(单词翻译:单击)
听力文本
Questions to Ask Before You Marry
From VOA Learning English, this is the Health & Lifestyle report.
Marriage. Is it a romantic situation with some practical parts? Or it is a practical situation with some romantic parts?
Couples and cultures differ. But experts on marriage warn that, in general, romantic love – you know, that excited feeling you have at the beginning of a relationship – lasts only for about a year. As the relationship continues, partners need to make sure they can still live together happily. In other words, they need to be compatible.
But how do you know if you are compatible with someone? Like in a job interview, you need to ask questions.
Several websites suggest questions you should ask your future bride or groom. We have collected here some of the ones that appear most often.
What kind of debt do you have?
A 2018 poll by the Pew Research Center found that money is one of the top five things couples fight about. Before tying the knot – another way of saying "getting married" – you should talk to your partner about any money each of you owes – such as student loans, house or car payments.
One reason to talk about debt is because married couples may want to make a costly purchase together, such as a house. Debt could limit your ability to do so.
And do not forget about credit card debt. This probably tells more about a person's relationship with money than any other kind of debt. That leads us to our next question.
What are your spending habits?
Some people are good at saving money. They take comfort in having extra in the bank. Others are good at spending money. Shopping, for them, can bring comfort.
If you and your partner spend money differently it could lead to conflict. Now is a good time to talk about savings, budgets and how you will handle your finances together.
How do you feel about a clean house?
Cleaning up around the house may not seem like a big deal. However, the same poll noted earlier found that 62 percent of all Americans said sharing household duties is important to a successful marriage. How will you and your partner divide them?
When talking about cleaning the house, there is another related question.
How do you feel about clutter?
For some people, living in a house with things everywhere can be very stressful. Other people have a hard time throwing anything away. It is important to know how you and your partner will deal with the everyday stuff of life.
How much time do you spend on social media or other technology?
Some people can spend hours on Facebook or playing video games. Other people hate using their time in such a way. Maybe they like to go hiking or play an instrument for hours instead.
So, at the heart of this question is this simpler but all-important one: "How do you like to spend your time?" Couples who share the same interests — whatever they may be — are more likely to succeed at being married.
Do you want children?
Okay, whether or not to have children is a big question.
In marriage, many areas are negotiable. Couples can find a compromise. However, the question of whether or not to have children is not one of these areas. For many people the issue of children can be a deal-breaker.
So, find out before you walk down the aisle, find out if you both have the same expectations about babies – yes, no, how many and when?
Have you ever been arrested? If you have ... for what?
This may sound obvious. But you may be surprised by what you learn. Before you marry someone, it is a good idea to find out if your partner has a criminal record.
But keep in mind that not having an arrest record may simply mean that they have never been caught. So, while you are on the topic, you could also ask about a history of gambling, overusing alcohol or drugs or, perhaps, violence.
How much time alone do you need to be happy?
You can't spend every minute together. Or can you? Best to ask.
Some people are most happy when they are around others. In fact, some people hate to be alone. But other people may need large amounts of time by themselves.
It is important to share where you fall on this line. Some people may take it personally if their partner does not want to be with them all the time. And the people who need to be alone may feel trapped by being with someone day in and day out, even if it is someone they love.
These are just some of the questions you may want to ask before getting married. These topics may be uncomfortable. But a couple hours of feeling uncomfortable is better than a lifetime of conflict.
Also, experts warn to be careful of someone who does not want to answer questions such as these. That is perhaps the greatest warning sign of all.
And that's the Health & Lifestyle report.
I'm Anna Matteo.
And I'm Bryan Lynn. Happy Valentine's Day!
Love and marriage
Love and marriage
Go together like a horse and carriage
This I'll tell you, brother,
You can't have one without the other...
重点解析
重点讲解:
1. be compatible with 能和谐相处的;合得来的;
I'm compatible with my partner.
我和我的搭档很合得来 。
2. tie the knot 结合;结婚;
Len t ied the knot with Kate five years ago.
莱恩5年前和凯特结婚了 。
3. throw away 扔掉,丢掉(废弃物);
I never throw anything away.
我什么东西都不舍得扔 。
4. walk down the aisle 婚礼的仪式;
He was in no hurry to walk down the aisle.
