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为什么美国人购买枪支(上)
- Authors
2020年，当许多社区处于疫情封控，抗议者涌入街头，经济不确定性和社会孤立不断加深之时，美国人开始了疯狂的购物。他们购买的是枪支。
双语精读
In 2020, while many communities were under Covid lockdowns, protesters were flooding the streets and economic uncertainty and social isolation were deepening, Americans went on a shopping spree. For firearms.
2020年，当许多社区处于疫情封控，抗议者涌入街头，经济不确定性和社会孤立不断加深之时，美国人开始了疯狂的购物。他们购买的是枪支。
Some 22 million guns were sold that year, 64 percent more than in 2019. More than eight million of them went to novices who had never owned a firearm, according to the firearm industry's trade association, the National Shooting Sports Foundation.
那一年售出的枪支数量约为2200万支，比2019年增长了64%。根据枪支行业协会"国家射击运动基金会"的数据，其中超过800万支枪流向了从未拥有过枪支的新手。
Firearm homicides increased that year as well, to 19,350 from 14,392 in 2019. The death count from guns, including suicides, rose to 45,222 in 2020 from 39,702 in 2019. The number of lives lost to guns rose again in 2021, to 48,830.
同年，枪支凶杀案也有所增加，从2019年的14 392起增加到19 350起。包括自杀在内的枪支致死人数从2019年的39 702人上升到2020年的45 222人。2021年，这一数据再次上升，达到48 830人。
After quashing research into gun violence for 25 years, Congress began funneling millions of dollars to federal agencies in 2021 to gather data. Here is what social psychologists are finding about who purchased firearms, what motivated them and how owning, or even holding, a firearm can alter behavior.
国会在阻止对枪支暴力的研究长达25年后，又开始在2021年向联邦政府机构拨款数百万美元，用于收集数据。以下是社会心理学家关于购买枪支的是哪些人、他们的动机是什么，以及拥有甚至手持枪支会如何改变行为的研究结果。
Millions of Americans who had never owned a gun purchased a firearm during a two-and-a-half-year period that began in January 2019, before the pandemic, and continued through April 2021. Of the 7.5 million people who bought their first firearm during that period, 5.4 million had until then lived in homes without guns, researchers at Harvard and Northeastern University estimated.
数百万从未拥有过枪支的美国人在两年半的时间里购买了枪支，这段时间从疫情之前的2019年1月开始，一直持续到2021年4月。哈佛大学和东北大学的研究人员估计，750万人在此期间购买了人生中的第一支枪，其中540万人在那之前家里从来没有枪。
The new buyers were different from the white men who have historically made up a majority of gun owners. Half were women, and nearly half were people of color (20 percent were Black, and 20 percent were Hispanic).
新的买家并非过去一直以来占持枪人群大多数的白人男性。新买家中一半是女性，还有接近一半是有色人种(20%的黑人，20%的西班牙裔)。
"The people who were always buying are still buying -- they didn't stop. But a whole other community of folks have come in," said Michael Anestis, the executive director of the New Jersey Gun Violence Research Center, who was not involved in the survey.
"那些一直在买枪的人还在继续买枪，他们没有停下来。但其他一群人也加入了进来。"新泽西州枪支暴力研究中心的执行主任迈克尔·安斯蒂斯说，他没有参与这项调查。
Self-defense is the top reason Americans purchase handguns. Gun ownership is not just a constitutional right, but a necessary form of protection, according to organizations like National Rifle Association and National Shooting Sports Foundation.
自卫是美国人购买手枪的首要原因。美国全国步枪协会和国家射击运动基金会等组织认为，拥有枪支不仅是宪法规定的权利，也是一种必要的保护方式。
A study of individuals who said they were planning to purchase a first or second firearm during the early days of the pandemic found that would-be buyers were more likely to see the world as dangerous and threatening than individuals who were not planning to purchase a firearm.
一项研究调查了那些表示计划在疫情初期购买第一支或第二支枪的人，研究发现，与没有计划购买枪支的人相比，这些想要购买枪支的人更有可能将世界视为危险的和存在威胁的。
Those planning to buy firearms were more likely to agree strongly with statements like "People can't be trusted," "People are not what they seem" and "You need to watch your back," compared with those not planning a purchase, noted Dr. Anestis, an author of the study.
