Supplementary Reading >> Culture Notes

I. Gun Control in America

amendment  n.  修正案，修正条款

militia  n.   民兵组织

infringe  v.   破坏，侵犯

argument  n.  争论

reform  n.   改革

True or False

1. The gun laws in the United States are practically similar in every state. (F)

(=Gun laws are different in every state, which makes gun control even more complex.)

2. It is reported that eighteen people die each day in America because of guns. (F)

(=It is reported that eighty people die each day because of guns.)

3. According to the Gun Control Act of 1968, it was illegal for criminals to buy guns. (T)

4. The campus killer at Virginia Tech had a history of violent crimes. (F)

(=The campus killer at Virginia Tech had a history of mental illness.)

5. President Bush signed a law which includes only mental health records into background checks. (F)

(=The law includes criminal and mental health records into background checks.)

Script:

Many Americans feel very strongly about the subject of gun control. Some people believe that a person has the right to own a gun. Others believe the government must control the sale and use of guns to reduce gun violence and protect public safety. The fact that gun laws are different in every state makes the issue even more complex. Some estimates say about thirty percent of the American population own guns.

The Second Amendment to the United States Constitution is often at the center of gun control debates. It says: “A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”

The National Rifle Association uses this amendment to support the argument that individuals have the right to own guns. However, people who support gun control laws say this amendment has been misunderstood.

The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence works to improve laws controlling guns in an effort to protect public safety. It says eighty people die each day in this country because of guns. And it says the United States leads the world in the number of deaths each year due to gun violence.
    It often takes a tragedy to increase efforts to reform gun laws in the United States. For example, in the 1960s President John F. Kennedy, his brother Senator Robert F. Kennedy and civil rights leader Martin Luther King Junior were killed by gunfire. The Gun Control Act of 1968 made it illegal for criminals to buy guns. But it was not until the Brady Act of 1993 that a person’s criminal record had to be examined before the person could buy a gun.

Last year, a troubled college student at Virginia Tech bought two guns and shot and killed thirty-two teachers and students. The twenty-three year old killer had a history of mental illness that should have prevented him from buying a gun.

Earlier this month, President Bush signed a law to improve background checks so that they include more criminal and mental health records. It is meant to prevent people with a history of dangerous mental illness from buying guns. The Supreme Court recently agreed to hear a case on guns and the meaning of the Second Amendment. It is expected to announce its decision in June.

II. US Supreme Court Ruled in Favor of Gun

hail  vt.   向…欢呼

ratification  n. 批准

impose  vt.   强加

disassembled  adj.  解开的，没有组装的

sue  vt.  控告

affirm  v.  确认，肯定

1. What did the Supreme Court rule for the first time?

(=The court ruled that individual Americans have the right to own guns for personal use.)

2. What is the situation of gun control in the United States?

(=Forty-four states in the US protect their people’s rights to have guns, while six others impose gun restrictions.)

3. What was the reaction of the Mayor of Washington towards the ruling?

(=He was disappointed, but it is important to respect the court’s authority and act quickly.)

4. What was the reaction of the young engineer in Washington towards the ruling?

(=He was thrilled by it, and thought it is the most excellent news he’d heard in a long time.)

5. What did the experts believe?

(=Experts believe the ruling will have a far-reaching impact, as it may challenge gun restriction laws on various levels.)

Script:

The United States Supreme Court has ruled, for the first time in the country’s history, that individual Americans have the right to own guns for personal use. It struck down a strict gun control law in the U.S. capital, Washington.
    Gun rights supporters hail the decision, while some others show their strong disappointment. Our Washington correspondent Shan Shan has more.

The Supreme Court’s 5-4 ruling struck down the District of Columbia’s ban on handguns. It’s the first time in the history of the United States that the court has thoroughly interpreted the Second Amendment of the Constitution since its ratification in 1791.

The amendment reads: “A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.” The basic issue for the justices was whether the amendment protects an individual’s right to own guns no matter what, or whether that right is somewhat tied to service in a state militia.

