The Ethics of Gene Editing

Few scientific breakthroughs have provoked as much ethical unease as precise gene editing.

很少有科學突破像精準基因編輯這樣引發如此多的倫理不安。

In principle, the technique could eradicate inherited disorders that have afflicted families for generations.

原則上，這項技術可以根除困擾家族數代之久的遺傳疾病。

The controversy intensifies, however, when edits are made to embryos rather than to individual patients.

然而，當基因編輯的對象是胚胎而不是個別病患時，爭議就更加激烈了。

Such alterations would be passed down to future generations who never consented to them.

這樣的改變將傳給從未對此表示同意的後代。

Critics warn that the boundary between therapy and enhancement is notoriously difficult to police.

批評者警告，治療與增強之間的界線出了名地難以監管。

If wealthy parents could purchase advantages for their children, existing inequalities might become entrenched.

如果富裕的父母可以為孩子購買優勢，現有的不平等可能會根深蒂固。

Proponents counter that refusing to prevent avoidable suffering is itself a morally fraught decision.

支持者反駁說，拒絕預防本可避免的痛苦，本身就是一個在道德上充滿爭議的決定。

What seems indisputable is that regulation has lagged considerably behind the pace of discovery.

似乎無可爭辯的是，監管已經遠遠落後於科學發現的腳步。

Ultimately, these questions are too consequential to be left to scientists alone.

歸根結底，這些問題影響太過重大，不能只交給科學家來決定。