清明節(jié)剛過去弛车，咱們也來(lái)聊聊life和death。
這并不是一篇紀(jì)念逝者的抒情文蒲每，也不是一篇激勵(lì)生者的雞湯文纷跛。借此機(jī)會(huì)，我用雙語(yǔ)和大家分享一些我對(duì)生與死的理解邀杏，可以學(xué)到一些英文表述和常識(shí)贫奠，也可以通過另一種語(yǔ)言來(lái)從另一個(gè)角度來(lái)理解生與死。
首先望蜡，清明節(jié)的英文表達(dá)是Tomb-Sweeping Day唤崭，直譯過來(lái)就是“掃墓日”。之所以不用Festival這個(gè)詞脖律，是因?yàn)閒estival通常都和“喜慶的氣氛”聯(lián)系在一起（參考下圖）谢肾。
說(shuō)到這兒順便給大家介紹一個(gè)很好用的網(wǎng)站，British National Corpus小泉，直接搜索就能找到芦疏。要想知道某個(gè)詞最常見的用法以及某幾個(gè)詞分別在那些場(chǎng)合用比較地道冕杠，這個(gè)網(wǎng)站可以給出很好的參考。
根據(jù)百度百科釋義眯分，清明節(jié)“不僅是人們祭奠祖先拌汇、緬懷先烈的節(jié)日，也是中國(guó)民族認(rèn)祖歸宗的紐帶弊决，更重要的是認(rèn)識(shí)先輩噪舀。看自己的不足飘诗，修正自己与倡，帶動(dòng)后人。感悟人生的價(jià)值昆稿，去除先輩遺留的干枝枯葉纺座，保留可借鑒的新芽，弘揚(yáng)正能量”溉潭。這一段如果用英文表達(dá)净响，就是：
It is a time not only for people to pay homage to deceased family members, ancestors and heroes who sacrificed their lives for peace, but also for people of up to 25 ethnic groups to identify with the past generations. It is a moment for introspection, which is? a reminder for us of what we have done wrong and what influences we could have on future generations, and of what should be abandoned as well as what should be preserved and further promoted in our culture.
pay homage to sb. 向某人致敬
也可以說(shuō)pay respect to sb.
在英文中，“死”的說(shuō)法有很多種喳瓣，多數(shù)情況下都用委婉語(yǔ)(euphemism)來(lái)表達(dá)敬意馋贤，這和中文是相通的。不同的語(yǔ)境中用到的說(shuō)法不一樣：
動(dòng)詞以及動(dòng)詞詞組：
die, vi. 死亡
在醫(yī)院畏陕，如果病人搶救無(wú)效離開人世配乓，一般醫(yī)生會(huì)宣布病人死亡，表達(dá)是：
As Dr. X called it, his/her time of death was …
… was pronounced dead by Dr. X. at + time
這個(gè)詞是最直截了當(dāng)?shù)谋磉_(dá)惠毁，所以一般用這個(gè)詞的場(chǎng)合也就是醫(yī)院犹芹，這個(gè)與“溫情”格格不入的地方。（關(guān)于醫(yī)院鞠绰，文章后面還會(huì)提到）
sacrifice, vi. & vt. 犧牲
這個(gè)詞不一定表示“獻(xiàn)出生命”腰埂，如果要表達(dá)這個(gè)意思，需要加上賓語(yǔ)one’s life
pass away/on, vi. 去世
go to a better place, vi. 上天堂了
這個(gè)詞組直譯為“去了更好的地方”蜈膨，而大部分以英語(yǔ)為通用語(yǔ)言的國(guó)家的人一般都信奉基督教（分支）盐固，他們認(rèn)為比人間“更好的地方”是天堂，所以這個(gè)用法被意譯成“上天堂了”丈挟。
e.g.
My dog went to a better place after sharing all his 14 years of life with me.
我的狗上天堂了，他陪我走過了14年志电。（這句話是我的一個(gè)外國(guó)朋友說(shuō)的曙咽，他覺得他的狗是他最好的朋友之一）
cease to exist, vi.不復(fù)存在
這個(gè)詞組一般用來(lái)描述無(wú)生命的東西，比如公司挑辆，組織等例朱。
e.g.
Soviet Union ceased to exist in 1991.
