[時事英文] The Death Penalty

剛剛看完大家熱烈討論的《我們與惡的距離》The World Between Us 覺得學到不少東西，劇情也直接挑戰大眾對死刑和相關議題的看法。好，點到為止，我就不透漏劇情了。

以下是我編寫關於死刑的一篇文章。無論大家觀點如何，希望以下提供的一些資訊可以幫同學學習英文，關心社會大事及更了解此議題。

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錄音檔: http://bit.ly/2vh27ph

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以下老師提供執行死刑的支持和反對的論點的相關的英文單字及文章，目的是希望幫助各位不論是在英文口試上更得心應手，另外了解正反兩方的觀點也才能讓各位的辯證更有說服力。

時事詞彙:

pros and cons 利弊
capital punishment/the death penalty 死刑
retribution 應報
state power 國家公權力
deprive…of their right to live 剝奪…生命權
separate them from society 使其永久與社會隔離
the abolition of the death penalty 廢除死刑
do away with 除去；廢除
concepts of law and order 法治觀念
popular consensus and support 民眾之共識與支持
opinion polls 民意調查
respondents 受訪者
complementary measures 相關配套措施
increase upper sentencing limits 提高有期徒刑上限
the threshold for parole for life imprisonment 無期徒刑假釋門檻
amendments 法律修正案
human rights protection 人權之保障
maintaining public security 治安之維護
cruel, inhumane 殘酷, 不人道
on death row 在死刑名單上
administer the death penalty 執行死刑
approve all executions 批准處決
method of execution 行刑方式
hanging 絞刑
retain the death penalty 維持死刑
carry out death penalty 執行死刑
a deterrent to crime or extremism 遏止犯罪或極端主義
lethal injection 致命注射
appeal 上訴; 請求
Taiwan Alliance to End the Death Penalty 台灣廢死聯盟

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Pros and Cons of the Death Penalty 死刑的利與弊

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Arguments commonly made for supporting the death penalty are:

一般常會被用來支持死刑應該存在的論點如下:

1. To serve as an example to other would-be criminals, to deter them from committing murder or terrorist acts.

會對那些相當可能犯案的潛在罪犯產生警示的作用，並阻止他們犯下任何謀殺或恐怖行為。

2. To punish the criminal for his/her act.

由於他們的犯罪行為，給予懲罰。

3. To obtain retribution on behalf of the victims.

基於受害者的權益，罪犯應當得到相對的懲罰。

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Arguments Against 反駁論點

Arguments commonly made to abolish the death penalty are:

一般常會被用來支持死刑應該被廢除的論點如下:

1. Death constitutes “cruel and unusual punishment" and the various means used by the state to kill a criminal are cruel.

死刑的構成其實是殘暴而且不尋常的處罰，再者，目前國家執行死刑的方式，有很多都是非常殘忍的。

2. The death penalty is used disproportionately against the poor, who cannot afford expensive legal counsel, as well as against racial, ethnic and religious minorities.

相對於金字塔頂端的富人，由於那些貧窮的社會階層根本負擔不起昂貴的律師費用，死刑的執行對於他們而言，完全不成比例，另一方面，其實那些種族、少數民族和宗教等弱勢團體也面臨著類似的問題。

3. Wrongly convicted, innocent people have received death penalty sentences, and tragically, were killed by the state.

法律上誤判的狀況，也會導致無辜的人們被判處死刑，因而不幸地被國家殺害。

4. A rehabilitated criminal can make a morally valuable contribution to society.

一位改過自新的罪犯，其實也能就道德層面當中，對這個社會有一些難能可貴的貢獻。

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English and Chinese Script:

The death penalty, with its basis in the theory of retribution, uses state power to deprive convicted criminals of their right to live and separate them from society forever. Since capital punishment is cruel and goes against the notion that punishment should encompass education, the abolition of the death penalty has gradually become a global trend. Many democratic and industrialized countries have completely or conditionally abolished the death penalty.

