英语听力—环球英语 1239 Four Things to Say When Someone is Dying

 　　Voice 1

 

　　Welcome to Spotlight¹. I'm Adam Navis.

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　And I'm Robin² Basselin. Spotlight uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.

 

　　Voice 1

 

　　Being close to someone who is dying is not easy. It can make people uncomfortable. It can be difficult to know what to say. Today's Spotlight is on what to say when someone is dying.

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　Doctor Ira Byock has worked for years with people who are dying. He wrote a book called "The Four Things that Matter Most." In it he writes that there are four things we should try to say to people who are dying. They are: Please forgive me. I forgive you. Thank you. And, I love you. In today's program we will look at each one.

 

　　Voice 1

 

　　The first thing to say to someone who is dying is:

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　Please forgive me.

 

　　Voice 1

 

　　Everyone does things that they wish they had not done. Or they did not do things that they wish they had done. We all hurt other people. Christians⁴ call this "sin." And sin can ruin our relationships with other people. Forgiveness is how we rebuild these broken relationships.

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　But forgiveness is not just a Christian³ idea. Forgiveness is important to many religions. Islam teaches that God is the starting point of all forgiveness. Buddhists⁵ will forgive to release themselves from suffering. And the Jewish celebration of Yom Kippur is all about forgiveness.

 

　　Voice 1

 

　　When a person does something wrong, they can feel bad. Sometimes they feel bad for years, even if no one knows what they have done. But people do not want to carry their mistake into death. They want to tell what they did before it is too late. When a person admits a mistake and says, "Please forgive me," it can feel like a heavy weight has been taken from them.

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　Asking for forgiveness can be difficult. But forgiving someone else can feel close to impossible. But this is the second thing we should say to someone near death.

 

　　Voice 1

 

　　I forgive you.

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　Everyone has hurt another person. But everyone has also been hurt by other people. These can be small things that we forget. But they can be life changing events that we remember for years. These things can be like a stone in a shoe. Every step brings pain. Forgiveness can take the stone out.

 

　　Voice 1

 

　　For Christians, forgiving people is required. The Christian Bible says: "If you forgive people when they sin against you, God will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive people their sins, God will not forgive your sins." 1 Corinthians 13:13

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　Saying, "I forgive you" when someone is dying does two things. For the dying person, it can release them from suffering. They may feel bad, but not know how to ask for forgiveness. But saying, "I forgive you" can also be good for the person who says it. It can free them from pain, bad memories, and suffering. It will not make a person forget what happened. But it may start the process of emotional healing.

 

　　Voice 1

 

　　It can be difficult to say, "Please forgive me." It can also be difficult to say, "I forgive you." But the next thing is much easier to say.

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　Thank you.

 

　　Voice 1

 

　　All people want to receive thanks for what they have done. People want to know that their life has meaning. As a person gets close to death, they ask themselves, "Did my life mean anything?" When people say, "Thank you" they are answering this question. They are saying, "Yes, you made a mark on my life."

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　When someone is dying, it is easy to only see the present time. And death can make us forget about the many good parts of life. By saying, "Thank you" we remember that each person is more than their final days. No one is perfect. But everyone has done something that deserves thanks.

 

　　Voice 1

 

　　The final thing to say can be the easiest to say. But it can also be the most difficult to say.

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　I love you.

 

　　Voice 1

 

　　Saying, "I love you" is way to declare that relationships matter. The connections that people have to each other are what make life worth living. The Christian Bible says that when we face death, "These three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love."

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　Not everyone shows love in the same way. Some people kiss and touch and cry together. Other people are more quiet. One man, named Gunter was like this. His father had always been a quiet person. He never showed his love with a lot of touching⁶. But he was dying of cancer. Gunter did not know how to say, "I love you."

 

　　Voice 1

 

　　But one day his father said to him, "Will you cut the hair on my face?" Gunter knew that this was a special request. His father was weak. But Gunter was careful and gentle. He was able to touch his father's face. This was something that he had never done before. When he was done, his father said, "Thank you, that feels much better." This was how one family found a way to share their love. It does not matter how you show love. It only matters that you show it.

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　As you can see, these four things are simple. They address what is important in life. And we do not have to wait until someone is dying to use them. Dr. Byock explains:

 

　　Voice 3

 

　　"These four simple sentences are powerful tools for improving your life. I have taught hundreds of patients who were facing death to say the Four Things. But the Four Things can be used at any time. They are just eleven words. But these four short sentences carry wisdom. They are what matters most in life."

 

　　Voice 1

 

　　Is there someone in your life who you need to talk to? Who do you need to ask, "Please forgive me." Who do you need to tell, "I forgive you"? Is there someone you need to thank? Can you find someone today to tell, "I love you"? Do it today. No one knows what tomorrow will bring.

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　The writer and producer of this program was Adam Navis. The voices you heard were from the United States. All quotes were adapted for this program and voiced by Spotlight. Computer users can hear our programs, read our scripts, and see our word list on our website at http://www.Radio.English.net This .program is called "Four Things to Say When Someone is Dying."

 

　　Voice 1

 

　　If you have a comment or question for Spotlight you can email us. Our email address is [email protected]. We hope you can join us again for the next Spotlight program. Thank you for listening. Goodbye!

1 spotlight   

n.公众注意的中心，聚光灯，探照灯，视听，注意，醒目

参考例句：

• This week the spotlight is on the world of fashion.本周引人瞩目的是时装界。
• The spotlight followed her round the stage.聚光灯的光圈随着她在舞台上转。

2 robin   

n.知更鸟，红襟鸟

参考例句：

• The robin is the messenger of spring.知更鸟是报春的使者。
• We knew spring was coming as we had seen a robin.我们看见了一只知更鸟，知道春天要到了。

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 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。

5 Buddhists   

n.佛教徒( Buddhist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Jesuits in a phase of ascendancy, persecuted and insulted the Buddhists with great acrimony. 处于地位上升阶段的耶稣会修士迫害佛教徒，用尖刻的语言辱骂他们。 来自英汉非文学 - 历史
• The return of Saivite rule to central Java had brought no antagonism between Buddhists and Hindus. 湿婆教在中爪哇恢复统治后，并没有导致佛教徒与印度教徒之间的对立。 来自辞典例句

6 touching   

adj.动人的，使人感伤的

参考例句：

• It was a touching sight.这是一幅动人的景象。
• His letter was touching.他的信很感人。