美国国家公共电台 NPR--Senators, 5 Democrats and 5 Republicans, negotiate ways to find a gun deal

Senators, 5 Democrats² and 5 Republicans, negotiate ways to find a gun deal

Transcript³

NPR's A Martinez talks with Sen. Richard Blumenthal, a Democrat¹ from Connecticut, about senators' efforts to address gun violence.

AMART?NEZ, HOST:

We turn now to Connecticut's Richard Blumenthal, who's one of the senators participating in these virtual negotiations⁴. Senator, I understand you've been focusing on red flag laws in your conversations with colleagues, Republican colleagues, like Lindsey Graham and John Cornyn. Has progress been made on taking guns away from people whose family members maybe think they might commit a crime?

RICHARD BLUMENTHAL: Lindsey Graham and I have made tremendous progress over the last 3 1/2 years. We actually have written a statute⁵ that we hope will have broad bipartisan consensus⁶ because it provides incentives⁷ to state - for states to do what 19 of them have already done. Red flag laws save lives. The judges, law enforcement, everyone involved tells us so. I'm really hoping that we can get to 60 votes and that our bipartisan group of five Republicans, five Democrats will propose some form of a red flag statute.

MART?NEZ: Senator, you mentioned you've had - you've made progress in the last 3 1/2 years. Has anything happened, say, in the last three days that has ramped⁸ up the desire to make something work?

BLUMENTHAL: The conversations certainly have been more specific and definite, more focused on what the particular provisions would be of a federal law that would encourage states to separate people from guns when they say they're going to kill people, whether themselves or others. The Parkland shooter practically took out an ad in the newspaper. He called law enforcement, and yet they had no power to stop him. So I think there's a realization⁹ in the wake of the shock of the most recent massacre¹⁰ in Uvalde that something needs to be done on that issue, but also background checks, safe storage of weapons, possibly school security and mental health.

MART?NEZ: Falling short, though, Senator, of a federal law, a national law - if it indeed falls to states, would that be enough for you?

BLUMENTHAL: I would love to go farther. But we need to recognize and be very clear-eyed because the history here is that interest wanes¹¹, that Republicans abandon these efforts. And I believe this is a put up or shut up time for Republicans. They need to show up for work and do their job, vote for commonsense¹², sensible measures. Again, by no means - as much as I would like to see, for example, a ban on assault weapons, but we simply don't have 60 votes for it.

MART?NEZ: Are there any other specific spaces beyond red flag laws right now that appear, at this moment, to be openings for compromise?

BLUMENTHAL: There are a number of areas where states are supporting compromise and where we are doing it as well. For example, safe storage, where people can be either rewarded through tax deductions¹³ or also mandated¹⁴ and probably some combination to make sure that people store their weapons safely - so-called Ethan's law, named after a young teenager in Connecticut who unfortunately and tragically¹⁵ was killed playing with a firearm in a neighbor's home because it was unsecurely (ph) stored. So that measure, improving background checks by including more information and so forth¹⁶, is very much to be sought here.

MART?NEZ: Senator, I've been thinking about this for a while now. Even if Democrats get the GOP to make big concessions¹⁷, many Americans won't think it's enough until there's a major shift in this nation's gun culture. How realistic is it to fundamentally change the way the Second Amendment¹⁸ is interpreted?

BLUMENTHAL: First, my goal is to save lives. And I'm very clear-eyed about the limitations of what we're doing in this compromise. But the sooner we act, the sooner we can save some lives. A hundred people or more every day are losing their lives because of this epidemic¹⁹ of gun violence. Second, changing the culture is happening, you know? There are now grassroots groups. There's a groundswell, a real political movement that didn't exist when I started in this effort literally²⁰ 30 years ago as the state attorney general of Connecticut. And what we've seen since Sandy Hook is the rise of Brady, Giffords, Everytown, Moms Demand Action, Students Demand Action, Sandy Hook Promise, Newtown Action Alliance and more. And so I think we're seeing a change in the culture and a political movement to put gun violence prevention on the ballot²¹ this November.

MART?NEZ: But there are going to be areas of the country that are going to be dug in no matter what.

BLUMENTHAL: I think we will hear from the country - I hope we will - in the votes that are cast this November.

MART?NEZ: Richard Blumenthal is a senator from Connecticut. Senator, thanks.

