我们中国人通常都很忌讳说"死"这个字，古代按照等级的划分有"天子死曰崩，诸侯死曰薨，大夫死曰卒，士曰不禄，庶人曰死"的说法，现在我们会说一个人"离开了我们"、"走了"等。英语同样忌言"死"，虽然有die这个词，但口语中人们一般不用 die来直说死亡。

 

pass away和pass on都是暗指过世。例：Sadly, Georgia's uncle passed away yesterday after a short illness(真伤心，乔治亚的叔叔昨天得了一场急病去世了)；I'm sorry to learn that your dear mother has just passed on(很遗憾听到你妈妈刚刚去世的消息)。

 

lose one's life一般指由于意外事故、战争等不可抗力而造成的死亡，为意外死亡。例：How did he lose his life(他是怎么死的)？

 

depart也是死亡的委婉说法，主要用于短语depart this life/depart this earth，意思是灵魂离开了肉体的存在去往另一个世界了。例：He departed this world with a sense of having fulfilled his destiny(他带着一种已完成使命的满足感离开了这个世界)。

 

expire的意思是呼气，这里引申为呼出最后一口气，暗指死亡。例：The patient expired early this morning(这位病人今天早晨去世了)。

 

perish多指非自然死亡。例：Many soldiers perish in battle(很多士兵死于战争）。

 

go to meet one's Maker¹也是死亡的委婉说法，注意这里Maker要大写，是造物主的意思，去见造物主了就是死了。例：He knew that he came into the world with nothing and that he would go to meet his Maker with empty hands(他知道他是一无所有地来到世上，也将会两手空空地离开人间)。

 

其他英语中常用的"过世"的委婉说法还有：

 

His time has come.

He has climbed the golden staircase.

He is sleeping the final sleep.

He is resting in peace.

He has breathed his last.

He answered the last number.

He has joined the angels.

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