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Voters in Zurich overwhemingly rejected on Sunday proposed bans on assisted suicide and "suicide tourism" -- foreigners traveling to Switzerland to receive help ending their lives. |
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Voters in Zurich overwhemingly rejected on Sunday proposed bans on assisted suicide and "suicide tourism" -- foreigners traveling to Switzerland to receive help ending their lives. Only 15.5 percent of voters in the local referendum backed a ban on assisted suicide, while nearly 22 percent supported a ban on suicide tourism, final results showed. About 200 people commit assisted suicide each year in Zurich. Assisted suicide has been allowed in Switzerland since 1941 if performed by a non-physician who has no vested interest in the death. Euthanasia, or "mercy killing," is legal only in the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the US state of Oregon. Many terminally ill foreigners -- particularly from Germany, France and Britain -- travel to Switzerland to commit suicide, taking advantage of the Swiss rules which are among the world's most liberal. But a rise in the number of foreigners seeking to end their lives in Switzerland, and a study showing that more and more people seeking assisted suicides in the country do not suffer from a terminal illness, have provoked heated debate. The Swiss Evangelical People's Party, which had supported the bans, said it regretted the outcome but was pleased it had prompted so much discussion. "We now need to make sure that assisted suicide isn't just extended without limit and also that suicide tourism with foreigners is critically monitored," it said in a statement. The Swiss government has said it is looking to change the law on assisted suicide to make sure it was used only as a last resort by the terminally ill, and to limit "suicide tourism." Right-to-die group Exit has agreed rules to govern assisted suicide with prosecutors in Zurich in the hope they might eventually form the basis of national regulation. Foreigners are not explicitly excluded under the new rules, but a Swiss doctor who prescribes the deadly anesthetic must have met the person twice over a period of time to be sure of their wishes. (Read by Renee Haines. Renee Haines is a journalist at the China Daily Website.) (Agencies)
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上周日，蘇黎世選民以壓倒性多數(shù)投票否決了禁止協(xié)助自殺和“自殺旅游”的議案。不少外國游客前往瑞士“自殺旅游”，尋求幫助結(jié)束生命。 此次地方投票結(jié)果顯示，僅有15.5%的選民支持協(xié)助自殺禁令，近22%的選民支持終止自殺旅游。每年大約有200人在蘇黎世選擇協(xié)助自殺。 自1941年以來，協(xié)助自殺在瑞士就已合法化，但協(xié)助者不能是醫(yī)生，而且不能從病人的死亡中獲利?！鞍矘匪馈蹦壳皟H在荷蘭、盧森堡、比利時(shí)、以及美國俄勒岡州合法。 很多晚期患者利用瑞士的這一法規(guī)前來協(xié)助自殺，尤以來自德國、法國、英國的游客居多。瑞士擁有全球最自由的法規(guī)。 但前往瑞士協(xié)助自殺的外國人越來越多，而且有調(diào)查表明，希望在瑞士協(xié)助自殺的人中，并未患有晚期疾病的人數(shù)也在增多，這引起了熱議。 支持此項(xiàng)禁令的瑞士人民福音黨對投票結(jié)果表示遺憾，但很高興看到這激起了熱烈討論。 該黨在聲明中稱：“我們需要確保協(xié)助自殺沒有無限制增多，以及外國人自殺旅游受到嚴(yán)格監(jiān)管?！?/p> 瑞士政府稱，正尋求修改協(xié)助自殺的法律，以確保協(xié)助自殺僅在疾病晚期時(shí)不得以而為之，另外還要限制“自殺旅游”。 協(xié)助自殺組織“解脫”已同意了由蘇黎世檢察官管控協(xié)助自殺行為的條例，并希望他們最終可以出臺全國條例。 按照新法規(guī)，外國人不會被直接排除在外。但提供致命麻醉劑的瑞士醫(yī)生必須在規(guī)定的時(shí)間段內(nèi)探望要求自殺者兩次，以確定其自殺愿望。 相關(guān)閱讀 （中國日報(bào)網(wǎng)英語點(diǎn)津 Julie 編輯：馮明惠） |
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Vocabulary: vested interest: 既得利益 euthanasia: the act of killing someone painlessly, esp to relieve suffering from an incurable illness（安樂死） anesthetic: a substance that produces anesthesia, as halothane, procaine, or ether（麻醉藥，麻醉劑） |
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