mourning; The end of the line

　　生命的終點(diǎn)站

　　In this world nothing can be said to be certain,except death and taxes, mused BenjaminFranklin. With death, at least, humans have devisedmyriad ways to deal with the inevitable, from thepracticalities of disposing the body to the grief oflosing a loved one. In her new book Making anExit, Sarah Murray, a contributor to the FinancialTimes, travels the globe to discover how differentcultures conduct funeral rites and honour the dead.

　　本杰明富蘭克林曾沉思，在這個(gè)世界上，除了死亡和稅收，沒有什么是確定無疑的。面對(duì)死亡，人類至少已經(jīng)想過無數(shù)種方式來應(yīng)對(duì)這一無法回避的現(xiàn)實(shí)，從安置尸體的實(shí)際操作到失去所愛的悲痛之心。金融時(shí)報(bào)撰稿人Sarah Murray曾游歷世界各地，在她的新書《退出》中探索了不同文化背景的人們是如何舉行葬禮以紀(jì)念逝者。

　　A morbid subject, perhaps. But as Ms Murray s book reveals, it is a peculiarly British habit toquarantine death with pragmatism, etiquette and control. Other cultures have a morecomfortable relationship with the deceased, and even commune with the spirits of ancestors.Funerals are not always solemn affairs.

　　這或許是個(gè)有點(diǎn)病態(tài)的話題。但是正如Murray女士在書中所呈現(xiàn)的，習(xí)慣將死亡和實(shí)用主義、禮節(jié)規(guī)矩、和鎮(zhèn)定自若這些詞隔離開只是一種英國獨(dú)有的怪癖。相比之下，在其他的文化信仰中，人們對(duì)待逝者則要輕松許多，甚至?xí)妥嫦鹊撵`魂有所交流。葬禮不總是件嚴(yán)肅莊重的事情。

　　A self-described child of globalisation, Ms Murray has led a nomadic life. Having lived andworked on four continents, she is now based in New Yorkthe depot of choice for those whopine for immortality. She undertook this globetrotting adventure for two reasons: to feedher wanderlust and to ponder her own final resting place. The death of her father, and hisclear orders for an unfussy, secular send-off, prompted Ms Murray to consider her own longgoodbye. The result is not only a fascinating travelogue, but also a personal meditation onloss and fate.

　　Murray女士過著流浪般的生活，所以她自稱是個(gè) 全球化的孩子。她之前在四個(gè)大洲生活工作過，現(xiàn)在定居紐約。對(duì)于渴望永生不朽的人們來說，紐約將是個(gè)理想圣地。她著手這趟全球旅行是有兩個(gè)原因：一是滿足她的旅行癖，二是考慮自己最終的安息之地。她父親的去世，以及他生前要求簡(jiǎn)單的、非宗教的送行儀式，這一切促使Murray開始考慮起她自己的后事。這本書不僅是一本奇妙的旅游日志，也是一次個(gè)人對(duì)死亡和命運(yùn)的思考。

　　Ms Murray excels in the role of intrepid tour guide. She has an inviting way of takingreaders by the hand to explore new cultures and places. Unfortunately she is less strongwhen she turns her gaze back at herself. Some anecdotes feel like a distractionreaders maywonder at the relevance of her hairdresser s great aunt s cremation, or of her bout of foodpoisoning in China. But if you are prepared to meander and occasionally indulge, thenthere is a wealth to discover within these pages.

　　Murray女士在這趟旅行中出色地飾演了勇敢的向?qū)б唤?。她用引人入勝的方式帶領(lǐng)讀者去探索新鮮的文化和地方。遺憾的是當(dāng)她再過頭來看自己的書，內(nèi)容就沒有那么精彩了。一些趣聞似乎有些跑題：讀者或許會(huì)好奇她美發(fā)店的嬸祖母火化，還有她在中國食物中毒這些事情和主題有什么相關(guān)。但是如果你準(zhǔn)備好時(shí)不時(shí)地翻一兩頁書或者偶爾沉浸于書中的話，那么你將會(huì)在這本書中獲益匪淺。

　　The Balinese have the most extravagant funeral rites. They spend weeks creatingelaborate pyres, often in the shape of a sacred bull, and burn their coffin-sheathed dead injoyous public ceremonies. Crying is frowned upon, as they believe this may hinder the spiritfrom reaching heaven. Conversely, the Shia Muslims in Iran embrace grief. They hold anannual ceremony of public weeping and wailing to commemorate the martyrdom in 680ADof Imam Husayn, grandson of Muhammad.

