环球慢速英语 自杀求助(2)（在线收听）

There have been several similar incidents in Japan in recent years. Police call these incidents "group suicides."

近几年日本发生了多起类似案件。警方把这些案件叫做“集体自杀”。

Suicide is when a person kills him or herself.

自杀是指一个人结束自己生命的行为。

A group suicide involves people meeting for the purpose of dying together.

集体自杀是指很多人以一起死亡为目的见面。

More and more groups of people are meeting on the Internet.

在网上互相结识的人越来越多。

Some of these people have lost hope. They want to die.

其中有些人失去了希望。他们想死。

They find other people on the Internet to talk with about their problems. Some even talk about how to die.

他们在互联网上寻找可以倾诉他们问题的人。有些人甚至在网上讨论怎么去死。

People make promises together. They promise to kill themselves together.

还有些人会一起做出承诺。他们承诺一起自杀。

This is called a "suicide pact," or promise.

这被称为“自杀协议”或“自杀承诺”。

Japan has one of the highest suicide rates in the world.

日本是世界上自杀率最高的国家之一。

According to the World Health Organization, or WHO, over thirty thousand people have killed themselves each year since 1998.

据世界卫生组织（简称WHO）统计，自1998年开始，日本每年有超过3万人自杀。

Japanese officials have created good programs to end the problem of suicide in their country.

日本官员制定了旨在终结该国自杀问题的计划。

But suicides continue to happen both in Japan and around the world. It is a problem in every nation.

但是，自杀事件仍在日本和全世界不断上演。这是所有国家都面临的问题。

And, it is a problem that you and I can help end, just by being a good friend.

这也是你我作为好朋友可以帮助终结的问题。