自杀(suicide)
故意结束自己生命的行为。自杀可能是因为个人的心理因素，例如无法面对压力、或患有精神疾病；也可能是希望测试爱人的真情、或想要惩罚爱人的疏远，让他们承担罪恶感。自杀也可能来自社会和文化的压力，尤其是那些想要让自己更加孤独的人，例如丧偶或独居。在不同时期和文化背景，对待自杀的态度都不相同。古希腊被定罪的罪犯，可获准自我终结生命；在日本，「切腹」的习俗允许武士进行仪典式的自杀，以作为保持荣誉和宣示效忠的方法；犹太人在遭遇强迫他们改变宗教信仰的古罗马人和十字军时，也是宁可选择自杀。在20世纪，一些新宗教运动的成员，例如着名的人民殿堂（Peoples Temple）和天国之门（Heaven's Gate），都曾发起集体自杀。佛教僧侣和女尼也有自我奉献的牺牲式自杀，是社会抗议的一种形式。第二次世界大战期间，日本神风特攻队（Kamikaze）使用的自杀式炸弹，是20世纪末恐怖主义（terrorism）分子自杀式炸弹的鼻祖，尤其是以色列极端主义者最常用。但一般来说，回教、犹太教、基督教都谴责自杀行为，而在很多国家，自杀未遂也必须遭受法律惩罚。现今世界上有些社会正在寻求立法，希望准许为告别病痛而在医师协助下的自杀，某些国家已经可以公开执行安乐死（euthanasia），例如哥伦比亚和荷兰。在现代社会中，企图自杀经常被视为是求助的行为，而自1950年代自杀防制组织在很多国家设立之後，利用热线电话就可以提供此种即时的谘商服务。
English version：
suicide
Act of intentionally taking one's own life. Suicide may have psychological origins such as the difficulty of coping with depression or other mental disorders; it may be motivated by the desire to test the affection of loved ones or to punish their lack of support with the burden of guilt. It may also stem from social and cultural pressures, especially those that tend to increase isolation, such as bereavement or estrangement. Attitudes toward suicide have varied in different ages and cultures; convicted criminals in ancient Greece were permitted to take their own lives, and the Japanese custom of seppuku allowed samurai to commit ritual suicide as a way of protecting honour and demonstrating loyalty. Jews committed suicide rather than submit to ancient Roman conquerors or crusading knights who intended to force their conversion. In the 20th century, members of new religious movements, notably the Peoples Temple and Heaven's Gate, committed mass suicide. Buddhist monks and nuns have also committed sacrificial suicide by self-immolation as a form of social protest. Japan's use of kamikaze suicide bombers during World War II was a precursor to the suicide bombing that emerged in the late 20th century as a form of terrorism, particularly among Islamic extremists. Suicide, however, is generally condemned by Islam, Judaism, and Christianity, and attempts to commit suicide are still punishable by law in many countries. Some communities around the world have sought to legalize physician-assisted suicides for the terminally ill, and euthanasia is openly practiced in such countries as Colombia and The Netherlands. In modern society suicide attempts are often seen as appeals for help, and since the 1950s suicide-prevention organizations have been established in many countries, with telephone hot-lines serving as a source of readily available counseling.