I do so agree with Polly Hudson’s piece about how the bereaved(丧失亲人的) are addressed (My mum has died – and there is one kind of response I can’t stand, 26 August). After my teenage daughter was killed in a road traffic accident and I returned to work people would keep asking(不停地问): “How are you?”. To which the only response could have been: “If you really want to know have you an hour or two to spare?”(对此，唯一的回应可能是：“如果你真想知道，你有空出一两个小时吗？”)
我非常赞同 Polly Hudson 关于人们如何与丧亲者交谈的文章（《我母亲去世了——有一种回应我无法忍受》，8月26日）。当我十几岁的女儿死于交通事故后，我回到工作岗位，人们总是问：“你好吗？”对此，唯一的回应可能是：“如果你真想知道，你有空出一两个小时吗？”
The idea that walking down a corridor en route to(在去……的路上) the office kettle was the venue(地点，场所) for any rational response was plainly idiotic(愚蠢的). A more thoughtful colleague suggested that I wore a notice around my neck that read: “Terrible, actually, but thanks for asking.”
认为在去办公室茶水间的走廊上就能进行任何理性回应的想法显然是愚蠢的。一位更体贴的同事建议我脖子上挂一块牌子，上面写着：“其实糟透了，但还是谢谢你的关心。”
One colleague got it right(说对了，做对了) when he said: “Good to see you back.” And that’s a line I’ve since used myself. It required no answer from me unless I’d wanted to say something, but acknowledged(承认，认可) that there had been an event. The worst I had said to me was: “You’re never asked to bear more than you can carry.”(我听过最糟糕的话是：“你永远不会被要求承受超出你承受能力的东西。”) Well, thanks for that.
Francis Masserick
Ballaugh, Isle of Man
一位同事说对了：“很高兴看到你回来。”这句话我后来自己也用过。它不需要我回答，除非我想说些什么，但它承认了发生过一件事。我听过最糟糕的话是：“你永远不会被要求承受超出你承受能力的东西。”好吧，谢谢了。
Francis Masserick
巴拉夫，马恩岛