VOA慢速英语2014 Girl Shoots Instructor, Fueling Gun Debate

 

Girl Shoots Instructor¹, Fueling Gun Debate

On August 25, an American family’s vacation went terribly wrong.

A man, his wife and their three children stopped at a shooting range in the southwestern state of Arizona. At a shooting range, people pay to fire guns at targets.

Charles Vacca worked for the business, called Bullets and Burgers. He helped the family’s nine-year-old girl shoot a submachine gun called an Uzi.

But the girl lost control of the weapon. At least one bullet hit Mr. Vacca in the head. He fell to the ground. Later, he died of his injuries.

No one has been charged with a crime. In fact, the families of both Mr. Vacca and the girl have said they feel very bad for each other.

But the event has made Americans talk once again about guns and children. In the United States, federal law bars anyone younger than 18 from owning a handgun. But, many state laws give young people the right to shoot all kinds of guns under certain conditions.

“For some people it’s recreational, for a lot of people it’s also about personal safety and the right to defend yourself.”

Jim Tuttle is a reporter. He researched U.S. gun culture for a project called News21. One of the groups he visited was a citizen militia² in the state of Mississippi.

“The folks that I met in the militia especially, they want their kids to be able to defend themselves if there’s, you know, a home intruder or a home invasion or something like that.”

In other words, some Americans say children – like adults – need to learn to shoot a weapon so they can protect themselves.

Others say shooting guns is just part of the way they grew up.

“I’m 12 years old. I’ve been shooting since I was 9.”

Miguel Millan was another person Jim Tuttle spoke³ with. Miguel attended a summer camp for boys. There, campers learned to shoot animals.

“I’ve learned that patience is one of the most important parts, and that you have to be really calm when you’re getting ready to shoot.”

Miguel’s teacher said learning to hunt gives children a chance to be in nature and spend time with others. The camp also gives lessons in gun safety.

“Safety” is a word many people use when it comes to children and guns. Last year, the Pew Research Center reported that over one-third of American homes have a gun. So, the argument goes, children could easily see a gun at home, or in the home of a friend or neighbor, and decide to fire it. Indeed, the Nationwide Children’s Hospital says about 1,500 children die every year from a gun accident. Many more are injured. 

Laura Cutilletta is a lawyer for the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence. She said most U.S. states have firm restrictions⁴ on keeping children away from guns in the home. But state laws about children hunting or shooting for fun – such as at a shooting range – are much looser. 

“When we’re talking about an actual firearm, I think there should be an age limit. Even at a target shooting range. Even when there’s an adult present. Just like with a car.”

In general, most states permit children to hunt or use a gun when an adult is with them. But, Laura Cutilletta notes that even a responsible adult cannot protect a child who is too young to shoot a gun safely.

And, she says no one needs to shoot the most powerful guns just for fun.

“I don’t know that there’s any age when I think someone should be shooting a machine gun. Even an adult. I mean, that is a military weapon that belongs on the battlefield and nowhere else.”

Po Murray has a similar opinion. She is chairwoman of the Newtown Action Alliance⁵. Newtown is the community in Connecticut where a 20-year-old man shot and killed 20 children and six teachers at an elementary school in 2012. He also killed his mother and himself.

Ms. Murray said the U.S. needs to have stronger laws about teaching children to use guns safely. She adds that American movies, video games and language create a culture of gun violence.

“Given that there are many societal influences on violence, I mean, it’s bound to happen, you know, something like Newtown shooting is bound to happen with all that influence and easy access to guns and assault⁶ rifles.”

Ms. Murray hopes the problem can be reduced with time. Gun ownership is declining⁷ in the United States, she said. But, if more young people learn to shoot, that trend could change.

1 instructor   

n.指导者，教员，教练

参考例句：

• The college jumped him from instructor to full professor.大学突然把他从讲师提升为正教授。
• The skiing instructor was a tall,sunburnt man.滑雪教练是一个高高个子晒得黑黑的男子。

2 militia   

n.民兵，民兵组织

参考例句：

• First came the PLA men,then the people's militia.人民解放军走在前面，其次是民兵。
• There's a building guarded by the local militia at the corner of the street.街道拐角处有一幢由当地民兵团守卫的大楼。

3 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

4 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

5 alliance   

n.同盟，同盟国，结盟，联姻

参考例句：

• China will not enter into alliance with any big power.中国不同任何大国结盟。
• The new alliance was very much in evidence.新的联盟上星期很引人注目。

6 assault   

v.猛烈地攻击，袭击；n.突然而猛烈的攻击

参考例句：

• She appeared in court on charges of kidnapping and assault.她因受到拐骗和侵犯人身的指控而出庭。
• The trainees were put through an assault course.受训人员接受了突击训练课程。

7 declining   

adj.下降的，衰落的

参考例句：

• The nub of the matter is that business is declining. 事情的实质是工商业在萎缩。
• It is encouraging to read that illiteracy is declining. 从读报中了解文盲情况正在好转，这是令人鼓舞的。