❤️ 情人節快到啦！春節也快到啦！推送給大家一篇融合了情人節元素和春節元素的文章，祝食用愉快😘
📖 本文原文來自經濟學人，譯文來自每日英語聽力app，譯文僅供參考。
📖 主要內容：中式婚禮的變化及其反映出的社會的變遷。
📖 建議大家自主閱讀原文，再學習精讀筆記。這篇文章比較長，大家不用強求自己一口氣讀完，每次打開，閱讀1-2段即可，既輕鬆、記憶效果也更好。
📖 閱讀完筆記後，回頭再讀原文段落，測試自己是否能夠流暢閱讀，是否能回憶起補充的寫作要點，並且從整體上把握文章脈絡。
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How the one-child policy changed Chinese nuptials.
OVERSIZE cupids in pink, furry outfits hand out heart-shaped balloons with 「I Do」 written on them (in English) at a wedding-themed trade fair in Beijing. Vendors offer romantic photo-shoots of couples under water or at a racetrack, personalised wedding cigarettes, and biscuits with names such as 「Date & Fate」. An emphasis on love is a new addition to Chinese weddings—and shines a pink-filtered spotlight on social change.
For centuries, marriage in China was about ensuring heirs for the groom's family. Ceremonies centred on the groom's kin: couples kowtowed to the man's parents but the woman's relatives were absent. Unusually, both the groom's and the bride's family exchanged money or goods. The more money changed hands, the more opulent the wedding.
After it came to power in 1949, the Communist Party imposed frugality. Dowries consisted of necessities like bed linen or a bicycle; guests brought their own food coupons. But since the 1980s the extravagance of nuptials has matched the country's rise. Celebrations moved out of homes into hotels. Brides swapped traditional red dresses for white, flouncy meringue-like ones (some now wear both, in sequence).
A large industry has emerged to serve the 13m couples who marry each year. Wedding planners are increasingly common, particularly in cities. A decade ago Cosmo Bride, an American-owned lifestyle magazine, launched a Chinese-language edition in China. An average wedding cost $12,000 in 2011 (the latest year for which such data exist)—the equivalent of more than two years' income for the average urban household. An increase in the average marriage age by 2.5 years since 1990 has given parents (who still usually pay for weddings, despite the earning power of their children) more time to save up.
The change in wedding frippery also reflects a fundamental shift in society. For the first time in the history of Chinese family life, the child—rather than ancestors or parents—is regarded as the centre of the family, says Yan Yunxiang of the University of California, Los Angeles. Most newly-weds now are single children, born since the one-child policy was introduced more than 30 years ago. Parents have more to spend if they only have to fork out for one wedding (they usually share costs with the spouse-to-be's family).
William Jankowiak of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, who has documented relationships in China for 30 years, says love plays a larger part in young people's lives—both in choice of partner and in their relationships with parents. Love is far more often spoken about. The result is evident in weddings, which now focus on the couple. Both sets of parents are represented, but their position is peripheral. Weddings often feature a day of wedding photos, shot before the event, with the couple in a range of outfits against romantic backgrounds, but with no family members.
(The End)
Marriage
Wedding wows
How the one-child policy changed Chinese nuptials.
OVERSIZE cupids in pink, furry outfits hand out heart-shaped balloons with 「I Do」 written on them (in English) at a wedding-themed trade fair in Beijing. Vendors offer romantic photo-shoots of couples under water or at a racetrack, personalised wedding cigarettes, and biscuits with names such as 「Date & Fate」. An emphasis on love is a new addition to Chinese weddings—and shines a pink-filtered spotlight on social change.
