It&#39s useful, in part, because it reminds us that we all have feelings that we don&#39t act upon, maybe shouldn&#39t act upon.它的好处在于，这种区分提醒我们：我们都有很多并没有付诸行动的，或者本就不该付诸行动的情感和感受。I&#39ll give you an example.比如。Sometimes I&#39m in line, and there&#39s somebody in front of me with one of those bluetooth

The Bible suggests that those who divorce and remarry should be put to death.圣经里建议那些离婚之后又再婚的人，应该被处以死刑。Why? Well because the New Testament defines divorce as adultery the Old Testament prescribes death for adultery.为什么？因为根据新约，离婚则视为&quot奸淫&quot，而旧约里规定了&quot奸淫&quot者要处以死刑。Again, this doesn&#39t sound ve

Now, for many of these claims, we don&#39t have to settle the statistical arguments in order to address the arguments.对于很多这种无端的指责，其实并非每个都需要我们通过统计研究的方法加以辩驳。Part of the reason for this is that correlation is not the same thing as cause.原因很简单：相关性和因果性不能混为一谈。How many of you have heard this before maybe i

It&#39s important because it puts a face on the issue.它之所以重要，是因为它让你直面问题所在。Now, a lot of people at this point will say to me, &quotYou had me part of the way, but now here you go being all open about it now, and that&#39s what I don&#39t get.&quot说到这里，很多人可能会对我说：&quot你让我懂了不少，但是你现在开始鼓吹同性恋展示自我，这让我很不解。&q

And indeed, in the handful of places that the Bible talks about homosexuality, it&#39s almost always in the context of a discussion of idolatry because homosexuality was very much associated with certain pagan practices.而且事实上，在圣经寥寥几段关于同性恋的段落里，上下文的背景几乎都是在探讨偶像崇拜，而这里的同性恋在很大程度上是与异教徒的行为联系在一起的。If that&#39

Even that would not be an argument against homosexuality.即使在这种情况下，这都不会成为反对同性恋的合理论证。At best, it would be an argument against exclusive homosexuality.它顶多可以用来反对那种对异性恋绝对排斥的真性同性恋。I mean, homosexuality doesn&#39t prevent a person from procreating, anymore than you sitting here listening to this lecture pr

The Bible suggests that those who divorce and remarry should be put to death.圣经里建议那些离婚之后又再婚的人，应该被处以死刑。Why? Well because the New Testament defines divorce as adultery the Old Testament prescribes death for adultery.为什么？因为根据新约，离婚则视为&quot奸淫&quot，而旧约里规定了&quot奸淫&quot者要处以死刑。Again, this doesn&#39t sound ve

People always laugh when I say Strom Thurmond. You remember Strom Thurmond. Strom Thurmond was the senator from South Carolina.我一提到斯特罗姆·舍尔蒙德这名字观众们就开始笑，你们还记得斯特罗姆这人吧？斯特罗姆·舍尔蒙德是个来自南卡罗来纳州的参议员。He had been a segregationist many years ago, then he ended up being in the Senate, and he was there until he was

It&#39s useful, in part, because it reminds us that we all have feelings that we don&#39t act upon, maybe shouldn&#39t act upon.它的好处在于，这种区分提醒我们：我们都有很多并没有付诸行动的，或者本就不该付诸行动的情感和感受。I&#39ll give you an example.比如。Sometimes I&#39m in line, and there&#39s somebody in front of me with one of those bluetooth

It&#39s important because it puts a face on the issue.它之所以重要，是因为它让你直面问题所在。Now, a lot of people at this point will say to me, &quotYou had me part of the way, but now here you go being all open about it now, and that&#39s what I don&#39t get.&quot说到这里，很多人可能会对我说：&quot你让我懂了不少，但是你现在开始鼓吹同性恋展示自我，这让我很不解。&q

Since when did animals start providing us with our moral standards, particularly in the area of sex?从什么时候开始，我们的道德标准是由动物来提供的？特别是性的道德这个领域。I mean, think about this. ok.我们想想。Animals don&#39t become state legislators, either.动物是不会成为州立法委员的。Can we lock Warren Chisum up now?或者换个角度说，我们能把沃伦·奇松关进笼子里吗？But, beyo

When I say it makes some people happy, I don&#39t just mean that they&#39re pleasurable, although that&#39s part of it.我说它能让一部分人幸福，并不是仅指它令人愉悦的那部分。But, there&#39s more to it than that.虽然愉悦这一点是幸福的组成部分，但还有更多的东西在里边。A homosexual relationship, like a heterosexual relationship, can be an important avenue o

Now, for many of these claims, we don&#39t have to settle the statistical arguments in order to address the arguments.对于很多这种无端的指责，其实并非每个都需要我们通过统计研究的方法加以辩驳。Part of the reason for this is that correlation is not the same thing as cause.原因很简单：相关性和因果性不能混为一谈。How many of you have heard this before maybe i

I want to start with a thought experiment.我想以一个思维实验开始我今天的演讲。Suppose I told you that I&#39m imagining an activity that takes place between consenting adults, doesn&#39t hurt anyone, and results in a great deal of pleasure for the people involved-and that&#39s all that you know about the activity that

What do they mean when they say that it&#39s a choice?当这些人说&quot同性恋是个选择&quot的时候，他们想表达什么？This is one of those places where the orientation-activity distinction actually comes in handy.在这种情况下，&quot性取向&quot和&quot性行为&quot之间的区别看上去很适合来佐证这种观点。They might mean that homosexual orientation is a choice, having

