Thursday, August 27, 2026
『改訂版 英語で話す力。』
Unit 41 Are you in favor of euthanasia?
あなたは安楽死には賛成ですか？
主張A 反対
命は尊く、延命の可能性も高い
① I am strongly against euthanasia（安楽死） for two reasons.
② The first reason is that medical advancement is occurring rapidly. Euthanasia is also called ‘mercy（救済、情け） killing’ and in the past that might have made sense, because medicine was very primitive（遅れた、原始的な）. But now, we have new painkilling drugs coming out all the time. We have the ability to prolong life, and we are finding cures（治療法） for diseases that in the past were incurable（治療不能な）. It is wrong to end the life of someone when two or three years later a cure for their disease might be discovered.
③ The second reason is philosophical. I believe that a huma life is the most sacred and precious thing on earth. We can’t treat it like a machine that we discard as soon as it starts malfunctioning. The role of medicine is to preserve life because life is so valuable.
主張B 賛成
個人が生死を選ぶ権利をもつべき
① An individual should most definitely be allowed to end their life if they are suffering terribly, especially from an incurable condition. If necessary, doctors should be allowed to assist them in carrying out their choice.
② Some horrible conditions, such as cancer or burns all over the entire body, create a situation of hell for the patient. If the law says they can’t be euthanized, it is like the government is insisting that they experience a life of hell, years after year. That is terrible.
③ People should have fundamental rights over their own body.
④ It is not the doctors or the lawyers or the politicians who experience the suffering, after all. It is the patient, and so only the patient should be allowed to choose.
主張C 別視点
「生前の意思表示」の制度を確立すべき
① One of the most common times that euthanasia is considered is for patients who are in a coma and can never come back to consciousness. We actually compare them to ‘vegetables.’ To me, that’s not life?
② The problem is that since they are unconscious, they can’t make their wishes know.
③ Therefore, I think people should be encouraged to make written statements about what they want to happen to them if they go into a vegetative state. I read about this in other countries, where it is referred to as a ‘living will.’ The will is given to a trusted spouse or other family member.
④ If the living will says they don’t want to continue being kept alive after losing consciousness, then the family should be able to insist that the patient be allowed to die.
⑤ This isn’t the same as killing someone. It is simply turning off machines that keep them alive indefinitely against their wished. It is the best way, I feel.
