Texas shooting: police waited outside classroom as students begged for help

Monday, May 30, 2022 - 01:00

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A top Texas security official on Friday revealed that students trapped inside a classroom of the elementary school repeatedly called 911 as officers waited more than an hour to breach the door after following the gunman into the building, news agencies reported. Steven McCraw, the Head of the Texas Department of Public Safety, told a news conference that the commander at the scene in Uvalde believed the gunman, Salvador Ramos, was barricaded inside adjoining classrooms alone, with no survivors.

据新闻机构报道，德克萨斯州一名高级安全官员周五透露，被困在小学教室里的学生多次拨打911，而警察在跟踪枪手进入教学楼后等待了一个多小时才破门。德克萨斯州公共安全部(Texas Department of Public Safety)局长史蒂文·麦克劳(Steven McCraw)在新闻发布会上表示，乌瓦尔德现场的指挥官认为，枪手萨尔瓦多·拉莫斯(Salvador Ramos)独自设置障碍在已经没有幸存者的相连教室里。

barricade /ˌbærɪˈkeɪd/ 动词：设路障防护；阻挡 •They barricaded all the doors and windows. 他们用障碍物堵住了所有的门窗。名词：路障；街垒

adjoining/əˈdʒɔɪnɪŋ/ adj. 邻接的；毗连的v. 邻接（adjoin 的 ing 形式）

“From the benefit of hindsight... it was the wrong decision, period,” a visibly emotional McCraw said. As the officer was assailed by questions over the delay, he said, “From what we know, we believe there should have been an entry as soon as you can.” “If I thought it would help, I’d apologize.”

明显情绪激动的麦克劳说：“事后看来……这是一个错误的决定，不要再问了。” 当这名警官被问及延误的问题时，他说，“据我们所知，我们认为应该竭尽所能尽快进入教室。“如果我认为（道歉）有用的话，我会道歉的。”

hindsight /ˈhaɪndsaɪt/ n. 事后聪明；事后的领悟 • What looks obvious in hindsight was not at all obvious at the time. 事后一目了然地在当时根本看不清楚。

assail /əˈseɪl/ v. 1.攻击；抨击；袭击•He was assailed with fierce blows to the head. 他的头遭到猛烈殴打。2. 困扰；使苦恼•to be assailed by worries/doubts/fears 为焦虑╱疑虑╱担心所困扰

Among the series of emergency calls made from inside the classrooms, one was from a child who begged for help amid delay from police. “Please send the police now,” the child pleaded, according to authorities.

在从教室里打来的一系列紧急电话中，有一个教室儿童打的，他在警方拖延的过程中乞求帮助。据有关部门称，孩子恳求道:“请马上派警察来。”

plead /pliːd/ v. 1.~ (with sb) (for sth) 乞求；恳求•She pleaded with him not to go. 她恳求他不要离开。•pleading eyes 乞求的眼神 。2.（在法庭）申辩，认罪，辩护 •to plead guilty/not guilty 认罪；不认罪。3.（向法庭）陈述案情•They hired a top lawyer to plead their case. 他们聘请了一位最好的律师帮他们陈述案情。 4.~ sth (for sth) 解释；推说；找借口 •He pleaded family problems for his lack of concentration. 他解释说注意力分散是因为有家庭问题。 5.~ (for sb/sth) 为…辩护；声援；支持•The United Nations has pleaded for a halt to the bombing. 联合国已呼吁停止轰炸。

The revelation came after three days of conflicting and incomplete information provided by authorities over the delay in police action as more than an hour elapsed between the time Ramos entered the school and when US Border Patrol agents unlocked the classroom door and killed him. But not before the 18-year-old gunman killed 19 children and two teachers.

当局就警方行动的延迟提供了相互矛盾和不完整的信息，三天之后才披露了关于Ramos（凶手）进入学校到美国边境巡逻人员打开教室门杀死他的一个多小时时间真空期间信息。但在此之前，这名18岁的枪手杀害了19名儿童和两名教师。

revelation /ˌrevəˈleɪʃn/ n. 被揭示的真相，被揭露的内情；揭露，披露；出乎意料的事物，令人惊喜的发现；（上帝的）启示，默示；《启示录》（《圣经·新约》末卷，讲述上帝对圣约翰有关未来的启示）

Meanwhile, Texas Governor Gregg Abbott told reporters during a testy news conference that he was given inaccurate information.

与此同时，德克萨斯州州长格雷格·阿博特在一个气氛紧张的新闻发布会上对记者说，他得到的信息不准确。

testy/ˈtesti/ adj. 易怒的；暴躁的

“I was misled,” Abbott said. “The information that I was given turned out in part to be inaccurate, and I’m absolutely livid about that.”

“我被误导了，”阿博特说道。“我得到的信息在一定程度上是不准确的，我对此非常愤怒。”

livid/ˈlɪvɪd/ adj. 1.暴怒的；狂怒的。2.乌青色的；青灰色的 •a livid bruise 青瘀

英文链接：
http://www.dailynews.lk/2022/05/30/world/279758/texas-shooting-police-waited-outside-classroom-students-begged-help