前蘇聯(lián)于1991年解體孝情。
perish, vi. 溘然長(zhǎng)逝
習(xí)語(yǔ)：
kick the bucket, vi. 翹辮子了
我聽過外國(guó)朋友在講述他家里的一位關(guān)系很好的生前充滿幽默感的親人時(shí)用了這個(gè)說(shuō)法：
Uncle Mike kicked the bucket after being tortured by stomach cancer for two years.
麥克叔叔被胃癌折磨了兩年，還是走了洒嗤。
rest in peace, vi.安息
這個(gè)說(shuō)法一般用在提到一個(gè)生前受人尊敬的人時(shí)用：
e.g.
May Dr. Smith rest in peace! He saved more lives than we could count.
史密斯醫(yī)生生前救助的人數(shù)不勝數(shù)箫荡，愿他在天堂安息！
名詞以及名詞詞組：
demise, n. 死亡（正式或幽默的用法）
the deceased, n. 逝者
這個(gè)用法一般是在法律文件中出現(xiàn)
好了渔隶，語(yǔ)言點(diǎn)講完了羔挡，咱們來(lái)嘮嘮想法。話說(shuō)在前面间唉，下面的話可能會(huì)讓你不舒服绞灼，畢竟我不煽情，不像大多數(shù)人一年一次儀式感地思考生死呈野。關(guān)于死亡低矮，也許我們還想得不夠。
這里我說(shuō)說(shuō)我對(duì)兩個(gè)現(xiàn)象的思考被冒。
第一個(gè)現(xiàn)象：
在我們的主流文化中军掂，“死”是禁忌。聊天中觸及到這個(gè)詞昨悼，都會(huì)有人使眼色或者轉(zhuǎn)到另一個(gè)話題上蝗锥。很多人明知道自己不久于人世，卻不愿或者不能安排后事幔戏，看起來(lái)這是為了家庭和諧玛追，其實(shí)為以后的種種矛盾埋下了伏筆。還有人不知道具體出于什么心態(tài)闲延，對(duì)親人的痛苦視而不見痊剖，他們生命的尊嚴(yán)在最后的歲月消失殆盡，生比死還難熬垒玲。
In our mainstream culture, death is a taboo topic. As soon as it is touched upon in conversations, there will be warning or the topic will be shifted to something else. There are a number of people who? refuse to put things in order despite their awareness of their own imminent departure to another world. It might be interpreted as keeping family harmony, but actually it leads to endless trouble. There are also other people who, with unknown intentions, ignore the pains and sufferings of their loved ones, whose dignity is gone in the last moments of their life, where death is an easier way out than life.
死亡這件事陆馁，是誰(shuí)都躲不過的終點(diǎn)，與其避而不談合愈，不如早點(diǎn)兒做好安排叮贩。
No matter how hard we try, death is our shared destination. It is better to contemplate and discuss it than to pretend it is not important.
有本書叫《最好的告別》(Being Mortal: Illness, Medicine and What Matters in the End)，作者自己是外科醫(yī)生佛析，講述了不少他親身經(jīng)歷或是他親耳所聞的發(fā)人深省的關(guān)于生與死的故事益老。推薦給大家看，可能在讀的時(shí)候會(huì)覺得難以接受寸莫，但是總比一年一次象征性地思考生死更有意義捺萌。
還有一本書，叫《相約星期二》(Tuesdays with Morrie)膘茎，上過我的課的學(xué)生基本上都被我推薦過這本書桃纯。作者記錄了自己的大學(xué)老師施瓦茨教授的生命最后十四周酷誓，每周二作者和教授都會(huì)深入地談?wù)撘粋€(gè)話題，包括死亡态坦。施瓦茨教授患有肌肉漸凍癥盐数，目前還是不治之癥，2014年社交網(wǎng)站上非成√荩火的“冰桶挑戰(zhàn)”就是為了研究這個(gè)病的治療的捐款活動(dòng)玫氢。我推薦大家讀這本書的原版，一本很薄語(yǔ)言也很簡(jiǎn)單的書壮锻。但是內(nèi)容觸動(dòng)內(nèi)心琐旁。
對(duì)生的敬意，也體現(xiàn)在對(duì)死亡的了解和接受上猜绣。
How much we understand and accept death is one way to show our respect to life.
