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上节课我们开始探讨Allright.Lasttimewestartedaskingourselves到底是死亡的哪些因素aboutwhataresomeoftheotheraspectsofdeaththat可能使它产生危害或者说mightcontributetoitsbadness,or至少有些因素是值得我们去思考的atleastotherfeaturesofdeaththatareworththinkingabout.可以想见有些因素会Conceivably,someofthemmight在某种程度上减少死亡带来的危害reducethebadnessofdeath,insomeway.我们讨论了死亡的必然性{\c以及不同的wetalkedaboutthevariability,生命长度所带来的变数thatpeoplehavedifferentlengthsoftimebeforetheydie.现在我们来讨论死亡的不可预见性Andweturnedtoadiscussionoftheunpredictabilityofdeath,我们不知道也不能预测thefactthatbecausewedon'tknow--wecan'tpredict--我们将活多久howmuchmoretimewe'vegot,我们似乎也无法完全掌控自己的生活wemay,asitwere,paceourselvesincorrectly.你可能壮志未酬Youmaytakeonalong-termprojectandthendie身先死{\c也可能过早的功成名就oralternatively,youmaypeaktoosoonandthen而后看着自己continuetostickaround慢慢老去inananti-climacticway.这种不幸本可避免Thesearebadsoflife如果我们知道thatcouldpresumablybeavoidedifonlyweknew我们到底可以活多久的话howmuchexactlywehad--howmuchlongerwehad.另一方面我们必须诘问自己Ontheotherhand,wehavetoaskourselves--上节课我留的那个问题andthisthequestionthatIleftuswithlasttime--如果我们确切了解我们活在世上的时间whetheritwouldreally,allthingsconsidered,bebettertoknow是不是更好howmuchtimeyouhad.假设我们身上有这么一种胎记Afterall,ifyouknew--supposewehadthe它能告诉你你什么时候会死birthmarksthattoldyouwhenyouweregoingtodie--如果真有这么一块胎记ifyouhadthatkindofabirthmark,你会时时生活在它的阴影之下youwouldfaceyourentirelifewiththeburdenofknowing,我还剩48年47年或是50年I'vegot48yearsleft,47yearsleft,50yearsleft.我会这样一直倒计时下去Ishould'vebeencountingdown--35年30年25年等等35,30,25andsoforth.许多人会发现正如我所说是个负担Manyofuswouldfindthatwas,asIsay,aburden--就像有什么东西始终悬在心头似的somethinghangingconstantlyoverus以至于影响我们享受生活的能力interferingwithourabilitytoenjoylife.设想有这么一种基因标志Supposethatthereweresomesortofgeneticmarker尽管我们并不能and,althoughwedidn'thave把它纹在身上想看就看atattoothatyouwouldjusthavetolookat,但你可以做基因咨询检测你的DNAbutyoucouldhavegeneticcounseling--haveyourDNAexamined通过DNA测试你会知道andyoucouldtell,ifyouhadtheDNAtesting,你还会活多久howmuchtimeyouhadleft.你愿意去做这种测试吗Wouldyouwanttogetthattestingdone?当然这仅仅是像科幻小说一样Now,that'sofcoursesciencefiction,而且我想一时半会儿这也不可能实现andIpresumeit'sgoingtostaysciencefiction--尽管我们的认知thoughwe'reonthecuspof至少已经越来越接近havingsomethingatleastapproximatingthat随着我们越来越多地了解不同的基因aswelearnmoreandmoreaboutthevariousgenesthat会导致不同的疾病carryvariousdiseases,但越来越多的人还是要we--moreandmoreofus面临这个问题facethequestionofwhetherornotwewantto即我们是否想被检测是否患有这些疾病gettestedforthosediseases.假定有这么一个测试Supposetherewasatest.某人偶然间Indeed,oneoccasionally在报上读到readsinthenewspaperaboutthissortofthing可以对这些疾病如此检测whereyoucangettestedforsuchandsuchadisease.