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会计学1研究生英语精读教程研究生英语精读教程(jiochng)内容内容第一页,共193页。Active and Passive EuthanasiaJames Rachels第1页/共193页第二页,共193页。1.euthanasia n. the painless killing of people who are incurably ill or very old安乐死2.crucial adj. of deciding importance决定性的3.ethics n. the science which deals with morals伦理学4.withhold v. to keep back on purpose, or refuse to give抑制(yzh),制止,不给予 1 The distinction between active and passive euthanasia* is thought to be crucial* for medical ethics*. The idea is that it is permissible, at least in some cases, to withhold* treatment and allow a patient to die, but it is never permissible to take any direct action designed to kill the patient. 第2页/共193页第三页,共193页。This doctrine seems to be accepted by most doctors, and it is endorsed* in a statement adopted by the House of Delegates of the American Medical Association on December 4, 1973.The intentional termination of life of one human being by another - mercy killing - is contrary to that for which the medical profession stands and is contrary to the policy of the American Medical Association.1.endorse v. to express approval or support of支持(zhch),赞同第3页/共193页第四页,共193页。The cessation* of the employment of extraordinary means to prolong* the life of the body when there is irrefutable evidence that biological death is imminent* is the decision of the patient and/or her immediate family. The advice and judgment of the physician should be freely available to the patient and/or his immediate family. 1.cessation n. a short pause or a stop停止2.prolong v. to make longer; lengthen延长3.imminent adj. which is going to happen very soon即将(jjing)发生的第4页/共193页第五页,共193页。However, a strong case can be made against this doctrine. In what follows I will set out some of the relevant arguments and urge doctors to reconsider their views on this matter.第5页/共193页第六页,共193页。2To begin with a familiar type of situation, a patient who is dying of incurable cancer of the throat is in terrible pain, which can no longer be satisfactorily alleviated*. He is certain to die within a few days, even if present treatment is continued, but he does not want to go on living for those days since the pain is unbearable. So he asks the doctor for an end to it, and his family joins in the request.1.alleviate v. to make (pain, sufferings,etc. ) less缓和(hunh),减轻(疼痛, 痛苦等)第6页/共193页第七页,共193页。3Suppose the doctor agrees to withhold treatment, as the conventional doctrine* says he may. The justification for his doing so is that the patient is in terrible agony*, and since he is going to die anyway, it would be wrong to prolong his suffering needlessly.1.doctrine n. a principle or something that is taught教义(jioy), 教2.agony n. very great pain or suffering of mind or body极度的痛苦第7页/共193页第八页,共193页。But now notice this. If one simply withholds treatment, it may take the patient longer to die, and so he may suffer more than he would if more direct action were taken and lethal* injection given. This fact provides strong reason for thinking that, once the initial decision not to prolong his agony has been made, active euthanasia is actually preferable to passive euthanasia, rather than the reverse.1.lethal adj. able or certain to kill致死(zh s)的第8页/共193页第九页,共193页。To say otherwise is to endorse the option* that leads to more suffering rather than less, and is contrary to the humanitarian impulse* that prompts the decision not to prolong his life in the first place.1.option n. the freedom to choose选择(xunz)的自由2.impulse n. a sudden wish to do something愿望,激情第9页/共193页第十页,共193页。4Part of my point is that the process of being allowed to die can be relatively slow and painful, whereas being given a lethal injection is relatively quick and painless. Let me give a different sort of example. In the United States about one in 600 babies is born with Downs syndrome*.1.syndrome n. a collection of medical symptoms医综合征 第10页/共193页第十一页,共193页。Most of these babies are otherwise healthy that is, with only the usual pediatric* care, they will proceed to an otherwise normal infancy*. Some, however, are born with congenital* defects such as intestinal* obstructions* that require operations if they are to live.1.pediatric adj. of the branch of medicine concerned with children and their diseases小儿科的2.infancy n. early childhood幼年,幼稚期3.congenital adj. (med. ) of disease existing at or from ones birth先天性的(疾病)4.intestinal adj. of or concerning the intestine肠的5.obstruction n. blocking up梗阻(gngz);阻塞 第11页/共193页第十二页,共193页。Sometimes, the parents and doctor will decide not to operate, and let the infant die. Anthony Shaw describes what happens then:. When surgery is denied the doctor must try to keep the infant from suffering while natural forces sap* the babys life away.1.sap v. to weaken or destroy during a long time腐蚀(fsh),使衰弱,耗竭第12页/共193页第十三页,共193页。