VOA慢速英语2018 研究发现世界范围内每年枪支死亡人数达到25万人

Study Finds Worldwide Gun Deaths Have Reached 250,000 Yearly

A new study shows that guns are responsible for about 250,000 deaths worldwide every year.

一项新的研究表明，全球每年有大约25万人死于枪支。

It also found that the United States is among just six countries in which half of all gun deaths take place.

该研究还发现，美国是占据枪支死亡半壁江山的6个国家之一。

The findings are from one of the most wide-reaching investigations 1 of gun deaths to date. A report on the study appeared in The Journal of the American Medical Association in late August. An editorial published with the report called gun deaths “a major public health problem for humanity.”

该结果出自于迄今为止对枪支死亡进行的最广泛的一项调查。该研究报告于8月底发表在《美国医学会杂志》上，与之同期发表的一篇社论称枪支死亡是“人类面临的一项重要的公共卫生问题。”

Recent news stories make it seem like gun violence is increasing around the world. But the new report tells a more complex story.

近期的新闻报道让世界各地的枪支暴力事件看上去似乎越来越多，但是这篇新报告讲出了一个更为复杂的故事。

Researchers counted about 209,000 gun deaths in 1990 compared to 251,000 in 2016. But the average rate, about four per 100,000 people, was mostly unchanged.

研究人员统计，1990年大约有20.9万人死亡枪支，而2016年为25.1万人。但是平均比例基本没有变化，都是大约10万人中有4人死亡。

Two-thirds of the deaths in 2016 were listed as homicides. Yet the United States is among wealthy countries with more suicides by gun than gun killings 3, the study found. In fact, U.S. gun suicides increased from 19,700, in 1990, to 23,800, in 2016.

2016年的枪支死亡中有2/3被列为他杀。然而调查发现，美国是吞枪自杀高于枪杀的富裕国家之一。事实上，美国吞枪自杀人数从1990年的19700人增加到了2016年的23800人。

Christopher Murray, the lead investigator 4, is a Professor of Global Health at the University of Washington. He told the Associated Press the numbers show more than “how many guns are around in a country.”

这项研究的首席研究员克里斯托弗·默里（Christopher Murray）是华盛顿大学全球健康学教授。他对美联社表示，这个数字反映出的不仅仅是“一个国家有多少枪支。”

Murray noted 5 that cultural beliefs about guns and suicide differ from one country to another around the world.

默里指出，关于枪支和自杀的文化信仰在世界各地差异很大。

“That’s where we get this incredible range of firearm deaths,” Murray added.

默里补充说：“我们从中得出了枪支死亡这一令人难以置信的范围。”

There were larger increases in many of the 195 countries involved in the study, especially in Central America and South America. Researchers said the illegal drug trade and economic unrest may have been partly responsible.

在研究涉及的195个国家中，很多国家的枪支死亡都有大幅增长，尤其是在中美洲和南美洲。研究人员表示，非法毒品交易和经济动荡可能是原因之一。

Brazil, Colombia, Guatemala, Mexico and Venezuela are the countries that, along with the U.S, were home to half the deaths the study reported. El Salvador had the highest gun death rate of all. Nearly 40 in every 100,000 Salvadorans died in gun violence. Singapore had the lowest rate, with 0.1 death per 100,000 individuals.

该研究报告称，巴西、哥伦比亚、危地马拉、墨西哥和委内瑞拉，加上美国，这些国家占据了枪支死亡的半壁江山。埃尔瓦多的枪支死亡率最高，每10万名埃尔瓦多人中就有40人死亡枪支暴力事件。新加坡的枪支死亡率最低，每10万人中只有0.1人。

The study raises concerns about the lack of research on causes of gun violence and ways to prevent it, the editorial said.

社论称这项研究引发了人们对缺少关于枪支暴力起因和预防方法的研究的关注。

I’m Pete Musto.

Words in This Story

editorial – n. a piece of writing in a publication that gives the opinions of its editors or publishers

homicide(s) – n. the act of killing 2 another person

incredible – adj. difficult or impossible to believe

range – n. a group or collection of different things or people that are usually similar in some way

firearm – n. a small gun