So far, forty-four states in the US protect their people’s rights to have guns, while six others impose gun restrictions. The capital’s gun law was among the nation’s strictest. The law adopted by Washington’s city council in 1976, bars residents from owning handguns. Shotguns and rifles may be kept in homes, if they are registered. But they must be kept unloaded and either disassembled or equipped with trigger locks.

In 2003, 6 residents of Washington sued the District for violating their rights to hold guns. They say the District law goes against the Second Amendment.

The Supreme Court ruling on Thursday means it affirms that the Second Amendment protects the rights of Americans to keep and bear arms.

Mayor of Washington, Adrian Fenty shows his disappointment toward the ruling. “As mayor, although I’m disappointed in the court’s ruling, and believe as I said in the past years that more handguns in the district of Columbia will only lead to more handgun violence. It’s important to both respect the court’s authority, and act quickly”. Fenty says he has already directed the Metropolitan police department to implement a process for allowing citizens to register handguns for lawful possessions at home.

David Young is an engineer in Washington. He says he’s thrilled by the decision. “Awesome, that’s the most excellent news I’ve heard in a long time. It’s great news. I’m a resident of DC, and it’s been crazy to patronize the behavior that the government here has had toward the people. People can have guns. They can use it to defend themselves responsibly. I won’t buy a gun. It’s not for me. I don’t live in a dangerous neighborhood, but there are lots of people who do. They have the right to defend themselves.”

The anti-gun groups are disheartened by the ruling. Christine Brickley is one of them. “I’m one of those true anti-gun Americans, so I’m very saddened by this ruling on the Supreme Court. I think that the high crime rate and a lot of problems in the US would not happen if there were a gun ban in play in this country”.

Experts believe the ruling will have a far-reaching impact, as it may challenge gun restriction laws on various levels. Shan Shan, CRI News, Washington.

III. The Vietnam War

The Vietnam War, also known as the Second Indochina War, the Vietnam Conflict, and, in Vietnam, the American War, occurred from 1955 to April 30, 1975. The war was fought between the communist Democratic Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam) and its communist allies and the US-supported Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam). It concluded with the defeat and dissolution of South Vietnam. For the United States, the war ended in the withdrawal of American troops and the failure of its foreign policy in Vietnam.

IV. Pacifist and Pacifism

Pacifism is the opposition to war or violence as a means of settling disputes or gaining advantage. Pacifism covers a series of views, including the belief that international disputes can and should be peacefully resolved, calls for the abolition of the institutions of the military and war, opposition to any organization of society through governmental force, rejection of the use of physical violence to obtain political, economic or social goals, the obliteration of force except in cases where it is absolutely necessary to advance the cause of peace, and opposition to violence under any circumstance, even defense of self and others.

Supplementary Reading >> Reading

I. Difficult Sentences

1. Today, I am typical of the women whom gun manufacturers have been aiming at as potential buyers — and one of the millions who have taken the plunge.
Translate the sentence into Chinese.
(=时至今日，我成了一个典型的被枪支制造商视为其潜在买主的那种女人——成了成千上万个采取这种行动的人中的一员。)

2. ... when another car nearly hit mine head-on.
Paraphrase the sentence.
(=... when another car nearly ran squarely into mine.)

3. The three men spilled out of their car and into our yard.
Paraphrase the sentence.
(=The three men moved rapidly out of their car and into our yard.)

4. ... the odds had changed in my favor ...
What does this part of the sentence mean?
(=... by now I was more likely to overwhelm them, but previous to that the three men had been more powerful ...)

