Dudley was the captain, Stephens, the first mate, and Brooks, a sailor.

船上有船長 Dudley、大副 Stephens 和水手 Brooks。

The fourth member of the crew was the cabin boy, Richard Parker, age 17.

第四個成員是 17 歲的船艙服務員 Richard Parker。

The crew had few provisions.

他們備有一些糧食。

For the first three days, they ate a can of turnips.

前三天，他們靠著蕪菁罐頭充飢。

On the fourth day, they caught a turtle which sustained them for a time.

第四天，他們捉到一隻烏龜，讓他們又撐過一段時間。

But soon they had no food, and for eight days they ate nothing.

但不久後，食物都吃完了，所以他們 8 天沒有進食。

By now, Parker-- the cabin boy-- was lying in the corner of the boat.

如今，船艙服務員 Parker 躺在船上的角落。

He had drunk seawater and become ill.

他喝了海水導致生病。

On the 19th day, Dudley-- the captain-- suggested drawing lots to determine who would die so that the others might live.

第 19 天，船長 Dudley 提議抽籤決定要犧牲誰來救剩下的人。

But Brooks refused, and no lots were drawn.

Brooks 拒絕這個提議，因此他們沒有抽籤。

The next day, Dudley decided that Parker had to be killed.

隔天，Dudley 決定犧牲 Parker。

He offered a prayer, told the boy his time had come.

他為男孩禱告，並告訴他，他的時機已到。

And killed him with a pen knife, stabbing him in the jugular vein.

接著，他用小刀刺他頸靜脈殺了他。

For four days, the three remaining crew members fed on the body and the blood of the cabin boy.

其他三位剩下的成員靠著吃那位船艙服務員、喝他的血多存活了四天。

Then help came.

接著，救援隊來了。

On the 24th day, a ship rescued the three survivors.

在第 24 天，三位倖存者獲救。

Upon their return to England, they were arrested and put on trial for murder.

返回英國後，他們被冠上謀殺的罪名而被逮捕。

Dudley and Stephens confessed that they had killed and eaten Parker.

Dudley 和 Stephens 坦承他們殺了 Parker，並靠著吃他維生。

But they claimed they had done so out of necessity.

但他們宣稱自己是逼不得已才這麼做的。

Putting aside the question of law, how do you judge the morality of what they did?

撇除法律問題，你會如何評斷這道德難題呢？

Would you say they acted immorally in killing and eating the cabin boy?

你認為他們殺了船艙服務員違背道德嗎？

Or would you say that, all things considered, they did the right thing, sacrificing one life in order to save three?

還是，你認為在這個情況下，犧牲一條性命而讓其他人獲救是情有可原的呢？