TED演讲:科学可以回答道德问题(10)

 　　In fact, the endurance of religion as a lens through which most people view moral questions 事实上，在许久以来，宗教成为人们关注道德的角度

　　has separated most moral talk from real questions of human and animal suffering. 让所有的道德议题都和人类和动物的痛苦脱钩

　　This is why we spend our time talking about things like gay marriage 这就是为什么我们花费精神讨论同性恋是不是应该结婚

　　and not about genocide or nuclear proliferation or poverty or any other hugely consequential² issue. 而不是种族灭绝或是核子武器激增，或是贫穷和其它一样严重的议题

　　But the demagogues are right about one thing: We need a universal conception of human values. 但这些宗教煽动者说对了一件事，我们需要一个普世价值

　　Now, what stands in the way of this?  为什么这会这么困难？

　　Well, one thing to notice is that we do something different when talking about morality 其中一件是就是当我们讨论道德，我们这些没有特殊宗教的、学术的、科学家型的人

　　especially secular³, academic, scientist types.  就会产生差别待遇

　　When talking about morality we value differences of opinion in a way that we don't in any other area of our lives. 当我们讨论道德，我们就开始尊重不同意见，但我们在其它方面不会这样做

　　So, for instance the Dalai Lama gets up every morning meditating⁴ on compassion⁵, 举例来说，达赖喇嘛每天早上起来思考仁爱精神

　　and he thinks that helping⁶ other human beings is an integral component⁷ of human happiness. 他认为帮助其它人类是带来人类快乐的一部分

　　On the other hand, we have someone like Ted¹ Bundy;  另外一边我们有Ted Bundy

　　Ted Bundy was very fond of abducting⁸ and raping⁹ and torturing and killing¹⁰ young women. 他的兴趣是绑架和强暴虐待和杀害这些年轻女孩

　　So, we appear to have a genuine difference of opinion about how to profitably use one's time. 很明显的，这里我们看到每个人对打发时间都有不同的看法

　　Most Western intellectuals look at this situation and say, 大部分的西方学者看到这个状况会说，

　　"Well, there's nothing for the Dalai Lama to be really right about -- really right about-- “嗯事实上达赖喇嘛也不是完全正确，绝对正确

　　or for Ted Bundy to be really wrong about that admits of a real argument that potentially falls within the purview¹¹ of science. Ted Bundy也不是绝对错误，这其中没有真正的讨论价值，这是科学范畴的事

1 ted   

vt.翻晒，撒，撒开

参考例句：

• The invaders gut ted the village.侵略者把村中财物洗劫一空。
• She often teds the corn when it's sunny.天好的时候她就翻晒玉米。

2 consequential   

adj.作为结果的，间接的；重要的

参考例句：

• She was injured and suffered a consequential loss of earnings.她受了伤因而收入受损。
• This new transformation is at least as consequential as that one was.这一新的转变至少和那次一样重要。

3 secular   

n.牧师，凡人；adj.世俗的，现世的，不朽的

参考例句：

• We live in an increasingly secular society.我们生活在一个日益非宗教的社会。
• Britain is a plural society in which the secular predominates.英国是个世俗主导的多元社会。

4 meditating   

a.沉思的，冥想的

参考例句：

• They were meditating revenge. 他们在谋划进行报复。
• The congressman is meditating a reply to his critics. 这位国会议员正在考虑给他的批评者一个答复。

5 compassion   

n.同情，怜悯

参考例句：

• He could not help having compassion for the poor creature.他情不自禁地怜悯起那个可怜的人来。
• Her heart was filled with compassion for the motherless children.她对于没有母亲的孩子们充满了怜悯心。

6 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

7 component   

n.组成部分，成分，元件；adj.组成的，合成的

参考例句：

• Each component is carefully checked before assembly.每个零件在装配前都经过仔细检查。
• Blade and handle are the component parts of a knife.刀身和刀柄是一把刀的组成部分。

8 abducting   

劫持，诱拐( abduct的现在分词 )； 使（肢体等）外展

参考例句：

• She was charged with abducting a six-month-old child. 她被控诱拐一个6个月大的孩子。
• At the same time, the rate of abducting foreigners is going down. 同时，发生在外国人身上的绑架案正在下降。

9 raping   

v.以暴力夺取，强夺( rape的现在分词 )；强奸

参考例句：

• In response, Charles VI sent a punitive expedition to Brittany, raping and killing the populace. 作为报复，查理六世派军讨伐布列塔尼，奸淫杀戮平民。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The conquerors marched on, burning, killing, raping and plundering as they went. 征服者所到之处烧杀奸掠，无所不做。 来自互联网

10 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

11 purview   

n.范围；眼界

参考例句：

• These are questions that lie outside the purview of our inquiry.这些都不是属于我们调查范围的问题。
• That,however,was beyond the purview of the court;it was a diplomatic matter.但是，那已不在法庭权限之内；那是个外交问题。