To Lie or Not to Lie —the Doctor’s Dilemma

Structure analysis Introduction Para 1-2   Introduction Para 3-5 Some doctors think that they lie for the benefit of the patients. Para 6-9  New study shows that patients want to be told the truth and lies may bring harm both to the patients and the medical profession. Para 10-11  Conflicts concerning the issue are arising and need to be given serious consideration.

Vocabulary keys 1. c 2. e 3. a 4. g 5. b 6. d 7. i 8. f 9.h 10.l 11.j 12. o 13. k 14.p 15 n. 16 m

The title: a parody To be or not to be. – Shakespeare To lie or not to lie. The government of the people, by the people, for the people. – John Kennedy The government off the people, buy the people, far the people.

line --one's trade, occupation, or field of interest 职业，兴趣某人的职业或兴趣所及 In medicine as in law, government, and other lines of work, the requirements of honesty often seem dwarfed by greater needs:… -- in medicine as in other trades such as law, government, etc., the requirements of honesty often seem less important compared with other greater needs. line --one's trade, occupation, or field of interest 职业，兴趣某人的职业或兴趣所及 What line of work are you in? 你的工作是什么? dwarf –to cause to appear small by comparison 通过比较使显得矮小 He dwarfs other dramatists. 他使其他剧作家相形见绌。 His children were dwarfed by insufficient food. 他的儿女因营养不良而发育不全。

Ours is a profession which traditionally has been guided by a precept that transcends the virtue of uttering the truth for truth’s sake… -- We doctors have long been guided by a principle that is above the goodness of telling the truth as an end in itself, and the principle is that we must try our best not to do our patients any harm. uttering the truth of truth’s sake -- telling the truth as an end in itself, regardless of the consequences.

-- a lot of doctors may fall into / turn to deceptive practices that… …a number of doctors may slip into deceptive practices that they assume will “do no harm”… -- a lot of doctors may fall into / turn to deceptive practices that… slip into – fall into , enter into a state, esp. through carelessness. She slipped into the bad habit of lying. 她染上了撒谎的坏毛病。

But the illusory nature of the benefits such deception is meant to produce is now coming to be documented. --But evidence is being provided which shows that the benefits such deception is expected to produce are false by nature. document--to support (an assertion or a claim, for example) with evidence or decisive information. 证明以证据或决定性的信息等支持（如断言或声明等） Can you document your theory with facts. 你能用事实证明你的理论吗？ to be well documented 有许多文件证明

Not only do lies not provide the “help” hoped for by advocates of benevolent deception; they invade the autonomy of patients and render them unable to make informed choices concerning their own health… -- Contrary to the hope of those who argue for using deception for the benefit of patients, lies deprive patients of their independency and make it impossible for them to make choices about their own health based on true information.

It contributes to the spiral of lawsuits and of “defensive medicine,” and thus it injures… -- it is responsible for the continuous increase of lawsuits against doctors . Defensive medicine - he practice by a doctor of ordering extensive, often unnecessary tests in order to minimize liability if accused of negligence