该怎么表达逝世：die还是pass away?

一路走好。

🕯️

无注释原文：

Passed away, kicked the bucket, pushing up daisies – the many ways we don’t talk about death

From: The Conversation

May 22, 2017

Talking about death and dying is taboo in many parts of the world. So it’s no wonder many people avoid talking about it. Or they struggle to find the right words.

Whereas once, we were more comfortable talking about death, now we have become creative in avoiding talking about it. We resort to euphemisms (alternative words that are softer or less direct) to soften the blow.

For instance, we talk about people “passing” or “gone” rather than they’ve died or are dead, just two examples from a rich history and range of euphemisms we discovered in our research.

What we did and what we found

We ran an online course, open to anyone around the world, on death and dying. The aim was to open conversations about the topic, and to promote understanding about death as a natural part of life.

Over two years, we asked 3,116 participants from 39 countries about how they talked about death and dying. They told us of alternative words or phrases to describe death instead of the words “death” or “dead”.

They volunteered varied, often humorous alternatives such as: “wrong side of the grass”, “taking a dirt nap”, “worm food”, “cashed in their chips” and “staring at the lid”.

But the most widely used euphemism was “gone”. Variants of “passed” were also very popular, like “passed away”, “passed over” and “passed on”.

There were also historical phrases that still make sense today, such as: “shuffled off” or “shuffled off this mortal coil”, from Shakespeare’s Hamlet (published early 1600s); “six feet under” (from around 1665, referring to how deep plague victims needed to be buried); and “promoted to glory” (used by the Salvation Army since the 19th century).

One common Australianism was “carked it” (also spelled “karked it”), a phrase that confused participants from other countries.

Some participants said euphemisms were acceptable if it was culturally inappropriate to be more direct. This was particularly so for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander participants, who preferred “finishing up” and “passed away”.

Other culturally specific euphemisms included: the UK’s “gone for a Burton” (used by the armed forces in World War II) and Cockney rhyming slang “brown bread” (rhymes with dead). Participants from the US reported “crossed into Beulah land” (from the book The Pilgrim’s Progress) or “sleeping with the fishes” (from the movie The Godfather).

How and why do we use euphemisms?

People mainly said they used euphemisms because the words “dead” or “dying” could upset people or were too harsh.

Some participants said they had heard many euphemisms, but wouldn’t dream of using some, for instance “kicked the bucket”, for fear of causing offence.

Most participants said they speak openly about death and dying but could understand why others don’t.

Over two-thirds of participants were health professionals, and while many of them are comfortable talking in plain language, they often use the phrase “passed away” in some situations rather than “died”.

Many participants use euphemisms when others do, and are guided by them in conversation.

Is this a problem?

Does it really matter if people use such euphemisms? Not always. But sometimes euphemisms can lead to misunderstandings and confusion. Think of the commonly used “gone”.

One participant talked of an aunt who was waiting to hear about the health of her husband. The aunt received a phone call telling her that her husband had “gone” so she asked which nursing home he was transferred to. The caller had the awkward task of clarifying her husband had died.

Then there’s the word “lost”. One participant received a phone call from a friend who had “lost” her mum. I was confused and said, “Why? Where did she go? How can she be lost?

Communicating about death and dying is important

Euphemisms have their place. But being able to talk openly (and clearly) about death and dying is important as it helps normalise death and avoids confusion.

If health professionals use euphemisms, they need to consider whether patients really understand what they’re trying to say.

And normalising death and dying (and communicating it) helps us prepare for the death of someone we love, or to find the right language to make the best choices for end-of-life care or for a funeral.

- ◆ -

注：中文文本为机器翻译仅供参考，并非一一对应

含注释全文：

Passed away, kicked the bucket, pushing up daisies – the many ways we don’t talk about death

From: The Conversation

May 22, 2017

Talking about death and dying is taboo in many parts of the world. So it’s no wonder many people avoid talking about it. Or they struggle to find the right words.

在世界许多地方，谈论死亡和临终是禁忌。因此，许多人会避免谈论它，或者设法去找合适的词语来代替。

taboo /təˈbuː/ 作名词，表示“禁忌，忌讳”，英文解释为“A taboo against a subject or activity is a social custom to avoid doing that activity or talking about that subject, because people find them embarrassing or offensive”举个🌰：

The topic of addiction remains something of a taboo in our family.

