2 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》

3 ramifications   

n.结果，后果( ramification的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• These changes are bound to have widespread social ramifications. 这些变化注定会造成许多难以预料的社会后果。
• What are the ramifications of our decision to join the union? 我们决定加入工会会引起哪些后果呢？ 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 invoke   

v.求助于(神、法律)；恳求，乞求

参考例句：

• Let us invoke the blessings of peace.让我们祈求和平之福。
• I hope I'll never have to invoke this clause and lodge a claim with you.我希望我永远不会使用这个条款向你们索赔。

5 infamous   

adj.声名狼藉的，臭名昭著的，邪恶的

参考例句：

• He was infamous for his anti-feminist attitudes.他因反对女性主义而声名狼藉。
• I was shocked by her infamous behaviour.她的无耻行径令我震惊。

6 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

7 embargo   

n.禁运（令）；vt.对...实行禁运，禁止（通商）

参考例句：

• This country put an oil embargo on an enemy country.该国对敌国实行石油禁运。
• During the war,they laid an embargo on commerce with enemy countries.在战争期间，他们禁止与敌国通商。

8 unravel   

v.弄清楚（秘密）；拆开，解开，松开

参考例句：

• He was good with his hands and could unravel a knot or untangle yarn that others wouldn't even attempt.他的手很灵巧，其他人甚至都不敢尝试的一些难解的绳结或缠在一起的纱线，他都能解开。
• This is the attitude that led him to unravel a mystery that long puzzled Chinese historians.正是这种态度使他解决了长期以来使中国历史学家们大惑不解的谜。

9 relatively   

adv.比较...地，相对地

参考例句：

• The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
• The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。

10 civilians   

平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓

参考例句：

• the bloody massacre of innocent civilians 对无辜平民的血腥屠杀
• At least 300 civilians are unaccounted for after the bombing raids. 遭轰炸袭击之后，至少有300名平民下落不明。

11 caliber   

n.能力；水准

参考例句：

• They ought to win with players of such high caliber.他们选手的能力这样高,应该获胜。
• We are always trying to improve the caliber of our schools.我们一直在想方设法提高我们学校的水平。

12 inefficiency   

n.无效率，无能；无效率事例

参考例句：

• Conflict between management and workers makes for inefficiency in the workplace. 资方与工人之间的冲突使得工厂生产效率很低。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• This type of inefficiency arises because workers and management are ill-equipped. 出现此种低效率是因为工人与管理层都能力不足。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 passionate   

adj.热情的，热烈的，激昂的，易动情的，易怒的，性情暴躁的

参考例句：

• He is said to be the most passionate man.据说他是最有激情的人。
• He is very passionate about the project.他对那个项目非常热心。