Dialogue Script 3 对话原文 3

Mike: I don't know what to say. This can't be happening. Here's the obituary.
Sarah: It's really there? This all seems so surreal --- like it's all one big nightmare.
Mike: But it explains why Tom isn't answering and Fanny took time off from work.
Sarah: Poor Fanny. Tom's death must have made her realize that she still cared for him.
Mike: This says the viewing is at Myers Funeral Home today until five.
Sarah: It's already half past four. We should go and pay our respects. Tom's family will be there.
Mike: Don't we need to give a white envelope with money for the family, though?
Sarah: No. People give plates of food. The food is brought to the reception or in the weeks following.
Mike: At the reception?
Sarah: That's after the funeral. That way the family doesn't need to think about cooking while they're mourning.
Mike: Then you don't take anything with you for a viewing?
Sarah: You can bring flowers if you want, but you usually have those delivered.

讲解：

1. 对话中Sarah和Mike证实了Tom的死讯是真的。Mike说，I don't know what to say. This can't be happening. Here's the obituary. 我不知道该说什么好，这不可能是真的，讣闻在这里。I don't know what to say. 这句话相当简单，却可以用在很多场合，比如说你突然得上台发表感言，发生了什么尴尬的状况，或者太过惊讶的时候等等，只要是大脑一片空白，就可以先拿这句话顶一顶。 我们用一个对话做例子，---And the winner of this years Classic Biker Chick Award goes to… Sarah Allen! ---Oh, my God! What an honor! I don't know what to say. ---今年的摩托车小姐得主是Sarah Allen! ---天啊！真是太荣幸了！我不知道该怎么说。

2. Sarah 和Mike在报纸上看见了讣闻，感觉像做了一场天大的恶梦，This all seems so surreal --- like it's all one big nightmare.这里surreal的意思是“不真实的，超现实的”。

3. 报纸上的讣闻说今天在Myers殡仪馆举行遗容瞻仰，将开放到下午五点。这里先说一下这个funeral home，美国早期也有些人家会在家里办丧事，但是到了现在，几乎整个葬礼过程都在私人的funeral home，也就是我们说的“殡仪馆，葬仪社”内举行，美国的殡仪馆都有可供举行葬礼仪式的大厅，而负责安排丧葬一切过程的“葬仪员”，也就是funeral director也大多是有专业执照的殡仪馆老板。在下面的对话中我们就会接触到葬仪员。

4. 还要说说这个viewing，原意是“观看”，这里指“瞻仰死者的遗容”。在中国，我们不太习惯让死者的遗容暴露在外人面前，但在美国，葬礼前的一两天有时会安排一个viewing瞻仰遗容的时间，亲朋好友会在那段时间到殡仪馆瞻仰死者已经画好妆的遗容，并且跟死者说再见，不过因为追悼会通常也会看到遗容，有时候死者的家人也会省去瞻仰遗容这个流程。

5. 在正式葬礼举办的前一天或当天，通常也会安排一个“致哀时间”，就是visiting hours，地点会在殡仪馆、教堂或者亲友家中，这时候死者的遗体不会在现场，但气氛还是很令人悲伤，参加的人会在致哀时间向死者的家属表达哀悼之情，也会相聚缅怀死者过去的种种。好，Tom的遗容瞻仰时间是到下午五点，虽然现在已经四点半了，但是Sarah和 Mike决定还是应该去致意，Tom的家人也会在那。pay one's respects，向某人表达敬意。

6. Mike问用不用包白包给家属，就是a white envelope with money，就像去参加婚礼要给红包一样，这在中国是很流行的。Sarah说不用，只要带一盘食物过去就行了，食物会带到接代会上，或者在葬礼过后的几周之内，都可以带菜去给死者的家属。

7. 在葬礼结束之后呢，一般会有招待亲友的“接待会或者聚餐会”，就是reception。但这是比较私人的聚会，去参加的宾客，都是受到邀请的，接待会上会提供简单的饮食、茶点等给来宾享用，而举办reception的地点也常常是在殡仪馆的宴会厅。

8. 那么为什么要带食物去reception呢？Sarah解释说这样家属在哀痛之余，就不必分神去准备食物了。当然，通过葬礼接待会呢会看到久未见面的一些朋友，因此在接待会上的气氛也会比较轻松，大家也会利用这个机会来叙旧和聊天，但是别忘了，你是来参加葬礼的，不应该太过兴奋或者喧哗。

