阅读难度：

A former Devon taxi driver's body has been mummified in a project to test the processes used 3,000 years ago, the BBC reported.

Alan Billis died in January aged 61 after contracting lung cancer.

Mr Billis read a news story about a Channel 4 mummification project and decided to donate his body to the experiment after his death.

Dr Stephen Buckley, from the University of York, and archaeologist Dr Jo Fletcher used modern equipment to identify materials such as beeswax, oils and resins which were used in mummification by the ancient Egyptians.

The results may help in developing an alternative to formaldehyde in tissue preservation.

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男子捐出遗体作木乃伊

       据英国广播公司报道，英国德文郡有位退休司机捐献出了自己的遗体，供研究者制作成木乃伊来验证三千年前的制作流程。

       艾伦•比利斯今年1月死于肺癌，享年61岁。

       此前，英国电视四台启动制作木乃伊项目，看到这条新闻，他决定将自己的遗体捐给该项目。

       来自约克大学的史蒂芬•巴克利博士和考古学家乔•弗莱彻博士，用现代手段探寻古埃及人如何使用蜂蜡、油、松香等物质制作木乃伊。

       试验结果有望找到替代甲醛用于保存活体组织的物质。

(China.org.cn October 20, 2011)