英语新闻一起读34

标题：Court backs France over right to die

★back:支持，担保。government-backed loans政府担保贷款；The scheme has been backed by several major companies in the region.这个计划得到了该地区几家大公司的资助

The European Court of Human Rights has upheld the decision of a court in France to allow a paralysed man to be taken off life support.

★uphold:支持，维护；维持（原判）

★paralyse: 使瘫痪（不仅可以指人也可以指政府）The country was paralysed by a series of strikes.一系列的罢工使那个国家陷于瘫痪之中

Vincent Lambert, 39, has been in a coma for seven years after a motorcycle accident left him tetraplegia（四肢瘫痪）.

His family have been split over whether he should be kept alive.

The case was taken to the European court last year after France's highest court had ruled in favour of ending his life support.

It sparked fierce debate in France where euthanasia is illegal, although doctors can withdraw care under a 2005 passive euthanasia law.

The court in Strasbourg ruled on Friday that the decision to stop intravenously feeding Mr Lambert did not violate European rights laws.

★euthanasia：安乐死(考研真题不止一次出现过和安乐死有关的话题)

★violate：违反，侵犯。 The mass media regularly violates people's privacy . 大众媒体经常侵犯人们的隐私。

★spark：n火花，导火索；v引发(provoke) ，激发 spark sb's interest / hope / curiosity. The proposals are expected to spark heated debate.这些提议估计会引起激烈的争论。

Mr Lambert has been kept alive with the use of intravenous food and water （静脉注射的食物和水）at a hospital in Reims in north-eastern France.

His wife Rachel and some of his brothers and sisters had agreed with doctors' recommendation that his life should be ended as there was no hope of recovery.

The doctors said Mr Lambert had shown signs last year of resisting treatment, and Rachel Lambert said her husband would "never have wanted to be kept in this state".

"There's no relief, no joy to express. We'd just like his will to be done," she said after the ruling.

But Mr Lambert's parents - who are said to be devout （虔诚的）Roman Catholics（罗马天主教徒） - and other siblings say he has shown signs of progress and believe he just needs better care.

"They are trying to make us say we don't want him to go, but it is not at all the case, we don't want him to be snuffed out," his mother Viviane said earlier this year.

They took the case to Strasbourg after France's highest court ruled last year in favour of ending Mr Lambert's life support.

And their lawyer hinted before the ruling that they would fight on if it went against them. ★hint：暗示，透漏

Jean Paillot said the decision to stop life support "was taken by a doctor and can only be carried out by this doctor", who is no longer in charge of Vincent Lambert's care. He said they would seek a new medical decision through the French courts.

★charge of：负责，管理