rusted gates,

生鏽的鐵門、

crumbling stone,

碎裂的石頭、

a solitary mourner—

孤身一人的哀悼者 ——

these things come to mind when we think of cemeteries.

當我們想到墓地時，會聯想到這些東西

But not so long ago,

但在不久以前

many burial grounds were lively places,

許多墓地原先都是生氣蓬勃的地方

with blooming gardens and crowds of people strolling among the headstones.

有百花綻放，還有人群們漫步於石碑之間

How did our cemeteries become what they are today?

我們的墓地是如何變成今日這樣的？

Some have been around for centuries,

有些是已經存在了幾世紀

like the world's largest, Wadi al-Salaam,

像是世界上最大的，Wadi al-Salaam (位於伊拉克)

where more than five million people are buried.

有五百萬以上的人在此地長眠

But most of the places we'd recognize as cemeteries are much younger.

但大多數被我們視為墓地的地方都年輕多了

In fact, for much of human history,

事實上，人類歷史上有很長的時段

we didn't bury our dead at all.

我們根本就不會埋葬死者

Our ancient ancestors had many other ways of parting with the dead loved ones.

我們的老祖宗有許多其他種方式和死去的摯愛告別

Some were left in caves,

有些被放在洞穴

others in trees

有些放樹上

or on mountaintops.

或是放山頂

Still others were sunk in lakes,

還有一些是沉到湖裡、

put out to sea,

放到海上、

ritually cannibalized,

依據儀式吃掉、

or cremated.

或是焚化

All of these practices,

所有這些舉動

though some may seem strange today,

雖然或許在今日看來奇怪

were ways of venerating the dead.

但在過去都是尊敬死者的方式

By contrast, the first known burials

相較之下，已知的第一起埋葬

about 120,000 years ago

大約在 12 萬年前

were likely reserved for transgressors,

可能是特別用來對付罪人的

excluding them from the usual rites intended to honor the dead.

將他們排除在用來向死者致敬的尋常儀式之外

But the first burials revealed some advantages over other practices:

但是埋葬擁有一些其他儀式沒有的優點：

they protected bodies from scavengers and the elements,

保護軀體不受動物食用或是氣候摧殘

while shielding loved ones from the sight of decay.

同時也能避免生者看見死者腐壞的樣子

These benefits may have shifted ancient people's thinking toward graves designed to honor the dead,

這些好處或許改變了老祖宗對於埋葬、尊敬死者的想法

and burial became more common.

埋葬也變得更加普遍

Sometimes, these graves contained practical or ritual objects,

有時候，這些墳墓會有實用性或是儀式性的物品

suggesting belief in an afterlife, when the dead might need such tools.

意味著相信來生，認為死者在來生會需要這類工具

Communal burials first appeared in North Africa and West Asia

公共埋葬最早出現在北非和西非

around 10 to 15,000 years ago,

大約 1 至 1.5 萬年前

around the same time as the first permanent settlements in these areas.

也差不多是這些地區開始有定居聚落的時期

These burial grounds created permanent places to commemorate the dead.

這些埋葬地成為了紀念死者的固定地點

The nomadic Scythians littered the steppes with grave mounds known as kurgans.

遊牧民族塞西亞人在西伯利亞大草原一帶留下了埋葬土堆，稱為 kurgan

The Etruscans built expansive necropoles,

伊特魯里亞人建立了大型墳場

their grid-patterned streets lined with tombs.

他們的棋盤式街道就和墳墓並排

In Rome, subterranean catacombs housed

在羅馬，地下墓穴容納了

both cremation urns and intact remains.

火葬骨灰甕和完整的遺骸

The word cemetery, or “sleeping chamber,”

cemetery (墓地) 一詞，或稱「長眠墓室」

was first used by ancient Greeks,

最早由古希臘人使用

who built tombs in graveyards at the edges of their cities.