你得知自己有50%的概率会得这种病Youmightknowalreadythatyou'vegota50percentchanceofhavingit,但你还是不能确认你是否一定会得butyoudon'tknowwhetheryouyourselfhaveit.如果你确实会得Ifyoudohaveit,这种病通常会thediseasewillalways在你40岁50岁或者什么时候发作haveonsetbyage40,50orwhathaveyou.你希望早早得到这样一种信息吗Wouldyouwanttohavethatkindofinformation?言归正传Closelyrelatedquestion.如果你们现在知道你们将不久于人世Ifyoudidknowhowmuchtimeyouhadleft,那么你们会做出何种改变呢howwouldyouactdifferentlyfromwhatyou'redoingnow?它能否把你的注意力都集中到Woulditfocusyourattentionon你认为是对你来说最重要的事情上呢makingsureyoudidthethingsthatweremostimportanttoyou?这是个很值得...Andit'sworth--这是个很有效的测试it'ssortofausefultestforaskingyourself反问自己生命中哪些事是有价值的whatarethethingsyoumustvalueinlife--toask,如果你知道自己还有whatwouldyouchoosetodoifyouknewyouhad5或10年的活头你将如何去活fiveyears,tenyears,whathaveyou?《周六夜现场》节目中有段老掉牙的故事There'sanoldSaturdayNightLiveroutine说的是一名演员去看医生whereoneoftheactorsisinthedoctor'soffice,andthe医生告诉他一个非常不幸的消息doctorgiveshimtheverysadnewsthathe'sgot他的生命只剩下两分钟了twominuteslefttolive.这名演员说那我就尽情享受Andhesays,I'mgoingtopackalifetimeofenjoyment生命的最后两分钟吧intothosetwominutes.可以想见故事的笑点出现了Andthenofcourse,thepointoftheskitis这名演员按下了电梯的按钮hepressesthedownbuttonontheelevatorand就在他等待电梯上来的时候aminuteandahalfgoesby一分半钟已经悄然间逝去了whilehe'swaitingfortheelevatortocome.如果你知道你的生命还有一年或者两年Ifyouknewyouhadayearleftortwoyearsleft,你将如何去度过剩余的时光whatwouldyoudowiththattime?你会选择上学还是外出旅行Wouldyoubeinschool?Wouldyoutravel?还是花更多的时间Wouldyouspendmoretime与你的朋友待在一起hangingoutwithyourfriends?对我来说有一件刻骨铭心的事情Avery,forme,extremelystrikingexample就发生在我讲这门课的时候ofthisquestionoccurredinthisveryclass.许多年前Therewasastudent有一位听我这门课的学生将不久于人世inthisclasssomeyearsagowhowasdying.他知道他就要死了Andheknewthathewasdying.他在大一时就被诊断出患有癌症He'dbeendiagnosedwith,如果我没记错的话ifIrecallcorrectly,cancerasafreshmen--他的医生告诉他基本没有治愈的可能andhisdoctorhadtoldhimthatheprettymuchhadnochance他只剩下两年多的时间了ofrecoveryandindeedhadonlyacouplemoreyearstolive.面对此情此景他只能问自己Facedwiththatquestion,hehadtoaskhimself,我该如何度过我的余生Well,whatshouldIdowithmyremainingyears?他做出了一个令人惊异不已Itwasastonishingenoughthatsomebody--但又合乎情理的决定butperhapsunderstandable--thatsomebodyinthatsituationwould继续求学并且逼迫自己decidetotakeaclassondeathandthenhavehimself,周复一周地来听我的课submithimself,tomygettinguphereweekafterweek,讨论灵魂的缥缈talkingabouthowthere'snosoul,亦无来生there'snoprospectforanafterlife,人终有一死是件好事it'sagoodthingthatwe'reallgoingtodie.但是要他直面这一问题他将如何去做Butfacedwiththequestionwhatshouldhedo,如何去度过这剩下的两年时光whatdidhewanttodowithhisremainingcoupleofyears,他选择了去攻读耶鲁的学位whathedecidedhewantedtodowasfinishhisYaledegree--并在临终前实现了他的夙愿thoughthe'dsethimselfthegoalof顺利完成了学业graduatingcollegebeforehedied.他是大二第二学期上的这门课Andhewastakingthisclasssecondseme