　　巴里島的火葬儀式是最為奢華隆重的。他們要花費(fèi)幾個(gè)星期的時(shí)間搭建復(fù)雜精致的柴堆，然后在熱鬧的公眾儀式中火化躺在靈柩中的逝者?？奁遣辉试S的，因?yàn)槿藗兿嘈胚@樣可能會(huì)阻礙逝者的靈魂抵達(dá)天堂。相反地，伊朗的什葉派穆斯林則會(huì)盡情表達(dá)自己的悲痛。他們每年舉行公眾儀式紀(jì)念公元680年殉難的穆罕穆德的孫子 伊瑪目?侯賽因，儀式中他們痛哭流涕。

　　Pragmatism informs many funerary practices. The Zoroastrians in Iran, for example,traditionally leave corpses in towers for vultures to devour, so the bodies do not pollute thesoil. Cremation is becoming more popular around the world, not only because land forcemeteries is increasingly rare and expensive, but also because ashes are easily transported.This is important in an ever globalised world, as for most people the desire to be buried athome is the strongest.

　　實(shí)用主義影響著很多葬禮的風(fēng)俗習(xí)慣。比如說，伊朗的拜火教按照傳統(tǒng)將尸體放在高塔之上，讓禿鷹啄食吃光，這樣人的軀體就不會(huì)腐蝕土壤?；鹪嵩谌澜缭絹碓绞軞g迎，不僅僅是因?yàn)槟沟氐某掷m(xù)緊缺，而且價(jià)格上漲，同時(shí)也是因?yàn)楣腔腋菀走\(yùn)輸。在不斷全球化的世界中，這一點(diǎn)對(duì)于大多數(shù)強(qiáng)烈渴望落葉歸根的人們非常重要。

　　But most practices are shaped by religious beliefs and a faith in the afterlife. The Chinesekeep shrines to the dead in their homes, and burn paper offerings to encourage the spirits tobestow good fortune on the living. Communities from Chile to Egypt to Sicily havemummified their dead to preserve the body for the afterlife. Ms Murray visits someparticularly ghoulish mummies, dressed but withered, in the Capuchin Catacombs of Palermo.For Hindus, though, the body is just a vehicle for the soul. In India the dying makepilgrimages to sacred sites, such as Varanasi, to be cremated and released into the RiverGanges, India s holiest waterway. This is so the dead can achieve mokshabreaking thecycle of birth, death and rebirth to gain enlightenment. The cremation ghats in Varanasi burnday and night.

　　但是大多數(shù)風(fēng)俗習(xí)慣深受宗教信仰和來世之說的影響。中國將神龕保存在逝者的家中，而且燒紙糊的祭品，祈求逝者的靈魂可以保佑生者。像智利、埃及，還有西西里，那里的人們都會(huì)將死者做成木乃伊，為來世保存好軀體。Murray女士在巴勒莫嘉布遣會(huì)修士陵墓里參觀過一些特別恐怖的木乃伊。他們穿戴整齊，但是干癟枯槁。對(duì)于印度人來說，軀體只是靈魂的載體。在印度，死亡就是前往圣地的遠(yuǎn)游，火化后將骨灰撒在印度最神圣的水上航道恒河中。這樣逝者即可得以解脫超脫生而死，死而再生的輪回，獲得開悟。在瓦臘納西，火葬的河岸石梯上日夜都在焚燒著尸體。

　　Rituals for the dead are hooks on which to hang our behaviour, says Ms Murray. They helpthe living to make sense of loss. Death may be hard to contemplate, but this book is asmuch about the journey as it is about the last stop.

