交际英语热门话题206

Unit 6

At Times of Loss and Grieving¹

Conversation 1

A : Are you ready to pay your last respects to the deceased?

B : Yes, Is the service being held at the church?

A : I'm just not sure. I'll have to confirm the location with the funeral director.

B : There would be of odd if the service is held anywhere else.

Conversation 2

A : What is an appropriate gift to give the bereaved² family?

B : It really depends upon personal taste. I usually give money at most funerals.

A : Perhaps I should bring a book in case the service does not start on time .

B : That might seem insensitive to the other mourners.

Conversation 3

A : Who may stop by a funeral home to pay his respects ? Who attends a funeral?

B : Anyone who wishes to express his sympathy to the family of the deceased may stop by a funeral home and pay his respects . People who do not feel they are close enough to intrude³ on the privacy⁴ of the bereaved may stop in at times other than those during which the family is there and sign the register.

A : Does everyone wear black when attending a funeral?

B : No, it is no longer considered necessary to wear black unless you sit with the family or have been asked to be one of the honorary pallbearers. On no account should children be put into black at any time . They wear their best conservative⁵ clothes to funerals.

Conversation 4

A : Does everyone who attends a funeral also attend the burial?

B : Only if the burial is in the churchyard or within walking distance of the church does the congregation follow the family to the graveside. Otherwise, those attending the funeral , wherever the services are held , do not go to the interment unless they are family members or close friends.

A : What is a memorial service? How does it differ from a funeral? Does a memorial service replace a funeral service?

B : A memorial service takes the place of a funeral, after the deceased has been buried or cremated⁶ privately⁷ or when the deceased has died in another country or perhaps in an airplane accident or accident at sea. If it takes place very shortly after the death, the service is very much like a funeral service, If it takes place much later, however, it is more often very brief.

1 grieving   

感到悲痛，伤心( grieve的现在分词 )； 使…伤心

参考例句：

• They are still grieving for their dead child. 他们还在为死去的孩子伤心。
• The news brought no solace to the grieving relations. 这个消息并未给悲痛的家属带来什么安慰。

2 bereaved   

adj.刚刚丧失亲人的v.使失去（希望、生命等）( bereave的过去式和过去分词)；（尤指死亡）使丧失（亲人、朋友等）；使孤寂；抢走（财物）

参考例句：

• The ceremony was an ordeal for those who had been recently bereaved. 这个仪式对于那些新近丧失亲友的人来说是一种折磨。
• an organization offering counselling for the bereaved 为死者亲友提供辅导的组织

3 intrude   

vi.闯入；侵入；打扰，侵扰

参考例句：

• I do not want to intrude if you are busy.如果你忙我就不打扰你了。
• I don't want to intrude on your meeting.我不想打扰你们的会议。

4 privacy   

n.私人权利，个人自由，隐私权

参考例句：

• In such matters,privacy is impossible.在这类事情中，保密是不可能的。
• She wept in the privacy of her own room.她在自己房内暗暗落泪。

5 conservative   

adj.保守的，守旧的；n.保守的人，保守派

参考例句：

• He is a conservative member of the church.他是一个守旧教会教友。
• The young man is very conservative.这个年轻人很守旧。

6 cremated   

v.火葬，火化（尸体）( cremate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He wants to is cremated, not buried. 他要火葬，不要土葬。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The bodies were cremated on the shore. 他们的尸体在海边火化了。 来自辞典例句

7 privately   

adv.以私人的身份，悄悄地，私下地

参考例句：

• Some ministers admit privately that unemployment could continue to rise.一些部长私下承认失业率可能继续升高。
• The man privately admits that his motive is profits.那人私下承认他的动机是为了牟利。