美国有线新闻 CNN 2016-7-29（在线收听）

AZUZ: OK, our next story. There was a global outpouring of sympathy earlier this week, when the musician Prince was found dead. Investigators don't know for sure yet why he died. They did find he had prescription opioid medication in his possession and in his home.

阿祖兹：好，来看下一则新闻。本周初，音乐家王子被发现死亡，世界各地都在表达哀悼。目前调查人员还不能确定他的死因。不过调查人员在他身上和家中均发现了鸦片类处方药。

Prince's music, his record label, his estate, they're estimated to be worth around $300 million, and his sister filed legal documents that said he didn't have a will.

王子留下约3亿美元的遗产，包括他的音乐、唱片公司及房产，他的妹妹提交了一份法律文件，称王子没有立遗嘱。

That brings in a lot of questions. Prince was divorced. He had no surviving children. His parents have died. If he never put it in writing where he wanted the money to go, what happens next?

这引发了很多问题。王子已经离婚。他没有孩子。他的父母已经死亡。如果他没有写遗嘱说明遗产分配，那接下来会发生什么？

DANNY CEVALLOS, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: A will is just a legal document that says who gets your money and your property when you died. What happens if you die without a will?

CNN法律分析师丹尼·塞瓦洛斯：遗嘱是说明在你去世后由谁继承你的资金和财产的法律文件。如果去世没有留下遗嘱怎么办？

SUBTITLE: Who gets what when we go?

副标题：我们去世后谁会继承我们的遗产？

CEVALLOS: If someone dies without leaving a legal will, it means they died intestate, and that can mean they're leaving their fortune up to chance.

塞瓦洛斯：如果一个人去世后没有留下法律意志，这表明这个人死后没有留下遗嘱，也就是说他们的遗产分配要靠运气了。

Each state is different but generally the law of intestacy determines who are your heirs and who gets your money and your possessions.

每个州对遗产分配的规定都不同，不过总的来说，无遗嘱法会决定你的继承人以及由谁来继承你的资金和财产。

Let me draw you a picture of what that means. If somebody dies, usually their spouse inherits everything. But if they have no living spouse, then everything usually goes to their children. But if they have no living children, then everything goes up to their parents. If they have no parents living, then everything may go to the sibling.

下面我画张图来解释。一个人去世后，通常由配偶继承他们的所有财产。如果配偶已经死亡，那就会由孩子继承。如果没有配偶也没有孩子，那就会由父母继承。如果也没有父母，那就会由兄弟姐妹来继承。

And if you truly are somebody with no heirs whatsoever, then there's even a chance it may all go to the government.

如果一个人死后没有任何继承人，那他们的遗产就可能会归政府所有。