美乐坛两百艺人签联名信呼吁国会实施枪支管控-英语课

时间：2019-02-07 作者：英语课 分类：阅读空间

英语课

Nearly 200 entertainers and influential 1 executives from the music industry signed a letter to Congress urging lawmakers to take action on gun control legislation in the wake of two Orlando shooting tragedies.

奥兰多接连发生两起枪杀悲剧，音乐界近两百名艺人和有影响力的管理者向国会递交了一封联名信，要求立法者马上采取行动，立法管制枪支。
The letter, released Thursday by Billboard 2 magazine, features signatures from Katy Perry, Paul McCartney, Lin-Manuel Miranda, DJ Khaled, Cher, Kesha and others. It comes after a mass shooting at an Orlando gay nightclub that left 49 dead and 53 others wounded and the unrelated murder of singer Christina Grimmie after a concert in Orlando.
《公告牌》杂志周四曝光了这封信的内容，上面包括凯蒂?佩里、保罗?麦卡特尼、林-马努埃尔?米兰达、DJ哈里德、雪儿、凯莎等人的签名。这封联名信的起因源于奥兰多的两起枪杀案，一次是在同性恋夜店的大规模枪杀，导致49人死亡，53人受伤，另一次是歌手克里斯蒂娜?圭密在演唱会结束后被枪击身亡。
“Music always has been celebrated 3 communally 4, on dancefloors and at concert halls. But this life-affirming ritual, like so many other daily experiences—going to school or church or work—now is threatened, because of gun violence in this country,” the letter reads. “The one thing that connects the recent tragedies in Orlando is that it is far too easy for dangerous people to get their hands on guns.”
“音乐一直都是在公众场合演奏的，无论是在舞池中还是在音乐厅里。但是现在，这样积极向上的仪式，像很多其它日常生活（去上学、去教堂、去上班）一样面临着威胁，就是因为这个国家存在枪支暴力，”这封信写道。“引发奥兰多最近的悲剧的一个原因，就是危险人物太容易得到枪支了。”
美乐坛两百艺人签联名信呼吁国会实施枪支管控
Other celebrities 5 have spoken out on the need for gun control legislation in the wake of the Orlando murders, pushing for change on Twitter:
其他明星也在推特上发声要求变革，表示奥兰多枪击事件后有必要立法进行枪支管制：
Just give them a vote!! It’s a VOTE!!! You’re free to disagree, that’s what the VOTE IS FOR!! So transparent 6. So sad. No Republican Action.
— Chris Evans (@ChrisEvans) June 23, 2016
让他们投一次票！这是投票！！！你们可以不同意，但这才是投票的意义！！投票非常透明。好悲哀。共和党人没有一点行动。
——克里斯?埃文斯（@克里斯埃文斯）2016.6.23
The fact that anyone can so easily access guns is so scary & after all of the devastating 7 loss the Senate should have not failed us!!!
— Kim Kardashian West (@KimKardashian) June 21, 2016
任何人都能轻易得到枪支，这太恐怖了&经历过所有这些毁灭性的损失，参议院本不应该让我们失望！！！
——金?卡戴珊?韦斯特（@金卡戴珊）2016.6.21
I don’t have anything original here. Just, what’s it going to take to bring us sensible policies? #Orlando
— ABFoundation (@ABFalecbaldwin) June 12, 2016
我这里没有什么新鲜的要说。只是，还需要付出多大代价才能给我们一个合理的政策呢？#奥兰多
——AB基地（@ABF亚历克?鲍德温）2016.6.12
We have to vote the GOP out of leadership of both House & Senate to get anything done on guns. Please vote in November.
— John Legend (@johnlegend) June 20, 2016
为了能推动枪支管理做出任何一点改变，我们必须投票，把共和党从众议院和参议院都赶下台。请在11月投票。
——约翰?传奇（@约翰传奇）2016.6.20
How many people have to be killed before we act as a nation to #EndGunViolence? #Orlando @Everytown @MomsDemand
— Julianne Moore (@_juliannemoore) June 12, 2016
还需要被枪杀多少人，我们才能举国合力#结束枪支暴力？#奥兰多@每个市镇@母亲的要求
——朱利安?摩尔（@朱利安摩尔）2016.6.12
How many people have to die for the Republicans to stop blocking even the mildest reform of US gun laws?
— Alan Cumming (@Alancumming) June 12, 2016
还要死多少人，共和党才能不再阻挠美国枪支法改革，哪怕是最温和的改革？
——艾伦?卡明（@艾伦卡明）2016.6.12
Our love and prayers are not enough. GUN. CONTROL. NOW. #LGBTPOWER #Orlando
— Dustin Lance Black (@DLanceBlack) June 12, 2016
我们的爱和祈祷还不够。枪支。管制。现在就要。#跨性别人群力量 #奥兰多
——达斯汀?兰斯?布莱克（@D兰斯布莱克）2016.6.12
Democrats 9 began a sit-in on the House floor Wednesday morning in an effort to push Republicans to hold a vote on gun control legislation.
民主党人从周三早上开始在众议院静坐，试图迫使共和党对控枪法案进行投票。
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美国民主党议员静坐要求控枪立法
Democrats held a sit-in on the floor of the House of Representatives Wednesday and Thursday to demand a vote on gun control legislation.
美国当地时间周三（6月22日）和周四（6月23日），民主党议员在众议院静坐，要求就控枪立法案进行表决。
Georgia Democrat 8 and civil rights leader Rep. John Lewis began the sit-in around 11:25 am Wednesday.
此次静坐由乔治亚州民主党议员、民权领袖约翰·刘易斯于周三上午11:25发起。
发起者约翰·刘易斯表示：
“We have turned deaf ears to the blood of the innocent and the concerns of our nation. How many more mothers, how many more fathers need to shed tears of grief before we do something?”
“对于无辜人群流的血和整个国家的担忧，我们一直置若罔闻。还要多少父亲和母亲留下悲痛的泪水，我们才会有所行动？”
“There comes a time when you have to make a little noise. Now is the time to get in the way. We will be silent no more. The time for silence is over!”
“是时候发出一些声响了。现在就是阻止他们的时候。我们不再沉默。沉默的时代结束了！”
Democrats held up photos of victims of gun violence and chanted "No bill no break," demanding an opportunity to vote on gun control measures from their Republican colleagues.
民主党议员们拿着枪支暴力受害者们的照片，喊着“No bill no break”（不立法不停歇），要求共和党议员就控枪法案进行投票表决。
A Republican congressman 10 interrupted a Democrat's speech and shouted: "Radical 11 Islam killed these people."
一位共和党议员打断民主党议员的讲话，并大声表示“是伊斯兰极端组织杀了这些人。”
House Republicans adjourned 12 the session through the Fourth of July just after 3 am Thursday, and Democrats vowed 13 to continue fighting on the issue in July.
共和党议员在周四凌晨3点宣布众议院休会到7月4日国庆假期以后，民主党议员则声称7月份会继续抗争。
Some Democrats remained for several more hours. At about 1:15 pm Thursday — after more than 25 hours — they left the House chamber 14 and ended the demonstration 15.
部分民主党议员继续静坐几个小时，周四下午1点15分，静坐了25个多小时之后，民主党议员们离开了众议院，结束此次静坐示威。
今年1月，美国总统奥巴马曾经绕过国会颁布行政令，要求所有枪支卖家申领牌照（online sellers and gun shows need to be licensed），并强制对购买者进行背景审查（force all buyers of guns to undergo background check）。此举引起了共和党人的愤怒以及拥枪权利支持者的抗议，表示这一行政命令会让守法的民众更难买到枪支，保护自己的家人。
Vocabulary
in the wake of: 尾随，紧跟
communally: 公共地
life-affirming: 积极向上的

