特别广播英语第 131 课：Euthanasia: For and Against 安乐死：赞同还是反对-1

"We mustn't delay any longer … swallowing is difficult … and breathing, that's also difficult. Those muscles are weakening too … we mustn't delay any longer." "我们再也不能耽误了，……我难以咽下食物……呼吸也有困难……，浑身疲乏无力，……不要再拖了。"

These were the words of Dutchman Cees van Wendel de Joode asking his doctor to help him die. 荷兰人齐斯·范·温德尔临死前请求医生帮助他一死了之时说了这番话。

Affected 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 rapidly deteriorating. 他因身患重病，说话已经不很清楚，他知道自己毫无康复的希望了，而且病情正在迅速恶化。

Van Wendel's last three months of life before being given a final, lethal injection by his doctor were filmed and first shown on television last year in the Netherlands. 在接受医生注射那致命的最后一针之前，范·温德康最后三个月的生活被拍成了电影，去年在荷兰的电视台首次播出。

The program has since been bought by 20 countries and each time it is shown, it starts a nationwide debate on the subject. 此后，有20个国家先后购买了这个电视节目，每在一国放映，都会在全国内引起一场对安乐死的议论。

The Netherlands is the only country in Europe which permits euthanasia, although it is not technically legal there. 荷兰是欧洲唯一的允许安乐死的国家。尽管安乐死在技术上还不具有合法性，

However, doctors who carry out euthanasia under strict guidelines introduced by the Dutch Parliament two years ago are usually not prosecuted. 但如果医生按照两年前荷兰议会制定的议案的严格指导原则实施用安乐死，但如果医生按照两年前荷兰议会制定的议案的严格指导原则实施用安乐死，通常是不会受到法律的追究的。

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. 这些指导原则规定，当病人极度痛苦，没有治愈的可能，而且一再要求的情况下才能实施安乐死。

In addition to this, a second doctor must confirm that these criteria have been met and the death must be reported to the police department. 另外，还必须有第二位名医生证实已经符合上述条件，并且要向警察机关报告病人的死亡。