他并不急于结婚 。
参考译文
结婚前要问的问题
这里是VOA慢速英语健康生活报道 。
婚姻 。这是拥有实践部分的浪漫场景?还是拥有浪漫部分的实际情况?
夫妻和文化存在不同 。但是婚姻专家警告称,通常来说,浪漫的爱情——这种在恋爱关系初期的兴奋感——只能持续一年左右 。随着恋爱关系的持续,伴侣需要确保他们仍能幸福地生活在一起 。换句话说,他们要互相适应 。
不过,怎么能知道是否适合对方?就像参加求职面试一样,你要问几个问题 。
多家网站对你应该向未来的新娘或新郎提出的问题给出了建议 。我们收集了一些最常出现的问题 。
你有哪种债务?
皮尤研究中心2018年进行的一项民调发现,钱是引发夫妻争吵的五大问题之一 。在喜结连理之前——这是结婚的另一种说法——你应该和你的另一半谈谈彼此的债务,比如助学贷款、房贷或车贷 。
谈论债务的其中一个原因是,已婚夫妻可能想一起购买昂贵的东西,比如房子 。而债务会限制你们的购买能力 。
不要忘了信用卡欠款 。与其他债务相比,这可能更能说明一个人与钱的关系 。这就引出了下一个问题 。
你有哪些消费习惯?
一些人很擅长存钱 。将多余的钱存进银行令他们感觉安心 。其他人则擅长花钱 。对他们来说,购物可以带来安慰 。
如果你和另一半的消费观不一样,那可能会引发冲突 。现在是商量储蓄、预算以及未来如何管理资金的适当时机 。
你对打扫房屋有什么想法?
整理房屋可能看起来不是什么重要的事情 。但是,刚才提到的那项民调发现,62%的美国人认为,分担家务是成功婚姻的关键 。你和你的另一半要如何分担家务?
就打扫房屋来说,还有一个相关问题 。
你怎么看杂乱?
对有些人来说,生活在到处都是东西的房子里可能会备感压力 。其他人则不想扔掉任何东西 。了解你和另一半会如何处理日常生活中的物品很重要 。
你在社交媒体或其他技术性设备上花费的时间是多少?
一些人可能会花数个小时浏览脸谱网或玩电子游戏 。其他人则讨厌以这种方式使用时间 。也许他们喜欢花数个小时的时间去徒步或演奏乐器 。
这个问题的核心相对简单但却十分重要:“你想如何使用时间?”拥有共同兴趣的伴侣,无论是什么兴趣,更可能获得成功的婚姻 。
你想要孩子吗?
是否要孩子是重要的问题 。
在婚姻中,许多问题都可以协商 。夫妻可以寻找折衷方法 。但是,这并不包括是否要孩子这个问题 。对许多人来说,孩子可能成为婚姻破裂的主要原因 。
因此,在步入婚姻前解决这个问题,看看是否双方对孩子有同样的期待——是还是否,想要几个孩子,何时要孩子?
你曾经被逮捕过吗?如果有,是因为何事?
这听起来可能是显而易见的 。但是你得到的答案可能会令你感到震惊 。在和某人结婚前,最好了解清楚另一半是否有犯罪记录 。
记住,没有逮捕记录可能只是表明他们从未被抓住 。因此,在谈论这个话题时,你还可以问问对方是否曾赌博、过量饮酒、吸毒或是使用暴力 。
为了获得幸福,你需要多少独处时间?
你们不可能每时每刻都在一起 。或者,你们可以吗?最好问问 。
对有些人来说,和其他人在一起是他们最幸福的时刻 。实际上,有些人讨厌独自一人 。但是其他人可能需要大量独处时间 。
重要的是了解彼此的想法 。一些人可能会介意另一半不想和他们一直在一起 。而对需要独处时间的人来说,一天24个小时都和其他人在一起会让他们感到压抑,即使那是他们爱的人 。
以上只是你可能想在结婚之前询问的其中一些问题 。这些问题可能会令人感到不舒服 。但是几个小时的不舒服总好过持续一生的冲突 。
另外,专家警告称,要小心那些不想回答这些问题的人 。这可能是最重要的警告信号 。
以上是健康生活报道 。
我是安娜·马迪奥 。
我是布莱恩·林恩 。情人节快乐!
爱情与婚姻
爱情与婚姻
就像马和马车 。
兄弟,我告诉你
二者缺一不可
译文为可可英语翻译,未经授权请勿转载!