5. His alleged crimes were so brutal, his desire to inflict pain so intense, that I began to question my beliefs about not taking human life under any circumstances.
Translate the sentence into Chinese.
(=据称他的犯罪行为非常残忍，他加害于人的欲望非常强烈，这使我开始对自己在任何情况下不杀人的信念产生了怀疑。)

6. I realized that the one-sided pacifism I once so strongly had advocated could backfire on me and worse, on my son. Reluctantly, I concluded that I had to insure the best option for our survival.
Translate the sentence into Chinese.
(=我意识到，自己曾经积极提倡的一厢情愿的和平主义会危害自身，更糟的是，会危害我的儿子。于是我极不情愿地认定：为了我们的生存，我必须确保有一个最佳选择方案。)

7. But knowledge, I believe, is still our greatest defense.
1) Paraphrase the sentence.
(=But I believe that only with knowledge can we best defend ourselves.)
2) Translate the sentence into Chinese.
(=但我相信，知识仍是我们最有力的防范手段。)

8. I’m down to three seconds.
Paraphrase the sentence.
(=I have reduced the time I need to open the safety box to three seconds.)

9. I wrapped my finger around the trigger and finally squeezed it, simultaneously accepting the intruder’s death at my own hand and the relief of not being a victim.
Translate the sentence into Chinese.
(=我手指扣住扳机，最后用力一扣，在亲手结束了侵入者生命的同时也庆幸自己没有成为牺牲品。)

II. Words & Expressions

shun: vt.  keep away from; avoid

- 他们也敦促外国债权人避开这个项目。

(=They are also urging foreign creditors to shun the project.)

- Managers shun conflicts and put off decisions until they reach consensus.

protest: v.  express opposition through action or words

- 她极力反对别人说她势利眼。

(=She protested strongly at being called a snob.)

- The union organized a demonstration in order to protest unsafe conditions.

take the plunge: take a bold decisive step, esp. after thinking about it for some time

- 登山者在对大山了如指掌之前是不会轻易冒险攀登的。

(=The climber never seems to take the plunge until he gets to know the mountain.)

- For those who really want change, it’s enough for them to take the plunge.

curse: n. profane or obscene expression usually of surprise or anger

- 你可以将苦痛转化为诅咒，亦可以把它转化为诗篇。

(=You can turn your pain into a curse or into poetry.)

- His talent is both his strength and his curse.

New York cabbies:

They are known for their temper and rudeness, as well as high speed.

trap: vt.  catch in or as if in a trap

- The mountains trap rains and fogs generated over the ocean.

- 记者用计诱使那个官员泄露了一个秘密。

(=The reporter trapped the official into giving away a secret.)

aggressive: adj.  characteristic of an enemy or one eager to fight

- More aggressive animals, such as tigers and bears, use teeth and nails to attack other creatures or defend their territory.

- 侵略成性的国家威胁世界和平。

(=Aggressive nations threaten world peace.)

odds: n.  the likelihood of a thing occurring rather than not occurring

- 还是新兴经济体的几率更大，尤其是中国。

(=The odds are better in emerging economies, especially China.)

- What was the biggest factor that turned the odds in your favour?

in one’s favor:  to the advantage of sb.

- The conditions are in our favor.

- 欧洲的一个优势是：货物价格偏低。

(=One factor in Europe’s favor is that merchandise is trading at cheap prices.)

depart: vi.  die; go away or leave, esp. on a journey

- 无人知道自己何时会离开世界。

(=No one knows when we will depart this earth through death.)

- If you are a student planning to depart in September, you cannot apply before June.

- The train for Edinburgh departs at 7:00 a.m.

confirm: vt.  provide evidence for the truth of; establish the truth of

- 他的支持更坚定了我出国的决心。

(=His support confirmed my determination to go abroad.)

- The local government confirmed on Sunday a bird flu outbreak at two chicken farms.

senseless: adj.  not marked by the use of reason

- 现在正是我们停止一切无谓争论的时候了。

(=It’s about time we called a halt to all this senseless arguing.)

- The senseless murder of a small child stirred up the whole neighborhood.

intense: adj.  very great or severe; extreme

- Do you have an intense desire for truth and honesty?

- 大萧条给南方带来了极大的贫困。

(=The depression brought intense poverty to the South.)

disgust: vt.  offend the taste or moral sense of; repel

- The awful food at the inn disgusted us.

- 她在餐桌上的糟糕表现令我讨厌。

(=Her terrible manners at the dinner table disgusted me.)

defend: vt.  protect sb./sth. from harm

- When the dog attacked me, I defended myself with a stick.

