美国国家公共电台 NPR--Senators try to zero in on ways to address gun violence that might become law

Senators try to zero in on ways to address gun violence that might become law

Transcript¹

A bipartisan group of senators is trying to settle on a narrow set of policies to address gun violence, following two shooting massacres² in Texas and New York.

A MART?NEZ, HOST:

A bipartisan group of senators is trying to address gun violence. The senators, including Connecticut Democrat³ Richard Blumenthal, who will join me in a moment, are aiming to compromise on gun laws by zeroing in and negotiating on a narrow set of reforms. The efforts come after two shooting massacres last month alone. One was in Texas, where 19 children and two teachers were killed at an elementary school. Another was in New York, where 10 people were gunned down at a grocery store.

NPR congressional correspondent Kelsey Snell is following talks and tells us what the Senate is considering.

KELSEY SNELL, BYLINE⁴: They are still really in the very earliest phases of kind of figuring out what is even possible. So they're not necessarily writing the final policies or even just finessing⁵ the details. They're talking kind of big picture. What can they do? And I'm told they're looking at three major areas. One is creating incentives⁶ for states to create and implement⁷ so-called red flag laws. And there's a mental health component⁸ under discussion, a component related to school safety and security and possibly some very narrow changes to the way the existing background check system works. You know, when it comes to red flag laws in particular, which is kind of the thing that most members of Congress had been talking about, we're talking about, like, financial incentives to encourage states to pass new laws that allow family members or police officers or other very specific individuals the opportunity to petition a court or other legal system to temporarily remove a gun from an owner who might cause harm with that gun. They also want to see if they can change existing federal grant programs to help states make those programs a reality. So this is very narrow, and it's an attempt at nudging states in the direction of passing laws, not a situation where they would be, you know, passing negative repercussions⁹ if the states don't pass those laws.

MART?NEZ: Yeah, a lot of people, though, want Congress to do a lot more. Why is this such a narrow conversation?

SNELL: You know, I've had it described to me as senators confining their discussions to what can actually become law. They call it the art of the possible over and over and over again, as I've talked to them. You know, that means policies that can get at least 60 votes in the Senate with some combination of Democrats¹⁰ and Republicans. So that's not some sweeping¹¹ change to background check laws, and it isn't an assault weapons ban. I'm also told that they want to confine the bill to changes that could have prevented the shooting in Uvalde specifically. You know, Republicans say this is driven by the circumstances of that shooting, not some big broader attempt. You know, it's very hard for them to agree on any element of this. Republicans oppose federal red flag laws - at least, many of them do - and they want to leave this to states. Democrats say focusing solely¹² on mental health is a diversion and that while mental health issues exist across the globe, gun crimes happen in the U.S. because guns are easy to access in the U.S. So they're trying to kind of find some way to keep the blinders on and do something.

MART?NEZ: But does that mean there is little hope then that Congress will do something big on guns?

SNELL: Well, the House Democrats do have some ideas of their own for bigger policies, but those can't pass the Senate. I have heard a lot of optimism in the Senate about what they are working on. But like I said, it won't be a massive shift in federal gun policy. And there's a lot that still could go wrong, but they are still hoping that this can get done.

MART?NEZ: NPR congressional correspondent Kelsey Snell. Kelsey, thanks.

SNELL: Thanks for having me.

1 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

2 massacres   

大屠杀( massacre的名词复数 )； 惨败

参考例句：

• The time is past for guns and killings and massacres. 动不动就用枪、动不动就杀、大规模屠杀的时代已经过去了。 来自教父部分
• Numberless recent massacres were still vivid in their recollection. 近来那些不可胜数的屠杀，在他们的头脑中记忆犹新。

3 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。

4 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

5 finessing   

v.手腕，手段，技巧( finesse的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• I was reduced to finessing at the conference table. 我只能依靠在会议桌上运用计谋了。 来自辞典例句
• International capital poured into Swedish factories, which were busy finessing new technologies. 国际资本大量注入正忙着创造新科技的瑞典工厂。 来自互联网

6 incentives   

激励某人做某事的事物( incentive的名词复数 )； 刺激； 诱因； 动机

参考例句：

• tax incentives to encourage savings 鼓励储蓄的税收措施
• Furthermore, subsidies provide incentives only for investments in equipment. 更有甚者，提供津贴仅是为鼓励增添设备的投资。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

7 implement   

n.(pl.)工具，器具；vt.实行，实施，执行

参考例句：

• Don't undertake a project unless you can implement it.不要承担一项计划，除非你能完成这项计划。
• The best implement for digging a garden is a spade.在花园里挖土的最好工具是铁锹。

8 component   

n.组成部分，成分，元件；adj.组成的，合成的

参考例句：

• Each component is carefully checked before assembly.每个零件在装配前都经过仔细检查。
• Blade and handle are the component parts of a knife.刀身和刀柄是一把刀的组成部分。

9 repercussions   

n.后果，反响( repercussion的名词复数 )；余波

参考例句：

• The collapse of the company will have repercussions for the whole industry. 这家公司的垮台将会给整个行业造成间接的负面影响。
• Human acts have repercussions far beyond the frontiers of the human world. 人类行为所产生的影响远远超出人类世界的范围。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 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》

11 sweeping   

adj.范围广大的，一扫无遗的

参考例句：

• The citizens voted for sweeping reforms.公民投票支持全面的改革。
• Can you hear the wind sweeping through the branches?你能听到风掠过树枝的声音吗？

12 solely   

adv.仅仅，唯一地

参考例句：

• Success should not be measured solely by educational achievement.成功与否不应只用学业成绩来衡量。
• The town depends almost solely on the tourist trade.这座城市几乎完全靠旅游业维持。