1 influential

adj.有影响的，有权势的

He always tries to get in with the most influential people.他总是试图巴结最有影响的人物。
He is a very influential man in the government.他在政府中是个很有影响的人物。

2 billboard

n.布告板，揭示栏，广告牌

He ploughed his energies into his father's billboard business.他把精力投入到父亲的广告牌业务中。
Billboard spreads will be simpler and more eye-catching.广告牌广告会比较简单且更引人注目。

3 celebrated

adj.有名的，声誉卓著的

He was soon one of the most celebrated young painters in England.不久他就成了英格兰最负盛名的年轻画家之一。
The celebrated violinist was mobbed by the audience.观众团团围住了这位著名的小提琴演奏家。

4 communally

adv.共同地

Only when the means of production were communally owned would classes disappear. 只有当生产工具公有时，阶级才会消失。
The mills were owned communally. 工厂是公有的。

5 celebrities

n.（尤指娱乐界的）名人( celebrity的名词复数 )；名流；名声；名誉

He only invited A-list celebrities to his parties. 他只邀请头等名流参加他的聚会。
a TV chat show full of B-list celebrities 由众多二流人物参加的电视访谈节目

6 transparent

adj.明显的，无疑的；透明的

The water is so transparent that we can see the fishes swimming.水清澈透明，可以看到鱼儿游来游去。
The window glass is transparent.窗玻璃是透明的。

7 devastating

adj.毁灭性的，令人震惊的，强有力的

It is the most devastating storm in 20 years.这是20年来破坏性最大的风暴。
Affairs do have a devastating effect on marriages.婚外情确实会对婚姻造成毁灭性的影响。

8 democrat

n.民主主义者，民主人士；民主党党员

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。

9 democrats

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

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》

10 Congressman

n.（美）国会议员

He related several anecdotes about his first years as a congressman.他讲述自己初任议员那几年的几则轶事。
The congressman is meditating a reply to his critics.这位国会议员正在考虑给他的批评者一个答复。

11 radical

n.激进份子，原子团，根号；adj.根本的，激进的，彻底的