毒瘾在我们家依然是个有些忌讳的话题。

作形容词，表示“忌讳的，为社会习俗所不容的，不被人接受的；（因会冒犯人或引起尴尬而）禁忌的，忌讳的；（因太神圣或太邪恶而）禁止接触的，禁止使用的”。

Whereas once, we were more comfortable talking about death, now we have become creative in avoiding talking about it. We resort to euphemisms (alternative words that are softer or less direct) to soften the blow.

过去，我们在谈论死亡时比较自如，而现在我们在避免谈论死亡上已经颇具创意。我们采用委婉语（更温和或不太直接的替代词）来减轻其影响。

表示“尽管；但是；却”，英文解释为“compared with the fact that; but”举个🌰：

He must be about 40, whereas his wife looks about 30. 他肯定有40岁上下了，可他妻子看起来只有30岁左右。

表示“（别无办法的情况下）诉诸，依靠，采用”，英文解释为“to do something that you do not want to do because you cannot find any other way of achieving something”举个🌰：

I had to resort to violence/threats to get my money. 为了拿到我的钱，我被迫诉诸暴力/采取威胁的手段。

euphemism /ˈjuː.fə.mɪ.zəm/ 表示“委婉语，委婉说法”，英文解释为“a word or phrase used to avoid saying an unpleasant or offensive word”举个🌰：

"Senior citizen" is a euphemism for "old person". “年长公民”是“老年人”的委婉说法。

alternative本身可以作名词也可以作形容词，表示“可替代的，供选择的（事物）”英文解释为“An alternative plan or method is one that you can use if you do not want to use another one.”举个🌰：

The opposition parties have so far failed to set out an alternative strategy. 反对党到目前为止还没有提出其他的策略。

soften the blow = cushion the blow表示“缓解打击；缓和不良状况”，英文解释为“to make a bad situation less serious”举个🌰：

He's lost his job, but the redundancy money will cushion the blow. 他丢了工作，不过遣散费会减轻对他的打击。

For instance, we talk about people “passing” or “gone” rather than they’ve died or are dead, just two examples from a rich history and range of euphemisms we discovered in our research.

例如，我们用“passing”或“gone”来代替“died”或者“dead”，这只是我们在研究中发现的丰富历史和一系列委婉说法中的两个例子。

What we did and what we found 我们做了什么发现了什么

We ran an online course, open to anyone around the world, on death and dying. The aim was to open conversations about the topic, and to promote understanding about death as a natural part of life.

我们向全球各地的人们开设了一门关于死亡和临终的线上课程。目的是开启关于这个话题的对话，并推动对死亡是生命的自然组成部分的理解。

Over two years, we asked 3,116 participants from 39 countries about how they talked about death and dying. They told us of alternative words or phrases to describe death instead of the words “death” or “dead”.

两年多来，我们询问了来自39个国家的3116名参与者他们是如何谈论死亡和临终的。他们告诉了我们代替“death”和“dead”的词汇或短语。

1）表示“短语”，英文解释为“a group of words that is part of, rather than the whole of, a sentence”。

2）表示“说法；用语；警句”，英文解释为“a short group of words that are often used together and have a particular meaning”

They volunteered varied, often humorous alternatives such as: “wrong side of the grass”, “taking a dirt nap”, “worm food”, “cashed in their chips” and “staring at the lid”.

他们自愿提供了各种各样的、通常是诙谐的替代词，例如：“wrong side of the grass”、“taking a dirt nap”、“worm food”、“cashed in their chips”和“staring at the lid”。

But the most widely used euphemism was “gone”. Variants of “passed” were also very popular, like “passed away”, “passed over” and “passed on”.

但是最广泛使用的委婉说法是“gone”。“passed”的变体也广为使用，比如“passed away”、“passed over”和“passed on”。

There were also historical phrases that still make sense today, such as: “shuffled off” or “shuffled off this mortal coil”, from Shakespeare’s Hamlet (published early 1600s); “six feet under” (from around 1665, referring to how deep plague victims needed to be buried); and “promoted to glory” (used by the Salvation Army since the 19th century).