死刑起源於報應主義，係以國家公權力剝奪罪犯生命權，使其永久與社會隔離，由於手段殘酷，不符刑罰亦具教化之主張，故廢除死刑已漸是世界潮流，許多民主先進國家已廢除死刑或有條件的廢除死刑。

Whether to completely do away with the death penalty depends on the development of society, the maturity of concepts of law and order and popular consensus and support. In opinion polls in recent years, around 80% of respondents have consistently opposed the abolition of the death penalty. Opposition falls to 40% however if complementary measures such as increases in upper sentencing limits and the threshold for parole for life imprisonment are included.

惟是否全面廢除死刑，應視社會發展、法治觀念是否成熟及民眾之共識與支持。根據歷年來所做之相關民意調查，民眾對我國廢止死刑之意見，始終約有百分之八十的受訪者表示反對。但如有相關配套措施，例如提高有期徒刑上限、無期徒刑假釋門檻等，反對意見則約下降至百分之四十。

Evidently, with consideration of complementary measures and education, public support for retribution may be reoriented and a general consensus formed on the gradual abolition of the death penalty.

可見如有配套措施，並透過教育導正民眾報復思想，應可逐步凝聚廢除死刑之社會共識。

The Ministry of Justice will employ extensive discussion and research to form a popular consensus for abolition, and only then propose the necessary amendments to existing laws to extend human rights protection while maintaining public security.

法務部將會透過廣泛討論與研究，凝聚多數民眾支持廢除死刑之共識後，才會提出廢除死刑的法律修正案，以兼顧人權之保障及治安之維護。

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Article source: 中華民國法務部有關廢除死刑之政策
http://www.moj.gov.tw/fp.asp?xItem=26742&ctNode=28252

Image source: https://opinion.udn.com/opinion/story/10043/3613790

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時事英文: https://bit.ly/2Gtsduy

《互相尊重的認知》
Understanding Mutual Respect (English version below)

吾有兩位女學生，犯了佛教的「不飲酒」戒。

一位30歲左右的，說是公司聚會，上司一直叫她喝，不好拒絕。吾弟子問她，明明是白領佳人，難不成還得兼職「陪酒小姐」？

這位學生，也因爲飲酒，而多次欺騙老公與公婆，說是在公司加班。

另一位學生是位中年婦女。她受老闆之託，旅行回國時幫老闆買酒。她也說，不懂得如何拒絕老闆。

這位中年婦女與吾皈依同一位根本上師，當代法王蓮生活佛，卻藐視根本上師的教義，忤逆吾的教誨。她從不好好閱讀根本上師的文集與開示，一直祇求吾以風水八字來解決她家人的問題，治標不治本。

因此，她忽略了師佛近期的開示：「拿酒給人喝，犯了不飲酒戒，五百世沒有手。」

（如蚯蚓等動物。）

這兩位學生，同樣的都沒告訴老闆她們的戒律。

妳自己都不尊敬妳的信仰，不會有人尊重妳的信仰。

如果妳不開妳的金口，介紹妳信仰的戒律給他人，他人又怎麼知道妳有這條戒律呢？

如果說出來了，他自然不會叫妳買酒或帶妳去喝酒。

自己要先有守戒的精神。如果妳沒有，妳一定也是爲了不好意思或怕炒魷魚，就這樣犯戒。

這個世界上不是只有一份工作可以做。

如果妳明知故犯，折了這個福，妳認為妳未來還會有好的發展嗎？

我們所要的一切都是建立在德。

天，因爲有德，所以常覆，地有德，所以常載，日月星有德，所以常照。

人要有德，才能夠常順、常旺、常樂。

妳不能說妳怕拒絕，以免什麼會發生在妳身上。東家不打打西家，人要有志氣，要有守戒的精神，才會得善神的擁護。

妳自己都不尊重妳的信仰，試問人家怎麼會尊重妳的信仰呢？他看妳也不過是那種人，可能暗地裡還瞧不起妳，覺得妳外表說妳已皈依，原來妳根本沒有皈依，還是犯戒。

千萬不要這樣做。

做爲一個老闆，一個上司，必須要以德服人。下屬因爲是你的員工，她當然不敢得罪你，冒犯你，因爲她需要這個薪水來養家或過活。就算她爲了順從你，而犯戒，你在她心中的形象一定大打折扣。如果有一天，她有了另外一份工作邀約，她一定不考慮就走，因爲她覺得你是一個敗德的上司，不值得她忠心。

