The Wedding Ceremony
婚礼

A wedding is a ceremony where people are united in marriage. Wedding traditions and customs vary greatly between cultures, ethnic groups, religions, countries, and social classes. Most wedding ceremonies involve an exchange of wedding vows by the couple, presentation of a gift (rings, symbolic item, flowers, money), and a public proclamation of marriage by an authority figure or leader. Special wedding garments are often worn, and the ceremony is sometimes followed by a wedding reception. Music, poetry, prayers or readings from religious texts or literature are also commonly incorporated into the ceremony.
婚礼是庆祝新人结合的一种仪式，由于各国文化、民族、宗教、国家和社会阶层的差异，婚礼举行的方式也截然不同。大多数婚礼上新人会交换结婚誓言，互送礼物(如戒指、象征物、鲜花或钱等)，由一位官方人士或权威人物宣布婚礼生效。婚礼当天新人会穿上特定的服饰，仪式之后有时会举行一场婚宴。婚礼仪式上，通常还伴随着音乐、诗歌、祷告或朗诵宗教经典及文学作品等一系列活动。

A number of cultures have adopted the traditional Western custom of the white wedding, in which a bride wears a white wedding dress and veil. This tradition was popularized through the wedding of Queen Victoria. Some say Victoria's choice of a white gown may have simply been a sign of extravagance, but may have also been influenced by the values she held which emphasized sexual purity.
现代许多国家采用西方白色婚礼的传统风俗，新娘穿戴纯白的婚纱和头纱。这种风俗起源于维多利亚女王时代，有人认为选择白色婚服仅仅是维多利亚炫富的体现，但这与她宣扬的女性贞操观也不无联系。

The use of a wedding ring has long been part of religious weddings in Europe and America. One possible origin is the Roman belief in the Vena Amoris, which was believed to be a blood vessel that ran from the fourth finger (ring finger) directly to the heart, thus when a couple wore rings on this finger their hearts were connected.
婚戒的使用在欧洲和美国一直是宗教婚礼的一部分。有一种说法是这项传统来自古罗马人，因为他们相信无名指是“爱的静脉”的开始，并最终流入心脏。如果新人将戒指佩戴到这个手指上，那他们的心就会连在一起。