还有一些历史上的短语在今天仍然有意义，比如莎士比亚的《哈姆雷特》（17世纪初出版）中的“shuffled off”或“shuffled off this mortal coil”；“six feet under”（从1665年左右开始，指瘟疫遇难者需要被埋葬多深）；和“promoted to glory”（救世军自19世纪以来一直使用）。

shuffle /ˈʃʌf.əl/ sth off 表示“（通常通过给予其他人而）摆脱；推开（不想要的东西）”，英文解释为“to get rid of something unwanted, usually by giving it to someone else”举个🌰：

The local authority may then try to shuffle these responsibilities off onto another authority. 这个地方部门可能想将这些责任推给另一个部门。

表示“死，咽气”，英文解释为“to die”举个🌰：

My children can't wait for me to shuffle off this mortal coil so they can get their hands on their inheritance. 我的孩子们迫不及待地想我快些咽气，这样就能得到遗产了。

表示“入土，死去”，英文解释为“to be dead and buried”举个🌰：

There's no point worrying about it - we'll both be six feet under by then. 不用为此担心——到时候我们俩都已入土了。

1）作名词可表示“瘟疫，疫病”，如：a fresh outbreak of plague 瘟疫的新一轮爆发；

2）作动词表示“不断困扰，折磨，使苦恼”，英文解释为“to cause pain, suffering, or trouble to someone, especially for a long period of time”，举个🌰 ：

She was plagued by weakness, fatigue, and dizziness.

她受虚弱、疲劳和眩晕所折磨。

🎬电影《白宫管家》（The Butler）中的台词提到：It's time we take a stand against these injustices that have plagued our community. 现在是时候该表明立场和采取行动来对抗这些已困扰我们很久了的不公。

the Salvation Army /sælˌveɪ.ʃən ˈɑː.mi/ 表示“（基督教的）救世军”，英文解释为“an international Christian organization whose members have ranks and uniforms like an army, hold meetings with music, and work to help poor people”

One common Australianism was “carked it” (also spelled “karked it”), a phrase that confused participants from other countries.

一个常见的澳大利亚用法是“carked it”（也拼写为“karked it”），这个短语让其他国家的参与者感到困惑。

cark it 表示“（口语）死，死亡”，英文解释为“to die”举个🌰：

He carked it a couple of years ago. 他几年前就死翘翘了。

Some participants said euphemisms were acceptable if it was culturally inappropriate to be more direct. This was particularly so for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander participants, who preferred “finishing up” and “passed away”.

一些参与者说，如果文化上不适合更直接地表达，委婉语是可以接受的。澳大利亚土著居民和托雷斯海峡岛民（Torres Strait Islander）参与者尤其如此，他们更喜欢用“finishing up”和“passed away”。

Aboriginal /ˌæb.əˈrɪdʒ.ən.əl/ 表示“澳大利亚土著居民”，英文解释为“an Aborigine”

Other culturally specific euphemisms included: the UK’s “gone for a Burton” (used by the armed forces in World War II) and Cockney rhyming slang “brown bread” (rhymes with dead). Participants from the US reported “crossed into Beulah land” (from the book The Pilgrim’s Progress) or “sleeping with the fishes” (from the movie The Godfather).

其他具有文化特色的委婉语包括：英国的“gone for a Burton”（二战中军队使用）和伦敦土话同韵俚语“brown bread”（与dead押韵）。来自美国的参与者报告的“crossed into Beulah land”（来自《天路历程》一书）或“sleeping with the fishes”（来自电影《教父》）。

表示“被破坏的；遗失了的；死了”，英文解释为“spoiled or lost”举个🌰：

That's our quiet evening in gone for a Burton. 我们寂静的夜晚已不复存在。

cockney /ˈkɒk.ni/ 可以表示“伦敦东区人；伦敦佬”，英文解释为“a person from the East End of London, who speaks cockney”，也可以表示“伦敦东区（尤指较贫穷区域的）土话；伦敦土话”，英文解释为“the type of speech used by people from the East End of London”举个🌰：

You won't hear much real cockney spoken unless you go to the East End. 除非你去伦敦东区，否则你不会听到多少真正的伦敦土话。

rhyming slang /ˌraɪ.mɪŋ ˈslæŋ/ 表示“同韵俚语”，英文解释为“a type of slang in which certain words are used instead of other words that they rhyme with”举个🌰：

In Cockney rhyming slang, you say "apples and pears" to mean "stairs". 伦敦土话中，用同韵俚语 apples and pears 来表示 stairs。

How and why do we use euphemisms? 我们如何以及为什么使用委婉语？

People mainly said they used euphemisms because the words “dead” or “dying” could upset people or were too harsh.

