terrorism恐怖主义
This is a question that might not even have arisen in a serious way if it were not for current events and the war on terrorism.
in a purely hypothetical way用纯假设的方式
Actually, philosophers had been talking about questions like this before 9/11, but only in a purely hypothetical way.
blow up a building 炸毁建筑
No one anticipated that seemingly crazy ideas about buildings being blown up in New York and thousands of people being killed would actually become a reality.
consider torture as a possibility认为拷打是可能的
But times have changed. And the question is now asked as a reflection of the times. Yet to ask the question does not mean that one is considering torture as a possibility.
is absolutely out of the question毫无可能
For some of those who address this very question-Philip Devine, for example-would insist that the answer is no and would further insist that in this day of terrorism one of the important values that distinguishes us from the terrorists is that our answer should be that torture is absolutely out of the question.
imagine situations or conditions under which we torture people想象会拷打人的情形
We should not try to imagine situations or conditions under which we torture people.
stay faithful to a negative answer to the issue question如实地对这种问题说出否定的答案
So, on this view, we should not try to "draw a line," for one side of the line will be the side where torture is justified. But, in order to stay faithful to a negative answer to the issue question, we should not define any such area.
opponents反对者
construct various scenarios构建不同的情景
Opponents of the view that torture is never justified might construct various scenarios.
a ticking bomb定时炸弹
be hidden in a secret location被藏在秘密的地方
be set to go off at a certain time设置在特定的时间爆炸
Suppose, for example,that there was a ticking bomb that was hidden in a secret location and was set to go off at a certain time and would be sure to kill hundreds or thousands of innocent people.
be in custody被拘留
have detailed information知道具体信息
And suppose that the authorities had in their custody an individual who had detailed information about the bomb, including its location and the time it was set to go off.
be unwilling to disclose the information voluntarily不愿意自己公开信息
If this person were unwilling to disclose the information voluntarily, would torture be justified?
is at stake处于危险中；在紧要关头
After all, so much is at stake.
the very lives of a great many innocent people很多无辜的人的生命
lie in the balance悬而未决
If that one person were tortured, the very lives of a great many innocent people lie in the balance.
well-being幸福，安康
outweigh theirs超过他们的
How, it might be asked, could his well-being outweigh theirs?The opponents of torture would probably respond that the question of torturing the person does not really have to do with his well-being at all, but rather with our own actions.
imagined scenario想象的情景
The imagined scenario seems to suggest that so much is (potentially) at stake that we must be prepared to torture people.
lay claim to ideas about human rights表示有权利去获得人 权
the sacredness of life生命的神圣
If so, we can't lay claim to ideas about human rights, the sacredness of life, etc.
train torturers who know how to do their job well训练拷打者怎么把这项工作做好
For example, if we really are going to be prepared to torture people, we have to have trained torturers who know how to do their job well.
use an incompetent torturer用一个不称职的拷打者
bungle the job把工作搞砸
result in the person's death导致这个人的死亡
never find out any information about sth. 永远都不会找到信息
Even in the imagined “ticking bomb" scenario, the innocent people wouldn't be saved if we used an incompetent torturer who bungled the job and did something that resulted in the person's death-in which case we'd never find out any information about the ticking bomb.
cause some serious pain导致很重的伤势
But the torturer has to cause some serious pain nevertheless.
proponents支持者
need someone who is a trained torturer需要一个训练有素的拷打者
Proponents of torture seem to need someone who is a trained torturer, someone who is not doing this for the first time.
initiate action now to produce such people开始有所行动来产出这样的人
in case they might be used以防他们被需要
So one question is whether we should initiate action now to produce such people in case they might be used.
is already being practiced widely已经被广泛使用了
unmonitored and underground不受监控和隐蔽的
In the first reading, Bagaric and Clarke argue that torture is already being practiced widely-although unmonitored and“underground."
acknowledge it, endorse it承认并且公开认可
draw lines划出界限
Their idea is to acknowledge it, endorse it to some extent, but draw lines.
does not wish to condone torture at all一点都不纵容拷打
In the second reading, Philip Devine does not wish to condone torture at all.
repugnant 难以接受的
On his view, our attitude toward torture as something repugnant is not an attitude that we should change.
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