文章的標題很有意思，玩了一個諧音雙關，如果你將標題讀出聲，聽的人很容易聽成一個常用詞組 wedding vows 婚禮誓詞，定睛一看，才發現原來人家用的是wedding wows。如何將諧音雙關體現在翻譯中呢？大家可以思考一下😝
nuptials指「婚禮」，比wedding更正式（注意nuptials是複數名詞，必須加上s）
在nuptial前面加上前綴pre-，prenuptial「婚前的」，prenuptial agreement就是「婚前協議」。
oversize [ˈəʊvəsaɪz] adj. Oversize or oversized things are too big, or much bigger than usual. 過大的；超大的 *the oversize white sweater she had worn at school.她在學校裡穿的那件過大的白毛衣 *an oversized bed 超大的床
cupid 就是我們熟悉的羅馬愛神「丘比特」，單詞發音是 [ˈkjuː.pɪd] 。喜歡玩狼人殺的同學都知道，遊戲中有一個角色就叫做「丘比特」，可以將兩個人連為情侶。在英文中這叫做play cupid，也就是中文中的「做月老，當媒人」 (to try to arrange for two people to fall in love with each other)
-themed 指「以…為主題的」，可構成形容詞，比如「同性戀主題的電影」*gay-themed movies, 「以海島為主題的旅遊行程」pirate-themed holidays themed也可以作為形容詞單獨使用，我們常說的主題餐廳、主題酒店就叫作themed restaurants, themed hotels
trade fair n. a large event when several companies show their goods or services in one place, to try to sell them 交易會= trade show
vendor 最基本的含義是「賣東西的人」(someone who is selling something)，既可以指街邊上的小商小販 (someone who sells things, especially on the street)，也可以指「某種產品的銷售公司」(a company that sells a particular product)，在本文中vendor 指婚慶公司(wedding vendor)
photo-shoot n.[C]an occasion when a photographer takes pictures of sb, for example a famous person, fashion model, etc. for use in a magazine, etc.（為名人、時裝模特等所作的）專業攝影 *I went on a photo shoot to Rio with him. 我和他一起去裡約拍照了。 *a long day of interviews and photo-shoots 一整天的採訪和拍照工作
personalized adj. describes an object that has someone's name on it, or that has been made for a particular person 定製的；個性化的
personalise [ˈpɜːsənəlaɪz] v.
1. to discuss a subject by talking about or criticizing the people who are involved in it, rather than talking about it in a more general way（討論某問題時）使針對個人，使個人化 *the mass media's tendency to personalize politics大眾傳媒使政治個人化的傾向
2. to design or change something so that it is suitable for a particular person 使〔某物〕符合某人的特定需求 *All the products can be personalized to the client's exact requirements.所有產品都可以根據客戶的具體要求來設計。
獨生子女政策如何改變了中式婚禮。
在北京的主題婚禮展上，粉色的超大丘比特身穿毛茸茸的衣服，手持心形氣球， 氣球上寫著「I Do」（「我願意」的英文）。婚禮代理商們向新人們提供浪漫的水下或賽道婚紗照拍攝，個性化的婚禮香菸，以及刻字餅乾，如「Date & Fate（巧遇）」餅乾。把重點放在愛情上是中式婚禮上的一個新現象，閃耀的粉紅濾光燈下聚焦的是社會變革。
For centuries, marriage in China was about ensuring heirs for the groom's family. Ceremonies centred on the groom's kin: couples kowtowed to the man's parents but the woman's relatives were absent. Unusually, both the groom's and the bride's family exchanged money or goods. The more money changed hands, the more opulent the wedding.
