Passage Three
篇章三

The period of engagement is the time between the marriage proposal and the wedding ceremony.
订婚期间就是从求婚到结婚典礼之间的一段时间。
Two people agree to marry when they decide to spend their lives together.
当两个人决定共同生活以后，他们就同意要结婚了。
The man usually gives the woman a diamond engagement ring.
男方通常会送给女方一枚钻石订婚戒指。
That tradition is said to have started when an Austrian man gave a diamond ring to the woman he wanted to marry.
据说这个传统始于一个奥地利男子，他把一枚钻戒送给了他想娶的女子。
The diamond represented beauty.
钻石代表美丽。
He placed it on the third finger of her left hand.
他把它戴在女子左手无名指上。
He chose that finger because it was thought that the blood vessel in that finger went directly to the heart.
他选择这根手指，是因为这根手指的血管被认为会直通心脏。
Today we know that this is not true, yet the tradition continues.
虽然现在我们知道这不是真的，但这个传统仍在延续。
Americans generally are engaged for a period of about one year if they are planning a wedding ceremony and a party.
通常，如果美国人要筹划婚礼和聚会的话，他们订婚时间大约为期一年。
During this time, friends of the bride may hold a party at which women friends and family members give the bride gifts that she will need as a wife.
在此期间，新娘的朋友可能会举行一个派对，女性朋友和家人会来这个派对给新娘送一些礼物，以便她为人妻时所需。
These could include cooking equipment or new clothing.
这些礼物会包括厨具或新衣。
Friends of the man who is getting married may have a bachelor party for him.
准新郎的朋友可能会为他举行一个单身派对。
This usually takes place the night before the wedding.
这一般在婚礼前一天晚上举行。
Only men are invited to the bachelor party.
只有男性会被邀请到单身派对上。
During the marriage ceremony, the bride and her would-be husband usually exchange gold rings that represent the idea that their union will continue forever.
在结婚仪式上，通常新娘和她的准新郎会交换金戒指，这个戒指代表着他们情比金坚。
The wife often wears both the wedding ring and the engagement ring on the same finger.
新娘常常把结婚戒指和订婚戒指戴在同一手指上。
The husband wears his ring on the third finger of his left hand.
新郎把戒指戴在他的左手无名指上。
Many people say the purpose of the engagement period is to permit enough time to plan the wedding.
很多人说订婚期的目的是让人有充裕的时间来筹备婚礼。
But the main purpose is to let enough time pass, so the two people are sure they want to marry each other.
但是主要目的其实是留有足够时间让订婚二人确定他们是真的想以身相许。
Either person may decide to break the engagement, if this happens, the woman usually returns the ring to the man.
其中任何一方都取消婚约，一旦婚约取消，女方通常会把戒指还给男方。
They also return any wedding gifts they have received.
他们也将返还收到的任何结婚礼物。

Questions 23 to 25 are based on the passage you have just heard.
根据你刚才听到的篇章，回答23至25题。
Question 23. What was the diamond ring said to represent?
问题23．据说钻戒代表什么？
Question 24. Why did the Austrian man place the diamond ring on the third finger of the left hand of his would-be wife?
问题24. 为什么这位奥地利男子把钻戒戴在准新娘的左手无名指上？
Question 25. What is the chief advantage of having the engagement period?
问题25. 订婚期的主要优点在于什么？