TED演讲:科学可以回答道德问题

 　　I'm going to speak today about the relationship between science and human values. 今日我要讨论科学和人类价值观之间的关系

　　Now, it's generally understood that questions of morality -- questions of good and evil and right and wrong -- 我们一般认为有关道德问题，善恶对错的概念

　　are questions about which science officially has no opinion.  是科学所不能解决和参与讨论的

　　It's thought that science can help us get what we value, 人们认为科学可以帮助我们得到我们所想要的

　　but it can never tell us what we ought to value.  却永远无法告诉我们什么是重要的

　　And, consequently, most people -- I think most people probably here 于是大部分的人，甚至今日坐在这里的各位

　　think that science will never answer the most important questions in human life: 认为科学永远无法回答人类生命中的重要问题

　　questions like, "What is worth living for?"  像是”我们为了什么活着？“

　　"What is worth dying for?"  ”我们应该为什么牺牲？“

　　"What constitutes a good life?"  ”什么样的生活，是一个幸福的生活？“

　　So, I'm going to argue that this is an illusion that the separation between science and human values is an illusion 我想告诉大家，把科学和人类价值观做分隔是一种人为假象

　　and actually quite a dangerous one at this point in human history. 是一个非常危险的假象，尤其是在我们的今日社会

　　Now, it's often said that science cannot give us a foundation for morality and human values, 人们常说科学不能作为道德和价值观的基础

　　because science deals with facts, and facts and values seem to belong to different spheres. 因为科学讲求实证，而事实和价值似乎是两种不同层次的事

　　It's often thought that there's no description of the way the world is that can tell us how the world ought to be. 人们认为，就算把世界的模样描绘出来，也不能带我们走到乌托邦

　　But I think this is quite clearly untrue.  但我认为这很明显是错误的

　　Values are a certain kind of fact.  价值自然是一种实证

　　They are facts about the well-being¹ of conscious creatures.  是人类如何可以获得幸福生活的实证

　　Why is it that we don't have ethical² obligations toward rocks? Why don't we feel compassion³ for rocks? 为什么我们对石头没有任何道德要求？为什么我们对石头没有仁爱之情？

　　It's because we don't think rocks can suffer. 因为我们不认为石头会受折磨

1 well-being   

n.安康，安乐，幸福

参考例句：

• He always has the well-being of the masses at heart.他总是把群众的疾苦挂在心上。
• My concern for their well-being was misunderstood as interference.我关心他们的幸福，却被误解为多管闲事。

2 ethical   

adj.伦理的，道德的，合乎道德的

参考例句：

• It is necessary to get the youth to have a high ethical concept.必须使青年具有高度的道德观念。
• It was a debate which aroused fervent ethical arguments.那是一场引发强烈的伦理道德争论的辩论。

3 compassion   

n.同情，怜悯

参考例句：

• He could not help having compassion for the poor creature.他情不自禁地怜悯起那个可怜的人来。
• Her heart was filled with compassion for the motherless children.她对于没有母亲的孩子们充满了怜悯心。