美国国家公共电台 NPR--One way to prevent suicides: limit access to guns

One way to prevent suicides: limit access to guns

Transcript¹

More than half of gun-related deaths in the U.S. are suicides. But James Russell, a biology professor at Georgia Gwinnett College, says that most people do not want to accept how common it is. "People that haven't been through this just want to bury their head in the sand," Russell says. "They don't want to hear it."

Russell's father took his own life when Russell was 15. He died two days after he turned a gun on himself, which gave Russell time to see and talk to his dad one last time. Russell recalls seeing him in the hospital bed, holding his hand, and his father speaking to James one last time. "He said you don't understand. And then after a pause, he said it was an accident."

Research says that's true: Most people who attempt suicide only contemplate² the decision for an hour.

Now, Russell facilitates support groups at the nonprofit Everytown Survivor³ Network, helping⁴ people who have lost loved ones to gun violence. He says these groups, more than anything, have helped him process his father's death and the way he died.

Does access to guns increase suicides?

Mass shootings may garner⁵ the most attention, but suicides account for most gun deaths in America. Catherine Barber, a researcher at Harvard Injury Control Research Center, says once people recognize suicide as the most common form of gun violence, they're better positioned to protect against the risk: they can check for warning signs and remove the means for impulsive⁶ actions.

"You just need to buy the time to find the proper treatment for that feeling of suicidality — nobody is meant to suffer in the way that you might be suffering, and people do recover," Barber tells NPR's Michel Martin.

In 2009, Barber began working on the Gun Shop Project, which asks gun shop owners, firearms instructors⁷ and gun rights advocates to act as "lifesavers." The initiative encourages gun stores and firearms dealers⁸ to display and distribute materials with suicide prevention tips that include storing ammunition⁹ in another person's home or asking a friend to change the combination on their gun locker¹⁰. "You want to take kind of a 'friends don't let friends drive drunk approach' to guns and suicide," Barber says.

Barber tells Morning Edition that she and her team focus on firearms because of their lethal¹¹ potential. 82% of suicide attempts are successful because of guns. "Precisely¹² what people value about guns is what makes them so dangerous in a suicide attempt," Barber says.

Studies of those who attempt suicide and survive indicate the decision to take one's own life doesn't always involve lengthy¹³ planning. One study of participants who survived an attempt found that half of them considered it for less then 10 minutes. Barber stresses that such attempts are often preceded by long battles with depression or another mental health concern. She wants to remove the ability of people who have been struggling long-term to act on a short-term feeling.

Resistance to gun safety training and permits

Barber says she finds that gun enthusiasts¹⁴ will listen, but may not always embrace changes in the law or training protocols¹⁵.

Mark Pennack is the president of Maryland Carry, a gun rights group that is lobbying the state legislature to reject proposed requirements for firearms dealers to distribute information about firearms as a suicide risk factor. "Guns don't cause somebody to want to kill themselves," Pennack argues.

Even though she is a gun safety advocate, Barber understands the concerns about legislating¹⁶ change. "People who value gun rights feel under attack and when forced to do something often will assume that this is simply one more attack and an over-step by a nanny state."

But Russell rejects the argument that guns aren't a major contributor to suicide. "There's very little turning back when you use a gun." He believes that working toward safer gun policies will help avert¹⁷ similar tragedies. "Guns make temporary problems terminal."

1 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。

2 contemplate   

vt.盘算，计议；周密考虑；注视，凝视

参考例句：

• The possibility of war is too horrifying to contemplate.战争的可能性太可怕了，真不堪细想。
• The consequences would be too ghastly to contemplate.后果不堪设想。

3 survivor   

n.生存者，残存者，幸存者

参考例句：

• The sole survivor of the crash was an infant.这次撞车的惟一幸存者是一个婴儿。
• There was only one survivor of the plane crash.这次飞机失事中只有一名幸存者。

4 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

5 garner   

v.收藏；取得

参考例句：

• He has garnered extensive support for his proposals.他的提议得到了广泛的支持。
• Squirrels garner nuts for the winter.松鼠为过冬储存松果。

6 impulsive   

adj.冲动的，刺激的；有推动力的

参考例句：

• She is impulsive in her actions.她的行为常出于冲动。
• He was neither an impulsive nor an emotional man,but a very honest and sincere one.他不是个一冲动就鲁莽行事的人，也不多愁善感.他为人十分正直、诚恳。

7 instructors   

指导者，教师( instructor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The instructors were slacking on the job. 教员们对工作松松垮垮。
• He was invited to sit on the rostrum as a representative of extramural instructors. 他以校外辅导员身份，被邀请到主席台上。

8 dealers   

n.商人( dealer的名词复数 )；贩毒者；毒品贩子；发牌者

参考例句：

• There was fast bidding between private collectors and dealers. 私人收藏家和交易商急速竞相喊价。
• The police were corrupt and were operating in collusion with the drug dealers. 警察腐败，与那伙毒品贩子内外勾结。

9 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。

10 locker   

n.更衣箱，储物柜，冷藏室，上锁的人

参考例句：

• At the swimming pool I put my clothes in a locker.在游泳池我把衣服锁在小柜里。
• He moved into the locker room and began to slip out of his scrub suit.他走进更衣室把手术服脱下来。

11 lethal   

adj.致死的；毁灭性的

参考例句：

• A hammer can be a lethal weapon.铁锤可以是致命的武器。
• She took a lethal amount of poison and died.她服了致命剂量的毒药死了。

12 precisely   

adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地

参考例句：

• It's precisely that sort of slick sales-talk that I mistrust.我不相信的正是那种油腔滑调的推销宣传。
• The man adjusted very precisely.那个人调得很准。

13 lengthy   

adj.漫长的，冗长的

参考例句：

• We devoted a lengthy and full discussion to this topic.我们对这个题目进行了长时间的充分讨论。
• The professor wrote a lengthy book on Napoleon.教授写了一部有关拿破仑的巨著。

14 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

15 protocols   

n.礼仪( protocol的名词复数 )；（外交条约的）草案；（数据传递的）协议；科学实验报告（或计划）

参考例句：

• There are also protocols on the testing of nuclear weapons. 也有关于核武器试验的协议。 来自辞典例句
• Hardware components and software design of network transport protocols are separately introduced. 介绍系统硬件组成及网络传输协议的软件设计。 来自互联网

16 legislating   

v.立法，制定法律( legislate的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Why are the senators sitting there without legislating? 为什么那些议员们做在那里不立法？ 来自互联网
• From legislating and protecting peasant's interests organizationally. " 从立法和组织上保护农民利益。 来自互联网

17 avert   

v.防止，避免；转移(目光、注意力等)

参考例句：

• He managed to avert suspicion.他设法避嫌。
• I would do what I could to avert it.我会尽力去避免发生这种情况。