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先行一步的加州枪支管制法

California has some of the strictest gun control laws in the United States, which some Americans see as a model for future national laws. But others worry about the erosion of the right to bear arms as stated in the Second Amendment¹ to the U.S. Constitution.

加利福尼亚州有着美国最为严厉的枪支管制法。有些美国人把加州的枪支管制法看成是美国未来有关法律的样板。不过也有人担心，美国宪法第二修正案赋予人民携带枪支的权利会一点点地被侵蚀掉。科罗拉多州日前发生的枪击惨案激起了又一波辩论浪潮。

There are few restrictions² on owning guns in most U.S. states. Guns are widely used for hunting and sport, and for self-protection.

美国大多数州对个人拥有枪支没有什么限制，民众普遍用枪来打猎，参加体育竞技，或者自卫。

California and several other states, including New York and Massachusetts, limit the sale of some firearms, ammunition³ and accessories. California bans the sale of high-capacity ammunition clips and military-style assault rifles to the public. Buyers of other guns must wait 10 days while state and federal authorities investigate the purchaser for a possible criminal record or history of serious mental illness. California registers handguns, and beginning in 2014, will also keep records on rifles and shotguns sold in the state.

有几个州限制销售某些类型的枪支或弹药，比如加州禁止向民众出售大容量的弹药夹和军用攻击型步枪。购买其他类型枪支的人必须等10天，当局要审查购买者是否有犯罪记录或精神病史。在加州，个人拥有手枪要登记，从2014年开始，加州还要登记在加州境内购买的步枪和猎枪。

Los Angeles Police Detective Richard Tompkins says neighboring states are less strict.

洛杉矶警探理查德.汤普金斯说，与加州相邻的各州没有这么严格的枪控法：

“People do leave the state and buy those weapons out of state and then bring them back into our state. Some people will do it just to possess them. Some people will do it to sell on the open market in the state of California,” Tompkins said.

“有人去其它州买枪，带回加州。一些人这样做只是为了有支枪。还有一些人把枪带回加州再把它卖掉。”

The sale of guns and ammunition over the Internet is unrestricted in some places. In California, firearms must be sold through a licensed⁴ dealer⁵. But with inconsistent laws from state to state, and even county to county, there are gaps in enforcement, says Daniel Vice⁶ of the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence.

有些州可以在互联网上买卖枪支。但在加州，只有持有卖枪执照的人才能卖枪。防止枪支暴力组织布兰迪中心的丹尼.维斯说，由于各州法律不一，枪支买卖中存在很多问题和漏洞。

“As we saw in the Colorado shooting, you can buy thousands of rounds of ammunition online," Vice said. "You can buy full suits of body armor online. You can even go online to find private gun sellers who will sell you assault weapons no questions asked -- no background check, no record of sale. Why do we allow that to happen in America today?”

他说：“从科罗拉多枪击案就可以看出，你可以在网上购买成千发子弹，可以在网上购买防弹衣，甚至可以在网上找到私人卖枪的，他不问你任何问题，不审查个人背景，就卖给你攻击型武器，还不留任何记录。我们怎么会允许这种事情在美国发生？”

Former U.S. Army Ranger⁷ and gun collector Frank Sharp says most American gun users are law-abiding citizens who are exercising a basic right. He says he was shocked at the recent carnage in a Colorado movie theater.

弗兰克.沙普是前美军陆军突击队员，也是一名枪支收集者。他说，美国大多数拥有枪支的人是守法公民，是在行使他们的基本权利。不过，科罗拉多电影院里发生的枪击血案令他震惊。

“There's hardly any way to describe how terrible that incident is," Sharp said. "But I don't think that turning people like me into criminals prevents it. I think that had someone been in that theater lawfully⁸ carrying a firearm, there might have been a completely different outcome.”

沙普说：“那场枪击案太可怕了。但是我觉得这不会让很多像我这样的人变成罪犯。如果当时有人在电影院里合法携带枪支，结果就会完全两样。”

Los Angeles Detective Richard Tompkins says inconsistent laws cause problems for law enforcement.

洛杉矶警探理查德.汤普金斯说，各州法律的不同给执法带来问题：

“It's hard with the different laws at state level and very few laws on the federal side,” he said.

“各州有不同的枪支管制法，可联邦政府相关法律却极少，这真是太难了。”

For some, the federal government's reluctance⁹ to pass gun control legislation is the right approach. They say that restricting the rights of gun owners will not address the problem of violent crime. Others say that placing more limits on gun sales can reduce the violence, and that we are overdue¹⁰ for a national conversation on the issue.

对一些美国人来说，联邦政府不愿通过枪支管制法是一种正确的做法。他们说，限制拥枪者的权利不能解决暴力犯罪问题。但其他人则认为，制定更为严格的枪支管制法有助于减少暴力，而且美国早就应该就控枪问题开展一场全国性大辩论。