1. a person who has the legal right to receive sb's property, money or title when that person dies 繼承人；後嗣 *to be heir to a large fortune 是大筆財產的繼承人 *the heir to the throne 王位繼承人
2. a person who is thought to continue the work or a tradition started by sb else（工作或傳統的）繼承者，承襲者，傳人 *the president's political heirs 總統的政治繼承者
centre on/around sth | be centred on/around sth If something centres or is centred on a particular thing or person, that thing or person is the main subject of attention. （使）以…為中心；（使）注意力集中於*When working with patients, my efforts are centred on helping them to overcome illness.在治療過程中，我的主要精力是幫助病人戰勝疾病。*In the 16th century, village life centred around religion.16 世紀時，鄉村生活以宗教為中心。
kin [kɪn] v. (old-fashioned or formal) your family or your relatives（統稱）家屬，親屬，親戚
kowtow 就是來自於中文「磕頭」，但注意其讀音是[ˌkaʊˈtaʊ] ，引申為「順從，巴結，唯命是從」(to be too eager to obey or be polite to someone in authority ) 帶有貶義 *We will not kowtow to the government.我們不會對政府卑躬屈膝。
change hands to pass to a different owner 換主人；易主；轉手；（錢被）花掉 *The house has changed hands several times. 這房子已幾易其主。
1.very beautiful, with a lot of decoration, and made from expensive materials華麗的，豪華的，奢侈的=luxurious *evening dresses in opulent fabrics 用華麗織物做成的晚禮服
2. very rich and spending a lot of money 極富有的，闊綽的 *Europe's opulent elite 歐洲富有的上層社會
幾個世紀以來，結婚在中國意味著確保傳遞新郎家的香火。結婚儀式的重點是新郎的親屬：夫妻向男方父母磕頭，女方親屬卻不與之同席。而與此不同，新郎和新娘的家人需彼此交換金錢或物品，轉手的彩禮錢越多，婚禮越奢華。
After it came to power in 1949, the Communist Party imposed frugality. Dowries consisted of necessities like bed linen or a bicycle; guests brought their own food coupons. But since the 1980s the extravagance of nuptials has matched the country's rise.Celebrations moved out of homes into hotels. Brides swapped traditional red dresses for white, flouncy meringue-like ones (some now wear both, in sequence).
come/rise to power to start having political control 上臺 *De Gaulle came to power in 1958.戴高樂於1958年開始執政。
impose frugality 厲行節約
frugality [fruːˈgæləti] n.[U] 節約；樸素；節儉 *We must practise the strictest frugality and economy. 我們必須實行最嚴格意義上的儉省節約。
dowry [ˈdaʊ.ri] n. property and money that a woman gives to her husband when they marry in some societies〔新娘的〕嫁妝
bed linen n.[U]Bed linen is sheets and pillowcases. 床單和枕套
food coupons/stamps 食物券，糧食券
extravagance [ɪkˈstrævəgənts] n.
1. Extravagance is the spending of more money than is reasonable or than you can afford. 奢侈；鋪張 ；浪費*When the company went under, tales of his extravagance surged through the industry.公司破產後，有關他鋪張浪費的種種傳聞傳遍了整個行業。
2. [C] something that you buy although it costs a lot of money, perhaps more than you can afford or than is necessary奢侈品 *Going to the theatre is our only extravagance. 去劇院看戲是我們唯一的奢侈享受。
frugality 和extravagance是一對反義詞，大家可以聯繫起來記憶。
rise 也可以作名詞，指「崛起」、「興起」，比如中國的崛起 the rise of China或者說China’s rise 關於rise還有一個常見的搭配the rise and fall of sth 指「某事物的興衰」，比如羅馬帝國的興衰 the rise and fall of the Roman Empire
swap sth for sth (especially BrE) to replace one person or thing with another用…替換；把…換成；掉換 * I think I'll swap this sweater for one in another colour. 我想把這件毛衣換成一件其他顏色的。 *He has swapped his hectic rock star's lifestyle for that of a country gentleman. 他一改搖滾歌星緊張忙碌的生活方式，開始過起了鄉村紳士的生活。（我們可以用swap sth for sth替換replace sth with sth）
flounce [flaʊnts] 指「衣服、裙子或者窗簾的荷葉邊」 flouncy是形容詞，指「荷葉邊的」，如下圖所示
meringue [məˈræŋ] 指「蛋白酥（糕餅）」 meringue-like 為派生詞，由詞根（名詞）+後綴（-like）構成，指「像蛋白酥的一樣的」
