美國嘗試用新方式處理人類遺骸

美國嘗試用新方式處理人類遺骸

The top official in the American state of Washington has approved a new way of dealing with human remains. The law permits approved businesses to compost them – in other words, to turn bodies into dirt.

美國華盛頓州高級官員批準了處理人類遺骸的新方式，法律允許經批準的企業(yè)將它們變成堆肥，換句話說，將尸體轉化為泥土。

Until now, states have permitted bodies only to be buried or burned.

直到現在，美國才允許將尸體埋葬或焚燒。

Governor Jay Inslee says the law came about because of his neighbor.

州長杰伊·因斯莉說，這項法律出臺是因為他的鄰居。

Her name is Katrina Spade. While she was a graduate student in architecture, Spade began researching the funeral industry. She did not like its usual ways of burying or burning bodies. She wondered if Americans could deal with human remains similar to the way farmers deal with animal remains.

她叫卡特里娜·斯帕德，當她還是建筑學的研究生時，就開始研究喪葬業(yè)。她不喜歡埋葬、焚燒尸體的一般方式，她想知道美國是否可以用與農民處理動物遺骸的方式類似的方法來處理人類遺骸。

In time, Spade found that human bodies would decompose quickly in a container filled with small pieces of wood, alfalfa and straw.

隨著時間的推移，斯帕德發(fā)現人類的尸骸在裝滿小木塊、苜蓿和稻草的容器內很快就會分解。

Last year, Washington State University tested the idea on six bodies.

去年，華盛頓州立大學在六具尸骸上做了測試。

And it worked.

確實是這樣。

Spade now has a business that lets people choose to compost their bodies. The idea is for bodies to stay for 30 days in closed containers. During that time, they will turn into enough dirt to fill a small pickup truck. Friends and family may then take the dirt and spread it in a place that is special to them, or use it to plant vegetables or a tree.

斯帕德現在開設了一項業(yè)務，可以讓人們選擇將尸體堆肥，這一想法是讓尸體在封閉容器內保存30天，在這段時間內，尸體將會轉化為泥土，足夠裝滿一輛小型皮卡車。然后朋友和家人帶上泥土，并將其撒到對他們來說比較特別的地方，或者去種植蔬菜和樹木。

“It gives meaning and use to what happens to our bodies after death,” said Nora Menkin. She is the head of the People’s Memorial Association, which helps people plan for funerals.

諾拉·門金說:“它賦予我們死后的身體以意義和用途。”她是人民紀念協會的會長，該協會幫助人們計劃葬禮。

Other supporters say that composting is easy on the environment, especially compared to usual American funerals. Such practices involve chemicals, carbon dioxide or coffins that use land.

其他支持者說，堆肥方式與環(huán)境很相容，尤其是與美國通常的葬禮相比。這種做法涉及使用土地的化學品、二氧化碳或棺材。

The law permitting composting will take effect in May 2020.

允許堆肥的法律將于2020年5月生效。

Jamie Pederson is a state lawmaker who sponsored the measure. He says he has received angry emails from people who object to the idea. They say it does not honor the dead.

杰米·佩德森是支持這項措施的州議員，他說，他收到了來自反對這一想法的人的郵件，他們很憤怒，說這不尊重死者。

Pederson said those people often believe their dead loved one would be thrown outside and covered in old food. But that idea is not right, he said; the process will be respectful.

佩德森說，這些人經常認為，他們死去的親人會被扔到外面，身上蓋著舊食物。但是這個想法是不對的，他說，這個過程將是充滿尊重的。

I’m Caty Weaver.

凱蒂·韋弗報道。

Words in This Story

compost - v. to change something into a decayed mixture that is used to improve the soil in a garden

graduate - adj. of or relating to a course of studies taken at a college or university after earning a bachelor's degree or other first degree?

architecture - n. the art or science of designing and creating buildings?

alfalfa - n. a type of plant that is grown mostly as food for farm animals?

straw - n. the dry stems of wheat and other grain plants?

coffin - n. a box in which a dead person is buried

sponsor - v. someone who takes the responsibility for someone or something