美国国家公共电台 NPR Mortician Explores Cultures' Many Paths For 'Sacred Transition' Of Death

 

RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:

We are going to go now "From Here To Eternity¹," a journey through death rituals led by mortician Caitlin Doughty³. For her new book, she collected stories and histories of how cultures send their beloved off to the great beyond. Doughty owns a small funeral home called Undertaking⁴ LA. She specializes in offering alternatives to what's come to be the standard American funeral, which is what attracted a young woman whose father died unexpectedly.

SAHNDRA: My father's name was Grady Ross Doherty. And he was buried a day before his 73rd birthday.

MONTAGNE: And his daughter Sahndra sought out Undertaking LA in hopes of getting something different.

SAHNDRA: Every funeral I've ever been to has just been awful - awful because of the death and the loss and the sadness but also just awful - like, the funeral parlor⁵ smell and the way the casket looks and the fake flowers. It just always felt really tacky and kind of just empty. Like, I never - I've never gotten anything out of a funeral.

MONTAGNE: And when it came to burying her beloved father, Sahndra only knew one thing he did not want.

SAHNDRA: I knew that he was really freaked out about cement liners - like, this Tupperware container you get placed in when you die in the ground. He hated the idea of that. But other than that, no. No wishes. Like, literally⁶, he would say just, surprise me with a little twinkle in his eye, you know?

MONTAGNE: So Sandra opted⁷ to go the green route. They didn't embalm⁸ him. And instead of a fancy casket, the family placed her father in one of the ecofriendly wicker coffins⁹ offered at Undertaking LA along with ones made of seagrass, both designed to decompose¹⁰ quickly along with the body.

SAHNDRA: My dad - I mean, he - it's been two months and three days since he was buried. And I know he is, you know, back to the universe.

MONTAGNE: Hi. Hello.

CAITLIN DOUGHTY: Welcome.

MONTAGNE: Hi.

DOUGHTY: Hi, I'm Caitlin.

MONTAGNE: Hi, I'm Renee.

DOUGHTY: Come on in.

MONTAGNE: Nice to meet you.

On a recent day, we joined Caitlin Doughty in an industrial part of Los Angeles at her crematory.

DOUGHTY: And it's just a small chapel¹¹, a preparation room and a crematory with two cremation¹² machines. Come on in.

MONTAGNE: And while cremations were taking place a few feet away, we settled down for a conversation about the various ways people care for their dead. One thing Doughty found in writing her book - rituals that are deeply meaningful in one culture are often viewed with a mix of horror and fascination¹³ by another. One example dates to Canada in the 1600's, when a French priest recorded what he found among the Wendat people.

DOUGHTY: They would put their dead, wrapped in beaver¹⁴ robes, on a scaffold. And after a certain amount of time, they would take them down and remove the flesh from the bones to put them in a large communal¹⁵ burial pit. And you didn't know what each person was going to look like when you unwrapped them. You might have a newly fresh deceased person. You might have a sort of mummified body. Or you might have a body that was essentially¹⁶ just thin, papery flesh that you could remove fairly quickly.

And this cardinal¹⁷ - this French cardinal - saw it happening. And his reaction was so interesting because he came to convert the indigenous¹⁸ people. But even he could see how much love and tenderness was put toward this process, as - even as they were wrapping the bones to put them in the communal burial pit, he said, isn't this an example to inspire Christians²⁰? And then he went on to say, of course, they should still be Christian¹⁹. It's barbaric and savage²¹ what they do. But isn't it lovely?

MONTAGNE: In today's world, there are still plenty of death rituals that could seem strange and surprising. For her book, Caitlin Doughty traveled to a remote village in Indonesia where the dead stay at home with the living, mummified until a proper funeral can be arranged - sometimes for years. She witnessed sky burials in the mountains of Tibet. She met women in Bolivia who keep human skulls²³ called natitas in their homes, believed to provide direct access to the divine. And in Japan, she learned of a long-time cremation tradition.

