8 The 4 stories we tell ourselves about death

become aware of узнавать что-то

mortal ['mɔ ː t(ə )l] смертный

curse [kɜ ː s] проклятие

apocalypse [ə 'pɔ kə lɪ ps] апокалипсис

plausible ['plɔ ː zɪ bl] похожий на правду, правдоподобный

bias ['baɪ ə s] предубеждение

confront [kə n'frʌ nt] сталкивать (кого-л. с чем-л. )

to confront a reader with statistics знакомить читателя со статистическими данными

agnostic [æ g'nɔ stɪ k] агностический; безразличный к вопросам веры

elixir [e'lɪ ks(ɪ )ə ] эликсир the elixir of life — эликсир жизни

stem cell стволовая клетка

backup plan запасной вариант

resurrection [rez(ə )'rekʃ (ə )n] воскресение, восстание из мёртвых

thaw [θ ɔ ː ] таять; оттаивать

Use the ice quickly before it thaws out Берите лёд скорее, пока он не растаял.

omnipotent [ɔ m'nɪ pə t(ə )nt] всемогущий, всесильный

tangible ['tæ nʤ ə bl] вещественный, материальный, осязаемый

doomed [duː md] обречённый

The project was doomed from the start Проект с самого начала был обречён на неудачу.

encompass [ɪ n'kʌ mpə s] окружать; заключать

The enemy encompassed the city with their soldiers. Солдаты противника окружили город.

comic strip комикс, рассказ в картинках

epic ['epɪ k] эпическая поэма

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1) It's the price we pay for being so damn clever. We have to live in the knowledge that the worst thing that can possibly happen one day surely will, the end of all our projects, our hopes, our dreams, of our individual world. We each live in the shadow of a personal apocalypse [ə 'pɔ kə lɪ ps].

2) The fear of death is natural, but it is not rational. Death is nothing to us, because when we are here, death is not, and when death is here, we are gone. We do not live to experience death. And so in this sense, life has no end.

3) I find it helps to see life as being like a book: Just as a book is bounded by its covers, by beginning and end, so our lives are bounded by birth and death, and even though a book is limited by beginning and end, it can encompass distant landscapes, exotic figures, fantastic adventures. And even though a book is limited by beginning and end, the characters within it know no horizons.

4) Imagine the book of your life, its covers, its beginning and end, and your birth and your death. You can only know the moments in between, the moments that make up your life. It makes no sense for you to fear what is outside of those covers, whether before your birth or after your death. And you needn't worry how long the book is, or whether it's a comic strip or an epic. The only thing that matters is that you make it a good story.

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1) When did you realize first that you were going to die?

2) Is death something bad and sad? Something we should be afraid of?

Ultimate departure without explanation and meaning?

3) Do you understand the book metaphor? What do you think?

4) How can you escape the fear of death?