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美国国会就枪支控制法加紧行动

Three months after a tragic¹ mass shooting at a U.S. elementary school brought the nation to tears, lawmakers are starting to move ahead with various proposals to curb² gun violence. But the slow progress in Washington has much of the highly sensitive debate playing out on a state level.

康州纽顿小学枪杀案三个月过后，美国国会才开始行动起来推动枪支控制法案。 相比之下，各州和地方对枪支控制的辩论与行动却比较活跃。

Scenes of Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut are seared in the minds of many. Twenty students and six teachers died in the December mass shooting.

三个月前康州桑迪.胡克小学枪杀案20个学生和6名教师丧生的惨剧是美国人难以忘怀的伤痛。

Yet it has only been in the past two weeks that federal lawmakers have started to act - a Senate committee sending several bills to the full Senate for consideration.

但是直到最近两个星期，国会议员们才真正行动起来。参议院的一个委员会向全体院会提交了几项法案，要求就这项法案投票。

"The time has come, America, to step up and ban these weapons,'' said California senator Dianne Feinstein.

来自加州的民主党参议员范恩斯坦（Senator Dianne Feinstein  D-CA）是主张进一步控制枪支的议员之一：“现在是时候了。我们应该加紧控制枪支。”

U.S. President Barack Obama has urged Congress to act, promising³ to make another push even as he and lawmakers clash over budget issues.

美国总统奥巴马呼吁国会采取行动。尽管奥巴马目前正忙于和国会就预算进行谈判，他仍然愿意再次努力推动枪支控制法案。

In the meantime, at the state and local level - people are taking matters into their own hands.

相比国会的迟迟不行动，各州与地方的民众已经就枪支问题展开激烈辩论，商讨采取措施来解决枪支暴力问题。

The town of Byron, Maine, overwhelmingly rejected a proposal to require every resident to own a gun and ammunition⁴.

在缅因州的拜伦镇，民众以绝对优势否决了一个要求每一个居民拥有枪支与弹药的提案。

The same day, at the Connecticut state capital, the National Rifle Association sponsored a gun rights rally.

就在同一天，美国步枪协会在在康州首府组织了一次游行。

Outside the Indiana statehouse advocates on both sides trying to make their voices heard.

In Tulsa, Oklahoma - action of a different kind - police inside a school training for the worst case scenario⁵. The idea - to make things as realistic as possible.

警方训练员艾德.博伊谢说：“我们无法进行实战训练，但是我们可以设法让他们真实感受到现场状况的压力。”

In the meantime, on the streets of Washington this week -- not far from the U.S. Capitol - a deadly reminder⁶ of the damage guns can do in the wrong hands.

这个星期就在美国首都华盛顿国会大厦附近发生了一起枪击案。

''Two cars came through the block, opened fire," explained Cathy Lanier, Washington, DC polic chief. "11 people have been transported.''

华盛顿警察局长拉尼尔说：“两辆车经过一个街区时开火，11个人被送到医院。”

The debate over gun rights and gun control still far from settled.

这样的事件告诉我们枪支暴力问题远远没有解决。