It's never easy to say goodbye but when the time comes, more Britons are choosing a pop ditty over a mournful dirge. Contemporary pop songs rather than traditional hymns provide the music for an increasing number of funeral services, the Co-operative Group's Funeral Service said. Bette Midler's Wind Beneath My Wings from the 1988 tearjerker Beaches topped the funeral chart in a Co-op poll conducted throughout Britain. "Perhaps mourners want to recreate the emotion of their favorite films and ensure their loved ones receive a funeral worthy of a star," said Lorinda Sheasby of the Co-op, one of Britain's biggest undertakers. In second place was Celine Dion's My Heart Will Go On, the theme from the blockbuster film Titanic. Whitney Houston's I Will Always Love You was number three. Other top 10 selections were Candle in the Wind, sung by Elton John at the funeral of Britain's Princess Diana in 1997, and Angels by Robbie Williams. There were also those who chose to bid a more whimsical farewell. Among the more unusual requests were the Village People's YMCA1 and Wham's Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go, not to mention the Queen classic Another One Bites the Dust2.

1．YMCA：基督教青年会，全名为Young Men's Christian Associ-ation。Village People的这首歌以该组织名称为名，由于其歌词有同性恋意味，YMCA曾状告该乐队。

2． bite the dust：（在战争中）倒下、倒毙；失败、完蛋。

说再见从来都不是件容易的事，但当这一刻来临之时，更多的英国人现在倾向于选择流行的歌谣而不是哀伤的挽歌。合作集团的丧葬服务公司说，越来越多的葬礼不再使用传统的圣歌作为背景音乐，而代之以当代的流行歌曲。根据合作集团在全英国进行的民意测验，贝蒂·米德勒演唱的《迎风展翅》荣登葬礼排行榜首位，这首歌来自1988年的一部催人泪下的电影《莫负当年情》（Beaches在香港的译名——译者）。合作集团是英国殡葬业巨头之一，该公司的洛林达·希斯比说：“也许送葬的人们想再现他们喜爱的影片中的气氛，以便给自己的亲人一个明星般的葬礼。”居于排行榜第二位的是轰动一时的电影《泰坦尼克号》的主题曲——席琳·狄翁演唱的《我心永恒》。第三位是惠特尼·休斯顿的《我将永远爱你》。前10名中还有1997年艾尔顿·约翰在戴安娜王妃葬礼上演唱的《风中之烛》以及罗宾·威廉姆斯的《天使》。当然，也有人选择以更古怪的方式来道别。那些不太一般的选择中有村夫乐队的《YMCA》和威猛乐队的《走之前叫醒我》，皇后乐队的经典曲目《又倒下了一个》就更不用说了。

Remarks：能在轻松一些的气氛中道别对生者和死者都是件好事，不过，“最受死者欢迎金曲”这一荣誉大概不会令正活在兴头上的明星们趋之若鹜吧。