如果她留下來，那必定只有一個原因，因爲她也敗德。敗德的上司 + 敗德的下屬，能做出什麼好成績來？

學佛人，得懂得匡正自己，也匡正別人，所以必須得解釋給妳老闆，或任何不明白的人，妳你爲何會拒絕他做某樣事情，尤其是買賣酒、買賣煙、買賣色情刊物等等。

大家要明白什麼叫戒律，戒律不是有宗教信仰的人，才要守的律法。戒律是一個正人君子的準則，是止惡揚善的基礎，根本沒有分誰應該守。

只要是人，都必須守。走在正道上，沒有過失下，才不會損失我們的福德。

那位中年婦女的老闆，「勸」吾的學生不必執著戒律，佛陀不是說斷執著嗎？

沒有皈依學佛的，千萬不要不懂裝懂，以免斷人慧命，造了殺生業。

佛陀涅槃時，阿難問佛：「佛在世時，我們以佛為師，佛滅度後大眾以何為師呢？」

佛言：「以戒為師。」

喝酒，會亂人本性，生出無量的過失，如酒後駕駛、醉酒打人、儀態盡失、胡言亂語、淫慾熾盛、惡人相近等等。

一位老客人，七旬老翁，生性節儉。一家大小雖是佛教徒，老翁卻酗酒成性。長子乃吾弟子，之前爲了迎合父親要求，常買酒「供養」他。

後來，媳婦（也是吾弟子也）顧及老翁的健康和戒律，阻止先生助紂為虐，也勸其家婆、小姑和弟弟不要買酒，卻惹來老翁辱罵長子：「沒有用！」

事隔數年，老翁喝壞了身體，今年年中入院開刀。吾於心不忍，以玄學來幫助這位老客人能早日康復。

喝酒的人愚癡，送酒的人愚孝。

吾，玳瑚師父，滴酒不沾，任何有酒精的食物，吾也不食。不飲酒者，有何果報？

意念清明，智慧超群，不會精神分裂、不會神智恍惚、不會胡思亂想，更不會被迷惑。

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2 of my female students flouted the Buddhism precept of abstinence from alcohol.

One of them, in her early 30s, told me that it was a company gathering, and her supervisor egged her to drink. She could not refuse. My disciple asked her, isn't it absurd that as a white-collared employee, she has to "part-time" as a drinking hostess?

This student of mine also lied to her husband and parents-in-laws numerous times, that she was working overtime when, in fact, she was out drinking.

Another student of mine is a middle-aged lady, who was requested by her superior to buy duty-free alcohol on her return from travelling. She also told me that she did not know how to say no to her boss.

This lady, like me, took refuge under the same Root Guru, Living Buddha Lian Sheng. However, she blantantly ignored His Teachings and my reminders. She did not diligently read the Dharma books and discourses from our Root Guru Master, yet always sought my help in Feng Shui and Bazi to solve her family woes. This is not solving the root causes at all.

Hence, she missed out on a recent Dharma discourse by our Root Guru: If you give alcohol to others, you are breaking the precept of abstinence from alcohol, and the consequence is 500 rebirths without limbs.

(Eg. like a millipede)

These 2 students did not tell their superiors of their precepts.

If you do not respect your own faith, nobody will give your faith the due respect too.

If you don't break your silence and let others know about the precepts in your religion, how would others know about your precept on abstinence from alcohol?

If you voice it out, naturally your superior will not ask you to buy alcohol nor bring you along for drinking sessions.

You must first have the spirit to uphold the precepts, lacking which you will be easily swayed by situations such as embarrassment or fear of losing your job, and eventually flouting the precepts.

There is more than one job for you in this world.

If you flout the precepts intentionally, and lose your merits, what good future do you think is left for you?

Our merit and virtues are the source of all that we desire.

