词汇提示

1.burial 埋葬

2.funeral homes 殡仪馆

3.plot 小块地

4.separately 独立的

5.embalms 防腐处理

6.decay 腐烂

7.acquaintances 熟人

8.deceased 死者

9.coffin 棺材

10.chest 大箱子

11.mourners 哀悼者

12.chapel 小教堂

13.hymns 唱圣歌

14.prayers 祈祷

15.sermon 布道

16.wheeled 推

17.hearse 灵车

18.cemetery 坟地

19.cremation 火葬

20.elaborate 繁复的

21.grief 悲伤

原文

North American Death and Burial

Most people in North American die either in hospital or at home.

When someone dies, arrangements are made with a funeral home to get the body and prepare it for burial.

Funeral homes are private businesses.

They usually handle most or all aspects of a funeral, except for providing the burial plot.

That usually has to be purchased separately.

Old roomy private homes and new modern one-level buildings are common types.

When the funeral director receives the body, his staff embalms it so it will not decay quickly and will look life like at the funeral service.

For one or two days before the burial, friends, relatives and acquaintances are invited to visit the funeral home and pay their respects to the dead person.

The deceased person is usually dressed in their best clothes, and lying on their back in a coffin.

A coffin is a large wooden or metal chest designed to hold the body.

Members of the dead person's immediate family usually act as hosts for the funeral home visitation.

They greet the mourners and talk to them about the deceased.

Usually, there are happy photographs of the dead person near the coffin.

Usually the mourners are asked to sign a guest book.

The funeral service may take place at a church, if the deceased person wanted that.

Frequently, however, the service is held at a chapel at the funeral home.

Attending a funeral is considered a sign of respect, and people will often travel a long distance to attend.

Usually friends and relatives will take a day off work for the occasion.

Notices are put in the newspaper for several days before, so that people will know when to come.

A minister or priest usually conducts the funeral service.

There will be hymns, prayers, and perhaps a sermon, like a regular church service.

Sometimes, a member of the family does this.

Opportunity is allowed for other people to talk about their memories of the dead person.

At the end of the service, the coffin is wheeled out to a waiting car, called a hearse, which drives the dead person to the burial place.

The mourners go to their cars and follow the hearse to the cemetery.

At the cemetery, a hole has already been dug to receive the coffin.

Sometimes, flowers are put on top of the coffin as it is lowered into the grave.

A handful of soil is tossed on the coffin, indicating burial.

Usually the mourners leave before the cemetery workers cover the coffin with earth.

Then the mourners may all go back toa church hall or restaurant for a meal.

A funeral can be quite costly.

Even an inexpensive coffin can be several thousand dollars.

Sometimes, the deceased will be placed in an expensive rental coffin for the visitation and funeral,but buried in a less expensive coffin.

Even so, a full funeral rarely costs less than $5,000, and usually quite a lot more.

And this does not include the price of the burial plot or the stone grave marker.

Sometimes poor people are buried at government expense.

It is traditional in North American to bury the whole body in the ground.

The advantage of cremation is that it is less expensive, uses less land,and it appeals to people who don't want an elaborate funeral.

Some people may wonder why so much attention is paid to a dead person.

But funerals are really for the living.

They are a way of saying goodbye to the dead person and receiving mutual support and encouragement from friends and family.

Some funeral homes help to organize grief counselling or support groups to grieving family members.

Usually the funeral service is performed in the Christian traditionand refers to the hope of resurrection or rebirth from the dead that Christians believe in.

It is now becoming common for people to plan their own funeral service before they die.

And usually attempts are made to make the service appropriate to the person who died.

This makes it more satisfying and memorable for the family and friends.

翻译

北美的死亡与埋葬

北美大多数人要么死于医院，要么死于家中。
当有人死亡时，会安排殡仪馆来取尸体并准备埋葬。
殡仪馆是私营企业。
他们通常处理葬礼的大部分或所有方面，除了提供埋葬地点。
通常需要单独购买。
老式宽敞的私人住宅和新的现代化单层建筑是常见的类型。
当葬礼主管收到尸体时，他的工作人员会对尸体进行防腐处理，这样尸体不会很快腐烂，而且看起来像葬礼上的一样。
在葬礼前的一两天，朋友、亲戚和熟人都会被邀请去殡仪馆，并向死者表示敬意。
死者通常穿着最好的衣服，躺在棺材里。
棺材是用来装尸体的大木箱或金属箱。
死者的直系亲属通常担任殡仪馆探视的主人。
他们问候哀悼者，并与他们谈论死者。
通常，棺材附近都有死者高兴时的照片。
通常，送葬者会被要求在一本留言簿上签名。
如果死者愿意，葬礼可以在教堂举行。
然而，葬礼通常在殡仪馆的小教堂举行。
参加葬礼被认为是一种尊重，人们通常会长途跋涉参加葬礼。
通常朋友和亲戚会为此请假休息一天。
通知在报纸上刊登了几天，这样人们就知道什么时候来了。
牧师或神父通常主持葬礼。
会有唱赞美诗、祈祷，也许还会有布道，就像教堂的常规仪式一样。
有时，家庭成员会这样做。
其他人有机会谈论他们对死者的记忆。
服务结束后，棺木被推到一辆等候的车上，这辆车被称为灵车，将死者送往墓地。
送葬者走到自己的车上，跟随灵车前往墓地。
在墓地，已经挖了一个洞来安放棺材。
有时，当棺材被放进坟墓时，鲜花会放在棺材的顶部。
一把土被扔在棺材上，表示埋葬。
通常，送葬者在墓地工人用泥土覆盖棺木之前离开。
然后，送葬者可能都会回到教堂大厅或餐厅用餐。
葬礼可能会很昂贵。
即使是一个便宜的棺材也要几千美元。
有时，死者会被安置在一个昂贵的租赁棺材中，用于探视和葬礼，但埋葬在一个较便宜的棺材中。
即便如此，一场完整的葬礼的费用很少低于5000美元，而且通常要高得多。
这还不包括墓地或石墓标记的价格。
有时穷人被政府埋葬。
在北美，将全身埋在地下是一种传统。
火葬的优点是成本更低，使用更少的土地，并且它吸引了那些不想举行精心葬礼的人。
有些人可能会想，为什么这么多人关注一个死人。
但葬礼真的是为活人准备的。
这是一种向死者道别的方式，也是一种从朋友和家人那里得到相互支持和鼓励的方式。
一些殡仪馆帮助为悲痛的家庭成员组织悲痛咨询或支持小组。
通常，葬礼是在基督教传统中进行的，指的是基督徒所信仰的从死者中复活或重生的希望。
现在，人们在死前计划自己的葬礼已经很普遍了。
通常会尝试使服务适合死者。
这让家人和朋友更加满意和难忘。

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Level 4-Day 39.North American Death and Burial