DOUGHTY: There's a ritual called the kotsuage. And here in America, when we pull out the bones after a cremation, we grind them down in a machine called the cremulator to the ashes that we know, you know, in a scattering²⁴ or that's in an urn². But in Japan, traditionally, they don't do that. They pull out the full skeletonized body from the cremation machine. And the family stands around it with chopsticks. And starting at the feet, they pull the bones individually and place them in the urn. So it's a completely interactive²⁵ family ritual even after the cremation takes place.

MONTAGNE: And very delicate.

DOUGHTY: Very delicate.

MONTAGNE: It sounds elegant, actually.

DOUGHTY: And people even here want the bones. They ask, can I have my mom's bones back? I don't want the sand-like cremated²⁶ remains²⁷. And in California, it says that we're legally required to grind them down into, quote, "nonidentifiable bone fragments."

MONTAGNE: And the fact is here in America, just a generation ago, cremation was seriously frowned upon. It's long been against Jewish law. And it wasn't until 1963 that the Vatican allowed Catholics to be cremated with restrictions²⁸.

DOUGHTY: People were horrified²⁹ by cremation. They thought it was burning your friend. And you can have burning as this idea of just, you know, hell. And there's Holocaust³⁰ imagery. And there was just such a resistance to, especially in America, adopting cremation. And that's really changing.

MONTAGNE: As recently as 1980, only 6 percent of Americans were cremated. As of this year, 50 percent of Americans are choosing cremation. But unlike the intimacy³¹ of that experience in Japan, cremation in America is still quite industrial. That's one reason why I am the rare guest that Caitlin Doughty leads into the vast, brick-factory-like space that contains the two cremation machines running at 1,800 degrees.

DOUGHTY: And that's Mike. He's our crematory operator.

MONTAGNE: Mike Munoz handles first the bodies and then the ashes. At 22 years old, he is already committed to spending his life caring for the dead.

MIKE MUNOZ: It's not an ordinary job. So you have to put, you know, your care into the person. You want to make sure they get as much as possible from the family member. You don't want to drop any of the cremated remains.

MONTAGNE: And sounds like you want to be respectful.

MUNOZ: Yes, definitely.

MONTAGNE: And after a few moments pondering the cremation machines - shiny metal, very hot, not entirely³² unfriendly - Mike Munoz invites me to look in at a cremation that's nearly over.

MUNOZ: So, basically, we're just looking inside to see where the body is and how much longer it needs. So right there, about another 30 minutes, and it'll be complete.

MONTAGNE: A little bit. I saw - you can see sort of the - just the last ends of the bones.

MUNOZ: Yes.

MONTAGNE: Seeing just the very top of a very white, ashy skull²². It was sort of quiet.

DOUGHTY: It is. It's beautiful. You know, you don't want to be the one who says that a cremating³³ body is beautiful. But cultures all around the world have open air pyres because it's a beautiful transition of dead body to ash and bone. It's a sacred transition for many people.

MONTAGNE: As I gathered myself to leave the crematory, I did have one last question for Caitlin.

What about you? Have you got a big plan for yourself. I mean, you're young. You're in your 30s.

DOUGHTY: (Laughter) But you can die at any time.

MONTAGNE: This is true. You would know that.

DOUGHTY: I don't - as of right now, I would like to be naturally buried. But, eventually, I hope that there's a way that I could be laid out above ground for animals. The model for this is the Tibetan sky burial, where, when someone dies, they are laid out to be eaten by vultures. The Buddhist³⁴ idea behind this is that your body isn't worth anything to you anymore. Why are you trying to hold on to it? Why don't you give it back to other animals to do with it as they please and to take into the sky? And I think that's gorgeous.

MONTAGNE: Caitlin Doughty is a mortician. We spoke³⁵ to her at her crematory in Los Angeles. Her new book is "From Here To Eternity: Traveling The World To Find The Good Death."

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "FROM HERE TO ETERNITY")

FRANK SINATRA: (Singing) You vowed³⁶ your love from here to eternity, a love so true it never would die. You gave your lips, gave them so willingly. How could I know...