What about the other side of this contrast? Sexual orientation.我们接着谈另一个问题：性的取向。I have a certain sexual orientation.我有着某种性取向。What is that?它是什么呢？I&#39m attracted to people of a particular gender. That&#39s true.我会被某种性别的人吸引，没错。I&#39m also attracted to people of a particular age range, body type, person

So much of what I&#39ve said tonight is based upon my moral convictions, convictions about fairness, convictions about justice.今晚我在这里探讨了这么多，全部基于我个人的道德信念，我对公平的信念，我对公正的信念。I think the way gay and lesbian people are treated in our society is wrong, not just irrational, but morally wrong.我坚信这个社会待同性恋者不公，这

In fact, I want to take this a step further.事实上，我进一步想说。I want to say not only does this argument scapegoat gay people and make that sort of mistake, it actually is a greater threat to the family than what it&#39s trying to fight.这种论断不但错误地把同性恋者作为替罪羊，而且，比起它反对的同性恋来说，这种论断本身就是对家庭更大的威胁。Let me tell you ano

Now, in the early days of my lecture, when I used to talk about risk, that is all I would say.在我早先的演讲中，当我谈到风险的时候，我就只讲上面这些就够了。But people would sometimes try to ask me a question during the Q&ampA period.不过有人会在后面的问答环节里试图向我提问。And I say &quottry to ask my a question&quot because it would often come out

I must admit I find some of these bizarre.这种说法让人不寒而栗。How does what I do in bed &quotthreaten the nation&#39s infrastructure?&quot我们在床上的事情，如何能动摇国家的基础呢？I might think I&#39m powerful in bed, but whoa, that&#39s a crazy claim.我的确在床上比较威猛，不过这种指责也太不着边际了。Nation&#39s infrastructure better watch out tonight,

So, what is it really about? We need to look to some of the non-religious, or secular, arguments against homosexuality, and we especially need to do that if we are genuinely committed to living in a society that embraces freedom of religion.所以，真正的原因是什么？我们来看看一些非宗教的，或者可以说更世俗的观点。当我们生存在一个支持宗教自由的社会里并且真心热

In the simple act of saying &quothis partner, Mark,&quot not &quothis friend,&quot or not &quothis roommate.&quot她的话非常简单：&quot他的爱人马克&quot，她没有说&quot他的朋友&quot或者&quot他的室友&quot。I mean you could hear the quote marks around the words. This is John&#39s &quotroommate.&quot His partner.你甚至能从这话里听出言不由衷的引号来：这是

And if the results come out that actually they do, 如果结论是她们真的快乐 are you prepared to shift your instinctive current judgment on some of these issues? 你准备好改变你现在在这些议题上的直观判断了吗？ Well yeah, modulo one obvious fact, 举个真实案例 that you can love someone in the context of a truly delusional belief system.

Now, to say this is not to say that we have got the perfect solution in our own society. 我这么说，并不是说我们的社会有最完美的解答 For instance, this is what it's like to go to a newsstand almost anywhere in the civilized world. 举例来说，现在你到任何文明国家的报摊，都可以看到这样的景象 Now, granted, for many men it may require a degree in phi

But if questions affect human well-being但如果这个问题是影响到人身幸福的then they do have answers, whether or not we can find them.他们是有答案的，无论我们找不着得到And just admitting this -- just admitting that there are right and wrong answers to the question of how humans flourish承认吧，当我们尝试解决人类幸福的问题是可能会有错误答案的will change the way w

A lot of people want to believe in this concept of moral progress.许多人想要相信道德进步的这个概念But can you reconcile that?但是这有可能达到和谐吗？I think I understood you to say that you could我想我了解你所说的reconcile that with a world that doesn&#39t become one dimensional, where we all have to think the same.不要让世界变得只有一种道德，也不需要大家

Does the Taliban have a point of view on physics that is worth considering? No.难道塔利班对物理学的意见也值得我们考虑吗？不。How is their ignorance any less obvious on the subject of human well-being?但他们对幸福的无知和他们对物理的无知有什么不同？So, this, I think, is what the world needs now.现在世界所需要的是It needs people like ourselves to admit tha

There is clearly a range of materials that constitute healthy food.一个健康的饮食方式中有许多不同食物But there&#39s nevertheless a clear distinction between food and poison.但从没有人会把食物和毒物搞错The fact that there are many right answers to the question, &quotWhat is food?&quot当我们问“什么是食物？”的时候，有许多正确答案does not tempt us to say

He likes chocolate, he likes vanilla.他喜欢巧克力，他喜欢香草There&#39s nothing that one should be able to say to the other that should persuade the other.无论跟他们说什么，都不能改变他们。Notice that we don&#39t do this in science.但我们不会这样讨论科学On the left you have Edward Witten. He&#39s a string theorist.左边这位是爱德华·威滕。他是弦理论的专家If y

So, some combustible material there.让我提出一些争议性的问题Whether in this audience or people elsewhere in the world,这里有某些人，或现在在世界上别的角落hearing some of this, may well be doing the screaming-with-rage thing, after as well, some of them.可能有人听见这个，然后愤怒或尖叫。某些人。Language seems to be really important here.语言似乎是个很重要的元素W