Dear Annie:

My girlfriend and I have been together for three years. When we first started dating, "Mary" unexpectedly became pregnant and we now have a beautiful child who is our life's joy. I would like to ask Mary to become my wife. Here's the problem: Money is pretty tight with a toddler, so buying an expensive engagement ring will be difficult. Is cubic zirconium worth looking into? I thought I'd get a nice-looking CZ ring and, when things settle down, maybe replace it with a real diamond.
我和女友在一起已经3年了，当我面刚开始约会时，"Mary"意外地怀孕了，我们现在有了一个漂亮的小孩，孩子给我们生活带来了很多乐趣。我想向Mary求婚。问题在于:要养一个小孩钱很拮据，所以买一个昂贵的订婚戒指是很难的。能考虑买铝合金戒指吗？我愿想买一个漂亮的铝合金戒指，当事情定下来后，用真的砖石戒指来替换。

My initial thought is to be upfront with Mary and tell her. Do you think that's a good idea? We have a joint checking account, so she'll know all about my purchases. Is there a good way to mask how much the ring costs? － Perplexed in the Midwest
我最开始想和Mary直说。你认为这样做好吗？我们的账户是2人共有的，她会知道我买什么东西了，有好办法来掩饰戒指的花销吗？

Dear Perplexed:

Don't lie to Mary about the value of the ring. Women can be very understanding about not getting a diamond, but they don't like being fooled. And if you are serious about replacing the ring later, it doesn't matter what the original is made from. As for hiding the cost, you can put aside small amounts of cash until you have enough to purchase the ring and Mary will never know what you paid for it. P.S.: Best wishes on your upcoming engagement.
戒指的价值不要和Mary撒谎。女人们对不买砖石戒指是可以理解的，但是她们不喜欢被欺骗。如果你真的想事后换下了，那最先的戒指是什么材料都不重要。至于隐藏花销，你可以先却出小笔钱知道你有足够的钱来购买戒指，Mary从不会知道你用这些钱买什么了。祝福你们婚礼。

【生词注释】
unexpectedly (adv.) 意外地；突然地

toddler (n.) 幼儿；刚学步的小孩

engagement (n.) 订婚；约会

look into 研究；考虑

to settle down 稳定；安身

to be upfront 直接；坦白

purchase (n.) 购买；採购

perplexed (adj.) 令人困惑的；麻烦的

to be fooled 被欺骗；遭愚弄

upcoming (adj.) 接近的；即将来临的