生命的尊严 A Discussion on 1)Euthanasia
“遏制生命的自由不是真正的自由,遏制自由的生命不是真正的生命。”这是一部探讨安乐死的电影,2005年第77届奥斯卡最佳外语片《深海长眠》中的一段对白。
要明白这句话其中的涵义真的不简单。每个旁观者都可以说出冠冕堂皇的理据来阐述自己的想法。当生命已经到了几乎绝望的时候,他可以选择更有尊严地离开吗?对于生命的结束,任何人为的参与都不是宗教和法律所能允许的吗?当明知道即将来到世间的孩子是有重大缺陷的,父母应该选择离弃他吗?而这种离弃与把他带到人世间的坚持相比,站在更低的道德阵地上吗?
每一个问题都是那么地令人纠结,每个人的生活背景、能力、人品和境况等等都决定了这些问题的答案。
最后的结论绝对是只有你自己能做出、也只有你自己负全责的;但是如果我们能从他们的故事里读出更多的仁慈和理解,对生命更多的热爱,那这场讨论就完成它的使命了。
发音：英美发音
语速：150词/分钟
使用方法：泛听+讨论
“I killed someone once. . . He was in terrible, terrible pain. . .”
支持安乐死合法化的一方——决定以死亡来停止痛苦。
场景:根据BBC报道,英国一位著名的资深记者向外透露自己曾经对一个人进行过安乐死。
人物:Ray Gosling——资深记者,宣称自己曾杀死一个人。已经以涉嫌谋杀被捕了。
Philip Nitschke——医生,以主张“协助自杀合法化”闻名。
Eleanor Hall: Yesterday he made a dramatic televised confession. Today a British journalist at the centre of a debate on euthanasia in the UK was arrested on suspicion of murder.
艾伦娜·贺:昨天他在电视上作出一番惊人的自白。今天这位英国记者因涉嫌谋杀而被逮捕,他正是英国备受热议的安乐死问题中的一大焦点人物。
The World Today reported yesterday on BBC journalist Ray Gosling's admission in a documentary that he killed his former lover who was dying from AIDS by 2)smothering him with a pillow in hospital. The latest developments have 3)galvanised those calling for assisted suicide to be legalised in Britain, as Barney Porter reports.
《今日世界》昨天报道英国广播公司记者雷·高斯林在一部纪录片里承认自己曾经在医院里用枕头亲手将患有艾滋病而奄奄一息的前男友闷死。事态的最新发展激起了要求英国将“协助自杀”合法化的呼声,巴尼·波特报道。
Barney Porter: Ray Gosling is a veteran BBC broadcaster, and maker of radio and television documentaries. His admission was compelling.
巴尼·波特:雷·高斯林是英国广播公司的一名资深的广播人,制作过不少广播及电视纪录片。他的此番自白相当震撼。
Ray Gosling: I killed someone once. He was a young chap; he'd been my lover and he got AIDS. And in a hospital one hot afternoon, doctor said “There's nothing we can do.” And he was in terrible, terrible pain. I said to the doctors, “Leave me just for a bit.” And he went away. And I picked up the pillow and smothered him until he was dead. The doctor came back; I said, “He's gone.” Nothing more was ever said.
雷·高斯林:我杀过一个人。他是个小伙子,是我曾经的恋人,当时得了艾滋病。那是个炎热的夏日午后,在医院里,医生说,“我们已经无计可施了。”而病床上的他痛苦万分。我跟医生说:“让我单独在这呆一会儿吧。”医生于是离开。接着我拿起枕头紧紧蒙着他的脸直到他窒息死去。医生之后回来,我说:“他走了。”之后大家都没再多说什么。
Porter: But much is being said now. Police have admitted they only found out about the case after those comments were broadcast on the BBC's Inside Out programme on Monday evening, local time. Overnight, Nottinghamshire police issued a statement, simply saying they'd arrested a 70-year-old Nottingham man on suspicion of murder. Mr. Gosling has also said he won't name his lover, nor say when the incident he described took place.
波特:但现在事情却闹得纷纷扰扰。警方承认他们也是在英国广播公司的《内幕报道》节目那段言论播出(当地时间星期一晚上)之后才揭发此宗案件的。第二天,诺丁汉郡警方发表了一份声明,只是说他们逮捕了一名70岁的诺丁汉男人,怀疑其实施了谋杀。同时,高斯林先生表示他不会公开那位恋人的姓名,也不会透露其描述事件发生的具体时间。
His 4)solicitor is Digby Johnson.
他的代表律师是迪格比·庄逊。
Digby Johnson: The 5)investigations are at a very, very early stage. There's no saying how long Ray will be here, but he's in good spirits and I just ask you to respect that these are very, very difficult times for Ray, because by his very nature the sort of thing that we're talking about is as distressing as it could be.
迪格比·庄逊:现在调查还是处于非常非常初步的阶段。也说不准雷要在这待多久,但他是乐观的。我希望你们能理解尊重,对雷来说,这些是非常非常艰难的日子,因为就他的个性来说,我们在谈论的这种事情是会让他极为痛苦烦恼的。
Porter: Despite repeated challenges in the courts, assisted suicide remains illegal in Britain, and carries a maximum prison sentence of 14 years. However, dozens of terminally ill Britons have gone to die in clinics in Switzerland where assisted suicide is legal, and where family or friends who help them die aren't 6)prosecuted. There have been 7)anomalies.
波特:尽管经过多次法庭争辩挑战,协助自杀在英国终究被视为非法行为,最高刑罚可判14年徒刑。而至今已有数十名罹患绝症的英国人到瑞士的诊所里了结残生,在那里,协助自杀是合法的,家人朋友帮助病人终结生命也不会被起诉。在英国,也有一些例外个案。
Earlier this year, British woman Kay Gilderdale was cleared of attempted murder for helping her 31-year-old daughter commit suicide after years of suffering from the 8)chronic fatigue syndrome, ME.
今年早前,英国女人凯·葛德黛因协助其长年饱受慢性疲劳综合症、肌痛性脑脊髓炎折磨的31岁女儿自杀而获起诉的蓄意谋杀罪名被判不成立。