-like 表示「像...的」，「有... 特徵的」 *drum-like 鼓狀的 *childlike simplicity 孩子般的單純 *lady-like behaviour 淑女般的舉止 這是個很有用的後綴。善於利用，可以節省很多筆墨。比如「他那雙像火腿那樣通紅的胳膊 」 his hamlike arms 「他那雙像公牛似的眼睛」 his oxlike eyes 再比如新概念英語3的第1課的主題是美洲獅，它是怎麼介紹的呢？Puma are large, cat-like animal which are found in America. 短短幾個詞就為讀者清晰明了地勾勒出了美洲獅的形象。
in sequence 依次 *The book is more satisfying if you read each chapter in sequence.這本書依次讀各章會更好。
中國共產黨自1949年上臺後一直提倡勤儉節約。嫁妝都是床單或自行車這類必需品，出席婚禮的賓客帶去他們自己的糧券。但自20世紀80年代起，國家的崛起開始帶來婚禮的鋪張。婚禮儀式的舉辦地從家搬往酒店。新娘將傳統的紅色禮服換為荷葉邊蛋筒狀的白色禮服（現在也有些人依次換上兩套禮服）。
A large industry has emerged to serve the 13m couples who marry each year. Wedding planners are increasingly common, particularly in cities. A decade ago Cosmo Bride, an American-owned lifestyle magazine, launched a Chinese-language edition in China. An average wedding cost $12,000 in 2011 (the latest year for which such data exist)—the equivalent of more than two years' income for the average urban household. An increase in the average marriage age by 2.5 years since 1990 has given parents (who still usually pay for weddings, despite the earning power of their children) more time to save up.
副詞 increasingly 可以用於修飾形容詞，也表示「越來越…」，比如「隨著就業市場的競爭一年比一年激烈，越來越多的應屆大學畢業生選擇『慢就業』。」With the job market becoming increasingly competitive every year, a growing number of fresh university graduates are opting for "delayed employment".
be increasingly common 越來越普遍 比如「行動支付已越來越普遍」Mobile payment has become increasingly common.
American-owned 是一個派生詞，由詞根（名詞）+後綴（-owned）構成。-owned這個後綴的含義是「屬於…的」，「歸…所有的」 ，可以與名詞、形容詞、副詞連用，比如*state-owned companies 國有公司*Japanese-owned hotels 日資酒店 *privately-owned companies 私有公司
a Chinese-language edition 中文版
equivalent [ɪˈkwɪvələnt] [複習]
n.something that has the same value, purpose, job etc as something else 等同物; 等價物; 對應物 ◇ The word has no equivalent in English.這個詞在英語中沒有對應詞。~ of ◇ He had drunk the equivalent of 15 whiskies.他喝了相當於15 杯威士忌酒。
adj. having the same value, purpose, job etc as a person or thing of a different kind等值的；等同的；相當的~ to ◇I had no dollars, but offered him an equivalent amount of sterling.我沒有美金，但給了他等值的英鎊。
[寫作推薦]我們在向外國人介紹中國相關的事物時，往往會聯繫外國相對應的事物來幫助他們理解，這時就可以用到equivalent一詞。比如我們介紹新浪微博，就可以說Sina Weibo, China’s equivalent of Twitter；再比如人人網 Renren, China’s equivalent of Facebook 。
earning power 賺錢能力（除此之外，出現頻率較高的power還有purchasing power購買力 bargaining power討價還價的能力）
save up 和save一樣，指「儲蓄」、「攢錢」，如 *Julie wanted to put some of her money aside for holidays or save up for something special.朱莉打算把她的錢拿出一部分用於度假或者存起來作特殊用途。 *People often put money aside in order to save up enough to make one major expenditure.人們常常為了一筆大的開銷而存錢。
[寫作推薦]
despite是介詞，後面可以直接跟名詞或動名詞despite sth / doing sth指「儘管」、「雖然」，比如我們在《新的一年，如何將鍛鍊堅持到底?》中遇到的一句話：Despite good intentions, success was hard to come by. 想法雖好，但成功難得；我們在《中國的消費大軍》這篇文章中也遇到了despite：儘管中國經濟放緩，消費仍舊具備活力：Despite China's economic slowdown, consumption is resilient.；在上一篇文章的標題也出現了despite：China births fall despite relaxation of one-child policy；再舉一個跟動名詞的例子 Despite applying for hundreds of jobs, he is still out of work. 儘管他申請了數百個工作，但仍然在失業中。
despite是介詞，後面只能跟名詞或動名詞，如果想跟句子，我們可以說despite the fact that … 比如 *She went to Spain despite the fact that her doctor had told her to rest.儘管醫生告訴她應該休息，她還是去了西班牙。*She was good at physics despite the fact that she found it boring.儘管她認為物理枯燥無味，她卻學得很好。
despite的用法比較簡單，大家學會後可靈活運用於自己的寫作中，despite sth 可以和in spite of sth 互換，只是despite的語氣稍輕。
