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Last requests 最後請求

The burial clothes and mask of a man, found in China's Xinjiang region, on show in Berlin's Martin-Gropius Bau, Oct. 12, 2007. �\���\�����C�����n���i�D���G�z�������W�o�o�y�������V墂�������I�j�q���������a���� Photo: afp

Bury me naked. Put a mobile phone in the coffin. Cremate me with my pet's ashes. Bury me with my teeth in. And do make sure I'm actually dead.

Those were some of the most popular requests by people planning their funerals, according to research by the British charity Age Concern, which promotes the interests of elderly people.

Britain is known for being a nation of animal lovers and it seems Britons cannot bear to be separated from their beloved pets - even when both parties are dead.

Age Concern Funeral Plans polled more than 100,000 of its customers and found that being buried with their pet's ashes was the most common funeral rite request.

But several top requests suggested many were worried about being buried alive, with those planning their funerals asking to be certified dead, for a mirror to be held over their faces to check for vapor signs of breathing and for a mobile phone left in the coffin.

Others were related to appearance, such as being buried in the nude "as they came into the world" or with their false teeth in.

The top eight most common requests were:

1. To be cremated with their pet's ashes;

2. To have a mobile phone in the coffin;

3. To ensure they are dead;

4. For a mirror to be held over their face to check for signs of breathing;

5. To be cremated naked;

6. To be buried in their own garden;

7. To be buried with their teeth in;

8. To be buried with all their savings.(AFP)

請讓我赤裸的下葬。請放一支手機在我的棺材裡陪葬。請讓我和我寵物的骨灰一起火化。請在埋葬我的時候替我裝上假牙。最重要的是，先確定我真的死了。

以上是人們在規劃他們的葬禮時最熱門的要求。這是英國慈善機構「老年關懷協會」所調查的結果，這間機構旨在提升銀髮族的福祉。

英國人愛寵物舉世聞名，他們似乎無法忍受和自己摯愛的寵物分開，即使雙方都已死亡也一樣。

老年關懷協會喪禮計畫針對十萬多名銀髮族進行問卷調查，結果發現，「和寵物的骨灰同葬」是英國老人對葬禮最常見的要求。

但有些熱門要求也顯示了許多人因為擔心被「活埋」，所以要求下葬前一定要拿一面鏡子到他面前，看看鏡子有沒有起霧，來確認死亡無誤。還有就是留一支手機在棺材裡。

其他的要求則和外型有關，像是赤裸下葬，「就像來到這個世上時一樣」；或是也有人要求要把他們的假牙裝上。

以下是葬禮前八大熱門要求：

1. 和寵物骨灰一起火化。

2. 手機陪葬。

3. 確認死亡無誤。

4. 放一面鏡子到面前看是否起霧。

5. 裸體地火化。

6. 葬在自家花園裡。

7. 下葬前裝上假牙。

8. 和所有的積蓄一起下葬。

（法新社／翻譯：袁星塵）

TODAY'S WORDS 今日單字 1. cremate v.t. 火化 (huo3 hua4) 例: When I die I wish to be cremated. (我希望死後能火化。) 2. beloved adj. 摯愛的 (zhi4 ai4 de5) 例: Michael couldn't bear to be separated from his beloved Cathy. (麥可無法忍受和他摯愛的凱西分開。) 3. party n. 一方 (yi4 fang1) 例: Both parties agreed that the plans be independently assessed. (雙方都同意將計畫進行獨立評估。) 4. rite n. 儀式 (yi2 shi4) 例: Drinking the wine was a rite of passage into adulthood. (飲酒是成年禮中的一項儀式。)

SAY WHAT? 說說看 in the nude　一絲不掛的 Saying that someone is in the nude means that he or she is naked. There are many ways of describing being naked in English including: in one's birthday suit, stark naked or starkers, au natural, in the buff, as nature intended, as God intended, in the altogether and, very informally, buck naked. People who prefer to conduct their affairs in the nude are referred to as nudists. Special places where they can do this are refered to as being nudist - for example a nudist colony. 說某人「in the nude」表示他或她是裸體未著衣物的。英文中有許多表示裸體的說法，包括「in one's birthday suit」、「stark naked」，或「starkers」、「au natural」、「in the buff」、「as nature intended」、「as God intended」、「in the altogether」；「buck naked」則是非常不正式的說法。 嚮往赤裸生活的人，被稱做天體主義者。他們 可以在一些特殊的場所赤裸行動，例如天體營 區。

OUT LOUD 對話練習 Torben: Do you ever think about death, Tom? Tom: In what way? Torben: You know, like what happens after you die? Do you have a soul that lives on? That kind of stuff. Tom: To be honest mate, not really, I'm too busy living this life to worry about what'll happen when I'm pushing up the daisies. Torben: Fair enough, mate, fair enough. Just thought I'd ask. 托本：你曾經想過死亡的事嗎？ 湯姆：哪方面？ 托本：你知道的，像是你死後會怎樣？你的靈魂會繼續存在嗎？這類的事情。 湯姆：老實說，我沒怎麼想過耶。光是這輩子就夠我忙了，哪還有空擔心死後會怎麼樣。 托本：有道理耶，老兄，你說得很有道理。我只是想問問而已。 pushing up the daisies　死亡 Pushing up the daisies is a way of describing someone who is dead. Another common expression is to kick the bucket, which means to die. 「push up the daisies」是表達某人過世的一種說法。另外一種通俗的說法是「kick the bucket」，也表示某人死亡。

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