美国国家公共电台 NPR--There's been another shooting massacre in California. This one in Half Moon Bay

There's been another shooting massacre¹ in California. This one in Half Moon Bay

Transcript²

Authorities say a gunman killed seven people and wounded another in the coastal³ city of Half Moon Bay just south of San Francisco. It was the second mass shooting in the state in three days.

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

We're waking to news of another mass shooting in California.

LEILA FADEL, HOST:

Yeah. Days after the attack on a dance hall, a different gunman opened fire in different locations. He was in Half Moon Bay, a coastal community just south of San Francisco. He opened fire at a plant nursery and at a mushroom farm and killed seven people.

INSKEEP: NPR's Eric Westervelt is covering this story. Eric, who did this?

ERIC WESTERVELT, BYLINE⁴: Good morning, Steve. The San Mateo County sheriff says the gunman is 67-year-old named Chunli Zhao. He's a local resident. The killings⁶ spanned two separate farm locations near each other. He allegedly killed four and gravely wounded a fifth at a plant nursery complex near a small shopping area right off the highway. He then killed three others at another location on a farm about two miles down the road. It's believed he worked at the nursery where he opened fire. Police found Zhao in his car in the parking lot of a sheriff's substation. So he basically went on a killing⁵ spree and then drove to a police station and gave himself in. He was taken into custody⁷ without incident. Police found a semiautomatic handgun in his car. A local official said the gunman was a disgruntled worker at one of the farms. But Sheriff Christina Corpus says there's no known motive⁸ at this time.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

CHRISTINA CORPUS: This kind of shooting is horrific. It's a tragedy that we hear about far too often. But today, it's hit home here in San Mateo County.

INSKEEP: Eric, you said a semiautomatic pistol. Isn't that the same type of weapon that was described in the Monterey Park shooting a few days ago?

WESTERVELT: Well, Steve, we don't know yet if it was the exact same weapon. But it certainly is a similar type of a high-powered, semiautomatic weapon.

INSKEEP: Who were the victims?

WESTERVELT: The seven killed are all believed to be farm workers at this mushroom farm, a nursery greenhouse complex. A local council member says all were Chinese farm workers. The sheriff wouldn't comment on that. Some of the workers live there at the farm, Steve. So it's believed children witnessed the killings and almost certainly heard the shootings. It's a small, close-knit, agricultural community. Here's Joaquin Jimenez, the vice⁹ mayor of Half Moon Bay.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

JOAQUIN JIMENEZ: We have been receiving phone calls, text messages from family members wanting to know information, either family members - you know, their relatives are OK. We hope they are.

INSKEEP: Eric, I began reading a news story about one of California's mass killings and mistakenly thought for a moment it was about the other California mass killing. How are people responding to all this violence in so few days?

WESTERVELT: Well, it's interesting. California Governor Gavin Newsom tweeted something similar, that he was at the hospital meeting with victims of the Southern California mass shooting when he got word and was briefed about this one to the north. He described it as, quote, "a tragedy upon tragedy." And we heard from David Pine - he's the head of the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors¹⁰ - who said, you know, he's sickened by all this, that Californians hadn't been able to even start to grieve those killed in the south when they were hit with another shooting spree.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

DAVE PINE: Our hearts are broken. We are deeply grateful for law enforcement for their work this evening. But in the end, there are simply too many guns in this country. And there has to be a change. This is not an acceptable way for modern society to live and conduct its affairs.

WESTERVELT: And, Steve, we should note California has some of the strictest gun laws on the books in the nation. But there are all kinds of loopholes. There are some enforcement problems and challenges. There are illegal workarounds, including going to a gun show in a neighboring state like Nevada to try to skirt California's registration¹¹ or background check laws. So bottom line, the state's gun laws have not stopped these mass killings.

INSKEEP: NPR's Eric Westervelt. Thanks so much.

WESTERVELT: You're welcome.

1 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！

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 coastal   

adj.海岸的，沿海的，沿岸的

参考例句：

• The ocean waves are slowly eating away the coastal rocks.大海的波浪慢慢地侵蚀着岸边的岩石。
• This country will fortify the coastal areas.该国将加强沿海地区的防御。

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 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

6 killings   

谋杀( killing的名词复数 )； 突然发大财，暴发

参考例句：

• His statement was seen as an allusion to the recent drug-related killings. 他的声明被视为暗指最近与毒品有关的多起凶杀案。
• The government issued a statement condemning the killings. 政府发表声明谴责这些凶杀事件。

7 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。

8 motive   

n.动机，目的；adv.发动的，运动的

参考例句：

• The police could not find a motive for the murder.警察不能找到谋杀的动机。
• He had some motive in telling this fable.他讲这寓言故事是有用意的。

9 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。

10 supervisors   

n.监督者，管理者( supervisor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• I think the best technical people make the best supervisors. 我认为最好的技术人员可以成为最好的管理人员。 来自辞典例句
• Even the foremen or first-level supervisors have a staffing responsibility. 甚至领班或第一线的监督人员也有任用的责任。 来自辞典例句

11 registration   

n.登记，注册，挂号

参考例句：

• Marriage without registration is not recognized by law.法律不承认未登记的婚姻。
• What's your registration number?你挂的是几号？