Ethical dilemma: What makes life worth living? - Douglas MacLean

翻译人员: Jacky He 校对人员: Yanyan Hong

On your planet, life depends entirely on Nuronium.

在你的星球上，生命 完全依赖着“锘” (Nuronium)。

Your species is almost otherwise identical to humans,

你是一种与人类近乎雷同的物种，

except you require Nuronium in the atmosphere for normal cognition.

不过你需要大气中的“锘” 以维持正常意识。

Without it, people lose their capacity to imagine and think reflectively.

缺乏它，人们便会 失去想象力和反思能力。

Over time, they even lose their ability to make and retain long-term memories.

慢慢地，他们甚至丧失 产生和保留长期记忆的能力。

While this is certainly a delicate situation,

虽然这是个微妙的局面，

this essential element also provides an infinite source of clean energy,

这个核心元素也提供着 无限的清洁能源，

which has allowed your people to thrive for millennia.

使你的族人 几百万年来生生不息。

But leading scientists have discovered terrible news.

但顶尖科学家传出糟糕的消息：

Somehow the entire source of Nuronium has been irreversibly compromised.

全部的“锘”来源被不可逆地污染。

It now emits a pollutant that lowers fertility in your species,

它现在释放出一类毒素， 降低整个物种的生育能力，

and if your planet continues relying on this resource,

假设你的星球持续依赖这个资源，

your people will go extinct within 100 years.

你们会在 100 年之内灭绝。

However, in an incredible stroke of luck,

不过，出奇幸运的是

your scientists have identified a passing comet from which they can mine

你的科学家在一颗经过的卫星中

an alternate energy source called Polixate.

发现一种可供开采的替代能量源，“钋”。

Polixate won’t cause infertility

“锘”不会导致不育，

and would provide the same renewable energy as Nuronium.

也会像“锘”一样提供再生能源。

But it won’t sustain cognition in quite the same way.

但是，它不会维护认知能力。

With Polixate in the atmosphere instead of Nuronium,

当“锘”在大气层中，

people would lose their creativity, their long-term memories,

人们会失去他们的创造力、 长期记忆，

and eventually, your entire culture would disappear.

而最终，你的整个文化会消失殆尽。

The Polixate comet will only remain in orbit for a few days,

“钋”彗星只会逗留几天，

and after that it won't return for centuries.

之后数个世纪不会返回。

So your society's administrative council must decide immediately

所以你的社会行政议会 得当即决定

whether to keep using Nuronium or mount an expedition to harvest the Polixate.

是否持续利用“锘”， 或派出分队开采“钋”。

Right now, the board is split— waiting for your tiebreaking vote.

目前，议会悬而未决， 需要你的最后一票。

Dr. Taylof’s contingent argues that your people must continue using Nuronium.

泰罗夫博士一方主张 持续利用“锘”的必要性。

They believe that your species’ culture— centuries of literature, music, and art,

他们认为这个物种的文化⸺ 数个世纪的文学、音乐和艺术，

as well as your achievements in agriculture, medicine, and technology—

和你们在农业、 医药与科技上的成果，

is what makes life worth living.

使得生活充满意义。

Without the memories of your people’s history

若人们的记忆丧失

or the ability to dream up new inventions,

或缺乏产生新发明的能力，

the people on your planet would essentially be reduced to mindless drones.

你星球的人民会沦为无脑的躯体。

Their basic needs for survival and reproduction would be met,

他们最根本的生存需要会得到满足，

but Dr. Taylof believes the lives of those future generations

但泰罗夫认为这未来几代的生命，

would be meaningless without memories, imagination, and culture.

缺乏记忆、想象力和文化， 会是毫无意义的。

And since Dr. Taylof’s group doesn’t believe that future generations

而由于泰罗夫博士那方 不认为未来几代持有

have any inherent right to be brought into existence,

存在的根本权利，

if it’s not possible for them to add to the civilization they’ve inherited,

如果缺乏持续发展文明的能力，

there's no point in trying to preserve them.

那也没必要使他们留存下来。

Besides, no living beings are harmed by continuing to rely on Nuronium—

而且，没什么生命会依赖 “锘”而受到损害。

your species should simply accept their fate and go extinct with dignity.

你的物种会接受命运， 带着尊严走向灭绝。

Dr. Kahan and their colleagues strongly disagree.

卡汉博士与他的同僚强力反对。

They admit that switching to Polixate would decrease

他们承认改换为“钋”

your people’s quality of life.

会降低人们的生活质量。

But with their basic needs met,

但由于基本需求被满足，

they could still experience a kind of happiness observed

他们仍然能够体会那种

in other, arguably less complex lifeforms.

更原始生命中的“快乐”。

And even if there's no chance of your people redeveloping creativity,

即便人们没机会重获创造力，

what's most important for Dr. Kahan is that we would be preserving life.

对于卡汉博士而言， 最重要的是保存生命。

Dr. Kahan’s faction believes the continuation of life alone

卡汉博士一方认为 生命的延续本身便是

is incomparably valuable.

无比珍贵的。

They also believe that, on average, every member of your species contributes,

他们也相信，这个物种的每个个体

in small but constant ways, to the betterment of your people.

都在缓慢但持续地改善其他人。

So by choosing to ensure your people’s existence,

所以选择保证人们存在，

you would ultimately be improving the total happiness of your species.

你会最终提升 整个物种的快乐程度。

But Dr. Taylof rejects the idea that maximizing happiness

但泰罗夫博士反对将快乐最大化

is the ultimate goal of living.

是生活的终极目标。

They believe that a valuable life consists not only of happiness

他认为有价值的生活 不仅包含快乐，

but also meaningfulness.

还有意义和内涵。

And that acting as links in the chain of tradition

延续各项传统，

and preserving cultural artifacts

保护文化遗物

are some of the most fundamental sources of meaning a species can have.

是一个物种最基础的“意义”来源。

Merely continuing to exist, in lives like those of contented pets,

单纯持续的存在。 像安乐的宠物一样，

would not be valuable.

是无价值的。

Meanwhile, the advocates for Polixate believe there’s something

而同时，“钋”的支持者相信

fundamentally unethical about choosing extinction.

选择灭绝本质上是不道德的。

Dr. Kahan argues there’s no moral difference between what we do

卡汉博士认为，我们做出选择

and what we allow to happen when we could have acted differently.

与我们袖手旁观在道德上没有区别。

So while it would be tragic if your people ceased to exist due to chance,

因此，尽管物种走向灭绝是场悲剧，

to knowingly make a decision that results in extinction

但主观地选择走上导致灭绝的道路，

is tantamount to mass murder.

不亚于大规模屠杀。

Both sides have much more to say, but the council needs your vote now.

两方还可争论更久， 但议会需要你现在投票。

So what shall it be: Nuronium for a while, or Polixate forever?

那是该选短期的“锘”，还是无限的“钋”？