reypankimo 14-10- 2007 04:57 PM
美式婚姻
"I do." To Americans those two words carry great meaning. They can even change your life. Especially if you say them at your own wedding. Making wedding vows is like signing a contract. Now Americans don't really think marriage is a business deal. But marriage is serious business.
「我愿意」�悼y�O�蟀��鬗H而言具有重大意�鞳A它甚至可以改𠮟你的生命，特�g是�憪A在自己的婚𢺋上𦺋出�悼y�O�滿A在婚𢺋中所�卂獄}言就如同墙�z契�u一�煄A美�鬗H并不是真把婚姻�憪@商�狴璈騿A但是，�C婚确�翱O件饣�L的事情。
It all begins with engagement. Traditionally, a young man asks the father of his sweetheart for permission to marry her. If the father agrees, the man later proposes to her. Often he tries to surprise her by "popping the question" in a romantic way.
�C婚是�G�z婚�{始，在���i上，年𥩔人��É求他的女朋友的父处允�孕L娶她，如果女方的父处答倃，之后方可向女方求婚。通常男方���I𤥢以孨曼蒂克的方式「提出������脴」以�C�H女方惊喜。
Sometimes the couple just decides together that the time is right to get married. The man usually gives his fiancee a diamond ring as a symbol of their engagement. They may be engaged for weeks, months or even years. As the big day approaches, bridal showers and bachelor's parties provide many useful gifts. Today many couples also receive counseling during engagement. This prepares them for the challenges of married life.
有�滬�煀方��𣊁得�c在�C婚正是�滬唌A于是男方通常�扆e女方擀戒做�o互�z�p身的象征。他�言i能�z婚几�狀P期、几�炊諢A甚至几年，�憭j喜的日子接近�滿A�e𢺋靑送�悕M�邡��晜��銙○���靑送�它h�縞峈�𢺋物。今天有�它h�z婚的男女在�z婚期�}接受咨�R服�鵅A�惇O�o了䵶他�谷陪��簣筐𢸍B姻生活的挑�菕C
At last it's time for the wedding. Although most weddings follow long-held traditions, there's still room for American individualism. For example, the usual place for a wedding is in a church. But some people get married outdoors in a scenic spot. A few even have the ceremony while skydiving or riding on horseback! The couple may invite hundreds of people or just a few close friends. They choose their own style of colors, decorations and music during the ceremony. But some things rarely change. The bride usually wears a beautiful, long white wedding dress. She traditionally wears "something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue." The groom wears a formal suit or tuxedo. Several close friends participate in the ceremony as attendants, including the best man and the maid of honor.
最后就是婚𢺋了，塳然大多的婚𢺋仍沿曧�c久以�S的���i，但是美�鬗H的�炊H主�韝揭釣銂��}，例如，通常婚𢺋的地䪴是在教堂，但是有些人�j是到�𨰃~的�打����C婚，有些人甚至是跳�藺�𠸏���C婚！煀方可能邀É上百人或者只是一些熟朋友，婚𢺋的𦕲色�幼獢A布置和音�銙ㄔ悒L�谷菑v�K定，但有些事是不太��𠮟的；新娘通常都穿著美𨸏的白色�C婚𢺋服，按照���i她必�妞麊漲蝒A上包括了：一些𠺫的，一些新的，一些借�S的，及一些𠵈色的�[西。新郎�h穿𤥢正式的西�E或燕尾晚𢺋服，几位熟朋友�禰[婚𢺋并�V助侽忙，包括了伴郎和伴娘。
As the ceremony begins, the groom and his attendants stand with the minister, facing the audience. Music signals the entrance of the bride's attendants, followed by the beautiful bride. Nervously, the young couple repeats their vows. Traditionally, they promise to love each other "for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health." But sometimes the couple has composed their own vows. They give each other a gold ring to symbolize their marriage commitment. Finally the minister announces the big moment: "I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss your bride!"
�憡�𢺋�{始�滿A新郎和伴郎和牧�雄蒂b一起，面��峥�g，音�鉹@起，表示伴娘入�恁A后面就跟𤥢美𨸏的新娘。年𥩔的男女煀方���E地跟𤥢𦺋出他�赤獄}言，���i上而言，他���悕�斉要彼此相�①A「不Ê̄好、坏、�恣B富、生病�漫帡楛d�滿v，但是有�滬唌A他�角]可能自己㇃一套自己的誓言，他�角�靑金戒指以此表示�C婚的承斉，最后牧�陲聽��戚咫j的�漕銵G「我�c在宣布你�谷��o夫妻，你可以处吻你的新娘??
At the wedding reception, the bride and groom greet their guests. Then they cut the wedding cake and feed each other a bite. Guests mingle while enjoying cake, punch and other treats. Later the bride throws her bouquet of flowers to a group of single girls. Tradition says that the one who catches the bouquet will be the next to marry. During the reception, playful friends "decorate" the couple's car with tissue paper, tin cans and a "Just Married" sign. When the reception is over, the newlyweds run to their "decorated" car and speed off. Many couples take a honeymoon, a one- to two-week vacation trip, to celebrate their new marriage.
在�C婚宴�悀W，新娘新郎向䲅客�繾唌D然后切�C婚蛋糕并互相喂�薑銴@口。䲅客�谷b享受蛋糕、�垣④峔銗L的食物�煽N混在一起交Ǎ。之后新娘圝捧花投向一群�邡迨k孩，���i𦺋接到捧花的女孩�悁��o下一位新娘。在婚宴上，���薊漯B友用面�峞B⏛罐和「新婚」�嵺荂u�E�式v𢺋�Q，宴���C束后，新婚的小�坐f就跑向他�芋u�E�戍髡芋v的𢺋�Q，迅速地离�{，�它h夫妻�悒h渡蜜月，就是一至二星期的假期以�坒洛L�赤熒s婚。
Almost every culture has rituals to signal a change in one's life. Marriage is one of the most basic life changes for people of all cultures. So it's no surprise to find many traditions about getting married . . . even in America. Yet each couple follows the traditions in a way that is uniquely their own.
几乎每一种文化都有�丹��S表示一�炊H生命中的改𠮟。�C婚�薑_所有文化的人而言是一生中最重要的大事之一，所以�悁��惜\多婚𢺋的�t俗就不足�o奇了，美�鬗]不例外。然而每�褶s人都以自己𤊿�o�𡝰S的方式�S跟㛵���i。