不只是武器，也是文化
Alice: Did you know that in November only, there were two mass shooting incidents in the US? I’m most upset about the fact that one of the victims was an 18-month-old baby.
艾莉絲：你知道嗎？光是在11月，美國就發生了兩起槍擊案。我最難過的是，受害者甚至包括1歲6個月大的嬰兒。
Eric: How cruel! Did the news report mention why the assailants did those things?
艾瑞克：多麼殘酷！新聞有沒有提到加害者為什麼要作這樣的事？
assailant(n.)攻擊者
Alice: Take the California shooting for example. It started with the assailant having fights with his neighbors. That day he shot his wife first and then headed to an elementary school. He wanted to enter the building, but luckily he wasn’t able to, so no further tragedy there.
艾莉絲：以加州的那起槍擊案為例，攻擊者先是跟鄰居吵架，在同一天他先槍殺了他的妻子，接著前往一所小學，他原本想要闖進學校，還好後來進不去，沒有釀成更大的悲劇。
tragedy(n.) 悲劇
Eric: Looks like the gunman had a problem with controlling his anger, but I’m thinking from a point of view with fewer personal factors. Policy-wise, why are so many tragedies happening, yet America still doesn’t ban guns?
艾瑞克：看來那位持槍歹徒似乎有情緒控制上的問題，但我比較傾向不從個人因素角度思考，我會想到制度層面，發生這麼多遺憾的事情，為何美國還不禁止槍枝？
from a point of view從…觀點來看point of view觀點=standpoint=perspectivepolicy(n.)政策-wise就…方面來看=in terms of~
Alice: This goes back to America’s history and culture. According to the Constitution of the United Sates, people have the rights to bear arms for their own defense, which is at the core of the American spirit.
艾莉絲：這要回溯到美國的歷史和文化，根據美國憲法，人民有持有槍枝保護自己的權利，這是美國精神的核心。
go back to~追溯至constitution(n.)憲法defense(n.)保護、防禦、防護at the core of~位於～的核心
Eric: These are historical and cultural reasons, but as times are changing, using guns as a way to protect oneself seems only to help the individual. I think we must find the reason why there’s so much violence.
艾瑞克：所以有歷史和文化的因素，但是時代正在改變，靠槍枝保護自己的作法只能保護個人，我認為必須檢視暴力的成因。
individual(n.)個人
Alice: Yeah, I totally agree with you. As Obama said: “If the society does not change its way of thinking, then the situation will not change.”
艾莉絲：是啊，我完全同意你說的，就像歐巴馬曾經說過：「如果社會不改變思考模式，現狀就不會改變。」