製作木乃伊
Anyone may need to call out of work, whether being ill, caught up in an emergency, or just to take some time off for some decent reason.
任誰都會需要請假，不管是生病、因緊急事務抽不開身或單純得有個像樣的理由請假。
be caught up in sth. 被某事纏住decent(adj.)像樣的;體面的;正經的
A tablet belonging to the British Museum’s collection listed 40 ancient Egyptian workers who missed work and their reasons for being absent back in 1250 B.C.
一塊由大英博物館保存的石板上列出了公元前1250年40名缺勤古埃及員工及其請假理由。
collection(n.)收藏品absent(adj.)缺席的
The tablet is made of limestone with a script inked in red and black.
石板以石灰岩打造，上面刻了紅色與黑色的文字，
script(n.)稿子;文字
The days are marked by season and number, such as “month 4 of Winter, day 24.”
並以季節與數字標示出日期，例如：「冬季第4個月，第24天」。
mark(v.)標註;標示
On that day, a worker named Pennub missed work because his mother was ill.
一名叫做Pennub的工人當天因為母親生病而缺勤，
Another called Huynefer was absent because he was “suffering with his eye.”
一名叫做Huynefer的員工則「犯了眼疾」，
suffer(v.)受苦
Still another named Seba took leave because of a scorpion sting.
還有一名叫做Seba的員工因為被蠍子蟄傷所以請假。
The ancient Egyptians never seemed to run out of ideas of excuses for not showing up for work, but some may sound bizarre to our modern ears.
古埃及人從不缺請假的藉口，但有些藉口在現代人聽來可能異乎尋常。
run out of sth. 用光某物bizarre(adj.)怪誕的;異乎尋常的
Several employees had to take off time to embalm their dead relatives.
有些員工得請假替過世親人進行屍體防腐處理。
embalm(v.)對(屍體)進行防腐處理
Another reason we rarely hear nowadays is “wife or daughter bleeding,” which refers to a women’s period.
另一個現今不常聽到的理由是「妻子或女兒流血了」，意指女性經期到來。
period(n.)月經
Brewing beer seems to be a common excuse back in those days.
釀造啤酒在當時也是個常見的理由。
common(adj.)常見的excuse(n.)藉口;理由
Since beer was a daily fortifying drink in Egypt and was associated with the gods at the time, brewing beer was an important activity that allowed one to be away from work.
由於啤酒在古埃及是日常強化飲品而且跟神祗有關，因此釀造啤酒是個可以准假的重要活動。
be associated with 跟…有關