大学英语自学教程 上册 un20

[08:28.92]is not always for the purpose of finding a husband or wife.
[08:31.49]并非总是为了找丈夫或者妻子，
[08:34.06]Some people seem to do it as a hobby.
[08:36.18]有些人这样做好像仅仅是一种消遣。
[08:38.30]Here in the United States,
[08:40.02]在美国这里，
[08:41.74]I have noticed that courting is begun by the young couple themselves,
[08:44.77]我发现求爱由年轻人自己提出来，
[08:47.80]and they seem to have a lot of freedom to decide and do what they want.
[08:50.99]他们似乎有很大的自由来决定自己想做的事，做自己想做的事。
[08:54.18]Both young men and women date a number of different people.
[08:56.80]年轻男女都与好些异性约会，
[08:59.43]They do it without the knowledge or help of their parents.
[09:02.41]这样做既不让父母知道也不要父母的帮助。
[09:05.38]In fact,I have known several friends who got married
[09:08.47]实际上，我就认识几位朋友结了婚
[09:11.55]with out even telling their parents or other family members.
[09:14.08]也没有告诉父母或家里其他的人。
[09:16.62]At the actual wedding ceremony,
[09:18.94]在婚礼仪式上，
[09:21.27]the father of the bride symbolically gives his daughter to the groom.
[09:24.14]新娘的父亲象征性地将自己的女儿交给新郎。
[09:27.01]It's only a custom, I think,
[09:29.20]我认为这只是一个习俗，
[09:31.38]because the bride and groomalready know each other quite well.
[09:33.96]因为新娘，新郎已彼此很了解。
[09:36.55]The bride and groom stand together
[09:38.38]新娘，新郎一起
[09:40.21]in front of the religious leaderor govemment official to be married.
[09:43.08]站在宗教神长或政府官员面前履行结婚仪式。
[09:45.95]The official reads from a short prepared speeh and then  asks both the man and woman
[09:50.13]官员朗读着一篇准备好的简短讲稿，然后询问男女双方是否愿意与对方结婚。
[09:54.31]if they are willing to be married to the other,
[09:56.49]如果双方都说同意，
[09:58.67]If they both say "yes,"and nobody attending the wedding stands up to object
[10:06.43]they are declared "man and wife."
[10:08.65]并且出席婚礼者没人站起来反对，就宣布也们为夫妻。
[10:10.87]It is interesting that the two families are asked
[10:16.91]if there are any objections right during the ceremony.
[10:19.53]有趣的是举行仪式时会询问双方家庭有没有反对意见，
[10:22.16]Perhaps it is because the family members
[10:26.42]are not as involved in the wedding preparations as they are in Iran.
[10:29.45]这也许是因为家庭成员不像在伊朗那样参与婚礼的准备工作吧。
[10:32.48]Marriage is different in a number of ways in my country.
[10:35.15]结婚在我们国家有几方面和美国不同。
[10:37.83]In Iran,courting is more serious
[10:42.38]and is performed strictly for the purpose of marriage.
[10:44.70]在伊朗，求爱更认真，求爱的目的的确是为了结婚，
[10:47.03]It is definitely not a part of the fun-filled years of growing up
[10:53.30]like it is here in American.
[10:55.18]决不像美国这里它是成长期间浪漫年华的一部分。
[10:57.06]It is the mother of the young man
[11:00.61]who initiates the process by visiting the home of a potential bride
[11:03.48]整个过程从男方的母亲拜访未来新娘的家开始。
[11:06.36]She goes to inspect the girl,
[11:08.19]母亲去相女孩，
[11:10.01]and discover the position and wealth of the girl' s family.
[11:12.54]了解女方家庭的地位和财产。
[11:15.06]If she is pleased, then she will return another day with her son.
[11:18.07]如果母亲满意了，改天她带儿子再来。
[11:21.09]If her son is also pleased,
[11:23.21]如果他的儿子也满意了，
[11:25.32]then the two families get together to talk,about the dowry, the wedding ceremony,
[11:32.27]who they will hire to perform the marriage and other matters.
[11:34.65]双方家庭就聚在一起讨论嫁妆，婚礼，花钱请谁来操办婚礼及其他事情。
[11:37.03]The actual marriage ceremony is quite different,
[11:42.67]however from the American wedding ceremonies I have seen.
[11:44.80]可是，真正的结婚仪式与我见过的美国仪式大不一样。
[11:46.93]The bride,dressed in white, with a veil over her face,sits in a room alone.
[11:50.50]新娘身穿白色的礼服，脸上罩着面纱，独自一人坐在一间房里。
[11:54.08]She sets on a special piece of silk
[11:58.52] which is surrounded on two sides by very long pieces of flat bread.