　　Murray女士說，葬禮是懸著人類行為方式的掛鉤。這些儀式幫助生者懂得失去的意義。死亡也許很難讓人接受，但是這本書不僅談?wù)撍劳觯乙矔?huì)涉及很多有關(guān)旅行的話題。

　　mourning; The end of the line

　　生命的終點(diǎn)站

　　In this world nothing can be said to be certain,except death and taxes, mused BenjaminFranklin. With death, at least, humans have devisedmyriad ways to deal with the inevitable, from thepracticalities of disposing the body to the grief oflosing a loved one. In her new book Making anExit, Sarah Murray, a contributor to the FinancialTimes, travels the globe to discover how differentcultures conduct funeral rites and honour the dead.

　　本杰明富蘭克林曾沉思，在這個(gè)世界上，除了死亡和稅收，沒有什么是確定無疑的。面對(duì)死亡，人類至少已經(jīng)想過無數(shù)種方式來應(yīng)對(duì)這一無法回避的現(xiàn)實(shí)，從安置尸體的實(shí)際操作到失去所愛的悲痛之心。金融時(shí)報(bào)撰稿人Sarah Murray曾游歷世界各地，在她的新書《退出》中探索了不同文化背景的人們是如何舉行葬禮以紀(jì)念逝者。

　　A morbid subject, perhaps. But as Ms Murray s book reveals, it is a peculiarly British habit toquarantine death with pragmatism, etiquette and control. Other cultures have a morecomfortable relationship with the deceased, and even commune with the spirits of ancestors.Funerals are not always solemn affairs.

　　這或許是個(gè)有點(diǎn)病態(tài)的話題。但是正如Murray女士在書中所呈現(xiàn)的，習(xí)慣將死亡和實(shí)用主義、禮節(jié)規(guī)矩、和鎮(zhèn)定自若這些詞隔離開只是一種英國獨(dú)有的怪癖。相比之下，在其他的文化信仰中，人們對(duì)待逝者則要輕松許多，甚至?xí)妥嫦鹊撵`魂有所交流。葬禮不總是件嚴(yán)肅莊重的事情。

　　A self-described child of globalisation, Ms Murray has led a nomadic life. Having lived andworked on four continents, she is now based in New Yorkthe depot of choice for those whopine for immortality. She undertook this globetrotting adventure for two reasons: to feedher wanderlust and to ponder her own final resting place. The death of her father, and hisclear orders for an unfussy, secular send-off, prompted Ms Murray to consider her own longgoodbye. The result is not only a fascinating travelogue, but also a personal meditation onloss and fate.

　　Murray女士過著流浪般的生活，所以她自稱是個(gè) 全球化的孩子。她之前在四個(gè)大洲生活工作過，現(xiàn)在定居紐約。對(duì)于渴望永生不朽的人們來說，紐約將是個(gè)理想圣地。她著手這趟全球旅行是有兩個(gè)原因：一是滿足她的旅行癖，二是考慮自己最終的安息之地。她父親的去世，以及他生前要求簡(jiǎn)單的、非宗教的送行儀式，這一切促使Murray開始考慮起她自己的后事。這本書不僅是一本奇妙的旅游日志，也是一次個(gè)人對(duì)死亡和命運(yùn)的思考。

　　Ms Murray excels in the role of intrepid tour guide. She has an inviting way of takingreaders by the hand to explore new cultures and places. Unfortunately she is less strongwhen she turns her gaze back at herself. Some anecdotes feel like a distractionreaders maywonder at the relevance of her hairdresser s great aunt s cremation, or of her bout of foodpoisoning in China. But if you are prepared to meander and occasionally indulge, thenthere is a wealth to discover within these pages.

　　Murray女士在這趟旅行中出色地飾演了勇敢的向?qū)б唤?。她用引人入勝的方式帶領(lǐng)讀者去探索新鮮的文化和地方。遺憾的是當(dāng)她再過頭來看自己的書，內(nèi)容就沒有那么精彩了。一些趣聞似乎有些跑題：讀者或許會(huì)好奇她美發(fā)店的嬸祖母火化，還有她在中國食物中毒這些事情和主題有什么相關(guān)。但是如果你準(zhǔn)備好時(shí)不時(shí)地翻一兩頁書或者偶爾沉浸于書中的話，那么你將會(huì)在這本書中獲益匪淺。

　　The Balinese have the most extravagant funeral rites. They spend weeks creatingelaborate pyres, often in the shape of a sacred bull, and burn their coffin-sheathed dead injoyous public ceremonies. Crying is frowned upon, as they believe this may hinder the spiritfrom reaching heaven. Conversely, the Shia Muslims in Iran embrace grief. They hold anannual ceremony of public weeping and wailing to commemorate the martyrdom in 680ADof Imam Husayn, grandson of Muhammad.