1 eternity   

n.不朽，来世；永恒，无穷

参考例句：

• The dull play seemed to last an eternity.这场乏味的剧似乎演个没完没了。
• Finally,Ying Tai and Shan Bo could be together for all of eternity.英台和山伯终能双宿双飞，永世相随。

2 urn   

n.（有座脚的）瓮；坟墓；骨灰瓮

参考例句：

• The urn was unearthed entire.这只瓮出土完整无缺。
• She put the big hot coffee urn on the table and plugged it in.她将大咖啡壶放在桌子上,接上电源。

3 doughty   

adj.勇猛的，坚强的

参考例句：

• Most of successful men have the characteristics of contumacy and doughty.绝大多数成功人士都有共同的特质：脾气倔强，性格刚强。
• The doughty old man battled his illness with fierce determination.坚强的老人用巨大毅力与疾病作斗争。

4 undertaking   

n.保证，许诺，事业

参考例句：

• He gave her an undertaking that he would pay the money back with in a year.他向她做了一年内还钱的保证。
• He is too timid to venture upon an undertaking.他太胆小，不敢从事任何事业。

5 parlor   

n.店铺，营业室；会客室，客厅

参考例句：

• She was lying on a small settee in the parlor.她躺在客厅的一张小长椅上。
• Is there a pizza parlor in the neighborhood?附近有没有比萨店？

6 literally   

adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实

参考例句：

• He translated the passage literally.他逐字逐句地翻译这段文字。
• Sometimes she would not sit down till she was literally faint.有时候，她不走到真正要昏厥了，决不肯坐下来。

7 opted   

v.选择，挑选( opt的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• She was co-opted onto the board. 她获增选为董事会成员。
• After graduating she opted for a career in music. 毕业后她选择了从事音乐工作。

8 embalm   

v.保存（尸体）不腐

参考例句：

• The Egyptians used to embalm the bodies of their dead kings and queens.埃及人以前用药物保存国王和王后的尸体。
• His body was embalmed.他的尸体进行了防腐处理。

9 coffins   

n.棺材( coffin的名词复数 )；使某人早亡[死，完蛋，垮台等]之物

参考例句：

• The shop was close and hot, and the atmosphere seemed tainted with the smell of coffins. 店堂里相当闷热，空气仿佛被棺木的味儿污染了。 来自辞典例句
• Donate some coffins to the temple, equal to the number of deaths. 到寺庙里，捐赠棺材盒给这些死者吧。 来自电影对白

10 decompose   

vi.分解；vt.（使）腐败，（使）腐烂

参考例句：

• The eggs began to decompose after a day in the sun.鸡蛋在太阳下放了一天后开始变坏。
• Most animals decompose very quickly after death.大多数动物死后很快腐烂。

11 chapel   

n.小教堂，殡仪馆

参考例句：

• The nimble hero,skipped into a chapel that stood near.敏捷的英雄跳进近旁的一座小教堂里。
• She was on the peak that Sunday afternoon when she played in chapel.那个星期天的下午，她在小教堂的演出，可以说是登峰造极。

12 cremation   

n.火葬，火化

参考例句：

• Cremation is more common than burial in some countries. 在一些国家，火葬比土葬普遍。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Garbage cremation can greatly reduce the occupancy of land. 垃圾焚烧可以大大减少占用土地。 来自互联网

13 fascination   

n.令人着迷的事物，魅力，迷恋

参考例句：

• He had a deep fascination with all forms of transport.他对所有的运输工具都很着迷。
• His letters have been a source of fascination to a wide audience.广大观众一直迷恋于他的来信。

14 beaver   

n.海狸，河狸

参考例句：

• The hat is made of beaver.这顶帽子是海狸毛皮制的。
• A beaver is an animals with big front teeth.海狸是一种长着大门牙的动物。

15 communal   

adj.公有的，公共的，公社的，公社制的

参考例句：

• There was a communal toilet on the landing for the four flats.在楼梯平台上有一处公共卫生间供4套公寓使用。
• The toilets and other communal facilities were in a shocking state.厕所及其他公共设施的状况极其糟糕。

16 essentially   

adv.本质上，实质上，基本上

参考例句：

• Really great men are essentially modest.真正的伟人大都很谦虚。
• She is an essentially selfish person.她本质上是个自私自利的人。

