Professor Stephen Hawking, the physicist, would consider assisted suicide if he felt he had nothing more to contribute to the world and was merely a burden, he has said.
物理學(xué)家史蒂芬?霍金教授曾表示，如果他覺得自己無法再對(duì)這個(gè)世界做出任何貢獻(xiàn)，而僅僅是別人的負(fù)擔(dān)，那么他會(huì)考慮協(xié)助自殺。

Prof Hawking, who has motor neurone disease, has argued that keeping someone alive against their own wishes is the “ultimate indignity”, saying he would think about it in the event he was suffering great pain.
霍金患有運(yùn)動(dòng)神經(jīng)元病，他認(rèn)為如果別人不想活著，卻非逼著別人活著，這是對(duì)他人“最大的侮辱”。他曾表示，如果他遭受了巨大的痛苦，那么他會(huì)考慮協(xié)助自殺。

In an interview with Dara O’Briain, for a new BBC programme, the world-renowned scientist disclosed he suffered bouts of loneliness, because people can be afraid to talk to him or let him answer.
在接受BBC一個(gè)新節(jié)目的主持人達(dá)拉?奧布萊恩采訪時(shí)，這位舉世聞名的科學(xué)家透露，人們害怕和他交談或者向他提問，因此他正承受著巨大的孤獨(dú)。

In 2013, he offered his public support to the discussion of assisted dying, saying: “We don't let animals suffer, so why humans?"
2013年，他公開支持安樂死，并聲稱：“我們都不忍心讓動(dòng)物遭受痛苦，那為什么要讓人們?nèi)淌苣?？?

In a programme to be broadcast on BBC One on June 15, Prof Hawking will offer further insights into his own life, alongside interviews with his children.
6月15日BBC1臺(tái)將播出對(duì)霍金先生及其子女的訪談，霍金將剖析他對(duì)自己生命更深沉的感悟。

When asked by O’Briain about his support for assisted dying, and what condition he would have to be in to consider it for himself, the physicist said: "To keep someone alive against their wishes is the ultimate indignity.
當(dāng)奧布萊恩問道關(guān)于他支持安樂死問題以及他在什么情況下會(huì)考慮安樂死時(shí)，霍金回答稱：“違背一個(gè)人的意愿，強(qiáng)迫他活著，是對(duì)他人最大的侮辱?！?

"I would consider assisted suicide only if I were in great pain or felt I had nothing more to contribute but was just a burden to those around me.”
“只有當(dāng)我感受到巨大的痛苦，或我發(fā)現(xiàn)自己無法再做出任何貢獻(xiàn)，而只是身邊人的負(fù)擔(dān)時(shí)，我才會(huì)考慮協(xié)助自殺?！?

But, he added: "I am damned if I'm going to die before I have unravelled more of the universe.”
不過，他補(bǔ)充道：“如果我在揭示更多宇宙奧秘之前就死了，我會(huì)很懊惱?！?

He is not in pain, he said, but suffers occasional discomfort because he cannot adjust his own position.
目前，他還沒有受到病痛的折磨，只是時(shí)不時(shí)會(huì)覺得不舒服，因?yàn)樗麩o法調(diào)整自己的姿勢(shì)。

O’Briain, a comedian and broadcaster who has a degree in theoretical physics, praised Prof Hawking for his “impressively honest answers, even to the most direct questions”.
奧布萊恩是一名喜劇演員兼播音員，同時(shí)還有理論物理學(xué)學(xué)位。他稱贊霍金的回答非常誠(chéng)懇，哪怕面對(duì)最直接尖銳的問題也給出了回答。

He also asked the 73-year-old physicist, who communicates through his famous speech synthesiser, whether he ever finds life lonely.
他還問這位73歲的物理學(xué)家是否感到生活孤獨(dú)，霍金只能用他那套著名的語音合成器同他人交流。

“At times I get very lonely because people are afraid to talk to me or don't wait for me to write a response,” said Prof Hawking, who is currently trialling even more sophisticated communication technology.
霍金答道：“有時(shí)候我覺得非常孤獨(dú)，因?yàn)槿藗兒ε峦抑v話或者是不愿等我把回答寫出來。”他目前正在試驗(yàn)更為復(fù)雜的通訊技術(shù)設(shè)備。

“I'm shy and tired at times. I find it difficult to talk to people I don't know."
“我很害羞，有時(shí)也感到疲乏。我覺得跟我不認(rèn)識(shí)的人交談是件很困難的事?！?

When asked about what he misses about being able-bodied, he added: "I would like to be able to swim again. When my children were young, I missed not being able to play with them physically."
當(dāng)被問及擁有健全的身體時(shí)讓他最懷念的是什么時(shí)，霍金答道：“我希望能再游泳。我的孩子們還很小時(shí)，我沒能親身和他們一起玩耍?！?/p>

Vocabulary

assisted suicide: 協(xié)助自殺，安樂死
motor neurone disease: 運(yùn)動(dòng)神經(jīng)元疾病
unravel: 解開
speech synthesiser: 語音合成器

（英文來源：英國(guó)《每日電訊報(bào)》 譯者：FNU郭穎穎 編輯：馬文英）