Remembering the Dead
People often say that talking about death and dying is morbid. If you’re “morbid,” you are showing an unnatural or unhealthy interest in unpleasant and disturbing topics, such as illness and death.
人們常說談論死亡和死去是病態的。如果你是“病態的”，你會表現出對不愉快和令人不安的話題（如疾病和死亡）有不自然或不健康的興趣。But other people think it is simply practical to prepare for death by making arrangements ahead of time. This way, they are confident that their wishes “will be honored” (will be respected).
但也有人認為，提前安排好事情只是實際的準備死亡。這樣，他們確信自己的意願“會被尊重”。
Some people “put a lot of thought into” (think deeply about) how they want to be remembered by family or friends and what they want done with their bodies once they die.
有些人“花很多心思”（深入思考）如何希望被家人或朋友記住，以及他們死後希望如何處理自己的遺體。
Most people want to be “buried” (placed in the ground). Others want to be “cremated” (burned completely) and have the “ashes” (black or gray powder left after burning) kept in an “urn” (tall stone or metal container for storing ashes) or to be “scattered” (thrown in a random way) in a meaningful place.
大多數人希望被“埋葬”（埋在地下）。其他人希望被“火化”（完全燒成灰）並將“骨灰”（燃燒後留下的黑色或灰色粉末）存放在“骨灰盒”（存放骨灰的高石或金屬容器）中，或將其“撒”（隨意拋撒）在有意義的地方。
Now, there are companies that will take your ashes and press them into a “vinyl record,” one of those black, round “disks” (flat circles) that is used to play music popular starting about 50 years ago. These companies provide a service that will allow you to select any recording – your favorite song, a recorded message from you to your family, your “last will and testament” (legal document stating what you want done with your money and property after you die) – and create a record using your ashes. This way, you can “live on” (for others to remember you) in something that you leave for your family or friends.
現在，有些公司會將你的骨灰壓製成“黑膠唱片”，這是大約50年前開始流行的黑色圓形“光盤”（扁平圓形物）之一。這些公司提供一項服務，讓你選擇任何錄音——你最喜歡的歌曲、你給家人的錄音信息、你的“遺囑”（聲明你死後希望如何處理你的錢和財產的法律文件）——並使用你的骨灰製作唱片。這樣，你可以在留給家人或朋友的某些東西中“活著”（讓他人記住你）。
重點單字
- Morbid 病態的 /ˈmɔːrbɪd/
- Honored 被尊重的 /ˈɑːnərd/
- Put a lot of thought into 花很多心思 /pʊt ə lɑːt əv θɔːt ˈɪntu/
- Buried 埋葬 /ˈbɛrid/
- Cremated 火化 /krɪˈmeɪtɪd/
- Ashes 骨灰 /ˈæʃɪz/
- Urn 骨灰盒 /ɜːrn/
- Scattered 撒 /ˈskætərd/
- Vinyl record 黑膠唱片 /ˈvaɪnl ˈrɛkərd/
- Disk 光盤 /dɪsk/
- Last will and testament 遺囑 /læst wɪl ənd ˈtɛstəmənt/
- Live on 活著 /lɪv ɒn/
