西方婚礼习俗

Nancy: Have you heard about Dana?

Scott: No, I haven't talked to her for a couple of months. How are things with her?

Nancy: Well, she is just so-so right now. She had a little accident last week in her new car. Scott: Oh, you are kidding. Was anybody hurt? Was there much damage?

Nancy: No, it was really a small accident and everybody was fine. It was the other driver's fault. Scott: Well, that's good. Other than that, how's she doing? Is she still going out with David? Nancy: Haven't you heard yet? They're getting married!

Scott: You are kidding!

Nancy: She said he gave her a ring on her birthday.

Scott: That's great!

Nancy: Yeah. Everybody's really happy about it. He is a great guy.

Scott: Lucky, too.

讲解：

1. 在西方，恋爱中的男女要结婚，首先要由男方向女方求婚（propose），在求婚时男方应向女方赠送订婚戒指（an engagement ring）。因此，当人们提到"He gave her a ring" 时，其意义通常是He proposed to her, she accepted, and they are now engaged.（男方向女方求婚，女方接受了求婚，两人现在已经定婚了）。

2. 订婚的男女应立即将他们的结婚计划告之各自的父母，通常由新娘的父母宣布定婚和婚礼。按照传统，由新娘的家庭承担大部分婚礼费用，而新郎家一方则负责彩排宴和其他事宜。婚礼正式开始前一两天应有一个彩排，这样做的目的是使参加婚礼的每个人都熟悉他们在婚礼上要例行的程序。

3. 婚礼在西方国家是一个非常重要的场合，在举行婚礼前好几个星期，亲朋好友就会收到邀请信。婚礼是在教堂而且是在白天举行，如果你获邀请，那么在参加婚礼时着装应非常正式。女宾客穿鸡尾酒会礼服或长衬衫加节日外套或毛衣；男宾客则要穿礼服。值得注意的是，女士穿裤子是不合适的，无论裤子是什么颜色。

4. 送礼是许多民族的共有的习惯，那么亲朋好友结婚时送什么好呢？我们提供一些原则供大家参考：首先是可能为受礼人所喜欢的物品，其次是不要太昂贵，再有就是要具有实用性。送结婚礼物有一个一年的“宽限期”。只要你在新婚夫妇结婚一周年纪念日送出礼物都是可以的。传统的礼物包括银器、瓷器、水晶制品以及经久耐用的东西。不过，如今的结婚礼物也包括电器设备和实用物品。

5.在这段对话中，Nancy向Scott介绍了他们共同的好朋友Dana的近况。令Scott感到些许惊讶的是，Dana就要和她的男朋友David结婚了。Nancy向Scott都为Dana感到高兴。hear about，听到关于某人（某事）的消息。Have you heard about Dana? 戴娜的近况你听说了吗？另外，关于hear还有两个常用的词组，一个是hear from，意为“接到某人的来信、来电等”；另一个是hear of，听说过。注意，not hear of sth 是“不允许某事”的意思，for instance, He won't hear of my walking home alone.他不允许我单独一人走回家。

6. Other than that, how's she doing? 除那以外，她其它方面怎么样？以前的教科书总是这样教

我们，在向人问好时可以说How are you?然而实际上现代人——特别是年轻人在打招呼时往往更多地说，How are you doing? 希望大家能够记住这个用法。另外，just so-so,意思是“一般化，还算凑合”。

7. 当Scott问Nancy，Dana是不是还在和David约会时，Nancy回“They are getting married.”意思是，他们就要结婚了。请大家注意，这里用的是现在进行时，但表示的意思却是将在发生的事。

Part 2 On Wedding Day 西方婚礼的传统和习俗

Dialogue Script 对话原文

Julia: I would prefer a sincere affair of a few people. Here you really felt that it was a meaningful thing, and not just a showy prestigious affair for...for parents to show off what they can provide for their daughters or son.

Ray: But that's an important thing for the parents to do, isn't it? I mean, parents at that...it ought to be ...parents ought to be allowed to do this.

Julia: But one is getting married, not one's parents.

Ray: Yes, but it's the parents who are paying for it. And it's the parents who've, if you like,...brought up this young girl or man to...

Julia: Surely the money that is spent...I'd prefer to see the money spent on something more worthwhile.

Ray: Yes, but it's not...it may not be your money as such. And I think if the parents are paying for it, then they should have a great deal to say about it. If they prefer a large wedding and they prefer to...to invite Aunty Fole, Uncle Bill who you haven't seen since you were two years old, well, I think that's their prerogative.

Julia: So it really boils down to what they prefer rather than what...the son or daughter prefers... Ray: Well, not entirely. But nevertheless I think it is important that they should...that they be consulted.

讲解：

1. Modern wedding customs and traditions have their origins in the past, many coming from the Middle Ages. In ancient Rome, the bride wore a girdle fastened with many tiny knots. The groom had the pleasure of untying all those knots before he could bed his new wife.

Up until the 1400's, the bride usually wore her best dress regardless of the color. It was Queen Victoria (1840) who began the present day fashion of wearing white as the wedding dress. It is also considered unlucky for the bride to make her own wedding dress.

The idea of having bridesmaids, pages, a best man and ushers originated with the belief that evil spirits, envious of the couple's happiness, would be out to harm them, but would be confused by so many similarly dressed people.