沈英甲先生关于“死刑选择文明”的文章(见《百科知识》2002年第10期)很好,不过我觉得与其说“从严酷到轻缓”,不如说“从残酷到人道”。不管用什么方式执行,死刑都是最重的一种刑法,谈不上“轻”;它又是最“急切”的一种刑法,何“缓”之有?而且,比较“缓”的行刑方式,例如我们中国古代的凌迟处死,还有沈先生提到的古罗马的“架刑”,延缓了犯人的死亡过程,实际上都更“严酷”。 Mr. Shen Yingjia’s article on “Capital Choice of Civilization” (see “Encyclopedic Knowledge”, No. 10, 2002) is very good, but I think it is better to say “from harsh to gentle” rather than “cruel to humane.” No matter what method of execution, death penalty is the heaviest kind of criminal law, not to mention “light”; it is the most “eager” kind of criminal law, what “slow” there? And, more “slow” execution For example, the time lapse of execution in ancient China and the “criminal punishment” of ancient Rome mentioned by Mr. Shen delayed the inmates’ death and in fact were even more “harsh.”