為了服務於每年1,300萬的新婚夫婦，一個大型產業已然崛起。婚禮策劃越來越普遍，尤其是在城市。十年前，美國婚尚生活雜誌Cosmo Bride在中國推出其中文版《時尚新娘》。2011年，平均婚禮花費達到12,000美元（最新年度數據）——相當於城鎮居民家庭兩年多的人均收入。1990年起，平均結婚年齡增加2.5年，這給父母留下了更多攢錢的時間（儘管他們的孩子也能掙錢，他們仍然會支付婚禮花銷）。
The change in wedding frippery also reflects a fundamental shift in society. For the first time in the history of Chinese family life, the child—rather than ancestors or parents—is regarded as the centre of the family, says Yan Yunxiang of the University of California, Los Angeles. Most newly-weds now aresingle children, born since the one-child policy was introduced more than 30 years ago. Parents have more to spend if they only have to fork out for one wedding (they usually share costs with the spouse-to-be's family).
frippery [ˈfrɪpəri] n. [C, usually pl., U] (disapproving, especially BrE) an unnecessary and useless object or decoration多餘無用的東西; 花哨的裝飾品
a fundamental shift 根本變化
single / only child 獨身子女
for the first time used to say that something has never happened or been done before 初次，第一次 *For the first time in his life he felt truly happy.在他生命中，他第一次真正地感到幸福。[複習]
regard sb / sth as sth to think about someone or something in a particular way認為，看作*He was regarded as the most successful Chancellor of modern times.他被認為是現代最為成功的財政大臣。 *I regard creativity both as a gift and as a skill.我認為創造力既是一種天賦也是一種技巧。
[寫作推薦]與regard sb/sth as sth 類似的表達還有viewed sb / sth as sth，see sth as sth 等等。這些短語以及它們的被動形式be viewed as, be regarded as, be seen as 在外刊中出現頻率極高，比如：
[經濟學人.Not losing it]Banks have been slow to respond, at first seeing these risks as purely a matter for customers.銀行對此一向反應遲鈍，起初它們認為這些風險純粹是客戶個人問題。
經濟學人一篇關於範雨素的文章中，有這樣一句話：What has captured their imagination is Ms Fan’s ambition and determination, as well as her literary passion and flair—migrants from the countryside are often regarded as uncultured bumpkins. （uncultured bumpkins 指沒文化的土包子）
newly-weds n.[pl.]a man and a woman who have recently married新婚夫婦，〔一對〕新人
[寫作推薦]
fork out (for sth)| fork out sth (for/on sth) (informal) to spend a lot of money on sth, especially unwillingly（尤指不情願地）大量花錢，大把掏錢◇Why fork out for a taxi when there's a perfectly good bus service? 有挺好的公共汽車，幹嗎要多掏錢坐出租汽車？ ◇We've forked out a small fortune on their education. 我們在他們的教育上可花了不少錢。
[經濟學人.Rules of the road] In New York a vendor must obtain a two-year government permit, which requires sitting through a 15-year waiting list or shelling out as much as $25,000 to rent one on the black market.在紐約，商家必須獲得為期兩年的政府許可證，而這需要在等待名單裡等候15年，或者花費高達25,000美元從黑市租一張許可。
-to-be是一個後綴，可用於構成複合詞，意思是「即將成為…的」(in the future)，比如bride-to-be 準新娘，未婚妻 mum-to-be 準媽媽 （注意複數形式是brides-to-be, mums-to-be）
婚禮變得華而不實也反映出社會的根本性轉變。加州大學洛杉磯分校的閻雲翔 說，中國的家庭生活史上，這是第一次，孩子，而不是先輩或父母，被視為家庭的中心。由於30多年前推出的獨生子女政策，目前大多數新婚夫婦都是獨生子女。如果父母只需承擔這一場婚禮的費用，他們會付出更多（他們通常與其親家分攤此費用） 。
William Jankowiak of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, who has documented relationships in China for 30 years, says love plays a larger part in young people's lives—both in choice of partner and in their relationships with parents. Love is far more often spoken about. The result is evident in weddings, which now focus on the couple. Both sets of parents are represented, but their position is peripheral. Weddings often feature a day of wedding photos, shot before the event, with the couple in a range of outfits against romantic backgrounds, but with no family members.
