TED演讲:科学可以回答道德问题(8)

 　　Now, it is the position, generally speaking, of our intellectual community that while we may not like this, 普遍来说，我们的学术界是这样想的，虽然我们不喜欢这样

　　we might think of this as "wrong" in Boston or Palo Alto, 我们觉得这样是错误的，在波士顿或帕羅奧多

　　who are we to say that the proud denizens¹ of an ancient culture 但我们怎么能说这些古老文化的骄傲后裔

　　are wrong to force their wives and daughters to live in cloth bags? 不应该强迫它们的妻子和女儿住在衣袋里？

　　And who are we to say, even, that they're wrong to beat them with lengths of steel cable, 我们怎么能说，他们是错误的，当他们用钢索痛打她们

　　or throw battery acid in their faces if they decline the privilege of being smothered² in this way? 或是把强酸泼到她们脸上，如果她们拒绝被这样对待？

　　Well, who are we not to say this?  我们凭什么可以这样说呢？

　　Who are we to pretend that we know so little about human well-being³ 我们怎么可以装作我们完全不了解人类的幸福

　　that we have to be non-judgmental about a practice like this?  或是我们应该对此类行为保持中立？

　　I'm not talking about voluntary wearing of a veil  我不是在说那些自发性的蒙头

　　women should be able to wear whatever they want, as far as I'm concerned.  我认为女人应该想穿什么就穿什么

　　But what does voluntary mean in a community where, when a girl gets raped⁴, her father's first impulse, 但自发性是什么意思？在一个女孩被强暴，他的父亲的第一个反应往往是谋杀她以免羞愧

　　rather often, is to murder her out of shame?  的这种社会，自发性是什么意思？

　　Just let that fact detonate in your brain for a minute:  让这些事实在你脑中转一转：

　　Your daughter gets raped, and what you want to do is kill her. 你的女儿被强暴了，你的反应竟然是杀掉她

　　What are the chances that represents a peak of human flourishing? 请问你真的觉得这应该是人类幸福的一个可能吗？

1 denizens   

n.居民，住户( denizen的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• polar bears, denizens of the frozen north 北极熊，在冰天雪地的北方生活的动物
• At length these denizens of the swamps disappeared in their turn. 到了后来，连这些沼泽国的居民们也不见了。 来自辞典例句

2 smothered   

（使）窒息， （使）透不过气( smother的过去式和过去分词 )； 覆盖； 忍住； 抑制

参考例句：

• He smothered the baby with a pillow. 他用枕头把婴儿闷死了。
• The fire is smothered by ashes. 火被灰闷熄了。

3 well-being   

n.安康，安乐，幸福

参考例句：

• He always has the well-being of the masses at heart.他总是把群众的疾苦挂在心上。
• My concern for their well-being was misunderstood as interference.我关心他们的幸福，却被误解为多管闲事。

4 raped   

v.以暴力夺取，强夺( rape的过去式和过去分词 )；强奸

参考例句：

• A young woman was brutally raped in her own home. 一名年轻女子在自己家中惨遭强暴。 来自辞典例句
• We got stick together, or we will be having our women raped. 我们得团结一致，不然我们的妻女就会遭到蹂躏。 来自辞典例句