安斯蒂斯博士是这项研究的作者之一，他表示，与那些没有计划购买枪支的人相比，计划购买枪支的人更有可能强烈同意"不能信任他人""知人知面不知心"和"你需要注意保护自己"等说法。
词汇预习
economic [高考]
美[ˌiːkəˈnɑːmɪk] | 英[ˌiːkəˈnɒmɪk]
adj. 经济的，经济学的；有利可图的；节约的
executive [高考]
美[ɪɡˈzekjətɪv] | 英[ɪɡˈzekjətɪv]
adj. 行政的；决策的；经营的；[计算机]执行指令 n. 行政主管；行政部门；决策者
uncertainty [高考]
美[ʌnˈsɜːrtnti] | 英[ʌnˈsɜːtnti]
n. 不确定；不可靠；易变
alter [高考]
美[ˈɔːltər] | 英[ˈɔːltə(r)]
v. 改变；更改；阉割；切除卵巢
isolation [高考]
美[ˌaɪsəˈleɪʃn] | 英[ˌaɪsəˈleɪʃn]
n. 隔离；孤立
data [高考]
美[ˈdeɪtə] | 英[ˈdeɪtə]
n. 数据；资料
gather [高考]
美[ˈɡæðər] | 英[ˈɡæðə(r)]
v. 聚集；集合；收集；推测 n. 聚集；褶子
purchase [高考]
美[ˈpɜːrtʃəs] | 英[ˈpɜːtʃəs]
vt. 购买 n. 购买；购买的物品
violence [高考]
美[ˈvaɪələns] | 英[ˈvaɪələns]
n. 猛烈；暴力；暴行；强暴
majority [高考]
美[məˈdʒɔːrəti] | 英[məˈdʒɒrəti]
n. 大多数；大部分；多数票；（获胜的）票数
federal [高考]
美[ˈfedərəl] | 英[ˈfedərəl]
adj. 联邦制的；联邦政府的；同盟的 n. 联邦主义者；同盟盟友
defense [高考]
美[dɪ'fens] | 英[dɪ'fens]
n. 防卫；防卫物；辩护 vt. 防守
ownership [高考]
美[ˈoʊnərʃɪp] | 英[ˈəʊnəʃɪp]
n. 所有权
research into [高考]
美[rɪˈsɚtʃ ˈɪntu] | 英[riˈsə:tʃ ˈɪntuː]
就…研究
finding [高考]
美[ˈfaɪndɪŋ] | 英[ˈfaɪndɪŋ]
n. 调查(或研究)的结果；[律] 裁决
would [高考]
美[wʊd , wəd] | 英[wʊd , wəd]
aux. 将；可能；大概；总会；愿意；will的过去式
would-be [四级]
美[ˈwʊdˌbi] | 英[ˈwudbi:]
adj. 想要成为的；将要成为的；假冒的 n. 想要成为…的人；假冒者
historically [四级]
美[hɪsˈtɔrɪklɪ] | 英[hɪ'stɒrɪklɪ]
adv. 历史上地
involved in [四级]
美 | 英
涉及； 包含在 ... 中
planning [四级]
美[ˈplænɪŋ] | 英[ˈplænɪŋ]
n. 规划；计划；设计 v. plan的现在分词
involved [四级]
美[ɪnˈvɑlvd] | 英[ɪnˈvɒlvd]
adj. 涉及的；牵连的；复杂的；感情投入的；有密切关系的
according [专四]
美[ə'kɔrdɪŋ] | 英[ə'kɔːdɪŋ]
adj. 相符的；相应的；一致的 v. 给予；符合，一致；正式协议（accord的现在分词）
constitutional [考研]
美[ˌkɑnstəˈtuʃənl] | 英[ˌkɒnstɪˈtju:ʃənl]
adj. 宪法的；合乎宪法的；体质的；组成的 n. 散步保健
Hispanic [考研]
美[hɪˈspænɪk] | 英[hɪˈspænɪk]
adj. 西班牙的；西班牙语的 n. 讲西班牙语的人；美籍西班牙人
firearm [托福]
美[ˈfaɪərɑːrm] | 英[ˈfaɪərɑːm]
n. 火器；枪炮
noted [托福]
美[ˈnoʊtɪd] | 英[ˈnəʊtɪd]
adj. 著名的；有声望的
重点讲解
In 2020, while many communities were under Covid lockdowns, protesters were flooding the streets and economic uncertainty and social isolation were deepening, Americans went on a shopping spree. For firearms.