document [ˈdɒk.jʊ.mənt] v. to record the details of sth記錄，記載（詳情）*The effects of smoking have been well documented.有關吸菸的影響記錄翔實。[熟詞僻義]
play a part/role in sth to have an effect or influence on something〔在某事中〕起作用，有影響 *A good diet and fitness play a large part in helping people live longer.合理的飲食和良好的健康在延長人們壽命這方面起到重要作用。
both sets of parents 雙方父母
peripheral [pəˈrɪf.ər.əl] adj.
1. Peripheral areas of land are ones which are on the edge of a larger area. 周圍的；邊緣的*peripheral regions beyond the reach of powerful rulers強大的統治者勢力範圍之外的邊緣地區 *urban development in the outer peripheral areas of large towns.大城市外圍地區的城市開發
2. ~ (to sth)(formal)not as important as the main aim, part, etc. of sth 次要的；附帶*Fund-raising is peripheral to their main activities. 對他們的主要活動而言，籌集資金是次要的。 *peripheral and boring information.無關緊要的無聊信息
feature 是一個很好用的詞，但是中文中也沒有與之對應的現成的詞彙（The word has no equivalent in Chinese），所以大家在自己寫作時，很難想起來用它。它作為動詞的基本含義是「以…為特色」、「是…的特徵」，比較生硬，我們來看英文解釋to include a particular person or thing as a special feature，我們發現，其實feature可以理解為「有…」、「包含…」，特色只是其暗含的語義。比如「我們的手錶具備多種實用而方便的性能，可以適應您的生活方式。」Our watch features a variety of practical and convenient features to fit your lifestyle.我們也經常在電影的簡介中看到feature，比如「這部電影由Emma Watson飾演一位公主。」The film features Emma Watson as a princess.[寫作推薦]
shoot-shot-shot v. [I,T] to take photographs or make a film of something拍攝*He'd love to shoot his film in Cuba.他很樂意在古巴拍攝他的影片。[一詞多義]
against the background | against a background of sth以…為背景 *Against that general background I shall give you a more detailed view of current medical practice.除了整體背景之外，我將給你們介紹當前醫療工作的更詳細的情況。*The peace talks are being held against a background of increasing violence.這次和平談判正在暴力衝突愈演愈烈的背景下進行。
拉斯維加斯內華達大學的威廉·姜克維 30 年來記錄了中國的各種關係，他說，在年輕人的生活中，無論是對伴侶的選擇還是與父母的相處，愛都日漸重要。這一結果在婚禮上顯而易見，因為現在的婚禮專注於夫妻二人，雙方父母都出席，但他們只是陪襯。婚禮現場當天通常飾以在此前拍攝的婚紗照，在浪漫的背景下，夫妻穿上一系列服裝拍攝婚紗照，但沒有家庭成員參與其中。
(The End)
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