These days, it might seem like everybody is cheating to get ahead. Last month, a report tied about 90 Major League Baseball2 players to the use of performance-enhancing3 drugs, especially steroids4. In Nov. 2007, home-run5 king Barry Bonds was indicted6 for perjury7 and obstruction of justice after authorities charged him with lying to investigators about his own steroid use.
Marion Jones, an American track star, won five medals at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia. Last fall, the world watched as Jones returned the medals. After years of denial, she admitted that she had used steroids before competing in the Games.
Lying, cheating, and stealing are not limited to the sports world. In October, a judge ordered Jammie Thomas, a Minnesota woman, to pay $220,000 for illegally sharing songs online.
Accounts of dishonesty also include young people. Last June, 50 students at Hanover High School in New Hampshire were accused of8 attempting to steal final exams. Some of those students broke into school after hours and removed papers from a teacher’s locked cabinet9. Local police brought criminal charges against nine of the students, who could face jail time if convicted10.
What’s going on? Is there anywhere now that people don’t cheat?
An Ethics Crisis?
Patricia Harned believes that“there is an ethics crisis happening in our country.” Harned is president of the Ethics Resource Center.
According to a 2006 survey by the Josephson Institute of Ethics, 60 percent of students interviewed said that they had cheated on a test within the past 12 months. Thirty three percent said that they had plagiarized11 an internet document.
“People’s ideas about honesty have changed a great deal over the last couple of years,” Harned says.“It used to be students who would cheat if they weren’t doing well. Now, straight-A students cheating because they feel they have to get ahead.”
Harned emphasizes that everyone fails at some point. Failure provides important life lessons.“Many successful people have failed, but they had integrity12 and learned from their mistakes,” she says.“[That process of growth] is as important as getting A’s” in school.
More at Stake
Are people today more dishonest than in previous generations?“I don’t think that cheating is more widespread than ever,” William C.Rhoden, a sports columnist for The New York Times, said, “I think the ability to catch cheaters is greater than ever.”
Josh Richards, 17, a senior at West Windsor High School South in New Jersey, agrees. “I feel that cheating has spanned13 all decades,”says Josh.“It is just that the media have not let the public know of it until recent years.”
But is there more pressure on people these days to bend the rules14 in order to succeed? Yes, Rhoden says.“The temptation to cheat may be greater because the stakes15 are higher than ever, both in terms of money and attention.”
Still, being dishonest comes with consequences16, Harned says—even if you get away with it. “You might think if you cheat on a test that you won’t get caught. But even if you don’t, you might not feel good about it later because you cut corners17 to do it.”
Developing strong values means making tough decisions. Harned has advice for teens who are struggling with ethical dilemmas18. “Ask for help when you don’t know what to do.” She says.“Ask a friend, an adult, or a teacher, but realize that there are consequences for every decision you make.”
Think about it
“I believe cheating is often going on in all aspects of life—from sports to school—because of competition and pressure,” says Josh Richards. Do you agree or disagree?
现在，好像每个人都在通过作弊获得成功。上个月，一个报告显示90名美国职棒大联盟队员涉及使用兴奋剂，尤其是类固醇。2007年11月，本垒打冠军巴利·班德斯被指控使用类固醇并向调查人员撒谎，后因作伪证和妨碍司法被起诉。
玛丽安·琼斯，美国短跑名将，在2000年澳大利亚悉尼奥运会上获得了5枚奖牌。去年秋天，全世界都目睹了琼斯把奖牌交还给国际奥委会的一幕。连续几年否认使用药物后，她最终承认自己在比赛前使用类固醇。
撒谎、欺骗和行窃这些不诚实行为不仅仅在体育界存在。去年10月，明尼苏达州一位妇女杰米·托马斯因非法共享网上歌曲而被法官处以220,000美元的罚款。
关于不诚实行为的报道还涉及到年轻人。去年7月，在新罕布什尔州的韩诺尔高中，50名学生被指控企图窃取期末试卷。等老师下班后，这些学生闯入学校，把一个老师锁在柜子里的试卷偷走。当地警方对其中9名学生提出刑事诉讼，如果罪名成立他们会坐牢。
这个世界到底怎么了？难道就没一处人们不会作弊的净土吗？
道德下滑
派翠西亚·哈尼德是美国道德行为中心的主席，她相信“我们国家正在经历一场道德危机。”
根据乔瑟夫森伦理学中心2006年的调查，被采访的学生有60%承认过去的12个月曾在一门考试中作过弊，33%的人承认他们抄袭过因特网上的文件。
“过去几年里，人们关于诚实的观念已经改变了很多，”哈尼德说，“过去经常是学习不好的学生作弊。现在优秀生也作弊，因为他们觉得必须保持名次。”
哈尼德强调，每个人都有不足之处。失败为我们提供重要的生活教训。“许多成功人士失败过，但他们正直诚实，从错误中吸取教训，” 她说，“（这种成长过程）和在学校得A同样重要。”
危机重重
是不是当代人比前辈更不诚实了？“我认为不是作弊比以前更普遍了，” 《纽约时报》的体育专栏作家威廉·C·罗登说道，“而是现在曝光作弊的能力提高了。”
17岁的乔什·理查兹是新泽西南部西温莎中学的高年级学生。他赞同这种说法：“我觉得作弊什么时候都有，只不过直到近几年媒体才让公众知道而已。”
但如今，人们是不是为了成功承受更多压力，从而改变原则呢？的确如此。罗登说：“作弊的诱惑远远大于以前——赌注更高，无论从金钱还是名誉来看都是如此。”
然而哈尼德说，即使作弊侥幸成功也会带来严重后果。“你可能认为你考试作弊不会被逮着。即便如此，你也不会觉得好受。因为你不守规矩走捷径。”培养坚定的价值观意味着要做出艰难的抉择。哈尼德建议徘徊于道德困境的青少年：“当你不知如何是好时要去寻求帮助。”她说，“向朋友、大人或老师请教，但是一定要明白你所作的每个决定都要自己去承担后果。”
想想看
“我相信作弊普遍存在于生活各个方面——从体育界到学校——这主要是由于存在着竞争和压力。” 乔什·理查兹如是说。你是否同意这种观点？
1. account n. 报道
2. Major League Baseball 美国职业棒球大联盟
3. performance-enhancing 提高成绩的
4. steroid n. （生化）类固醇
5. home-run 本垒打
6. indict v. 控告,告发
7. perjury n. 伪证罪
8. accuse... of 指控
9. cabinet n. 柜子
10. convict v. 证明…有罪
11. plagiarize v. 抄袭；剽窃
12. integrity n. 正直；诚实
13. span v. 跨越
14. bend the rules 根据具体情况改变规则；通融
15. stake n. 赌注
16. consequence n. 后果
17. cut corners （贬义）不按常规办事
18. dilemma n. 左右为难