Former South African President Nelson Mandela died peacefully at his Johannesburg home on Thursday after a prolonged1 lung infection, President Jacob Zuma said.
南非总统祖马宣布，南非前总统纳尔逊曼德拉因长期肺部感染于周四在约翰内斯堡的家里平静去世。
大家中国人一般都非常禁忌说死这个字，不同时期对死也有不一样的说法。古时候根据等级的划分有天子死曰崩，诸侯死曰薨，医生死曰卒，士曰不禄，庶人曰死的说法，目前大家会说一个人离开了大家，过世了、走了等。
英语中除去用die这个比较直接的说法表示死以外，其实也有不少委婉的表达方法，譬如pass away、pass on、depart、expire、perish等，这里的perish多指非正常死亡，譬如perish in battle（在战争中死亡）。
其他一些英语中常见的委婉说法还有：
His time has come.
He has climbed the golden staircase2.
His number is up.
His sands have run out.
His star has set.
He has joined the majority.
He is sleeping the final sleep.
He is resting in peace.
He has met his end.
He has breathed his last.
He answered the last number.
He has joined the angels.
