Can a person be scared to death?

    人能被吓死么？

　　A Charlotte, N.C。， man was charged with first-degree murder of a 79-year-old woman whom police said he scared to death. In an attempt to elude cops after a botched bank robbery, the Associated Press reports that 20-year-old Larry Whitfield broke into and hid out in the home of Mary Parnell. Police say he didn't touch Parnell but that she died after suffering a heart attack that was triggered by terror. Can the fugitive be held responsible for the woman's death? Prosecutors said that he can under the state's so-called felony murder rule, which allows someone to be charged with murder if he or she causes another person's death while committing or fleeing from a felony crime such as robbery—even if it's unintentional.

　　一名来自北卡罗莱那州夏洛特市的男子被控一级谋杀罪，警方说他吓死了一名79岁的妇女。据美联社报道，20岁的Larry Whitfield抢劫银行未果，在试图逃脱警方的抓捕的时候破门进入Mary Parnell家，并隐藏在她家里。警方说Larry Whitfield虽然没有碰Parnell，但是Parnell由于受到恐惧，导致心脏病发作而死亡。这名逃犯应该对该妇女的死亡负责吗？检察官说Larry Whitfield应该对Parnell的死亡负责，因为根据该州的所谓重罪谋杀条例，如果嫌疑人在犯重罪（比如抢劫）或者犯罪后逃离的过程中致使另外一个人死亡，那么他（她）应该被起诉谋杀，即使他（她）是无意中导致另外一个人死亡。

　　But, medically speaking, can someone actually be frightened to death? We asked Martin A. Samuels, chairman of the neurology department at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston.

　　但是，从医学的角度来说，一个人真的能被吓死么？我们问问Martin A. Samuels，他是波士顿布里格姆及妇女医院（Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston）神经科主任。

　　Q:Is it possible to literally be scared to death?

　　A: Absolutely, no question about it.

　　问：人真的能被吓死吗？

　　答：绝对可能，这是毫无疑问的。