2017年CRI Trump to NRA: The 'assault' on gun rights is over

 

On the eve of his 100-day mark in office, US President Donald Trump¹ has used a speech to the National Rifle Association's annual convention to revisit some of his campaign rhetoric², including his support for gun rights, as well as his vow³ to build a wall along the US-Mexico border.

"For too long Washington has gone after law abiding⁴ gun owners while making life easier for criminals, drug dealers⁵, traffickers and gang members."

Speaking at the National Rifle Association's annual meeting on Friday, Donald Trump has told the powerful US gun lobby group that an eight-year assault on gun rights during the Obama era had come to a crashing end.

"So let me make a simple promise to every one of the freedom-loving Americans in the audience today. As your president, I will never ever infringe⁶ on the right of the people to keep and bear arms, never ever."

Trump was the first sitting president to address the group since Ronald Reagan in 1983.

He outlined a series of actions he has taken which he says are aimed at defending gun rights, including nominating Supreme⁷ Court Justice Neil Gorsuch and Attorney General Jeff Sessions.

During his election campaign, Trump's pledge to appoint conservative judges, as well as his description of Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton as anti-gun, earned him enormous backing from the NRA.

The organization poured millions into pro-Trump advertising⁸ during the campaign.

Since taking office, Trump has taken some steps to roll back certain Obama-era gun restrictions⁹, including signing a measure in February to reverse a rule banning gun sales to certain mentally ill people.

However, most observers suggest its unlikely Trump is going to take larger steps to revise the current gun laws, despite the creation of a conservative majority on the US Supreme Court following the appointment of Neil Gorsuch.

Addressing the largely partisan¹⁰ Republican crowd at the NRA's annual meeting, Trump has also taken time to promote his signature campaign promise of building a wall along the southern US border with Mexico.

"And by the way, we will build the wall, no matter how low this number gets or how high. Don't even think about it. Don't even think about it. You know, they're trying to use this number against us because we've done so unbelievably at the borders already they're trying to use it against us but you need that wall to stop the human trafficking, to stop the drugs, to stop the wrong people, you need the wall. But listen to this, we've already seen a 73 percent decrease, never happened before. In illegal immigration, on the southern border since my election, 73 percent."

In making the pledge, Trump failed to say how the multi-billion US dollar endeavor would be paid for, or when it might begin.

The latest estimate suggests construction the border wall is likely to cost around 70-billion US dollars.

For CRI, this is Ding Heng.

1 trump   

n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭

参考例句：

• He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
• The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手，作为他的王牌。

2 rhetoric   

n.修辞学，浮夸之言语

参考例句：

• Do you know something about rhetoric?你懂点修辞学吗？
• Behind all the rhetoric,his relations with the army are dangerously poised.在冠冕堂皇的言辞背后，他和军队的关系岌岌可危。

3 vow   

n.誓(言)，誓约；v.起誓，立誓

参考例句：

• My parents are under a vow to go to church every Sunday.我父母许愿，每星期日都去做礼拜。
• I am under a vow to drink no wine.我已立誓戒酒。

4 abiding   

adj.永久的，持久的，不变的

参考例句：

• He had an abiding love of the English countryside.他永远热爱英国的乡村。
• He has a genuine and abiding love of the craft.他对这门手艺有着真挚持久的热爱。

5 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。

6 infringe   

v.违反，触犯，侵害

参考例句：

• The jury ruled that he had infringed no rules.陪审团裁决他没有违反任何规定。
• He occasionally infringe the law by parking near a junction.他因偶尔将车停放在交叉口附近而违反规定。

7 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

8 advertising   

n.广告业；广告活动 a.广告的；广告业务的

参考例句：

• Can you give me any advice on getting into advertising? 你能指点我如何涉足广告业吗?
• The advertising campaign is aimed primarily at young people. 这个广告宣传运动主要是针对年轻人的。

9 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

10 partisan   

adj.党派性的；游击队的；n.游击队员；党徒

参考例句：

• In their anger they forget all the partisan quarrels.愤怒之中，他们忘掉一切党派之争。
• The numerous newly created partisan detachments began working slowly towards that region.许多新建的游击队都开始慢慢地向那里移动。