2020年，当许多社区处于疫情封控，抗议者涌入街头，经济不确定性和社会孤立不断加深之时，美国人开始了疯狂的购物。他们购买的是枪支。
community n. 社区；社群
【例】community parks/the academic community 社区公园/学术界
the international community/a community with a shared future 国际社会/命运共同体
spree n. 过分的玩乐；纵乐
【例】to have a spending spree/an eating spree 大肆挥霍/狂吃美食
【近义词】binge n. 大吃大喝
Some 22 million guns were sold that year, 64 percent more than in 2019. More than eight million of them went to novices who had never owned a firearm, according to the firearm industry's trade association, the National Shooting Sports Foundation.
那一年售出的枪支数量约为2200万支，比2019年增长了64%。根据枪支行业协会"国家射击运动基金会"的数据，其中超过800万支枪流向了从未拥有过枪支的新手。
novice n. 新手；初学者
【例】a novice in cooking/a political novice 厨房小白/政界新人
【近义词】greenhorn/newcomer n. 新手
【反义词】veteran n. 经验丰富的人；老手
trade n. 行业；行当
【例】the food trade/to learn a trade 食品行业/学一门手艺
homicide n. 蓄意杀人；谋杀
【例】be arrested for homicide 因蓄意杀人被逮捕
【辨析】murder/manslaughter n. 谋杀/过失杀人
【拓展】-cide 杀死
【例】suicide/pesticide n. 自杀/杀虫剂
Firearm homicides increased that year as well, to 19,350 from 14,392 in 2019. The death count from guns, including suicides, rose to 45,222 in 2020 from 39,702 in 2019. The number of lives lost to guns rose again in 2021, to 48,830.
同年，枪支凶杀案也有所增加，从2019年的14 392起增加到19 350起。包括自杀在内的枪支致死人数从2019年的39 702人上升到2020年的45 222人。2021年，这一数据再次上升，达到48 830人。
novice n. 新手；初学者
【例】a novice in cooking/a political novice 厨房小白/政界新人
【近义词】greenhorn/newcomer n. 新手
【反义词】veteran n. 经验丰富的人；老手
trade n. 行业；行当
【例】the food trade/to learn a trade 食品行业/学一门手艺
homicide n. 蓄意杀人；谋杀
【例】be arrested for homicide 因蓄意杀人被逮捕
【辨析】murder/manslaughter n. 谋杀/过失杀人
【拓展】-cide 杀死
【例】suicide/pesticide n. 自杀/杀虫剂
After quashing research into gun violence for 25 years, Congress began funneling millions of dollars to federal agencies in 2021 to gather data. Here is what social psychologists are finding about who purchased firearms, what motivated them and how owning, or even holding, a firearm can alter behavior.
国会在阻止对枪支暴力的研究长达25年后，又开始在2021年向联邦政府机构拨款数百万美元，用于收集数据。以下是社会心理学家关于购买枪支的是哪些人、他们的动机是什么，以及拥有甚至手持枪支会如何改变行为的研究结果。
funnel v. 从漏斗流过；使流经狭窄空间
【例】Huge pipes funnel the water down the mountainside.
巨大的管道把水输送下山。
【近义词】channel v. （通过渠道）输送，传送
【例】Money for the project will be channeled through local government.
这个项目的资金将由地方政府提供。
Millions of Americans who had never owned a gun purchased a firearm during a two-and-a-half-year period that began in January 2019, before the pandemic, and continued through April 2021. Of the 7.5 million people who bought their first firearm during that period, 5.4 million had until then lived in homes without guns, researchers at Harvard and Northeastern University estimated.
数百万从未拥有过枪支的美国人在两年半的时间里购买了枪支，这段时间从疫情之前的2019年1月开始，一直持续到2021年4月。哈佛大学和东北大学的研究人员估计，750万人在此期间购买了人生中的第一支枪，其中540万人在那之前家里从来没有枪。
folk n. & adj.
1. 作名词：人们；普通人
【例】the working-class folk/country folk/city folk 劳动人民/乡下人/城里人
2. 作形容词：民间的；民俗的
【例】a folk museum/folk songs 民俗博物馆/民歌
The new buyers were different from the white men who have historically made up a majority of gun owners. Half were women, and nearly half were people of color (20 percent were Black, and 20 percent were Hispanic).