BLUMENTHAL: Thank you.

1 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。

2 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》

3 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。

4 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

5 statute   

n.成文法，法令，法规；章程，规则，条例

参考例句：

• Protection for the consumer is laid down by statute.保障消费者利益已在法令里作了规定。
• The next section will consider this environmental statute in detail.下一部分将详细论述环境法令的问题。

6 consensus   

n.(意见等的)一致，一致同意，共识

参考例句：

• Can we reach a consensus on this issue?我们能在这个问题上取得一致意见吗？
• What is the consensus of opinion at the afternoon meeting?下午会议上一致的意见是什么？

7 incentives   

激励某人做某事的事物( incentive的名词复数 )； 刺激； 诱因； 动机

参考例句：

• tax incentives to encourage savings 鼓励储蓄的税收措施
• Furthermore, subsidies provide incentives only for investments in equipment. 更有甚者，提供津贴仅是为鼓励增添设备的投资。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

8 ramped   

土堤斜坡( ramp的过去式和过去分词 )； 斜道； 斜路； （装车或上下飞机的）活动梯

参考例句：

• With the arrival of George Lucas, the pace has ramped up. 随着乔治·卢卡斯的到来，速度大大加快。
• They also sold corporate bonds as the global financial crisis ramped up. 在全球金融危机加剧之际，他们还抛售了公司债券。

9 realization   

n.实现；认识到，深刻了解

参考例句：

• We shall gladly lend every effort in our power toward its realization.我们将乐意为它的实现而竭尽全力。
• He came to the realization that he would never make a good teacher.他逐渐认识到自己永远不会成为好老师。

10 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！

11 wanes   

v.衰落( wane的第三人称单数 )；（月）亏；变小；变暗淡

参考例句：

• The moon waxes till it becomes full, and then wanes. 月亮渐盈，直到正圆，然后消亏。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The moon waxes and wanes every month. 月亮每个月都有圆缺。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 commonsense   

adj.有常识的；明白事理的；注重实际的

参考例句：

• It is commonsense to carry an umbrella in this weather.这种天气带把伞是很自然的。
• These results are no more than a vindication of commonsense analysis.这些结果只不过是按常理分析得出的事实。

13 deductions   

扣除( deduction的名词复数 )； 结论； 扣除的量； 推演

参考例句：

• Many of the older officers trusted agents sightings more than cryptanalysts'deductions. 许多年纪比较大的军官往往相信特务的发现，而不怎么相信密码分析员的推断。
• You know how you rush at things,jump to conclusions without proper deductions. 你知道你处理问题是多么仓促，毫无合适的演绎就仓促下结论。

14 mandated   

adj. 委托统治的

参考例句：

• Mandated desegregation of public schools. 命令解除公立学校中的种族隔离
• Britain was mandated to govern the former colony of German East Africa. 英国受权代管德国在东非的前殖民地。

15 tragically   

adv. 悲剧地，悲惨地

参考例句：

• Their daughter was tragically killed in a road accident. 他们的女儿不幸死于车祸。
• Her father died tragically in a car crash. 她父亲在一场车祸中惨死。

16 forth   

adv.向前；向外，往外

参考例句：

• The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
• He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。

17 concessions   

n.（尤指由政府或雇主给予的）特许权( concession的名词复数 )；承认；减价；（在某地的）特许经营权

参考例句：

• The firm will be forced to make concessions if it wants to avoid a strike. 要想避免罢工，公司将不得不作出一些让步。
• The concessions did little to placate the students. 让步根本未能平息学生的愤怒。

18 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。

19 epidemic   

n.流行病；盛行；adj.流行性的，流传极广的

参考例句：

• That kind of epidemic disease has long been stamped out.那种传染病早已绝迹。
• The authorities tried to localise the epidemic.当局试图把流行病限制在局部范围。

20 literally   

adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实

参考例句：

• He translated the passage literally.他逐字逐句地翻译这段文字。
• Sometimes she would not sit down till she was literally faint.有时候，她不走到真正要昏厥了，决不肯坐下来。

21 ballot   

n.（不记名）投票，投票总数，投票权；vi.投票

参考例句：

• The members have demanded a ballot.会员们要求投票表决。
• The union said they will ballot members on whether to strike.工会称他们将要求会员投票表决是否罢工。