in an unemotional way. Also, let's not touch on the question that most preoccupies discussion

另外，讓我們先不要討論到最受爭議的部分：「墮胎合法與否」

of the subject -- whether abortion should be legal or illegal. The only question here is the moral one:

在這裡要討論的只有道德議題：

Is ending the life of a human fetus -- moral?

「奪走人類胚胎的生命是否合乎道德？」

Let's begin with this question: Does the human fetus have any value and any rights?

首先由這個問題開始：「人類胚胎是否具有任何價值以及權力？」

Now, it's a scientific fact that a human fetus is human life. Those who argue that the human

現今，科學上已經證實人類胚胎等於活生生的人。但仍有許多人

fetus has no rights say that a fetus is not a person. But even if you believe that,

認為胚胎不等於人，即使你接受這樣的看法

it doesn't mean the fetus has no intrinsic value or no rights. There are many living beings

這也不表示人類胚胎沒有天生的價值以及權力。許多人類以外的其他生物

that are not persons that have both value and rights: Dogs and other animals, for example.

都具有價值以及權力，舉例而言：狗和其他動物等

And that's Moral Argument Number One: A living being doesn't have to be a person

道德論點第一點來了：「一個活生生的生物

in order to have intrinsic moral value and rights.

即使不是人類也具有天生的價值以及權力」

When challenged with this argument, people usually change the subject to the rights of the mother

在質疑這個論點時，有些人常把議題偷換成母親的權利：

-- meaning the right of a mother to end her fetus's life under any circumstance,

「懷孕期間，母親不論何種情況都有權利決定她的胚胎之生死」

for any reason, and at any time in her pregnancy. Is that moral? It is only if we believe that

這樣合乎道德嗎？這只有在我們認為人類胚胎天生沒有任何價值時才成立

the human fetus has no intrinsic worth. But in most cases, nearly everyone believes that

但大多數情況中，幾乎所有人都認為

the human fetus has essentially infinite worth and an almost absolute right to live. When?

人類胚胎是無價的且理應有權生存。從何時開始有權呢？

When a pregnant woman wants to give birth. Then, society -- and its laws -- regard the

當一位女性懷孕並打算生產時就有。通常整個社會(以及法律)都認為

fetus as so valuable that if someone were to kill that fetus, that person could be prosecuted for homicide.

胚胎是珍貴的。因此，如果有人打算殺死胚胎，他將會被以謀殺起訴

Only if a pregnant woman doesn't want to give birth, do many people regard the fetus as worthless.

除非那位孕婦不打算生下小孩，胚胎便會被視為沒有價值的

Now, does that make sense?

那麼，上述是否合理？

It doesn't seem to. Either a human fetus has worth or it doesn't.

不論胚胎有無價值，答案恐怕都是否定的

And this is Moral Argument Number Two:

現在，道德論述第二點來了：

On what moral grounds does the mother alone decide a fetus's worth?

「在何種道德標準底下，母親一人即可決定胚胎之價值？」

We certainly don't do that with regard to a newborn child. It is society, not the mother -- or the father --

我們當然不會輕易衡量一個新生嬰兒的生死。決定一個小嬰兒

that determines whether a newborn child has worth and a right to live.

是否具有生存權利的，應該是整個社會，而不是母親(或父親)

So, the question is: Why should that be different before the human being is born? Why does one person,

那麼，問題來了：「為何區別對待已出生和未出生的小嬰兒？」、

a mother, get to determine whether that being has any right to live? People respond

「為何僅僅一人(母親)就能決定一個新生命是否有權生存？」

by saying that a woman has the right to "control her body." Now, that is entirely correct.

反對者會說：「女性應有權可以"掌控"自己的身體」。這句話當然沒有問題

The problem here, however, is that the fetus is not "her body;" it is in her body.

但問題在於，胚胎並不屬於「她的身體」，胚胎只是在她體內而已

It is a separate body. And that's Moral Argument Number Three. No one ever asks a pregnant woman,

胚胎是單獨的個體，這就是道德論述的第三點。沒有人會這樣問一個孕婦問題：

"How's your body?" when asking about the fetus. People ask, "How's the baby?"

「你的身體還好嗎？」卻是在問她體內的胚胎。人們會這樣問：「小嬰兒還好嗎？」

Moral Argument Number Four: Virtually everyone agrees that the moment the baby comes out

道德論述第四點：「幾乎所有人都會認為，殺死一個已經離開子宮的小嬰兒是一種謀殺」

of the womb, killing the baby is murder. But deliberately killing it a few months before

但是，蓄意地殺死一個還差數個月就出生的小嬰兒

birth is considered no more morally problematic than extracting a tooth.

造成的道德問題卻不比拔牙多

How does that make sense?

這究竟是什麼道理？

And finally, Moral Argument Number Five: Aren't there instances in which just about everyone

最後，道德論述第五點：「難道沒有一個的情況是每一個人都會承認墮胎有違道德的嗎？」

-- even among those who are pro-choice -- would acknowledge that an abortion might not be moral?

(即使是對那些墮胎合法化的擁護者而言)

For example, would it be moral to abort a female fetus solely because the mother prefers

舉例而言，「母親僅因個人喜好而將女嬰墮掉」是否合乎道德？

boys to girls -- as has happened millions of times in China and elsewhere?

上述例子在中國各處已發生幾百萬次

And one more example: Let's say science develops a method of determining whether a child in the womb

另舉一個例子：「假設科學家發明一種方法，可以看出子宮中的嬰兒是同性或異性戀」

is gay or straight. Would it be moral to kill a gay fetus because the mother didn't want a gay child?

當一個母親因為不想要同性戀小孩，而決定殺死同性戀嬰兒，是否合乎道德？

People may offer practical reasons not to criminalize all abortions. People may differ

反對者總能提出各種現實中的理由，來替墮胎辯解。

about when personhood begins; and about the morality of abortion after rape or incest.

他們會質疑自我意識是從何時開始存在；爭論遭受強暴和亂倫時墮胎的合理性

But with regard to the vast majority of abortions -- those of healthy women aborting a healthy fetus --

但考慮到大多數墮胎的案例：「健康的女性將健康的嬰兒墮掉」

let's be clear. Most of these abortions just aren't moral.

我就直說吧：「大多數情況下，墮胎都是有違道德的」

Good societies can survive if people doing immoral things. But a good society cannot survive

當人們做一些不道德的事情時，一個好的社會也許能存活

if it calls immoral things moral.

但如果人們將不道德的事情稱作道德，好的社會怎樣也無法存在

I'm Dennis Prager.

我是 Dennis Prager