参与者主要说，使用委婉语是因为“dead”或“dying”这个词可能会让人不高兴或过于强烈。

Some participants said they had heard many euphemisms, but wouldn’t dream of using some, for instance “kicked the bucket”, for fear of causing offence.

一些参与者说，他们听到过许多委婉说法，但不会想到使用一些委婉说法，例如“kicked the bucket”，因为害怕引起冒犯。

表示“翘辫子，死”，英文解释为“to die”

Most participants said they speak openly about death and dying but could understand why others don’t.

大多数参与者说，他们公开谈论死亡和临终，但可以理解为什么其他人不这样做。

Over two-thirds of participants were health professionals, and while many of them are comfortable talking in plain language, they often use the phrase “passed away” in some situations rather than “died”.

超过三分之二的参与者是医务人员，虽然他们中的许多人都能自如地用直白的语言交谈，但他们在某些情况下经常使用“passed away”一词，而不是“died”。

plain /pleɪn/ 1）表示“朴素的；不加修饰的；简单的”，英文解释为“not decorated in any way; with nothing added”举个🌰：

She wore a plain black dress. 她穿着一件朴素的黑色连衣裙。

2）表示“清楚的，明显的”，英文解释为“obvious and clear to understand”举个🌰：

It's quite plain that they don't want to speak to us. 很明显，他们不想和我们说话。

Many participants use euphemisms when others do, and are guided by them in conversation.

当别人使用委婉语时，许多参与者也使用委婉语，并在谈话中会受到委婉语的引导。

Is this a problem? 这是个问题吗？

Does it really matter if people use such euphemisms? Not always. But sometimes euphemisms can lead to misunderstandings and confusion. Think of the commonly used “gone”.

人们是否使用这种委婉语真的很重要吗？不一定。但有时委婉语会导致误解和混乱。想想常用的“gone”。

One participant talked of an aunt who was waiting to hear about the health of her husband. The aunt received a phone call telling her that her husband had “gone” so she asked which nursing home he was transferred to. The caller had the awkward task of clarifying her husband had died.

一位参与者谈到了一位阿姨，她一直在等待了解她丈夫的健康状况。这位阿姨接到一个电话，告诉她她丈夫已经“走了（gone）”，于是她问对方，他被转到哪家疗养院。打电话的人只好尴尬地澄清，她丈夫已经去世。

1）表示“搬；转移”，英文解释为“to move someone or something from one place, vehicle, person, or group to another”举个🌰：

He has been transferred to a psychiatric hospital. 他被转到了一家精神病医院。

2）表示“转让；让与”，英文解释为“to officially arrange for sth to belong to sb else or for sb else to control sth”举个🌰：

He transferred the property to his son. 他把财产转让给了儿子。

表示“澄清；阐明；使更清晰易懂”，英文解释为“to make something clear or easier to understand by giving more details or a simpler explanation”举个🌰：

Could you clarify the first point please? 请你把第一点再阐释一下，好吗？

Then there’s the word “lost”. One participant received a phone call from a friend who had “lost” her mum. I was confused and said, “Why? Where did she go? How can she be lost?”

然后是“lost”这个词。一名参与者接到了一个朋友的电话，她“lost（失去）”了妈妈。我很困惑，说：“为什么？她去哪里了？她怎么会丢失/迷路呢？”

Communicating about death and dying is important 关于死亡和临终的沟通很重要

Euphemisms have their place. But being able to talk openly (and clearly) about death and dying is important as it helps normalise death and avoids confusion.

委婉语有其存在的意义。但是能够公开（和清楚地）谈论死亡和临终是很重要的，因为它有助于将死亡正常化并避免混淆。

If health professionals use euphemisms, they need to consider whether patients really understand what they’re trying to say.

如果医务人员使用委婉语，他们需要考虑病人是否真的明白他们想说什么。

And normalising death and dying (and communicating it) helps us prepare for the death of someone we love, or to find the right language to make the best choices for end-of-life care or for a funeral.

将死亡和临终正常化（并谈论它）有助于我们为所爱之人的死亡做好准备，或者找到正确的语言来为临终关怀或葬礼做出最佳选择。

end-of-life /ˌend.əvˈlaɪf/ 表示“寿命终期”，英文解释为“End-of-life issues relate to someone's death and the time just before it, when it is known that they are likely to die soon from an illness or condition.”如：end-of-life care 临终关怀。

- 今日盘点 -

- END -