书城外语英语PARTY——域外风情
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第6章 Customs and Festivals风俗与节日(2)

现在,父亲节已成为人们向父亲和其他任何扮演父亲角色的男人表达敬意的节日。继父、叔父、伯父、祖父、外祖父以及所有的成年男性朋友们都是父亲节的主角。

Weddings in America

Weddings in the United States vary as much as the people do. There are church weddings with a great deal of fanfarefanfare n.喇叭或号角嘹亮的吹奏声,吹牛; there are weddings on mountaintops with guests barefooted; 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.

Before a couple is married,they become engagedengaged adj.订婚. And then invitations are sent to those who live nearby,their close friends and their relatives who live far away. When everything is ready,then comes the most exciting moment.

The wedding itself usually lasts between 20 and 40 minutes. The wedding party enters the church while the wedding march is played. The bride carrying a bouquet enters last with her father who will “give her away”. The groomgroom n.马夫,新郎,男仆vt.喂马,推荐,整饰enters the church from a side door. When the wedding party is gathered by the altar,the bride and groom exchange vows. It is traditional to use the words “To have and to hold from this day forward,for better,for worse,for richer,for poorer,in sickness and in health,to love and to cherish,till death do us part”. Following the vows,the couple exchange rings. Wearing the wedding ring on the fourth finger of the left hand is an old custom.

After the ceremonyceremony n.典礼,仪式,礼节,报幕员 there is often a party,called a “reception” which gives the wedding guests an opportunity to congratulate the newly weds.

The car in which the couple leaves the church is decorated with balloons,streamersstreamer n.横幅,长旗,彩色纸带 and shaving cream. The words “Just Married” are painted on the trunk or back window. The bride and groom run to the car under a shower of rice thrown by the wedding guests. When the couple drives away from the church,friends often chase them in cars,honking and drawing attention to them. And then the couple go on their honeymoonhoneymoon n.蜜月vi.度蜜月v.度蜜月.

美国人的婚礼

美国的国土上居住着各种各样的人,他们的婚礼也千差万别。有热闹庄重的教堂婚礼;有在山顶上举行的婚礼,客人们光着脚陪伴登高;也有在海底举行的婚礼,客人们戴着氧气罐跟着入水。但婚礼无论在哪儿举行或怎样举行,总有某些传统的风俗。

在举行婚礼前先要先订婚,然后发放请帖给住在附近的人和好朋友以及远方的亲戚。当一切准备就绪,就该到最激动人心的时刻了。

婚礼本身通常进行20至40分钟。婚礼一行人伴着结婚进行曲进入教堂。新娘手持一束鲜花和她的父亲最后进来,父亲要把她交给新郎。而新郎则要从侧门进入教堂。当婚礼一行人聚集到教堂的祭坛前时,新娘和新郎互相表达誓言。常用的结婚誓言是:“从今以后,不论境遇好坏,家境贫富,生病与否,誓言相亲相爱,至死不分离。”宣誓过后,二人交换戒指。通常把戒指戴在左手无名指上,这是一个古老的风俗。

礼仪过后,通常会有宴会,叫“喜宴”。宴会给参加婚礼的人一个向新婚夫妇祝贺的机会。

新郎新娘乘坐汽车离开教堂,汽车上装饰有气球、彩色纸带、刮须膏之类的东西。“新婚燕尔”几个字常写在汽车后的行李箱上或后玻璃窗上。新娘新郎从婚礼客人撒下的雨点般的生大米中跑向汽车。小两口儿开车离开教堂时,朋友们常常开车追赶他们,不停地按喇叭,引他们注意。然后小两口儿就该去度蜜月了。

Wedding Veil

Why does the wedding veil cover the bride,sbride n.新娘 face throughout the ceremony in the West? The explanations below are some of the reasons for you.

The custom of the wedding veil should predate wedding dress by entries.One of the explanations for this is that during the times of arrangedarranged abj.准备好的,计划好的 marriages,the bride,s face was covered until the groom was committedcommitted adj.效忠的;忠于……的 to her at the ceremony.

