I do so because on this subject of human life, which is to me the heart of the controversy, I find the abolitionist inconsistent, narrow or blind. The propaganda for abolition speaks in hushed tones of the sanctity of human life, as if the mere statement of it as an absolute should silence all opponents who have any moral sense. But most of the abolitionists belong to nations that spend half their annual income on weapons of war and that honor research to perfect means of killing. These good people vote without a qualm for the political parties that quite sensibly arm their country to the teeth. The west today does not seem to be the time or place to invoke the absolute sanctity of human life. As for the clergymen in the movement, we may be sure from the experience of two previous world wars that they will bless our arms and pray for victory when called upon, the sixth commandment notwithstanding.
我之所以反对废除死刑是因为我认为争论的核心问题就是有关人的生命的问题，我觉得废除派的论点是矛盾的、狭隘的，是不堪一击的。废除派用一种温文尔雅的口吻宣传着所谓人生的神圣，好像只要把它说成是一种绝对的东西就能使一切还有点道德意识的反对者缄默不语。可是大多数的废除派都是那些把年收入的一半用于制造战争武器以及以研究完备的杀人手段为荣的一些国家。对于那些十分明显地将国家武装到牙齿的一些政党，一些善良的人们竞也毫不犹豫地赞成。在今日西方，祈祷人的生命绝对神圣不可侵犯似乎既非其时，亦非其地。至于这场运动中的教士，根据过去两次世界大战的经验我们可以确信，一经召唤，他们便会为军队祝福，为胜利祈祷，管他什么第六条圣诫。
"Oh, but we mean the sanctity of life within the nation!" Very well: is the movement then campaigning also against the principle of self-defense? Absolute sanctity means letting the cutthroat have his sweet will of you, even if you have a poker handy to bash him with, for you might kill. And again, do we hear any protest against the police firing at criminals on the street - mere bank robbers usually - and doing this, often enough, with an excited marksmanship that misses the artist and hits the bystander? The absolute sanctity of human life is, for the abolitionist, a slogan rather than a considered proposition.
"哦，我们意指的生命不可侵犯是就国内而言的。"好极了，那么你们这场运动还要反对自卫的原则吗?所谓人的生命绝对不可侵犯，就是听任杀手对你为所欲为，你即使手边有个火钳也不可用来还击，因为这样你可就是杀人。再者，我们何曾听说过这样的抗议：警察在街头向罪犯--通常不过是一些抢劫银行的匪徒--开火时，一些子弹击中行路人，而不是那神通广大的匪徒。废除派所谓人的生命神圣不可侵犯，并不是什么深思熟虑后的主张，只不过是一个口号而已。
来源:可可英语 http://www.kekenet.com/Article/201705/509295.shtml
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