　　巴里島的火葬儀式是最為奢華隆重的。他們要花費(fèi)幾個(gè)星期的時(shí)間搭建復(fù)雜精致的柴堆，然后在熱鬧的公眾儀式中火化躺在靈柩中的逝者?？奁遣辉试S的，因?yàn)槿藗兿嘈胚@樣可能會(huì)阻礙逝者的靈魂抵達(dá)天堂。相反地，伊朗的什葉派穆斯林則會(huì)盡情表達(dá)自己的悲痛。他們每年舉行公眾儀式紀(jì)念公元680年殉難的穆罕穆德的孫子 伊瑪目?侯賽因，儀式中他們痛哭流涕。

　　Pragmatism informs many funerary practices. The Zoroastrians in Iran, for example,traditionally leave corpses in towers for vultures to devour, so the bodies do not pollute thesoil. Cremation is becoming more popular around the world, not only because land forcemeteries is increasingly rare and expensive, but also because ashes are easily transported.This is important in an ever globalised world, as for most people the desire to be buried athome is the strongest.

　　實(shí)用主義影響著很多葬禮的風(fēng)俗習(xí)慣。比如說，伊朗的拜火教按照傳統(tǒng)將尸體放在高塔之上，讓禿鷹啄食吃光，這樣人的軀體就不會(huì)腐蝕土壤。火葬在全世界越來越受歡迎，不僅僅是因?yàn)槟沟氐某掷m(xù)緊缺，而且價(jià)格上漲，同時(shí)也是因?yàn)楣腔腋菀走\(yùn)輸。在不斷全球化的世界中，這一點(diǎn)對(duì)于大多數(shù)強(qiáng)烈渴望落葉歸根的人們非常重要。

　　But most practices are shaped by religious beliefs and a faith in the afterlife. The Chinesekeep shrines to the dead in their homes, and burn paper offerings to encourage the spirits tobestow good fortune on the living. Communities from Chile to Egypt to Sicily havemummified their dead to preserve the body for the afterlife. Ms Murray visits someparticularly ghoulish mummies, dressed but withered, in the Capuchin Catacombs of Palermo.For Hindus, though, the body is just a vehicle for the soul. In India the dying makepilgrimages to sacred sites, such as Varanasi, to be cremated and released into the RiverGanges, India s holiest waterway. This is so the dead can achieve mokshabreaking thecycle of birth, death and rebirth to gain enlightenment. The cremation ghats in Varanasi burnday and night.

　　但是大多數(shù)風(fēng)俗習(xí)慣深受宗教信仰和來世之說的影響。中國將神龕保存在逝者的家中，而且燒紙糊的祭品，祈求逝者的靈魂可以保佑生者。像智利、埃及，還有西西里，那里的人們都會(huì)將死者做成木乃伊，為來世保存好軀體。Murray女士在巴勒莫嘉布遣會(huì)修士陵墓里參觀過一些特別恐怖的木乃伊。他們穿戴整齊，但是干癟枯槁。對(duì)于印度人來說，軀體只是靈魂的載體。在印度，死亡就是前往圣地的遠(yuǎn)游，火化后將骨灰撒在印度最神圣的水上航道恒河中。這樣逝者即可得以解脫超脫生而死，死而再生的輪回，獲得開悟。在瓦臘納西，火葬的河岸石梯上日夜都在焚燒著尸體。

　　Rituals for the dead are hooks on which to hang our behaviour, says Ms Murray. They helpthe living to make sense of loss. Death may be hard to contemplate, but this book is asmuch about the journey as it is about the last stop.

　　Murray女士說，葬禮是懸著人類行為方式的掛鉤。這些儀式幫助生者懂得失去的意義。死亡也許很難讓人接受，但是這本書不僅談?wù)撍劳觯乙矔?huì)涉及很多有關(guān)旅行的話題。