So deep is the despair and desolation felt by the girls’ parents that they are now considering whether to declare their daughters “presumed dead.” According to local custom, funerals are held after loved ones have gone missing for four months, so that a period of mourning can give families some closure.
这些女孩的父母们伤心欲绝，正在准备宣布女儿“想必已死”。根据当地风俗，当亲朋失踪四个月后才会举行葬礼，因此，让一定时间的治丧期给家人一些缓冲。这些女孩已经被劫超过五个月。