《英语流行话题阅读:语境识词4500》82 Euthanasia: For and Against

　　Unit 82
Euthanasia: For and Against
"We mustn't delay any longer ... swallowing is difficult ... and breathing, too ... Those muscles are weakening ..." These were the words of Dutchman van Wendel asking his doctor to help him die. Affected¹ with a serious disease, van Wendel was no longer able to speak clearly and he knew there was no hope of recovery and that his condition was deteriorating².
Van Wendel's last three months of life before being given a final, lethal³ injection by his doctor were filmed and first shown on television in the Netherlands. The program has been bought by 20 countries and each time it is shown, it triggers a nationwide debate on the subject.
The Netherlands is the only country in Europe which permits euthanasia, although it is not technically⁴ legal there. However, doctors who carry out euthanasia under strict guidelines introduced by the Dutch parliament are usually not prosecuted⁵. The guidelines demand that the patient is experiencing extreme suffering, that there is no chance of a cure, and that the patient has made repeated requests for euthanasia. In addition, a second doctor must confirm that these criteria⁶ have been met and the death must be reported to the police department.
Should doctors be allowed to take the lives of others? Dr. Van Oijen, Van Wendel's doctor explains how he looks at the question, "it's not as if I'm planning to kill a crowd with a machine gun. I care for people and I try to ensure they don't suffer too much."
Many people, though, are totally against the practice. Do. Ferguson, Chairman of Healthcare Opposed to Euthanasia, says that "In the vast majority of euthanasia cases, what the patient is actually asking for is something else. They may want a health profession al to open up communication for them with their family -- there's nearly always another question behind the question."
Britain has a strong tradition of hospices -- special hospitals which care only for the dying and their special needs. Cicely Saunders, a founder⁷ member of the hospices movement, argues that euthanasia does not take into account that there are ways of caring for the dying. She is also concerned that allowing euthanasia would undermine the need for care and consideration of a wide range of people: "it's very easy in society now for the elderly, the disabled, and the dependent to feel that they are burdens, and therefore that they ought to opt⁸ out. I think that anything that legally allows the shortening of life does make those people more vulnerable."
Many find this prohibition⁹ of an individual's right to die paternalistic. Although they agree that life is important and should be respected, they feel that the quality of life should not be ignored. Dr. Van Oijen believes that people have the fundamental right to choose for themselves if they want to die: "What those people who oppose euthanasia are telling me is that dying people haven't the right, and that when people are very ill, we are all afraid of their death. But there are situations where death is a friend. And in those cases, why not?"
But "why not" is a question that might cause strong emotion. The film showing Van Wendel's death was moving and sensitive. His doctor was a family friend; his wife had only her husband's interests at heart. Some, however, would argue that it would be dangerous to use this particular case to support the case for euthanasia. Not all patients would receive such a high level of individual care and attention.

1 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

2 deteriorating   

恶化，变坏( deteriorate的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The weather conditions are deteriorating. 天气变得越来越糟。
• I was well aware of the bad morale and the deteriorating factories. 我很清楚，大家情绪低落，各个工厂越搞越坏。

3 lethal   

adj.致死的；毁灭性的

参考例句：

• A hammer can be a lethal weapon.铁锤可以是致命的武器。
• She took a lethal amount of poison and died.她服了致命剂量的毒药死了。

4 technically   

adv.专门地，技术上地

参考例句：

• Technically it is the most advanced equipment ever.从技术上说，这是最先进的设备。
• The tomato is technically a fruit,although it is eaten as a vegetable.严格地说，西红柿是一种水果，尽管它是当作蔬菜吃的。

5 prosecuted   

a.被起诉的

参考例句：

• The editors are being prosecuted for obscenity. 编辑因刊载污秽文字而被起诉。
• The company was prosecuted for breaching the Health and Safety Act. 这家公司被控违反《卫生安全条例》。

6 criteria   

n.标准

参考例句：

• The main criterion is value for money.主要的标准是钱要用得划算。
• There are strict criteria for inclusion in the competition.参赛的标准很严格。

7 Founder   

n.创始者，缔造者

参考例句：

• He was extolled as the founder of their Florentine school.他被称颂为佛罗伦萨画派的鼻祖。
• According to the old tradition,Romulus was the founder of Rome.按照古老的传说，罗穆卢斯是古罗马的建国者。

8 opt   

vi.选择，决定做某事

参考例句：

• They opt for more holiday instead of more pay.他们选择了延长假期而不是增加工资。
• Will individual schools be given the right to opt out of the local school authority?各个学校可能有权选择退出地方教育局吗？

9 prohibition   

n.禁止；禁令，禁律

参考例句：

• The prohibition against drunken driving will save many lives.禁止酒后开车将会减少许多死亡事故。
• They voted in favour of the prohibition of smoking in public areas.他们投票赞成禁止在公共场所吸烟。