美国国家公共电台 NPR--Charges are pending against a Virginia first grader after a teacher was shot

Charges are pending¹ against a Virginia first grader after a teacher was shot

Transcript²

Classes are canceled this week at a Newport News, Va., elementary school, where police say a first grader fired a gun and wounded a teacher on Friday.

DWANE BROWN, HOST:

Classes are canceled this week at an elementary school in Newport News, Va. That's where police say a first-grader shot a teacher. As Mechelle Hankerson of member station WHRO tells us, it's not clear how authorities will respond to the unique legal and ethical³ questions presented by the shooting at Richneck Elementary.

MECHELLE HANKERSON, BYLINE⁴: On Friday, after the shooting, school superintendent⁵ George Parker was simply frustrated⁶.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

GEORGE PARKER: I'm sounding like a broken record today because I continue to reiterate⁷ that we need to keep the guns out of the hands of our young people.

HANKERSON: Newport News police haven't said much other than a first-grader fired a gun at the teacher, and it was not accidental. The teacher was critically injured but is improving. In Virginia, children younger than 14 aren't likely to go through the normal criminal justice system. Kids who commit violent crimes may not understand their actions have repercussions⁸ or, in the case of shootings, that there could be permanent consequences. Authorities have so far declined to comment on potential charges. Mike Mullin is a Newport News lawyer who's spent most of his career working on cases involving children. He also represents the city in the state legislature. He expects prosecutors⁹ will file a special legal petition that allows the state to take custody¹⁰ of the child.

MIKE MULLIN: Perhaps you would go and remove them from the home and move them towards wraparound services and make sure that there is mental health services, make sure that they're in the type of foster care system that they need to be in.

HANKERSON: It's unclear how or where the Richneck Elementary student got the gun, but Virginia law says adults who leave firearms loaded, unsecured and accessible to young children can be charged with a misdemeanor and sentenced up to a year in jail. Mullin, a Democrat¹¹, says that's not the kind of punishment expected when a violent crime like a shooting occurs. He hopes it's an issue his fellow lawmakers will take up when the legislature begins its annual session on Wednesday. For now, Richneck Elementary students are expected to return to school on Tuesday, where they will be greeted with added counselors¹² and extra security measures. For NPR News, I'm Mechelle Hankerson in Norfolk, Va.

1 pending   

prep.直到，等待…期间；adj.待定的；迫近的

参考例句：

• The lawsuit is still pending in the state court.这案子仍在州法庭等待定夺。
• He knew my examination was pending.他知道我就要考试了。

2 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。

3 ethical   

adj.伦理的，道德的，合乎道德的

参考例句：

• It is necessary to get the youth to have a high ethical concept.必须使青年具有高度的道德观念。
• It was a debate which aroused fervent ethical arguments.那是一场引发强烈的伦理道德争论的辩论。

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 superintendent   

n.监督人，主管，总监；(英国)警务长

参考例句：

• He was soon promoted to the post of superintendent of Foreign Trade.他很快就被擢升为对外贸易总监。
• He decided to call the superintendent of the building.他决定给楼房管理员打电话。

6 frustrated   

adj.挫败的，失意的，泄气的v.使不成功( frustrate的过去式和过去分词 )；挫败；使受挫折；令人沮丧

参考例句：

• It's very easy to get frustrated in this job. 这个工作很容易令人懊恼。
• The bad weather frustrated all our hopes of going out. 恶劣的天气破坏了我们出行的愿望。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 reiterate   

v.重申，反复地说

参考例句：

• Let me reiterate that we have absolutely no plans to increase taxation.让我再一次重申我们绝对没有增税的计划。
• I must reiterate that our position on this issue is very clear.我必须重申我们对这一项议题的立场很清楚。

8 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》

9 prosecutors   

检举人( prosecutor的名词复数 )； 告发人； 起诉人； 公诉人

参考例句：

• In some places,public prosecutors are elected rather than appointed. 在有些地方，检察官是经选举而非任命产生的。 来自口语例句
• You've been summoned to the Prosecutors' Office, 2 days later. 你在两天以后被宣到了检察官的办公室。

10 custody   

n.监护，照看，羁押，拘留

参考例句：

• He spent a week in custody on remand awaiting sentence.等候判决期间他被还押候审一个星期。
• He was taken into custody immediately after the robbery.抢劫案发生后，他立即被押了起来。

11 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。

12 counselors   

n.顾问( counselor的名词复数 )；律师；（使馆等的）参赞；（协助学生解决问题的）指导老师

参考例句：

• Counselors began an inquiry into industrial needs. 顾问们开始调查工业方面的需要。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• We have experienced counselors available day and night. ) 这里有经验的法律顾问全天候值班。） 来自超越目标英语 第4册