美国国家公共电台 NPR--Officials in Columbus, Ohio, are trying to stem gun violence

Officials in Columbus, Ohio, are trying to stem gun violence

Transcript¹

Recent gun violence in Columbus prompted the mayor to ask businesses to close early this past weekend. Police beefed up patrols, and Monday the city council takes further action.

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

Now, what can a city really do about gun violence?

LEILA FADEL, HOST:

The Supreme² Court has sharply limited gun regulations. Many state legislatures have lifted regulations that they had. And so far, gun violence has killed more than 7,000 people this year. After two shootings in Columbus, Ohio, Mayor Andrew Ginther called for businesses to close early.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

ANDREW GINTHER: When 10 people are shot that we know of and 11 guns recovered that we know of in one particular incident, that requires unprecedented³ change. It requires some sacrifice.

INSKEEP: So how did the business closing work out? Karen Kasler with Ohio Public Radio is on the line.

Good morning.

KAREN KASLER, BYLINE⁴: Good morning, Steve.

INSKEEP: What led the mayor to act now?

KASLER: Well, that shootout, when 10 people were hurt, on May 6 was one of two back-to-back violent incidents in two weekends in the well-known Short North area. It really got a lot of attention. It was described as chaos⁵, bullets going through glass windows on storefronts, ricocheting around the area. Police officers fired their weapons - 11 guns recovered. The state is investigating. The following weekend, a fight ended with a 21-year-old man shot dead. Columbus had a record number of homicides in 2021. That number dropped last year, but the city recovered more guns than ever last year and is on track to surpass that number this year. And, of course, the Short North - it's an arts and entertainment district, about 300 businesses there, and it attracts millions of people to the area.

INSKEEP: And you can just kind of picture that. Many cities have that kind of trendy district, which attracts a lot of business, a lot of nightlife. So how did the mayor respond to these shootings exactly?

KASLER: Last week, Mayor Andrew Ginther announced that the city was enforcing a midnight curfew for 13- to 17-year-olds. He signed an executive order that food trucks would shut down at midnight, and he asked for bars and restaurants - about a third of the businesses in that area are bars and restaurants - to close at midnight Friday and Saturday and that parking would be restricted. Columbus police officers were stepping up patrols in the area. And anyone arrested for street racing⁶ would lose their vehicles and would not get plea bargains. The city has to do these changes because they can't enact⁷ gun regulations. Columbus and the state of Ohio are in a court battle over which one actually has the power to regulate guns.

INSKEEP: How are people responding, then, to this effort to cut down on gun violence by cutting down on business?

KASLER: It doesn't seem that there were any major problems, though the scene over the weekend looked kind of like most weekends. Food trucks did close up. There were a lot of police officers. But bars and restaurants, for the most part, did not close early. Many of them have private security, and they want the city to focus on other things. But the area still seemed to bring in visitors, some saying they actually appreciate the extra police presence.

INSKEEP: How did Ohio's Republican legislature respond to this move?

KASLER: Well, Republican lawmakers have passed laws banning Ohio cities, which are mostly run by Democrats⁸, from enacting⁹ their own gun control legislation while they've been expanding gun rights at the statehouse, including allowing permitless concealed¹⁰ carry, expanding the Stand Your Ground law to any place, not just a home. On Friday, two Republican state lawmakers introduced a bill that would ban mayors from enacting curfews for people under 18 unless they said there is what they called a clear and present emergency as determined¹¹ by legislators or a city.

INSKEEP: An effort to close down yet another avenue of response.

Karen, thanks so much.

KASLER: Great to talk to you. Thanks.

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 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

3 unprecedented   

adj.无前例的，新奇的

参考例句：

• The air crash caused an unprecedented number of deaths.这次空难的死亡人数是空前的。
• A flood of this sort is really unprecedented.这样大的洪水真是十年九不遇。

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 chaos   

n.混乱，无秩序

参考例句：

• After the failure of electricity supply the city was in chaos.停电后，城市一片混乱。
• The typhoon left chaos behind it.台风后一片混乱。

6 racing   

n.竞赛，赛马；adj.竞赛用的，赛马用的

参考例句：

• I was watching the racing on television last night.昨晚我在电视上看赛马。
• The two racing drivers fenced for a chance to gain the lead.两个赛车手伺机竞相领先。

7 enact   

vt.制定(法律)；上演，扮演

参考例句：

• The U.S. Congress has exclusive authority to enact federal legislation.美国国会是唯一有权颁布联邦法律的。
• For example,a country can enact laws and economic policies to attract foreign investment fairly quickly.例如一个国家可以很快颁布吸引外资的法令和经济政策。

8 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》

9 enacting   

制定（法律），通过（法案）( enact的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Generally these statutes apply only to wastes from reactors outside the enacting state. 总之，这些法令只适宜用在对付那些来自外州的核废料。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法
• In addition, the complexion of enacting standards for live working is described. 另外，介绍了带电作业标准的制订情况。

10 concealed   

a.隐藏的，隐蔽的

参考例句：

• The paintings were concealed beneath a thick layer of plaster. 那些画被隐藏在厚厚的灰泥层下面。
• I think he had a gun concealed about his person. 我认为他当时身上藏有一支枪。

11 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。