9. 在美国参加葬礼呢，如果死者是比较亲密的人，可以去花店订花或者花环送到葬礼现场。　

Part 2 Say Good-bye to Tom 跟汤姆告别

Dialogue Script 对话原文

FD: I'm sorry, Ma'am. Mr. Smith's viewing is over. It ended an hour ago.
Sarah: But we just drove across town. Can't we just go in to see him one last...
FD: I'm afraid not. But at tomorrow's funeral, the family requested.
Sarah: This is all too fast. He's my best friend, and now he's gone.
FD: I'm sorry. I know it must have come as a great shock.
Sarah: The viewing was for saying goodbye, and I didn't even get that.
FD: It may comfort you to know that many people attended his viewing.
Sarah: How did they hear? No one called.
FD: In times of loss, it is often hard to pick up the phone. But his whole family was here.
Sarah: His mom and dad must be destroyed. He was heir only son.
FD: And he was so young, with so much life to look forward to.
Sarah: Yes...thank you for understanding. We have to go now.
FD: This sheet tells the visiting hours and funeral time and location.

讲解：

1. 对话中Sarah 和Mike去殡仪馆见Tom最后一面，就是我们上面说过的viewing。但是殡仪馆的工作人员说Tom的遗容瞻仰已经在一小时前结束了。可是Sarah和 Mike才大老远开车过来，求工作人员能不能让他们见Tom最后一面。

2. 这恐怕不行。I'm afraid not. 这句话省略了一些东西，在口语中很常用，补充完整了就是I'm afraid you can't go in to see him one last time. 个比较委婉的拒绝人的说法。还有一个就是I'm afraid so. 意思是“恐怕是这样的”，在口语中也很常用。

3. 虽然现在他们不能进去见Tom最后一面，见某人最后一面我们可以说“see somebody one last time ，但是在明天的葬礼上，家属有要求开棺的仪式，an open casket service，是指在举行葬礼时，开棺瞻仰死者遗容的一种仪式。Sarah对Tom的突然逝去还是不太适应，她说This is all too fast. 这一切来得太快了。

4. 当你觉得某事发生得太过突然，或者进展过快，This is all too fast. 就可以恰当地表达你的难以置信了。我们来用一个对话做例子，---Will you marry me? ---This is all too fast. We've only been dating a week. ---嫁给我好吗？---这一切来得太快了，我们才约会一个星期呀。Tom是Sarah 和Mike 最好的朋友，现在突然死去，确实是让人难以接受。

5. 殡仪馆的工作人员也非常理解他们的心情，他说I'm sorry. I know it must have come as a great shock. 很遗憾，我知道这打击很大。其中something comes as表示“某事的发生给某人带来了什么心理上的影响”。比如说：It came as a big surprise when she suddenly got married. 她闪电结婚，让大家感到很惊讶。Sarah甚至错过了见Tom最后一面的机会，非常伤心。殡仪馆的工作人员为了让他们好受一些，告诉他们有很多人来瞻仰Tom的遗容。

6. comfort这个动词表示“安慰某人，让某人好受一些”，形容词是comfortable，举个例子，The kid ran to its mother to be comforted. 孩子跑到妈妈身边以求得到安慰。comfort还可以是名词，表示“舒适或者安慰”，比如说，They did everything for our comfort. 他们尽力让我们过的舒适。The news brought comfort to us. 这消息让大家松了一口气。

7. Sarah感到很奇怪，这些人是怎么知道Tom的死讯的？没有人给他们打电话阿，殡仪馆工作人员解释说，在痛失亲人之际，打电话常常是很痛苦的事情，不过Tom的全家人都来了。in times of something，就表示“在某种时刻，在…之际”。

8. Sarah说Tom的父母一定是崩溃了，因为Tom是家里的独生子，His mom and dad must be destroyed. 这里用destroy 来表达“崩溃，伤心欲绝”这个意义。独生子女，我们可以说成an only child，比如说，My mother was an only child.我母亲是家里的独生女。 Only children are sometimes spoilt. 独生子女有时候会被宠坏。

9. 而且Tom还这样年轻，还有大好的人生在等着他，And he was so young, with so much life to look forward to. look forward to something 表示“盼望，期待某事”，比如：I'm looking forward to the summer holiday. 我在期待着暑假的到来。Look forward to seeing you soon. 期待着和你的见面。Sarah很感谢殡仪馆的工作人员能够理解他们的心情。thank somebody for something，就表示“因为某事感谢某人”。