他們在城市的邊緣墳場中建造墳墓

In medieval European cities,

在中世紀歐洲城市

Christian churchyards provided rare, open spaces

基督教教堂墓地提供了珍貴的開放空間

that accommodated the dead,

容納死者

but also hosted markets, fairs, and other events.

但也會在這舉行市集和其他活動

Farmers even grazed cattle in them,

農夫甚至會在這裡放牧

believing graveyard grass made for sweeter milk.

因為他們相信墓地的草可以培養出更甜的牛奶

As cities grew during the industrial revolution,

當城市在工業革命時期擴張時

large suburban cemeteries replaced smaller urban churchyards.

大型的郊區墓地取代了較小的都市教堂墓地

Cemeteries like the 110-acre Père-Lachaise in Paris

像是在巴黎佔地 110 英畝的拉雪兹神父公墓

or the 72-acre Mt. Auburn in Cambridge, Massachusetts

或是在麻薩諸塞州劍橋佔地 72 英畝的奧本山公墓

were lushly landscaped gardens

都有豐富茂盛的花園造景

filled with sculpted stones

遍佈石雕像

and ornate tombs.

和加了雕飾的墳墓

Once a luxury reserved for the rich and powerful,

以個人身份標記的墳墓一度是有錢有勢的人們才有的奢侈品

individually marked graves became available to the middle and working classes.

但中產和勞動階級的人們也負擔得起了

People visited cemeteries for funerals,

人們來墓地參加喪禮

but also for anniversaries, holidays,

但有時是為了紀念日、節日

or simply an afternoon outdoors.

或純粹只是一個午後戶外活動

By the late 19th century, as more public parks and botanical gardens appeared,

到了 19 世紀後期，當越來越多公園和植物園出現後

cemeteries began to lose visitors.

造訪墓地的人就漸漸少了

Today, many old cemeteries are lonely places.

在今日，許多老舊墓地是孤單的地方

Some are luring visitors back with tours,

有一些試圖透過遊覽、

concerts, and other attractions.

演唱會或是其他方式吸引人們參訪

But even as we revive old cemeteries,

但即使我們復興了老舊墓地

we're rethinking the future of burial.

我們也是在重新思考埋葬的未來

Cities like London, New York, and Hong Kong

像是倫敦、紐約和香港這些城市

are running out of burial space.

埋葬空間就要不夠了

Even in places where space isn't so tight,

即使是在空間不那麼擁擠的地方

cemeteries permanently occupy land

墓地也是一直佔據著那些

that can't be otherwise cultivated or developed.

永遠不能拿來另做開墾或是發展的土地

Traditional burial consumes materials

傳統埋葬會消耗材料

like metal, stone, and concrete,

像是金屬、石頭和水泥

and can pollute soil and groundwater with toxic chemicals.

都會藉著有毒物質污染土壤和地下水

With increasing awareness of the environmental costs,

隨著越來越多人意識到環境成本

people are seeking alternatives.

人們開始尋找替代方案

Many are turning to cremation and related practices.

許多人轉向火葬和相關的措施

Along with these more conventional practices,

除了這些較為傳統的方式

people can now have their remains shot into space,

人們現在也能將遺骸發射進太空、

used to fertilize a tree,

用來給樹施肥

or made into jewelry,

或是做成鑽石、

fireworks,

煙火、

and even tattoo ink.

甚至是刺青墨水

In the future, options like these may replace burial completely.

在未來，這類的選項或許會完全取代埋葬

Cemeteries may be our most familiar monuments to the departed,

墓地或許是我們最熟悉的、用來紀念往生者的方式

but they're just one step in our ever-evolving process of remembering and honoring the dead.

但在我們用來緬懷和尊敬死者的方式持續演進的同時，它們也只是其中一步

All living things die, but is resurrection possible?

所有生物都會死亡，但是有可能復生嗎？

And, what's the actual difference between a living creature and a dead body anyway?

還有，活著的生物和死去的軀體究竟差在哪？

Check out this lesson to find out.

看看這門課來解答吧！