美国有线新闻 CNN 2013-01-11

 A big day in a big week in the debate over gun control, we begin with a very low profile, gun laws, that's already on the book, so a law you probably don't know about hidden in a very surprising place. We think you need to know about this law, because critics say damage is our ability to truely know using serious science. The impact that guns have on public health and public safety, impeding¹ research on gun safety, preventing doctors from talking to patients about the potential health risk that come with gun ownership. Advocates who support the law say it protects the rights of gun owners, now as we reported last weem, the National Rifle Association somehow managed to push this stealth legislation into president Obama's health care reform bill. The question is how and why. And why, whatever you think of the law, one of the president's top allies, that's right, the president's ally, help the NRA get it passed.

 

No surprise there is a big dose of politics involved, here is Jim Acosta is "Keeping them honest".

 

When president Obama signed national health care reform into law, few in Washington knew that buried in the legislation's more than 900 pages was a gift to the nation's powerful gun lobby. But here it is, a provision entitled "Protection of Second Amendment² Rigths", it states the government and health insurance can not collect any information, relating the lawful³ ownership or possession of a firearm or ammunition⁴. The provision was such a secret, the Washington Post reports, that some people in the White House didn't even know whether it existed, despite being in the president's signature legislation. Health care advocate John Alker did notice it, and has a hunch⁵ where it came from.

 

"And so how do you think these got in there?"

 

"I don't know. I'm assuming the NRA put it in at the last minutes."

 

So who put it in there? it might surprise you to learn, it was this man. The most powerful Democrat⁶ in Congress, Senate majority leader Harry⁷ Reid. But why? A Democrat source close to the passage of the health care law tells the CNN this is what was viewed as a relatively⁸ benign⁹ way to make sure the National Rifle Association didn't get involve with this.

 

Reid has been a top advocate of gun rights for years, in fact, just days after the health care law was signed, Reid invited Wayne LaPierre, a top official at the NRA to the opening of this Nevada weapon's range.

 

"People who criticize this probably would criticise¹⁰ baseball."

 

LaPierre's visit was a big boost for Reid who was courting gun owners in his very pro-Second Amendment state of Nevada. A top battle for reelection.

 

"I also want to thank you Senate for your support everyday at the federal level for the Second Amendment and for the rights of American gun owners."

 

Both Reid and the NRA declined to talk to CNN on camera. But Democratic source on Capital Hill say the NRA is not the only threat to the president's health care bill. Lawmakers were also worried about conspiracy¹¹ theories circulating among gun enthusiasts¹². A falsely accused the Obama administration of plotting to use the health care law to go after gun owners. One group, the gun owners of America insists it could still happen.

 

"It says that all of our medical records are available to be pawed through by bureaucrats¹³ somewhere in Washington, looking for a reason to disenfranchise gun owners."

As for Reid, his staff told us today, the Senate Majority leader's views on gun control are changing. He is in a different place than he was in 2010, says an advisor¹⁴, consider how Reid answered the question after the July movie theatre massacre¹⁵ in Colorado.

 

"With a schedule we have, we're not going to get into a debate on gun control."

 

And how he responded after the killings¹⁶ in Newtown.

 

"We need to accept the reality that we are not doing enough to protect our citizens."

 

1 impeding   

a.(尤指坏事)即将发生的，临近的

参考例句：

• Fallen rock is impeding the progress of rescue workers. 坠落的石头阻滞了救援人员的救援进程。
• Is there sufficient room for the kiosk and kiosk traffic without impeding other user traffic? 该环境下是否有足够的空间来摆放信息亭？信息亭是否会妨碍交通或者行走？ 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓

2 amendment   

n.改正，修正，改善，修正案

参考例句：

• The amendment was rejected by 207 voters to 143.这项修正案以207票对143票被否决。
• The Opposition has tabled an amendment to the bill.反对党已经就该议案提交了一项修正条款。

3 lawful   

adj.法律许可的，守法的，合法的

参考例句：

• It is not lawful to park in front of a hydrant.在消火栓前停车是不合法的。
• We don't recognised him to be the lawful heir.我们不承认他为合法继承人。

4 ammunition   

n.军火，弹药

参考例句：

• A few of the jeeps had run out of ammunition.几辆吉普车上的弹药已经用光了。
• They have expended all their ammunition.他们把弹药用光。

5 hunch   

n.预感，直觉

参考例句：

• I have a hunch that he didn't really want to go.我有这么一种感觉，他并不真正想去。
• I had a hunch that Susan and I would work well together.我有预感和苏珊共事会很融洽。

6 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。

7 harry   

vt.掠夺，蹂躏，使苦恼

参考例句：

• Today,people feel more hurried and harried.今天，人们感到更加忙碌和苦恼。
• Obama harried business by Healthcare Reform plan.奥巴马用医改掠夺了商界。

8 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。

9 benign   

adj.善良的，慈祥的；良性的，无危险的

参考例句：

• The benign weather brought North America a bumper crop.温和的气候给北美带来大丰收。
• Martha is a benign old lady.玛莎是个仁慈的老妇人。

10 criticise   

v.批评，评论；非难

参考例句：

• Right and left have much cause to criticise government.左翼和右翼有很多理由批评政府。
• It is not your place to criticise or suggest improvements!提出批评或给予改进建议并不是你的责任！

11 conspiracy   

n.阴谋，密谋，共谋

参考例句：

• The men were found guilty of conspiracy to murder.这些人被裁决犯有阴谋杀人罪。
• He claimed that it was all a conspiracy against him.他声称这一切都是一场针对他的阴谋。

12 enthusiasts   

n.热心人，热衷者( enthusiast的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• A group of enthusiasts have undertaken the reconstruction of a steam locomotive. 一群火车迷已担负起重造蒸汽机车的任务。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Now a group of enthusiasts are going to have the plane restored. 一群热心人计划修复这架飞机。 来自新概念英语第二册

13 bureaucrats   

n.官僚( bureaucrat的名词复数 )；官僚主义；官僚主义者；官僚语言

参考例句：

• That is the fate of the bureaucrats, not the inspiration of statesmen. 那是官僚主义者的命运，而不是政治家的灵感。 来自辞典例句
• Big business and dozens of anonymous bureaucrats have as much power as Japan's top elected leaders. 大企业和许多不知名的官僚同日本选举出来的最高层领导者们的权力一样大。 来自辞典例句

14 advisor   

n.顾问，指导老师，劝告者

参考例句：

• They employed me as an advisor.他们聘请我当顾问。
• The professor is engaged as a technical advisor.这位教授被聘请为技术顾问。

15 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！

16 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。