第二個(gè)現(xiàn)象：
醫(yī)生竭盡全力但是搶救無(wú)效離開的病人家屬醫(yī)鬧不停灰殴，讓醫(yī)生這個(gè)本該受到全社會(huì)尊敬的職業(yè)變成了燙手的山芋，很多人不想考醫(yī)學(xué)院掰邢，很多醫(yī)生也不希望自己的孩子繼續(xù)自己的道路牺陶，哪怕他們的孩子從小耳濡目染也立志救死扶傷。
Not all deaths that happen in hospital are the result of medical malpractice. Disgruntled family members of patients in situations where bad news came despite doctors’ and nurses’ every attempt to save the patients’ lives have assaulted the medical workers. Such incidents are discouraging for doctors-to-be and doctors, who don’t want their children, whose life has revolved around hospital since childhood, to practice medicine.
明明自己也想沾現(xiàn)代醫(yī)學(xué)進(jìn)步的光辣之，可是當(dāng)?shù)弥獱奚氖亲约夯蜃约旱募胰岁欤R上就會(huì)改口，質(zhì)問為什么自己非得遭這種罪怀估，總要找個(gè)人來(lái)負(fù)責(zé)狮鸭，那就找醫(yī)生吧！然而多搀，醫(yī)生也是人歧蕉，他們只能盡力救死扶傷，卻不能給出任何保證——在死亡這件事上康铭，誰(shuí)都沒法給出任何保證惯退。如果醫(yī)生遵守了他們的誓言，盡最大努力運(yùn)用了現(xiàn)代醫(yī)學(xué)从藤，無(wú)奈死神還是更快一步催跪，那么為什么要怪罪醫(yī)生呢？
We all want to benefit from the advancement of modern medicine, as long as neither we nor anyone we care about is sacrificed for such advancement. When bad news comes, we resent that it has happened to us, which subsequently leads us to blame the doctors. After all, it is the doctors who fail to save lives. But doctors are mortals, who are not omnipotent gods and goddesses. Nobody's tomorrows are guaranteed. If the doctors have done what they are supposed to do by exhausting all the possibilities in medicine, why should they get blamed?
要知道夷野，今天因?yàn)獒t(yī)鬧而不能繼續(xù)從醫(yī)的醫(yī)生懊蒸，很可能是明天那個(gè)本來(lái)可以救助你自己生命的人。我對(duì)legal high里面古美門律師在一起醫(yī)療糾紛為醫(yī)院方辯護(hù)的辯護(hù)詞深有感觸：“死亡悯搔，在醫(yī)學(xué)世界里是有意義的榛鼎，死亡才是希望。我們能做的，只有對(duì)現(xiàn)在還活著的生命心懷慈悲者娱。”
It does not occur to some people that the doctors and nurses who cannot continue to practice medicine because of the assault this time might as well be the people who could have saved the assailants’ lives next time. I am deeply impressed by the defence speech made by Komikado Sensei on behalf of the hospital involved in an alleged medical malpractice lawsuit. In court, he said “death is meaningful in the medical world, and actually death is hope. What we can do is be merciful to the ones that are alive.”
在我們祭奠完先人和先烈之后苏揣，也別忘了紀(jì)念在本不該發(fā)生的醫(yī)鬧中逝去的醫(yī)護(hù)人員黄鳍，他們本是站在死亡線上把患者奮力拉回去的人，現(xiàn)在卻長(zhǎng)眠于另一個(gè)世界了平匈。
After we paid homage to our ancestors and heroes, let’s not forget to pay our respect to the doctors and nurses who left us because of the assaults that should never have happened. They were supposed to be the last hope between life and death, but now they are in another world. May they rest in peace!
對(duì)逝者心懷敬意框沟，對(duì)生者心存慈悲。
Be respectful to the deceased, and be merciful to the alive.
喬布斯在2005年斯坦福大學(xué)畢業(yè)演講中提到一個(gè)拉丁語(yǔ)說(shuō)法: Memento mori增炭，直譯成英文是be mindful of death忍燥，也就是“記住人們都會(huì)死亡”。重要的是隙姿，在這不確定長(zhǎng)短的歲月里梅垄，我們?cè)鯓佣冗^。