The Heavens and Earth have virtues , therefore can encompass all. The Sun, moon and the stars have virtues, hence their never ending radiance.

Man must have virtues, in order to enjoy peace, prosperity and bliss.

You cannot give the excuse that you fear the consequence of saying no. There is always another job out there. A person must have higher aspirations, and the willpower to observe the precepts in order to be blessed by the virtuous gods.

If you do not respect your own faith, how would another person respect it? He will not be impressed, and may even secretly despise you for being a hypocrite in taking refuge, as you are not steadfast in upholding your precepts.

Do not ever do this.

As a boss, as a superior, you must command the respect of your subordinates with your merits and virtues. It is natural that your subordinate will not dare to offend you because she needs the job and salary to make a living or feed their families.

Even if she follow your instructions, at the expense of flouting her precepts, deep in her heart, she will think lesser of you. If one day she receives another job offer, she will not hesitate to leave you because she feel that you are lacking in virtues and unworthy of her loyalty.

If she stays on, then it must be for the reason that she too is lacking in virtues. A non-virtuous superior + a non-virtuous employee, what good result can they produce?

A practicing Buddhist must learn to correct oneself, and others. Therefore, you need to explain to you boss, or any other people who do not understand your rationale, why you refuse to help him/her in certain things such as buying alcohol, cigarettes, R-rated publications, etc.

Everyone must understand what exactly precepts are. It is not applicable solely to people with a religious faith. Precepts are the cornerstone of a upright and righteous human being. They are the foundation of spreading goodness and curbing the non-virtuous in us, and applicable to every one of us

As long as you are human, you should observe the precepts. Walking on the right path, and not committing any sin, will ensure that our merits are not taken away.

The boss of my middle-aged student "advised" her not to be too attached to the precepts. Didn't Buddha proclaim non-attachment? So said the boss.

If one has not taken refuge and properly learn the Dharma, please do not behave like a know-it-all and dish out irresponsible "advice" to others. This grave act of recklessness may destroy the life of wisdom in the listener, akin to the act of killing.

When Lord Buddha was about to enter Nirvana, his disciple, Ananda, asked, "When the Buddha is in this world, He is revered as our Teacher. But when the Buddha enters Nirvana, who should we follow as our Teacher?"

Buddha expounded: "I have already given you the precepts. The precepts are your teacher".

Drinking alcohol will create chaos to the human nature, and countless sins arise, such as drunk driving, drunk fighting, loss of etiquette, blabbering of nonsense, sexual indecency, attracting bad company, etc.

An old client of mine, in his 70s, lives frugally. Together with his wife and children, they are Buddhists. However, the elderly man is an alcoholic.

His eldest son is my disciple. Previously, to make his father happy, he would buy him liquor and beer whenever the elderly man asks for it.

Subsequently, his wife (also my disciple) prevented him from buying alcohol, out of consideration for the elderly man's health and their precepts. They also told the mother and younger siblings to refrain from buying.

However, all the eldest son got was a bellow of "Useless son!" from the elderly man.

A few years later, alcoholism took a toil on the old man and he was warded for an operation in the middle of this year.

I pitied him and helped him towards a smoother recovery with my Metaphysics abilities.

Deluded is the man who drinks.

Ignorant is the filial piety of the children who feed his alcoholism.

I have abstained from intoxicants for over a decade, and neither do I consume food with alcohol in it.

What are the merits from such abstinence?

Beside mental clarity and supreme wisdom, one will not be stricken with schizophrenia, mental disarray, mental disturbance and fall prey to temptations.