17 cardinal   

n.(天主教的)红衣主教；adj.首要的，基本的

参考例句：

• This is a matter of cardinal significance.这是非常重要的事。
• The Cardinal coloured with vexation. 红衣主教感到恼火，脸涨得通红。

18 indigenous   

adj.土产的，土生土长的，本地的

参考例句：

• Each country has its own indigenous cultural tradition.每个国家都有自己本土的文化传统。
• Indians were the indigenous inhabitants of America.印第安人是美洲的土著居民。

19 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

20 Christians   

n.基督教徒( Christian的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Christians of all denominations attended the conference. 基督教所有教派的人都出席了这次会议。
• His novel about Jesus caused a furore among Christians. 他关于耶稣的小说激起了基督教徒的公愤。

21 savage   

adj.野蛮的；凶恶的，残暴的；n.未开化的人

参考例句：

• The poor man received a savage beating from the thugs.那可怜的人遭到暴徒的痛打。
• He has a savage temper.他脾气粗暴。

22 skull   

n.头骨；颅骨

参考例句：

• The skull bones fuse between the ages of fifteen and twenty-five.头骨在15至25岁之间长合。
• He fell out of the window and cracked his skull.他从窗子摔了出去，跌裂了颅骨。

23 skulls   

颅骨( skull的名词复数 )； 脑袋； 脑子； 脑瓜

参考例句：

• One of the women's skulls found exceeds in capacity that of the average man of today. 现已发现的女性颅骨中，其中有一个的脑容量超过了今天的普通男子。
• We could make a whole plain white with skulls in the moonlight! 我们便能令月光下的平原变白，遍布白色的骷髅！

24 scattering   

n.[物]散射；散乱，分散；在媒介质中的散播adj.散乱的；分散在不同范围的；广泛扩散的；（选票）数量分散的v.散射(scatter的ing形式)；散布；驱散

参考例句：

• The child felle into a rage and began scattering its toys about. 这孩子突发狂怒，把玩具扔得满地都是。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The farmers are scattering seed. 农夫们在播种。 来自《简明英汉词典》

25 interactive   

adj.相互作用的，互相影响的，（电脑）交互的

参考例句：

• The psychotherapy is carried out in small interactive groups.这种心理治疗是在互动的小组之间进行的。
• This will make videogames more interactive than ever.这将使电子游戏的互动性更胜以往。

26 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

27 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

28 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

29 horrified   

a.(表现出)恐惧的

参考例句：

• The whole country was horrified by the killings. 全国都对这些凶杀案感到大为震惊。
• We were horrified at the conditions prevailing in local prisons. 地方监狱的普遍状况让我们震惊。

30 holocaust   

n.大破坏；大屠杀

参考例句：

• The Auschwitz concentration camp always remind the world of the holocaust.奥辛威茨集中营总是让世人想起大屠杀。
• Ahmadinejad is denying the holocaust because he's as brutal as Hitler was.内贾德否认大屠杀，因为他像希特勒一样残忍。

31 intimacy   

n.熟悉，亲密，密切关系，亲昵的言行

参考例句：

• His claims to an intimacy with the President are somewhat exaggerated.他声称自己与总统关系密切，这有点言过其实。
• I wish there were a rule book for intimacy.我希望能有个关于亲密的规则。

32 entirely   

ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
• His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。

33 cremating   

v.火葬，火化（尸体）( cremate的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• On April 19 sorrowing Japanese were cremating Admiral Yamamoto. 4月19日，哀伤的日本人把山本海军大将送进火海中去。 来自辞典例句

34 Buddhist   

adj./n.佛教的，佛教徒

参考例句：

• The old lady fell down in adoration before Buddhist images.那老太太在佛像面前顶礼膜拜。
• In the eye of the Buddhist,every worldly affair is vain.在佛教徒的眼里，人世上一切事情都是空的。

35 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

36 vowed   

起誓，发誓（vow的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• He vowed quite solemnly that he would carry out his promise. 他非常庄严地发誓要实现他的诺言。
• I vowed to do more of the cooking myself. 我发誓自己要多动手做饭。