- 哨兵守卫大门以防突然袭击。

(=The sentry defended the gate against sudden attack.)

stopping power:

Here the phrase refers to the power to prevent sth./sb. from acting, by the strength with which a gunshot is delivered.

Smith & Wesson 38 Special:

a kind of 38 caliber handgun produced by Smith & Wesson

insure: vt.  make sure, certain, or secure

- Please insure that the lights are switched off before leaving the building.

- 他的才气和执着将确保他成功。

(=His talent and dedication will insure his success.)

count on:  rely on; be confident of

- 我们在期待着您的合作。

(=We are counting on your cooperation.)

- You can always count on Kent to be punctual.

recommend: vt.  speak favorably of sb./sth.; advise

- I can recommend him as an extremely good accountant.

- 你给我介绍一本好的小说行吗？

(=Can you recommend me a good novel?)

impact: n.  hitting of one object against another

- 炸弹在撞击时立即爆炸。

(=The bomb exploded on impact.)

- Her speech made a tremendous impact on everyone.

draw the line at sth./doing sth.: refuse to do or refuse to tolerate sth. 

- I swear quite a lot, but even I draw the line at saying certain words.

- 我帮忙倒无所谓，但可不能什么事都让我做。

(=I don’t mind helping, but I draw the line at doing everything myself.)

relieve: vt.  lessen or remove

- This drug will relieve your discomfort.

- 这项政策的实施会解除他们的巨大负担。

(=The implementation of this policy would relieve them of a tremendous burden.)

advocate: vt.  speak, plead, or argue in favor of

- 必须大力提倡并实施有效学习。

(=We must vigorously advocate and implement effective learning.)

- People who advocate this new technology are convinced that it will allow quicker and more efficient elections.

simultaneously: adv.  at the same instant

- 这使人们几乎得以同时或即刻收到讯息。

(=This makes people almost receive information simultaneously or in time.)

- Only humans have a brain big enough to do all these simultaneously and do them well.

weigh: vt.  consider carefully the relative value or importance of sth.

- 我们要仔细权衡做这种手术的好处与风险。

(=We should weigh the advantages of the operation against the risks involved.)

- People should weigh the consequence of their action before making a decision.

Supplementary Reading >> Comprehension Tasks

I. Listen and Discuss

It seems like violent crime is everywhere these days. From the local nightly news to the front page of the morning paper, we are constantly reminded that we live in a dangerous and unpredictable world. Crime statistics confirm these reports — according to the FBI, there were a reported 1,390,695 violent crimes in 2005.

Today, it’s more important than ever to be able to defend yourself if it becomes necessary. But what exactly does “self-defense” mean? Is it about being bigger and tougher than a potential attacker? Does it mean carrying a gun in your purse?

Not all of us are capable of fighting back physically, and sometimes fighting can make your situation more dangerous. Plus the laws concerning self-defense can be tricky — lethal (致命的) self-defense is not always the solution from a legal point of view, no matter how frightened you may be in a situation.

The key to self-defense is preparation. You don’t have to carry a gun. The best way to defend yourself is to be aware of your surroundings and to know what to do if you feel threatened or unsafe. Here are some things you can do to avoid being a victim.

Avoid isolated places. Whether you’re finding a parking spot at the mall or going out for an evening stroll, make a point to be around other people. You’re significantly less likely to be attacked if you are in a well-lit, high-traffic area.

You’re far less likely to become a victim of a violent crime if you’re alert and aware. Unfortunately, there’s no 100% guarantee. For a little extra peace of mind, you may want to consider some additional non-lethal self-defense options: such as pepper spray, stun guns or personal alarms.

By staying alert and using non-lethal self-defense products, you are minimizing your risk of becoming a victim. You don’t have to live in fear. A little preparation can help you feel empowered in an unpredictable world.

Questions for discussion:

1. What makes self-defense so important?

2. What is the key to self-defense? What is the best way to defend ourselves?

3. What devices could be used in self-defense?

4. How about security situations in your living places? What measures could be taken to handle the problems?