背景介绍：
英国人是出了名的传统保守，因此在我们的印象里，他们的葬礼通常非常庄严肃穆，流程严格得近乎古板。一般来说，英国人的身后事离不开专业的丧葬团队的操办，他们的工作主要是处理、运送遗体，安排策划葬礼，以及最后的下葬或火化步骤。葬礼是其中最重要的一个环节，逝者的亲朋好友会聚集在一起，一同表达他们的伤痛与追思。但是近些年来，英国开始悄然流行简化身后事、甚至不举办葬礼的风气，其背后最重要的原因就是高昂的丧葬费让许多人“死不起”！
Fuss-freefinal farewells
无忧无虑的最后告别
Direct cremations and burials offer a different way to mourn
直接火化为人们提供了一种不同的哀悼方式
The ferry rounded Eel Pie Island, “The Last Time” by the Rolling Stones blowing from a tinny speaker. Celia Chasey shared memories of her brother, Colin, and cast his ashes into the Thames. There was nocremationservice. Ms Chasey never saw acoffin. Farewill, a “direct cremation” specialist, simply delivered the ashes to her.
渡船绕过鳗鱼派岛，小喇叭里播放着滚石乐队的《最后的时光》。西莉亚·蔡西向众人分享了她对哥哥科林的回忆，并将他的骨灰撒入泰晤士河。没有进行火葬服务，蔡西自始至终都没见过棺材。“直接火化”专家法威尔只是简单地将骨灰交给了她。
A growing number of Britons are choosing fuss-free funerals. The share of people opting for direct cremations, which include a basic coffin, transport and burning without family or friends present, has increased fivefold since 2019.
越来越多的英国人开始选择忘忧葬礼。自2019年以来，选择直接火化（只提供基本的棺盒和运输服务，在没有家人或朋友在场的情况下火化）的人的比例增加了五倍。
They made up almost a fifth of funerals in 2022, according to figures from SunLife, an insurer. Co-operativeFuneralcare says one in ten of its customers now opt for a direct cremation or burial, in which the body is buried quickly without a wake orembalming.
根据保险公司永明人寿的数据，到2022年，直接火化的占比几乎已达20%。联合殡葬公司表示，现在有十分之一的客户选择直接火化或土葬，也就是快速下葬，无需守灵，也无需进行防腐处理。
Direct cremations have been around for over a decade, says Deborah Smith of the National Association of Funeral Directors, a trade group. They took off during the pandemic, as families were forced to choose unattended services. But demand is now driven by other factors.
行业组织全国殡葬协会的黛博拉·史密斯说，直接火化已经存在了十多年。疫情期间，许多家庭被迫选择无人陪伴的殡葬服务，直接火化得到了发展。而如今的需求是由其他因素驱动的。
Many just want a more affordable farewell. The cost of a traditional send-off in Britain, including the undertaker’s fees, can be upwards of £5,000 ($6,315). A direct cremation is around £1,500 ($1,900). Britain’s competition regulator introduced a law in 2021 that requires funeral providers to make prices clear, helping customers compare services.
许多人只是想要一个更实惠的告别方式。在英国，传统的送葬费用（包括殡仪费在内）可能高达5000英镑（约合6315美元）。直接火化大约需要1500英镑（约合1900美元）。英国竞争监管机构于2021年出台了一项法律，要求殡葬服务提供商明码标价，以便客户进行比较。
Religion is in decline, and with it demand for ritualised ceremonies. Some clients plan send-offs on their own terms: dinner parties and discos are novel alternatives tosombreservices. Others simply want less fuss. “Simplicity Cremations” by Dignity, Britain’s only listed funeral provider, promise to make funerals “less of an undertaking”.
随着宗教的衰落，人们对仪式化典礼的需求也在下降。一些客户按照自己的方式安排送别：晚宴和迪斯科舞会是阴郁服务的新颖替代品。其他人只是希望少些麻烦。英国唯一一家上市的殡葬服务提供商Dignity的“简单火葬”承诺让葬礼“不那么繁琐”。
Some worry that pithy slogans disguise howausteredirect services can be. Funerals are intentionally public events, says Kate Woodthorpe, director of the Centre for Death and Society at the University of Bath. People wear black and weep in view of the coffin.
一些人担心简洁的口号掩盖了直接火化缺乏严肃性的问题。巴斯大学死亡与社会研究中心主任凯特·伍德索普说，葬礼是有意安排的公共活动。人们穿着黑色的衣服，在棺材前哭泣。
“There’s a risk, without that, [that] the bereaved will carry on as if nothing has happened.” Many are happy with their choices. Ms Chasey said goodbye to her brother when he fell into a coma. After that, she says, the frills of a “proper” funeral felt trivial.
“如果不这样做，失去亲人的人就有可能像什么都没发生一样继续生活。” 许多人对自己的选择感到满意。当她的哥哥陷入昏迷时，蔡西向他做了道别。她说，在那之后，一场“得体的”葬礼的装饰就显得微不足道了。
(红色标注词为重难点词汇)
重难点词汇：
cremation[krəˈmeɪʃn] n. 火葬；火化
coffin[ˈkɔːfɪn] n. 棺材；灵柩
embalm[əmˈbɑ(l)m] v. 使不改变；使不朽
sombre[ˈsɒmbə] adj. 暗淡的；低沉的；阴沉的；严肃的
austere[ɔːˈstɪr] adj. 严厉的；严峻的；简朴的
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