Part 3 At the Viewing 在葬礼上

Dialogue Script 对话原文

Sarah: Oh, no. It looks like we're late.
Mike: Let's just sit in the back. We can still hear the service from here.
Sarah: There're so many people here. Where are Rich and Cath and Tom's parents?
Mike: They're probably up front. The preacher's about to speak. Let's listen.
Sarah: (after the preacher's eulogy) That was such a touching speech. He must have really known Tom well.
Mike: Oh, how I wish this all wasn't happening!
(A man rushes in)
Tom: Sorry! Excuse me!
Sarah: (surprised) Tom? Tom! Is this a joke? Is it really you? But...but...everyone said you were dead!
Tom: I'm OK! I was out of town with...Fanny.
Sarah: Oh, Tom! I'm so...so happy. But then...(points to the front) who's that?
Tom: Tom Smith. But not me. The pallbearers are carrying out the casket. It would be rude to just leave. Let's follow.
Sarah: It seems so strange to be here, burying you, but it's not you.
Tom: (throws a handful of dirt into the grave) Ashes to ashes and dust to dust...
Sarah: This has been the worst and best day of my life, Tom. The kept you in the hospital, and ...
Tom: Uh…I'll tell you all about it another day.
Sarah: But you're OK? It was nothing serious, was it?
Tom: You look very elegant in black. But I don't want you to wear black in my honor for a long time yet to come...

讲解：

1. Sarah 和Mike来到了Tom葬礼的现场，正赶上牧师致词。不过在葬礼上他们没有看见Tom的爸爸妈妈，还有Rich 和Cath，可能都是Tom的家人，或许他们在最前面。They're probably up front. front本来就表示“前面”，这里又加了一个up，强调在最前面。

2. 在美式葬礼上，一般是由牧师主持，由家属和应邀的亲友致悼词，就是eulogy。整个仪式持续的时间大概是半小时到一个小时，在葬礼的过程当中，常会播放死者生前爱听的音乐。而追悼会之后，如果是举行土葬，则立即转移到墓园举行下葬仪式，参加者多是家属和比较亲近的朋友。

3. Sarah觉得牧师的致词很感人，他一定是跟Tom很熟，Mike只希望这一切都没有发生过，Oh, how I wish this all wasn't happening! 这是一个虚拟语气的感叹句。这时人群当中突然闯进了一个人，Sarah定睛一看，那人不正是Tom吗？真是的，幸好是在大白天，要不然还以为见鬼了呢。

4. 原来Tom安然无恙，几天没有消息因为他跟Fanny一起出去玩了。out of town，意思就是“不在家里，到外地去了，出远门”。比如说，I was out of town last week.上周我出门了，不在家里。看到Tom活生生地出现在他面前，Sarah非常高兴，简直都有点语无伦次了。但是，既然Tom安然无恙了，那么准备下葬那个是谁呢？

5. 原来死的那个也叫Tom Smith，但并不是Sarah的朋友Tom，只是同名同姓的人而已。这时扶棺人已经在抬棺木了，离开会很失礼，所以他们决定跟着送葬的队伍走。pallbearers就是指“出殡时的扶棺者，护柩者”。Sarah待在这里挺奇怪的，埋葬Tom，那个人却不是他们认识的Tom。

6. Tom还像模像样的往坟墓里抛了一把泥土，还说Ashes to ashes and dust to dust…意思是“尘归尘，土归土”，这在汉语里经常听到，就是来源于这句话。那么这句Ashes to ashes and dust to dust又是出自何处呢？它出自基督教圣公会的《公祷书》，也就是the Book of Common Prayer，是用在葬礼仪式上的祷告文。

7. 因为圣公会是英国国教，《公祷书》对圣公会信徒的重要性仅次于圣经，所以在英语文学上也造成了影响，《公祷书》里面的祷词，也常被引用于其他教派的英语祷词中。Sarah说这一天真是这辈子最糟糕也最棒的一天，在同一天经历了生死。Tom说Sarah穿黑颜色的衣服看起来非常优雅，但是Tom可不希望在漫长的将来，Sarah为了他穿上黑衣，意思就是他可不想那么早死。

8. in one's honor，表示“向某人致敬”，有些事情或者活动，是为了向某人致敬，而这种说法也常用在某人过世之后，你特别做了某样事情，好对这个人表达敬意，这里Tom当然是指Sarah特地穿上黑色的衣服参加他的葬礼。