四分之三的国家已在法律或实践中废除了死刑，但美国的死刑执行数量却有所增加。‘最仁慈的处死方式是什么？’
Three-quarters of nations have rightly abolished capital punishment in law or practice, but killing by the state has surged in the US What is the kindest way to kill? That’s the question being asked once more following Tennessee’s failed attempts to execute Christa Pike for the brutal murder of a classmate, Colleen Slemmer, when she was 18.
这个问题在田纳西州试图处决18岁时残忍杀害同学科琳·斯莱默的克里斯塔·派克失败后再次被提出。
The 50-year-old was taken to a medical facility, her condition unknown, with witnesses describing her snoring loudly around 40 minutes after receiving two injections of pentobarbital on Wednesday.
这名50岁的女性被送往医疗机构，其状况不明；目击者称，在周三接受两次戊巴比妥注射后约40分钟，她仍在大声打鼾。
It is the second botched killing in months, prompting Tennessee’s governor to order a halt to executions.
这是几个月来的第二次执行失误，促使田纳西州州长下令暂停死刑执行。
Lethal injection was supposed to be the humane alternative to firing squads and electric chairs.
死刑注射本应成为枪决和电椅这种方式的‘人道替代方案’，而枪决和电椅又曾被视为比绞刑更人道的方式（尽管在死刑执行中，黑人男性受到不公平的对待）。
They in turn were seen as an improvement on hanging, which looked much like lynching in a system disproportionately handing the death penalty to black men.
被执行者的年龄和健康状况不佳，以及大多数医务人员出于伦理原因拒绝参与注射过程，可能是导致执行失误的原因。
The age and ill health of those executed, and the ethical refusal of most medical staff to be involved, may contribute to botched injections.
然而，尸检结果提供了令人信服的证据：痛苦是不可避免的；尤其是使用麻痹药物的注射方式，只是掩盖了这种痛苦。
But analysis of autopsy results has provided compelling evidence that suffering is inherent; injections – especially those involving paralytic drugs – have merely disguised it.
所谓‘维护囚犯尊严’，实际上只是为了减少目睹执行过程的旁观者的不适感。
What is described as safeguarding the dignity of prisoners is really about reducing the discomfort of witnesses who would otherwise see their suffering.