新的买家并非过去一直以来占持枪人群大多数的白人男性。新买家中一半是女性，还有接近一半是有色人种(20%的黑人，20%的西班牙裔)。
folk n. & adj.
1. 作名词：人们；普通人
【例】the working-class folk/country folk/city folk 劳动人民/乡下人/城里人
2. 作形容词：民间的；民俗的
【例】a folk museum/folk songs 民俗博物馆/民歌
"The people who were always buying are still buying -- they didn't stop. But a whole other community of folks have come in," said Michael Anestis, the executive director of the New Jersey Gun Violence Research Center, who was not involved in the survey.
"那些一直在买枪的人还在继续买枪，他们没有停下来。但其他一群人也加入了进来。"新泽西州枪支暴力研究中心的执行主任迈克尔·安斯蒂斯说，他没有参与这项调查。
folk n. & adj.
1. 作名词：人们；普通人
【例】the working-class folk/country folk/city folk 劳动人民/乡下人/城里人
2. 作形容词：民间的；民俗的
【例】a folk museum/folk songs 民俗博物馆/民歌
Self-defense is the top reason Americans purchase handguns. Gun ownership is not just a constitutional right, but a necessary form of protection, according to organizations like National Rifle Association and National Shooting Sports Foundation.
自卫是美国人购买手枪的首要原因。美国全国步枪协会和国家射击运动基金会等组织认为，拥有枪支不仅是宪法规定的权利，也是一种必要的保护方式。
constitutional adj. 宪法规定的
【例】They can't pass this law. It's not constitutional.
他们无法通过这项法律，这项法律不符合宪法规定。
【拓展】Constitution n. 宪法 unconstitutional adj. 违宪的
would-be adj. 想要成为的
【例】a would-be mother/actor 准妈妈/想要成为演员的人
【辨析】potential adj. 潜在的；可能的
A study of individuals who said they were planning to purchase a first or second firearm during the early days of the pandemic found that would-be buyers were more likely to see the world as dangerous and threatening than individuals who were not planning to purchase a firearm.
一项研究调查了那些表示计划在疫情初期购买第一支或第二支枪的人，研究发现，与没有计划购买枪支的人相比，这些想要购买枪支的人更有可能将世界视为危险的和存在威胁的。
constitutional adj. 宪法规定的
【例】They can't pass this law. It's not constitutional.
他们无法通过这项法律，这项法律不符合宪法规定。
【拓展】Constitution n. 宪法 unconstitutional adj. 违宪的
would-be adj. 想要成为的
【例】a would-be mother/actor 准妈妈/想要成为演员的人
【辨析】potential adj. 潜在的；可能的
Those planning to buy firearms were more likely to agree strongly with statements like "People can't be trusted," "People are not what they seem" and "You need to watch your back," compared with those not planning a purchase, noted Dr. Anestis, an author of the study.
安斯蒂斯博士是这项研究的作者之一，他表示，与那些没有计划购买枪支的人相比，计划购买枪支的人更有可能强烈同意"不能信任他人""知人知面不知心"和"你需要注意保护自己"等说法。
watch/have one’s back 保护某人
【例】She thanked all her colleagues throughout her career, who she said had always watched her back.
她感谢了在职场中一路走来的所有同事，她说这些同事总是支持她。
【拓展】on the back of sth 由于（某项成就）
【例】The profits growth came on the back of a 26 per cent rise in sales.
利润增长来自26%的销售额增长。
课后练习
What can be learned about firearms in 2020?
A. Many people bought firearms to protest.
B. There was a huge increase in firearm sales.
C. Novices were reluctant to purchase firearms.
D. Suicide was the major cause of death from guns.
According to the study of Harvard and Northeastern University, ____.
A. millions of young people bought their first firearm
B. the enthusiasm for firearms faded very quickly
C. the group of firearm owners became larger
D. the majority of new buyers were white men
Why did people purchase firearms?
A. Because they wanted to protect themselves.
B. Because it was their legal right to own a gun.
C. Because it was necessary to learn how to shoot.
D. Because they were doing what other people did.
According to the text, would-be buyers of firearms ____.
A. were aggressive and violent
B. lacked a feeling of security
C. were selfish and unfriendly
D. lacked interpersonal skills