Unusual jobs – the Funeral Director

BBC Learning EnglishPeople and PlacesUnusual jobs – the Funeral DirectorAndrea: Welcome to "People and Places" – where we meetinteresting people and find outabout more about them – right here onbbclearningenglish.com. Hello, I'm AndreaRose.
　　Emma Sparre-SlaterMy name is Emma Sparre-Slater. Essentially¹ I am a seniorfuneral director.
　　Andrea: That’s Emma Sparre-Slater and she has a veryinteresting and different job. Emma is a funeral director.
　　That means she runs or directs funerals. She arranges theburial or cremation² of people in the Christian³ faith. Howfascinating! So how did she come to do this job? Emmaexplains.
　　Emma Sparre-SlaterI can only assume because my father is a vicar that as achild I had an understanding that funeral directors existed.
　　Most children won’t have any contact with funeral directorsor know that the job exists, so I can only really put it downto that. For me, my feeling is it is as much of a vocationfor me as people wanting to be doctors or teachers and I don’t really know where it’s come from – none of my otherbrothers or sisters have had the urge to become funeraldirectors.
　　Andrea: Emma’s father is a vicar or a priest⁴. So that mightbe one reason she became a funeral director. She says thatmost children otherwise wouldn’t know that the job evenexisted. So perhaps it was through her father’s work. Shesays that she ‘can only really put it down to that’. Thatmeans, that is the only way she can explain how she came todo this job. But she believes that it’s like any othervocation or career. It’s just like being a doctor or ateacher. But none of her brothers or sisters do a jobs likehers. So she really isn’t totally sure why she chose to dothis particular job. But one thing’s for sure - it’s veryrewarding.
　　Emma Sparre-SlaterIt’s just such a rewarding thing to do and I know that it’squite a powerful thing to do in the sense that I am awarethat somebody has entrusted⁵ their most precious loved oneinto my care and I get to see the faces of all those people,I am the last person to see the faces of a great many lovedpeople – you know it’s quite a moving thing and I think oneday, it’s going to be me and I would like somebody to betaking that sort of care and looking after me and lookingafter my family in way that myself and my colleagues do.
　　Andrea: Did you catch some of the words Emma used to describeher job? She says it’s rewarding – it makes her feelsatisfied. She also describes her job as powerful. Andfinally she talks about it being moving – it makes her feelquite emotional. Let’s listen again to Emma’s descriptionof how her job makes her feel.
　　Emma Sparre-SlaterIt’s such a rewarding thing to do and know that it’s quitea powerful thing to do in the sense that I am aware thatsomebody has entrusted their most precious loved one into mycare and I get to see the faces of all those loved ones, I amthe last person to see the faces of a great many loved people– you know it’s quite a moving thing and I think one day,it’s going to be me and I would like somebody to be takingthat sort of care and looking after me and looking after myfamily in way that myself and my colleagues do.
　　Andrea: So what exactly does Emma’s job entail⁶? What doesshe do as a funeral director?
　　Emma Sparre-SlaterThe job of a funeral director, it’s very varied⁷. The part ofthe job that most people would recognise is on the day of thefuneral, when certainly in Britain, the funeral directorwalks infront of the hearse, normally wearing a top hat, even as awoman I would wear a top hat. And we walk – we call itpaging – so we page in front of the hearse as a mark ofrespect. And then on the day of the funeral we are there sortof as the master of ceremonies, we are there to make sure thefamily’s wishes are carried out. And also because mostpeople don’t go to funerals every day,you just need someone just to look after the practicalitiesof the day – so where do people park,where are the toilets, do people go in and sit down, do theyhave to wait. And things like that. So we’re just there, thefuneral directors’s there to make sure the day goesaccording to plan andthat the family have as easy a day as possible, and asstress-free, and as comfortable and positive a day aspossible.
　　Andrea: Emma tells us what she does on the day of a funeral.
　　She pages or walks in front of the hearse. The hearse is thevehicle carrying the coffin⁸. It can be a car or sometimeseven a horse and carriage. She wears a top hat. All of theseelementsare a mark of respect. They show respect to the person whohas died. She also acts as the master of ceremonies at thefuneral. So she directs who speaks when during the service.
　　She’s also there to help with the practicalities of the day– things like toilets and parking. Her job is to make sureeverything goes according to plan – everything runs smoothly– so that it’s not too stressful.
　　I think Emma has a fascinating job. Until the next time, it’
　　s goodbye from bbclearningenglish.com

1 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。

2 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

3 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。

4 priest   

n.神父，牧师，司铎，司祭，领导者，神甫；vt.使成为神职人员

参考例句：

• He confessed to a priest that he had sinned.他向神父忏悔他犯了罪。
• The priest visited all the old people in the parish.牧师探望了教区里的所有老人。

5 entrusted   

v.委托，托付( entrust的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He entrusted the task to his nephew. 他把这任务托付给了他的侄儿。
• She was entrusted with the direction of the project. 她受委托负责这项计划。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 entail   

vt.使承担，使成为必要，需要

参考例句：

• Such a decision would entail a huge political risk.这样的决定势必带来巨大的政治风险。
• This job would entail your learning how to use a computer.这工作将需要你学会怎样用计算机。

7 varied   

adj.多样的，多变化的

参考例句：

• The forms of art are many and varied.艺术的形式是多种多样的。
• The hotel has a varied programme of nightly entertainment.宾馆有各种晚间娱乐活动。

8 coffin   

n.棺材，灵柩

参考例句：

• When one's coffin is covered,all discussion about him can be settled.盖棺论定。
• The coffin was placed in the grave.那口棺材已安放到坟墓里去了。