As a surgeon whose natural inclination* is to use the scalpel* to fight off death, standing by and watching a salvageable* baby die is the most emotionally exhausting experience I know. It is easy at a conference, in a theoretical discussion, to decide that such infants should be allowed to die.1.inclination n. a tendency倾向(qngxing),意愿2.scalpel n. a small delicate knife used by a doctor in 医用小刀3.salvageable adj. able to save可救的第13页/共193页第十四页,共193页。It is altogether different to stand by in the nursery and watch as dehydration* and infection* wither a tiny being over hours and days. This is a terrible ordeal* for me and the hospital staff - much more so than for the parents who never set foot in the nursery. 1.dehydration n. removing all the water from sb. or sth.脱水(tu shu)2.patently adv. clearly and plainly明显地3.ordeal n. a difficult or painful experience严酷的考验第14页/共193页第十五页,共193页。I can understand why some people are opposed to all euthanasia, and insist that such infants must be allowed to live. I think I can also understand why other people favor destroying these babies quickly and painlessly. But why should anyone favor letting dehydration and infection wither a tiny being over hours and days?第15页/共193页第十六页,共193页。The doctrine that says that a baby may be allowed to dehydrate and wither but may not be given an injection that would end its life without suffering seems so patently* cruel as to require no further refutation*. The strong language is not intended to offend but only to put the point in the clearest possible way.1.patently adv. clearly and plainly明显地2.refutation n. proof that something is untrue反驳(fnb), 辩驳第16页/共193页第十七页,共193页。 5My second argument is that the conventional doctrine leads to decisions concerning life and death made on irrelevant grounds. 6Consider again the case of the infants with Downs syndrome who need operations for congenital defects unrelated to the syndrome to live. Sometimes, there is no operation, and the baby dies, but when there is no such defect, the baby lives on.第17页/共193页第十八页,共193页。Now, an operation such as that to remove an intestinal obstruction is not prohibitively difficult. The reason why such operations are not performed in these cases is, clearly, that the child has Downs syndrome and the parents and doctor judge that because of that fact it is better for the child to die. 第18页/共193页第十九页,共193页。7But notice that this situation is absurd*, no matter what view one takes of the lives and potentials of such babies. If the life of such an infant is worth preserving, what does it matter if it needs a simple operation? Or, if one thinks it better that such a baby should not live on, what difference does it make that it happens to have an unobstructed intestinal tract?1.absurd adj. against reason or common sense, clearly false荒谬(hungmi)的,可笑的第19页/共193页第二十页,共193页。In either case, the matter of life and death is being decided on irrelevant grounds. It is the Downs syndrome, and not the intestines, that is the issue. The matter should be decided, if at all, on that basis, and not be allowed to depend on the essentially irrelevant question of whether the intestinal tract is blocked.第20页/共193页第二十一页,共193页。8What makes this situation possible, of course, is the idea that when there is an intestinal blockage, one can let the baby die, but when there is no such defect, there is nothing that can be done, for one must not kill it. The fact that this idea leads to such results as deciding life or death on irrelevant grounds is another good reason why the doctrine should be rejected.第21页/共193页第二十二页,共193页。9One reason why so many people think that there is an important moral difference between active and passive euthanasia is that they think killing someone is morally worse than letting someone die. To investigate this issue, two cases may be considered that are exactly alike except that one involves killing whereas the other involves letting someone die.第22页/共193页第二十三页,共193页。Then, it can be asked whether this difference makes any difference to the moral assessments. It is important that the cases be exactly alike, except for this one difference, since otherwise one cannot be confident that it is this difference and not some other that accounts for any variation in the assessments of the two cases. So, let us consider this pair of cases:第23页/共193页第二十四页,共193页。10 In the first, Smith stands to gain a large inheritance* if anything should happen to his six-year-old cousin. One evening while the child is taking his bath, Smith sneaks into the bathroom and drowns the child, and then arranges things so that it will look like an accident. 1.inheritance n. the act of receiving from ones parents遗传(ychun)第24页/共193页第二十五页,共193页。11In the second, Jones also stands to gain if anything should happen to his six-year-old cousin. Like Smith, Jones sneaks in planning to drown the child in his bath. However, just as he enters the bathroom Jones sees the child slip and hit his head, and fall face down in the water.第25页/共193页第二十六页,共193页。Jones is delighted; he stands by, ready to push the childs head back under if it is necessary, but it is not necessary. With only a little thrashing* about, the child drowns all by himself, accidentally, as Jones watches and does nothing.1.thrash (about) v. to move wildly and violently about猛烈地移动(ydng)第26页/共193页第二十七页,共193页。