《風水講座》
Feng Shui Masterclass (English version below)

勘查了這麼多年，這麼多場的風水，是有一些感慨的。吾，玳瑚師父，是修行人，不願，不會也不可以「感情用事」。因此，吾就將過去、現在、未來，所經歷的人與事，用最優美的文字，呈獻於妳你們，祝願妳妳們觀讀吾文章時，就像久旱逢甘露，就像絲絲小雨，輕飄在妳你的臉上，就像溫暖的和風，迎面吹來，覺受是那麼的美，那麼的好，那麼的清涼。啊....! 感覺已經在風水講座裡。哈哈哈！

吾，玳瑚師父，貴為「領導人」已多年，所處理的「案件」之多，更磨練出吾的精準與智慧。無形中，也豐富了吾寫著的靈感。其實啊！天地間皆是靈感，靈感皆在天地間。寫著的人必需懂得「寧靜」，修行人則應懂得「寧神天心」，這樣的情況下，所寫出來的文章，才不會「空洞」，反而是「神采飛揚」，己達而達人、己利而利人，「引人入聖」也。若不如此，不如不寫。忘了妳你，忘了我。哈哈哈！

這幾年，講座又再「流行」了。吾，玳瑚師父，本身是不隨波逐流得起。因為，隨波逐流萬一一不小心，就會放逐到不懂哪裡去，名為流離失所也。可怕嗎？可怕。也因如此，吾選擇「主流」，而非「潮流」。吾，玳瑚師父，平生第一次的講座，與吾的「生日」竟然不約而同的，都在農曆八月十五，中秋月圓佳節之日，這也寓意著，吾所辦的講座，將會非常的成功及圓滿。那第一次的講座後，吾所得的反饋是，根本不像是「新手」，融合性、知識性、娛樂性，一百巴仙。不信歡迎來觀察。

有人告訴吾，吾的全身裡外都充滿「神氣」、「靈氣」。吾則要告訴大家的是，「神氣」與「靈氣」皆是修行的自然品，千千萬萬不要本末倒置，以免神氣不得，卻得了神經，那就很不好了。吾，玳瑚師父，所辦的講座，一定是含蓋誠信、實用、實效、融合知識與娛樂性為一體的。這樣超勝的風水講座，吾大可不必問妳你會不會來，因為妳你不一定會來，但妳你一定想來。討厭，連這點也給你看穿。

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After so many years, and countless Feng Shui audits, I have some after-thoughts. Master Dai Hu is a spiritual practitioner. I cannot, will not and should not evaluate things based on emotions alone. Thus, I compiled my past, present and future experiences with the most melodious of words to present to you. I wish that as you read my articles, you will experience a deep sense of relief and awakening akin to the arid land receiving the first rain, or like the endless strands of rain gently caressing your face, or like a warm and comforting breeze into your face. What a pleasant and uplifting feeling. Ah... It felt like I am already in a Feng Shui Masterclass. Hahaha!

I have been a leader in my own right for many years. The huge amount of cases I handled honed my accuracy and wisdom, and are a great fountain of inspiration for my writing. In fact, inspiration is everywhere around us in the heaven and earth. The writer must quieten his mind, the spiritual practitioner must have the ability to achieve singular focus. Only in such a state can the writer produce exhilarating work, instead of shallow articles lacking depth. The articles he produces shall benefit himself and others, leading them onto the path of sage hood. If this is not the desired outcome, there is really no point in writing, and we can forget about each other. Haha!

Seminars and workshops have become popular again the last few years, but Master Dai Hu is not someone who drift with the trend. I may end up drifting to no man's land. Wouldn't that be terrible? Therefore, I choose to set the trend instead of being a mere follower. My first ever Masterclass was held on my "birthday", which falls on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month, the Mid Autumn Festival. This coincidence carries a great significance, and symbolises great success and completeness in every seminar I hold. The feedback for that first Masterclass was excellent, with comments that I did not seem like a first-timer, and that it combined both knowledge and entertainment. 100%! If you have your doubts, come and see for yourself.

Someone told me that I carry an aura of spiritual influence. I wish to let everyone know that these qualities occur naturally in the process of spiritual cultivation, and should never be confused as the end goals. Or you risk losing your sanity over that. Master Dai Hu's Feng Shui Masterclasses will definitely encompass sincerity, practicality, effectiveness, and a fusion of knowledge and entertainment, all in one. A Feng Shui Masterclass of such extraordinaire, surely it would have piqued your interest. For not only would you wish to attend, you definitely would want to. And isn't it "irritating" that I can read your mind?

www.masterdaihu.com/feng-shui-masterclass/