听播客学英语 269 承办

 　　In the last episode¹, Carol told us about painting coffins³.

　　A person who organises funerals is called an “undertaker” (or a “funeral director” – but the normal word is undertaker). An undertaker will talk to the family of someone who has died about the sort of funeral that they want. He or she will deal with the necessary paperwork and arrange a time for the funeral with the church, cemetery⁴ or crematorium. They also clean and dress the body, and place it in a coffin² – perhaps one of Carol’s painted coffins. They transport the body to the funeral in a hearse – nowdays a hearse is a motor vehicle, but at one time it was a carriage pulled by black horses.

　　Why is this person called an undertaker? No – it is not because he takes you under! It is because he or she undertakes the arrangements for the funeral. The word “undertake” has two meanings that are very close to each other. If I undertake to do something, I promise to do it. If I borrow money from the bank, for example, I have to undertake to repay⁵ it. “Undertake” can also mean to do or carry out a plan or arrangement. So an undertaker agrees to arrange a funeral, makes the necessary arangements and then carries them out. He or she undertakes the funeral arrangements.

　　We have a problem in English about how to refer to someone – like an undertaker – who could be a man, or could be a woman, and we don’t know which. Do we say “he” or “she”? One way is to say “he or she”. But this sounds a bit clumsy. So more and more in modern English people say “they”. I have used both “he or she” and “they” in this podcast. I will find some more examples for a future podcast.

1 episode   

n.（作品的一段）情节，插曲，系列事件中之一

参考例句：

• The episode was a huge embarrassment for all concerned.这段小插曲令所有有关人员都感到非常尴尬。
• This episode remains sharply engraved on my mind.这段经历至今仍深深地铭刻在我的心中。

2 coffin   

n.棺材，灵柩

参考例句：

• When one's coffin is covered,all discussion about him can be settled.盖棺论定。
• The coffin was placed in the grave.那口棺材已安放到坟墓里去了。

3 coffins   

n.棺材( coffin的名词复数 )；使某人早亡[死，完蛋，垮台等]之物

参考例句：

• The shop was close and hot, and the atmosphere seemed tainted with the smell of coffins. 店堂里相当闷热，空气仿佛被棺木的味儿污染了。 来自辞典例句
• Donate some coffins to the temple, equal to the number of deaths. 到寺庙里，捐赠棺材盒给这些死者吧。 来自电影对白

4 cemetery   

n.坟墓，墓地，坟场

参考例句：

• He was buried in the cemetery.他被葬在公墓。
• His remains were interred in the cemetery.他的遗体葬在墓地。

5 repay   

v.偿还，报答，还钱给

参考例句：

• I feel honor bound to repay the money I borrowed.我觉得有责任归还我借的钱。
• I must repay her for her kindness.我必须报答她的恩惠。