Be the culprit, or be the change - 成為罪犯或成為改變的人

“… and the Germans kill the Jews and the Jews kill the Arabs and the Arabs kill the hostages and that is the news.” ~ Roger Waters
“…這則新聞是當德國人殺害猶太人之後猶太人殺害阿拉伯人之後阿拉伯人殺害人質。”
~Roger Waters

Is one life worth so much more — or less — than another?
一個生命比另一個生命更有價值還是更廉價?

Israel is currently hammering the Palestinians over the threat of small-scale rocket attacks fired from Gaza.
以色列為一場從加薩開始的小規模的火箭攻擊正回擊著巴勒斯坦人。

Gaza has long been in a stranglehold of Israeli control; its territories confiscated and walled in, its borders throttled and its people starving.
很久一段時間加薩是歸以色列所控管的；它的土地被圍住及沒收掉，它的邊界被壓制著然而他們的人民也在挨餓。

With memories reeling from Israel’s attack on Lebanon, the magnitude of the current retaliation is once again being referred to as “disproportionate”.
當記憶回到以色列對巴黎嫩的攻擊，而最重要現在的反擊再次被稱為“不平等的”

That is an understatement in my eyes. No extinguishing of human life is acceptable, and the scale the current attack is troubling in that high numbers of deaths are guaranteed.
在我眼中那是有節制的陳述。傷害人類生命是不會允許的，以目前規模的攻擊保證有大量的死亡率這是令人焦慮的

At ten days into the conflict, the death count was 530 Palestinians to 4 Israelis.
在這十天的衝突裡，死亡人數是530個巴勒斯坦人到4個以色列人。

At twelve days, more than 700 Palestinians have been killed, including 219 children and 89 women (children make up more than half of Gaza’s population) and the number of wounded Palestinians has risen to over 3,100.
在第十二天，超過700巴勒斯坦人被殺害了，包括219個小孩和89個婦女(在加薩的總人數中小孩子就超過了一半)及受傷的巴勒斯坦人的數量上升到超過3100人。

By comparison, 7 Israeli soldiers (3 of these mistakenly killed by Israeli weapons) and 4 civilians have been killed.
比較起來，7個以色列士兵(3個不小心被以色列的武器給錯殺了)和4個平民被殺害。

“Disproportionate” to say the least.
可說是「不平等的」。

The United Nations Security Council failed to pass a resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire because the United States opposed, saying that a return to the previous situation is unacceptable.
聯合國安理會沒有通過立即停火的決議是因為美國反對，說回到之前的情況是不能被接受的。

But as Mr. Bush and other world leaders recline on their fine upholstery and speak with feigned concern about the conflict, human voices are silenced never again to grace the air.
但是當布希先生及其他國家元首在他們高尚的精緻裝飾品室內並假裝對這衝突有所關心，人們的聲音從此沉默在空氣中。

If all human life is equal in value, the previous situation is far more desirable.
如果所有人的生命是同等值的話，之前的情況會是更理想的。

The previous situation involved unguided short-range rockets fired from Gaza into Israel, and while this has surely been a terrifying threat for those living within range, it has rarely resulted in injury or death.
在先前的情況裡介入了無嚮導的短程火箭彈從加薩進入以色列，當知道這對住在範圍裡的人有著恐怖的威脅，但它導致不多的傷害或死亡。

But Israel has used this as the basis for airstrikes, and now an invasion resulting in the very “disproportionate” killing of innocents.但以色列以這為依據發起空襲，及現在的入侵造成的非常“不平等的”殺害無相關的人。

Snuffing out someone’s chance to see their family again is unacceptable, and converting one loved-and-laughing child into a crying orphan, a screaming amputee, or a silent corpse is out of the question.
制止人們再見他們家人的機會是不被接受的，並且把一個可愛和愛笑的孩子變成一個哭泣的孤兒，一個尖叫的截肢者或是沒有疑問的一具沉默屍體。

And any elected official who merely chats policy while the dead are stuffed into overcrowded morgue refrigeration chambers should take a front-row seat in the strike zone — courtesy of their electorate — as their capacity for compassion has run dry. We do not need such people in positions of power.
當死者被塞進過度擁擠的太平間，所有只會談論政策的推舉官員們因該在攻擊區裡選在最前面的位子坐著 - 來回饋給投給他們的選民 – 當他們的同情心都沒有了。我們不需要這樣的人擁有這樣的力量。

There are countless theories as to the underlying reason for this assault and the perplexing US’ reaction, with economic interests glaringly apparent — indeed the vast majority of Israel’s high-tech war toys are sold to them by the US.
對於這個攻擊和美國令人困惑的反應背後有許多潛在理由的理論，以經濟利益最為突顯 – 實際上許多高科技戰爭武器是由美國販售於以色列的。

But just as this military action should be defined as a war crime, it should also be a crime for the US to provide so much weaponry to one side of the conflict and then sit by while thousands of unarmed people suffer the results.
但是像這樣的軍事行動因當被視為戰爭犯罪，這應該是種犯罪的行為，當美國提供武器裝備給予衝突的一方，結果成千上萬個赤手空拳的人就要受苦受難。

If we as humans upon this Earth share an equal right to life, the “path of least death” should be the chosen course.
如果我們人類在這地球上與其他生物有著共同的權益，那應該要選擇走一條「減少死亡」的路。

Let’s consider a few options:
讓我們仔細想幾個選擇：

a) If Israel attacks Gaza, thousands of men, women and children will be seriously injured or killed.
a) 如果以色列攻擊加薩，成千上萬的男人、女人和小孩將會受傷或是被殺害。

b) If Israel does absolutely nothing, many-times-fewer people will be seriously injured or killed.
b) 如果以色列沒有任何的動作的話，時間久了就會有更少人會受傷或被殺害。

c) If Israel does not engage in military retaliation and agrees to return contentious land to the Palestinian people, ease border controls so people can work and food and supplies can return to Gaza, and strive to build trust and respect, then perhaps rocket attacks would cease and nobody would die for a while.
c) 如果以色列不參與軍事報復及答應回歸存有爭議性的土地給巴勒斯坦的人民，放鬆邊境管制讓人民可以工作之後食物及供應品可以回到加薩，並且努力建立信任及尊重，或許終止飛彈攻擊將有一段時間不會有人死亡。

Surely, the only thing Israel is building now is deep-seated pain and hatred and a sense of hopelessness, creating a world of spiraling violence.
當然，現在以色列唯一在建造的是根深蒂固的痛苦及絕望憎恨的意識，創造一個暴力上升的世界。

I believe most of us wish to live in a world of reason, love, compassion and peace, where all share in the right to life.
我相信大多數的我們希望居住在一個充滿理性、愛、憐憫和和平的世界裡，一個所有生命一起分享著相同的權利。

If we and our policies embody that for which we wish, it must surely come to pass.
如果我們及實現我們的政策是我們所希望的，那就必須開始實施。

Be the culprit, or be the change.
成為罪犯或成為改變的人。