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British conductor and his seriously illed wife suicided together
一英指揮家同重病妻子一起自殺
Edward spent his life conducting world-renowned orchestras, but was almost blind and growing deaf the music he loved increasingly out of reach. His wife of 54 years had been diagnosed with terminal cancer. So Edward and Joan Downes decided to die together.
愛德華是世界知名的指揮家,然而,隨著年齡的增長,愛德華逐漸失明失聰，失去了與音樂的交流，而和他一起生活了54年的妻子瓊又診斷出痛癥晚期,于是兩人決定一起自殺。
Downes and his wife ended their lives last week at a Zurich clinic run by the assisted suicide group Dignitas. They drank a small amount of clear liquid and died hand-in-hand, their two adult children by their side. He was 85 and she was 74.
85歲的愛德華和72歲的瓊上周在設于瑞士蘇黎士的“尊嚴”協助自殺組織的診所內終結了自己的生命。兩人一起喝下少量透明液體,手牽著手離開了人世,當時兩個已成年的子女陪伴在他們身邊。
The deaths were a poignant coda to Edward Downes’illustrious musical career, and have reignited a debate in Britain about whether people should be able to help ailing loved ones end their lives.
他們的死成為了愛德華唐斯輝煌的音樂生涯令人嘆惜的休止符，兩人的死訊在英國引發了是否該協助摯愛自殺的熱議。
The Metropolitan Police force said it had been notified of the deaths, and was investigating. Charges are unlikely.
倫敦警察局稱,他們已經了解了唐斯夫婦自殺的事,正在展開調查，但指控唐斯夫婦子女的可能性不大。
Under British law, assisting a suicide is punishable by up to 14 years in prison. But courts have become reluctant in recent years to convict people. No relative or friend of any of the Britons who have died in Dignitas clinics has been prosecuted.
根據英國法律，協助他人自殺可能被判14年監禁,然而目前沒有任何在“尊嚴”組織診所協助親人自殺的英國人遭到起訴。
The couple’s children said on July 10 that they died “peacefully and under circumstances of their own choosing” on July 14.
唐斯夫婦的兒子卡拉克塔克斯和女兒布狄卡14日發表聲明說， 兩位老人在6月10日“安詳地離開了人世,這是他們自己的選擇”。
“After 54 happy years together, they decided to end their own lives rather than continue to struggle with serious health problems,” said a statement from the couple’s son and daughter, Caractacus and Boudicca.
“他們在一起度過了幸福的54年，決定選擇共同結束生命而不是與疾病痛苦地抗爭?！?/div>
?
“They wanted to be next to each other when they died,” Caractacus Downes told London’s Evening Standard newspaper. “They held hands across the beds.”
卡拉克塔克斯接受英國《旗幟晚報》采訪時說:“他們希望能夠一起離開人世，所以躺在兩張床上時還手拉著手。”
“It is a very civilized way to be able to end your life,” he added.
他認為廣這是一種結束生命的文明的方式?！?/div>
Downes，manager Jonathan Groves said the couple were inseparable and would have reached the decision together.
唐斯夫婦的經紀人喬納森格羅夫斯也指出,唐斯夫婦十分親密,兩人應該是一起決定選擇自殺的。
“Sir Edward would have survived her death, but he decided he didn’t want to. He didn’t want to go on living without her," Groves said.
他說廣愛德華爵士原本可以不選擇自殺,但他不愿意在沒有妻子陪伴下一個人生活?！?/div>
One of Britain’s most renowned conductors, Downes had a long and eminent carecr, which included years as head of the BBC Philharmonic and a five-decade association with Royal Opera House.
作為英國最著名的指揮家之一愛徳華的音樂生涯十分顯赫,他曾多年領導BBC愛樂樂團，并與英國里家劇院合作長達50年。
Sir Edward was knighted by Queen Elizabetii II in 1991.
愛徳華在1991年被英國女王伊面莎白二世封為爵士。
In recent years he had become almost blind and nearly deaf, increasingly relying on his wife for support.
然而最近幾年,愛德華爵士的視力和聽力逐漸衰退,生活上越來越依賴妻子瓊的幫助。
Joan, a former ballet dancer, choreographer and television producer, had devoted years to working as his assistant, but she was recently diagnosed with cancer of the liver and pancreas, and given only weeks to live.
瓊曾是一名芭蕾舞演員、編舞和電視制作人,后來擔任丈夫的助手。只是最近瓊被診斷出肝臟和胰腺癌癥晚期,醫生說只剩下幾周時間了。
Groves said be was shocked by the couple’s deaths but called their decision "typically brave and courageous".
格羅夫斯說，他聽到唐斯夫婦自殺時吃了一驚，但認為他們作出了“勇敢”的決定。
Sarah Wootton, chief executive of campaign group Dignity in Dying, said the couple's deaths showed the need to regulate assisted suicide.
“尊嚴”組織則繼續為自己辯護。該組織負責人薩拉伍頓說,唐斯夫婦自殺的例子表明,有關方面應該規范協助自殺方面的法規。
“This problem is clearly not going to go away,” she said.
她說：“這個問題顯然不會消失?！?/div>
People should be able to make siwh decisions for themselves, but safeguards are the key,” she said.
她說：“人們應該有權利決定自己的生命,但要在安全的前提下。”
| 重點單詞 | 查看全部解釋 | |||
| terminal | ['tə:minl] |
想一想再看 n. 終端機，終點，終點站，末端 |
聯想記憶 | |
| opera | ['ɔpərə] |
想一想再看 n. 歌劇 |
聯想記憶 | |
| devoted | [di'vəutid] |
想一想再看 adj. 投入的，深愛的 v. 投入 vbl. 投入 |
聯想記憶 | |
| choreographer | [.kɔri'ɔgrəfə] |
想一想再看 n. 舞蹈指導 |
||
| regulate | ['regju.leit,'regjuleit] |
想一想再看 vt. 管理，調整，控制 |
聯想記憶 | |
| metropolitan | [.metrə'pɔlitən] |
想一想再看 n. 大都市的居民，大主教 |
聯想記憶 | |
| renowned | [ri'naund] |
想一想再看 adj. 有名的，有聲譽的 |
聯想記憶 | |
| liquid | ['likwid] |
想一想再看 adj. 液體的，液態的 |
||
| pancreas | ['pæŋkriəs] |
想一想再看 n. 胰臟 |
聯想記憶 | |
| coda | ['kəudə] |
想一想再看 n. 結尾部分；終結句；尾聲；[音]終曲 |
聯想記憶 |
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