奥巴马就巴吞鲁日枪击警察事件发表讲话
美国巴吞鲁日7月17日上午发生的枪击案致至少3名警察死亡，3名重伤。
美国总统奥巴马17日发表声明，强烈谴责发生在路易斯安那州首府巴吞鲁日的枪击警察事件。
Statement by the President on the Shootings in Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Good afternoon, everybody. As all of you know now, this morning, three law enforcement officers inBaton Rouge[巴吞鲁日(美国路易斯安那州首府)] were killedin the line of duty[在执行任务时/while working]. Three others were wounded. One is still in critical condition[伤情严重].
As of right now, we don’t know the motive of the killer. We don’t know whether the killer set out to[打算;着手] target police officers, or whether he gunned them down[枪杀;开枪打伤;击倒] as they responded to a call. Regardless of motive, the death of these three brave officers underscores the danger that police across the country confront every single day. And we as a nation have to be loud and clear that nothing justifies violence against law enforcement. Attacks on police are an attack on all of us and the rule of law that makes society possible.
Earlier this afternoon, I spoke with Governor Edwards and Mayor Holden, and I offered them the full support of the federal government and reiterated[重申] my full support for law enforcement in Baton Rouge and for police officers across the country. I also spoke to the Attorney General[司法部长], and the FBI has already been on the scene. And through the work of all levels of government, justice will be done[正义终将得到伸张].
Most of all, our hearts go out to[对…充满同情;(心)向往] the families who are grieving. Our prayers go out to the officer who is still fighting for his life. This has happened far too often. And I’ve spent a lot of time with law enforcement this past week. I’m surrounded by the best of the best[精英中的精英]every single day. And I know whenever this happens, wherever this happens, you feel it. Your families feel it. But what I want you to know today is the respect and the gratitude of the American people for everything that you do for us.
Five days ago, I traveled to Dallas[达拉斯] for the memorial service[追悼会;追思会] of the officers who were slain[1] there. I said that that killer would not be the last person who tries to make us turn on[对…发怒;对…不满;反对,攻击;对…怀敌意] each other. Nor will today’s killer. It remains up to us to make sure that they fail. That decision is all of ours. The decision to make sure that our best selves are reflected across America, not our worst -- that’s up to us.
We have our divisions[分歧;不和], and they are not new. Around-the-clock[连续不断的;日夜不停的] news cycles and social media sometimes amplify[放大,扩大;增强;详述] these divisions, and I know we’re about to enter a couple of weeks of conventions[(美国)全国代表大会;政党代表大会] where our political rhetoric[2] tends to be more overheated than usual.
And that is why it is so important that everyone -- regardless of race or political party or profession, regardless of what organizations you are a part of -- everyone right now focus on words and actions that can unite this country rather than divide it further. We don’t need inflammatory rhetoric[煽风点火的言词]. We don’t need careless accusations[谴责;控告;罪名] thrown around to score political points or to advance an agenda. We need to temper[3] our words and open our hearts -- all of us. We need what we saw in Dallas this week, as a community came together to restore order[恢复秩序/治安] and deepen unity and understanding. We need the kind of efforts we saw this week in meetings between community leaders and police -- some of which I participated in -- where I saw people of good will pledge to[承诺做某事;发誓;保证] work together to reduce violence throughout all of our communities. That’s what’s needed right now. And it is up to all of us to make sure we are part of the solution and not part of the problem.
Someone once wrote, “A bullet need happen only once, but for peace to work we need to be reminded of its existence again and again and again.”
My fellow Americans, only we can prove, through words and through deeds, that we will not be divided. And we’re going to have to keep on doing it “again and again and again.” That’s how this country gets united. That’s how we bring people of good will together. Only we can prove that we have the grace[优雅;恩惠;魅力;慈悲] and the character and the common humanity to end this kind of senseless violence[毫无意义/无谓的暴力], to reduce fear and mistrust within the American family, to set an example for our children.
That’s who we are, and that’s who we always have the capacity to be. And that’s the best way for us to honor the sacrifice of the brave police officers who were taken from us this morning.
May God bless them and their families, and may God bless the United States of America. Thank you very much.
······
注释
[1]slain（past participle of slay）
to kill in a violent way （以暴力）杀死；残杀
St George slew the dragon.
圣乔治杀死了那条龙。
(used especially in newspapers) to murder someone （尤用于报纸新闻报道）谋杀，杀害
He was found slain in an alley two blocks from his apartment.
人们发现他在距其公寓两个街区的一条小巷里被杀害了。
[2]rhetoric ['retərɪk]
speech or writing which is intended to be effective and influence people 雄辩言辞；煽动性语言
How far the president will be able to translate his campaign rhetoric into action remains to be seen.
总统在大选中作出的冠冕堂皇的承诺能够兑现多少尚待观察。
[3]temper
to make something less strong, extreme, etc. 使缓和；使变温和；使变淡
My enthusiasm for the venture was somewhat tempered by my knowledge of the work that would be involved.
当我了解到完成这个风险项目所要做的工作时，我的热情多少消退了一些。
I learnt to temper my criticism.
我学会了批评别人时语气要缓和些。
[4]相关参考
······