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How dead is dead? 怎样死才算死? Sometimes, those who have died seem more alive than those who have not 有时，死人似乎比活人更 活 。 IN GENERAL, people are pretty good at differentiating between the quick and the dead. 通常，人们都比较擅长分辨生者与死者。 Modern medicine, however, has created a third option, the persistent vegetative state. 然而，现代医学技术创造了第三个选项永久性植物人状态。 People in such a state have serious brain damage as a result of an accident or stroke. 处于这种状态的人，其大脑因意外或中风而严重受损。 This often means they have no hope of regaining consciousness. 这经常意味着他们没有希望再恢复意识。 Yet because parts of their brains that run activities such as breathing are intact, their vitalfunctions can be sustained indefinitely. 但是，由于他们大脑里负责某些生理活动的部分仍然完好，所以他们的生命机能可以被永远维持下去。 When, if ever, to withdraw medical support from such people, and thus let them die, isalways a traumatic decision. 何时撤走维持他们生命的医疗手段，任其死去? | 