12Now Smith killed the child, whereas Jones merely let the child die. That is the only difference between them. Did either man behave better, from a moral point of view? If the difference between killing and letting die were in itself a morally important matter, one should say that Joness behavior was less reprehensible* than Smiths.1.reprehensible adj. deserving to be blamed or scolded应受谴责的,应受责难(z nn)的第27页/共193页第二十八页,共193页。But does one really want to say that? I think not. In the first place, both men acted from the same motive, personal gain, and both had exactly the same end in view when they acted. It may be inferred from Smiths conduct that he is a bad man, although that judgment may be withdrawn or modified if certain further facts are learned about him - for example, that he is mentally deranged*.1.deranged adj. being put into a state of disorder, insane错乱(culun)的第28页/共193页第二十九页,共193页。But would not the very same thing be inferred about Jones from his conduct? And would not the same further considerations also be relevant to any modification of this judgment? Moreover, suppose Jones pleaded*, in his own defense, After all, I didnt do anything except just stand there and watch the child drown. I didnt kill him; I only let him die.1.plead v. to give as an excuse for an action辩护(binh)第29页/共193页第三十页,共193页。Again, if letting die were in itself less bad than killing, this defense should have at least some weight. But it does not. Such a defense can only be regarded as a grotesque* perversion* of moral reasoning. Morally speaking, it is no defense at all.1.grotesque adj. strong and unnatural古怪(ggui)的2.perversion n. turning away from what is right and natural颠倒,歪曲第30页/共193页第三十一页,共193页。13Now, it may be pointed out, quite properly, that the cases of euthanasia with which doctors are concerned are not like this at all. They do not involve personal gain or the destruction of normal healthy children. Doctors are concerned only with cases in which the patients life is of no further use to him, or in which the patients life has become or will soon become a terrible burden.第31页/共193页第三十二页,共193页。However, the point is the same in these cases: the bare difference between killing and letting die does not, in itself, make a moral difference. If a doctor lets a patient die, for humane* reasons, he is in the same moral position as if he had given the patient a lethal injection for humane reasons.1.humane adj. showing human kindness仁慈(rnc)的,人道的第32页/共193页第三十三页,共193页。If his decision was wrong - if, for example, the patients illness was in fact curable - the decision would be equally regrettable no matter which method was used to carry it out. And if the doctors decision was the right one, the method used is not in itself important.第33页/共193页第三十四页,共193页。 14 The AMA policy statement isolates the crucial issue very well; the crucial issue is the intentional termination of the life of one human being by another. But after identifying this issue, and forbidding mercy killing, the statement goes on to deny that the cessation of treatment is the intentional termination of life,第34页/共193页第三十五页,共193页。This is where the mistake comes in, for what is the cessation of treatment, in these circumstances, if it is not the intentional termination of the life of one human being by another? Of course it is exactly that, and if it were not, there would be no point to it .第35页/共193页第三十六页,共193页。Exercise . Comprehension . Vocabulary . Close . Translation (English to Chinese) . Translation (Chinese to English) . Writing第36页/共193页第三十七页,共193页。. ComprehensionAnswer the following questions.1.What is the distinction between active and passive euthanasia?2.What is the attitude of AMA toward the problem of euthanasia?3.What is a lethal injection? Why does the author think the doctor should 4.give it to the hopeless patient?5.What is the most painful thing to do for a surgeon? Why?6.Why are some people opposed to all kinds of euthanasia?第37页/共193页第三十八页,共193页。. Comprehension6.Why does the author say the conventional doctrine leads to decisions concerning life and death made on irrelevant grounds?7.Is killing someone morally worse than letting someone die? Can you give any other example to prove your opinion?8.What is the difference between the doctors role in active euthanasia and that of someone in a criminal case of killing?9.Are mercy killing and conventional euthanasia the same thing? Why or why not?10. What is the mistake AMA made in the statement? Why is it a mistake?