Golden and Silver Weddings 金婚银婚趣谈（一）.docVIP

Golden and Silver Weddings 金婚银婚趣谈（一） 　　By Anneli Ruffus 　　Weddings in the united Stated vary as much as the people do. There are church weddings with a great deal of fanfare 1 ；there are civil weddings with little ceremony；there are weddings on mountaintops with guests in barefeet；and there have been weddings on the ocean floor with oxygen tanks for the guests. But many weddings，no matter where or how they are performed，include certain traditional customs. 　　在美国的国土上居住着形形色色的人，他们的婚礼也千差万别。有热闹庄重的教堂婚礼；也有从简办理的各种民间婚礼；有的婚礼在山顶举行，客人们光着脚陪伴登高；有的婚礼在海底举行，客人们戴着氧气罐跟着入水。但很多婚礼不管在哪儿举行或怎样举行，都有某些传统的风俗。 　　Since early Roman time，June has been a popular month for weddings. Some people even think June was named for Juno the Roman goddess of marriage. Whatever the reason，June remains a favorite month for weddings. 　　从罗马时代早期起，6 月已是风行结婚的月份了。甚至有人认为，“ 6 月”这个名字源于罗马婚姻女神朱诺的名字。无论何种原因，6 月一直是人们最喜欢的结婚月份。 　　Before a couple is married，they become engaged. In many cases，the man will give the woman an engagement ring as a token of their agreement to marry. In the past，the man would go to the woman’s father and ask for her hand in marriage. The father would then decide to give the man permission to marry his daughter or not. Today，the decision to marry is made by the couple. They will first tell their parents about the engagement and later their friends and relatives. Engagement announcements also will appear in local newspapers. 　　一对男女成婚前，要先订婚。男方往往会给女方一枚订婚戒指作为婚姻承诺的信物。以往，男方会去女方父亲那儿求亲。女方父亲这时就要决定是否允许男方娶走他的女儿。现今，由男女两人自己决定。他们会先给父母讲明订婚的事，然后通知亲友。一般还会在当地报约上刊登订婚启事。 　　Three to four weeks before the wedding，invitations are mailed. Invitations are sent to those who live nearby and are expected to attend. It is considered an honor to receive an invitation. Invitations are also sent to close friends and relatives who live too far away to attend the wedding. Everyone who receives an invitation is expected to give a gift. People who live far will send money. Those who live close will give china，silverware or something for