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But if questions affect human well-being
但如果这个问题是影响到人身幸福的
then they do have answers, whether or not we can find them.
他们是有答案的，无论我们找不着得到
And just admitting this -- just admitting that there are right and wrong answers to the question of how humans flourish
承认吧，当我们尝试解决人类幸福的问题是可能会有错误答案的
will change the way we talk about morality,
承认这个事实能改变我们讨论道德的方法
and will change our expectations of human cooperation in the future.
也会改变我们在合作共创未来时所期待的结果
For instance, there are 21 states in our country where corporal punishment in the classroom is legal,
举例来说，在美国还有21个州在课堂上进行体罚是合法的
where it is legal for a teacher to beat a child with a wooden board, hard,
老师可以合法的用木板
and raising large bruises and blisters and even breaking the skin.
把孩子打得瘀伤、起水泡、甚至破皮
And hundreds of thousands of children, incidentally, are subjected to this every year.
每年有千百个孩子都在遭受这样的待遇
The locations of these enlightened districts, I think, will fail to surprise you.
而且我认为，你会很吃惊，这都是些什么省份
We're not talking about Connecticut.
不是康涅狄格州
And the rationale for this behavior is explicitly religious.
宗教往往是这些做法背后的理由
The creator of the universe himself has told us not to spare the rod,
创造宇宙的造物主说，告诉我们不要”不忍用仗“
lest we spoil the child -- this is in Proverbs 13 and 20, and I believe, 23.
不然会宠坏孩子，这是《旧约箴言》第13章20和23节
But we can ask the obvious question: Is it a good idea, generally speaking,
我们可以问一个简单的问题，以常理判断
to subject children to pain and violence and public humiliation
让孩子经历这样的痛苦，暴力和在众人面前被羞辱
as a way of encouraging healthy emotional development and good behavior?
会带来健康的情绪发展和良好行为模式吗？
Is there any doubt that this question has an answer, and that it matters?
我们之中有人怀疑这个问题不但有解答，而且对我们来说很重要？