第38页/共193页第三十九页,共193页。. VocabularyA. Identify one of the four choices A, B, C, or D which would keep the meaning of the underlined word or phrase.1.Parents heartily endorsed the plan for a school playground.A. adoredB. admiredC. supportedD. denied2.Black clouds, thunder and lightning show that a storm is imminent.A. comingB. IrremediableC. unavoidableD. irresistible第39页/共193页第四十页,共193页。. VocabularyA. Identify one of the four choices A, B, C, or D which would keep the meaning of the underlined word or phrase.3.She had upset some boiling oil on her arm and was in agony.A. great painB. SufferingC. dangerD. despair4.The walls of the boathouse had been sapped away by the waves.A. carried awayB. destroyedC. washed upD. stricken第40页/共193页第四十一页,共193页。. VocabularyA. Identify one of the four choices A, B, C, or D which would keep the meaning of the underlined word or phrase.5.You must always be ready to sacrifice inclination to duty.A. likingB. tendencyC. interestD. career6.Age had withered the old ladys face.A. destroyedB. hurtC. made decrepitD. flecked第41页/共193页第四十二页,共193页。. VocabularyA. Identify one of the four choices A, B, C, or D which would keep the meaning of the underlined word or phrase.7.Unable to sleep, the patient thrashed about in bed.A. twistedB. TwitchedC. tossed aboutD. tossed off8.The committees plans are set out in the report made by the chairman.A. mentionedB. intended to doC. arrangedD. made known and clear第42页/共193页第四十三页,共193页。. VocabularyA. Identify one of the four choices A, B, C, or D which would keep the meaning of the underlined word or phrase.9.Their request was absurd and consequently rejected.A. ridiculousB. excessiveC. feasibleD. harsh10.He was given imprisonment without the option of a fine.A. punishmentB. requestC. demandD. freedom to choose第43页/共193页第四十四页,共193页。. VocabularyA. Identify one of the four choices A, B, C, or D which would keep the meaning of the underlined word or phrase.9.He suffered a long period of depression before his first suicide attempt.A.Inoculation B. hypertensionC. ailmentsD. dejection10.He was never able to enjoy the metropolitan delights of cinemas and theatres.A.artisticB. modernC. urbanD. various第44页/共193页第四十五页,共193页。. VocabularyB. Choose the correct answer. Only one answer is correct.11.There was no school play because the principal _ his consent.A. took silence forB. withheldC. rewardedD. awarded12.In many countries now, smoking is not _ in public places.A. permissiveB. permissibleC. permutableD. pernicious第45页/共193页第四十六页,共193页。. VocabularyB. Choose the correct answer. Only one answer is correct.13.The boys curiosity _ him to ask endless questions.A. madeB. helpedC. confusedD. prompted14.Condemned to death, Socrates could have escaped but chose to die by drinking _ poison - seeking truth even to the end.A. strongB. deadC. dyingD. lethal第46页/共193页第四十七页,共193页。. VocabularyB. Choose the correct answer. Only one answer is correct.15.We believe in _ treatment of prisoners so that they can turn over a new leaf.A. humanB. humaneC. cruelD. stern16.Being a commander, he should remain calm at the _ moment.A. criticB. crispC. crucialD. crinkly第47页/共193页第四十八页,共193页。. VocabularyB. Choose the correct answer. Only one answer is correct.17.Health without riches is _ to riches without health.A. preferableB. betterC. desirableD. desirous18.The decision made by the party recently goes against everything I _.A. stand in withB. stand fastC. stand in awe ofD. stand for第48页/共193页第四十九页,共193页。. VocabularyB. Choose the correct answer. Only one answer is correct.19.The _ of ill-feeling from the Treaty of Versailles made Hitler more determined to take revenge on France in World War Two.A. inheritanceB. resultC. wishD. desire20.Medical _ do not permit doctors and surgeons to advertise.A. dutiesB. standardsC. lawsD. ethics第49页/共193页第五十页,共193页。. CloseRead the passage through and choose one suitable word or phrase marked A, B, C or D for each blank in the passage. On an average of six times a day, a doctor in Holland practices active euthanasia: intentionally administering a lethal drug to a terminally ill patient who has asked to be relieved of suffering. Twenty times a day, 1 treatments are withheld or withdrawn when there is no hope that it can effect an ultimate cure.1.A. life-prolongedB. life-prolongingC. life-longedD. life-longing第50页/共193页第五十一页,共193页。. CloseActive euthanasia remains a 2 on the Dutch statute books, punishable by 12 years in prison. But a series of court cases over the past 15 years 3 it clear that a 4 physician who carries it out will not be prosecuted.2.A. crimeB. controversyC. problemD. question3.A. made B. makes C. has made D. has been making4.A. serious B. kind-hearted C. strict D. competent第51页/共193页第五十二页,共193页。 Euthanasia is a crime 5 in Western Europe. But more and more doctors and nurses in Britain, West Germany, Holland and elsewhere readily admit 6 , most often in the passive form of withholding or withdrawing treatment. The long simmering euthanasia issue has lately 7 into a sometimes fierce public debate, with both sides claiming the mantle of ultimate righteousness.5.A. where B. elsewhere C. everywhere D. nowhere6.A. to practicing it B. to practice itC. to have practiced it D. having it practiced7.A. broke B. boiled over C. broke out D. boiled down第52页/共193页第五十三页,共193页。Those opposed 8 the practice see themselves
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