So it would be too late for him to run off if he didn,t like her face.And there is another explanation that the veil was worn to protect the bride from evilevil adj.邪恶的,带来麻烦的,不幸的,有害的,诽谤的 n.邪恶,不幸,罪恶 spirits that may be floating around her at wedding ceremony.

婚纱

为什么在西方的结婚庆典上,新娘自始至终都戴着面纱?下面的解释可以回答你。

婚纱的习俗要比婚服早几个世纪。对此习俗的解释不止一个,其中之一是:在包办婚姻时代,新郎迎娶新娘的庆典前,新娘必须戴面纱。

这样,等新郎见到新娘的脸,即便他不喜欢,为时也晚了。另一个解释是:戴面纱是为了在庆典时保护新娘不受那些游荡在她周围的邪恶魂灵的伤害。

Christmas Day

Ah! Christmas morning! Children like to wake up early while it,s still dark and sneaksneak vi.鬼鬼祟祟做事 vt.偷偷摸摸地做,(口)偷窃 n.鬼鬼祟祟的人,偷偷摸摸的行为,(美口)帆布胶底运动鞋 adj.暗中进行的 into the living room to check the presents-find any with their name on it,shake them to guess what,s inside,and then maybe they,ll go back to bed and pretend they are still asleep when their parents come to wake them with a “Merry Christmas!”

But almost no one I know gets completely dressed or eats a regular breakfast first thing Christmas morning. They just put on a robe or wear their pajamaspajamas n.睡衣,宽长裤 and go to see what,s under the Christmas tree. Some Christian families have a tradition of reading the Bible story of Jesus,birth. Maybe it,s to remind the children that Christmas is Jesus,birthday.

Someone will begin to take the presents out from under the tree,see whose name is on the package,and then pass them around. Some families wait until all the presents have been given out before opening any of them,while others open each one as it comes to them. There are many “thank you” to the ones who gave the gifts,new clothes are tried on to see if they fit,and of course the most interesting toystoy n.玩具will immediately be played with.

Usually among the Christmas gifts will be some especially delicious candy or cake or cookies which everyone tastes. These sweet things may be the only breakfast many people eat Christmas morning. After the gifts have been opened,the room will be tidiedtidy vt.弄整齐,收拾,整理 vi.整理,收拾 up except where the children are playing with their toys. Everyone will wash and get dressed for the day.

Some people may go to a Christmas morning church service around ten o,clock if their church didn,t have one on Christmas Eve. But most people will just watch TV. Well,most men will. The children may play outside or inside with their new toys,but the mothers will be in the kitchen preparing Christmas dinner.

开心圣诞节

啊,圣诞节的早晨!孩子们喜欢在天还黑时醒来,悄悄地溜进起居室看看礼物——如果发现上面有自己名字的,就摇摇看里面装的是什么。然后回到床上假装熟睡,等着爸爸妈妈叫醒他们,祝他们“圣诞快乐”。

据我所知,圣诞日清晨的第一件事从来不是完整着装或吃一顿正规的早餐。他们只是穿着袍子或睡衣去看看圣诞树下有什么。有些基督家庭有读耶稣出生的圣经故事的传统。可能是想让孩子们记住圣诞节是耶稣的生日。

有人开始从圣诞树下拿出礼物,看看谁的名字在上面,彼此传递。有些家庭等礼物全被分发完毕才打开礼物,而有些家庭的人一拿到礼物就打开。对送礼物的人总是声声“谢谢!”新衣服穿上看是否得体,当然最有趣的玩具会马上拿出来玩。

圣诞礼物通常是符合每个人口味的美味糖果、蛋糕和甜饼。这些甜甜的东西可能是许多人圣诞节早餐的唯一内容。礼物被打开之后,除了孩子们玩玩具的地方外,屋子要彻底打扫。每个人都开始洗漱,为这一天穿着打扮。

圣诞前夜教堂里不举行宗教仪式的人可能会在圣诞日十点钟去参加一个晨教仪式,但是大多数人会看电视。噢,是大多数男士。孩子们会在屋外或屋内玩玩具,母亲们在厨房里准备圣诞正餐。

Valentine,s Day