老骨头

　　A grave issue

　　墓地问题

　　The opportunity cost of letting ancient Cockneys rest in peace

　　让老伦敦人安息的机会成本

　　THE Cross Bones Graveyard lies on a dingy street in south London. The medieval prostitutes buried there were much used and little loved ; yet their graves have become a modest attraction. The unconsecrated cemetery's rusty gates are festooned with colourful feathers, trinkets and ribbons. The most ardent well-wishers, who are campaigning for the graveyard to be protected as a monument, hold monthly vigils there at which they chant poetry and remember the long-ago outcasts.

　　十字骨墓地坐落于伦敦南部一条肮脏阴暗的街道，在墓地中长眠的中世纪妓女被一再利用却得不到任何关爱；但是如今她们的坟墓却成为了一个不大不小的旅游景点。被视为不圣洁的墓地大门虽然已经锈迹斑斑，但现在却被多彩的羽毛，小饰品以及彩带装点着。最虔诚的一批许愿者，正致力于申请将这片墓地作为历史遗迹保护起来，他们每月都会来守夜一次，在墓地旁吟唱圣歌以纪念这群故去的放逐者们。

　　墓地问题.jpg

　　Transport forLondon, the authority that owns the spot, wants to develop it. At 1,600 per square foot, primeLondonland is among the world's dearest. To soothe the vigilistas, however, TfL says it will leave the graveyard undisturbed.

　　拥有这片墓地的伦敦交通局计划重新开发这片区域。伦敦最繁华地段的土地以每平方英尺1600英镑的价格跻身于世界上最昂贵的土地之列。然而为了安抚这群守夜人，伦敦交通局表示施工将不会扰乱这片墓地的清静。

　　Bringing up the bodies

　　挖掘遗骸

　　This highlights a growing dilemma inLondon. It is an ancient city and its subsoil is packed with ancient remains. Tradition and, by and large, the law demand that they be left in peace. But the opportunity cost is enormous.

　　这突显了伦敦一个日趋严重的问题。伦敦是一座历史悠久的城市，因此城市的底土都埋藏着先人的遗骨。传统观念告诉我们应该要让先人们在地下得以安息，总的来说，法律也是这么要求的。但是让先人们安息的机会成本是巨大的。

　　Developers normally have to obtain a licence for every buried body they wish to disinter. But big infrastructure projects are sometimes granted a bulk deal. Crossrail, a 15 billion rail link across the capital, is permitted by a special act of Parliament to remove ancient skeletons from its path. To that effect, more than 300 have so far been dug up from the grounds of a medieval hospital nearLiverpool Street, to be reburied in a mass grave. By the time the project is finished, the bones of thousands of ancient Cockneys will have been shifted.

　　一般来说，开发商们想挖掘的每一具遗骸都必须获得相应的许可证。但是有时在大型的基建项目中也会大批量地进行授权。伦敦横贯铁路是一条横贯首都伦敦并价值150亿英镑的铁路联络线，在它建设期间就曾被议会特别允许移除施工路途中的每一具遗骸。也就是说，至今已经有超过300具遗骸从靠近利物浦大街的中世纪医院的地下挖掘出来，并被重新埋葬集体坟墓之中。等到这项项目竣工之时，会有成千上万的老伦敦人的遗骸被重新安放。