"I do." To Americans those two words carry great meaning. They can even change your life. Especially if you say them at your own wedding. Making wedding vows is like signing a contract. Now Americans don't really think marriage is a business deal. But marriage is serious business.

　 「我愿意」这句话对美国人而言具有重大意义，它甚至可以改变你的生命，特別是当你在自己的婚礼上说出这句话时，在婚礼中所发的誓言就如同签订契约一样，美国人并不是真把婚姻当作商业交易，但是，结婚确实是件严肃的事情。

　　It all begins with engagement. Traditionally, a young man asks the father of his sweetheart for permission to marry her. If the father agrees, the man later proposes to her. Often he tries to surprise her by "popping the question" in a romantic way.

　　结婚是从订婚开始，在传统上，年轻人会请求他的女朋友的父亲允许他娶她，如果女方的父亲答应，之后方可向女方求婚。通常男方会试着以罗曼蒂克的方式「提出这个问题」以带给女方惊喜。

　　Sometimes the couple just decides together that the time is right to get married. The man usually gives his fiancee a diamond ring as a symbol of their engagement. They may be engaged for weeks, months or even years. As the big day approaches, bridal showers and bachelor's parties provide many useful gifts. Today many couples also receive counseling during engagement. This prepares them for the challenges of married life.

　　有时候双方会觉得现在结婚正是时候，于是男方通常会送女方钻戒做为互订终身的象征。他们可能订婚几个星期、几个月，甚至几年，当大喜的日子接近时，贺礼赠送会和单身汉俱乐部都会赠送许多实用的礼物。今天有许多订婚的男女在订婚期间接受咨询服务，这是为了让他们有准备接受婚姻生活的挑战。

　　At last it's time for the wedding. Although most weddings follow long-held traditions, there's still room for American individualism. For example, the usual place for a wedding is in a church. But some people get married outdoors in a scenic spot. A few even have the ceremony while skydiving or riding on horseback! The couple may invite hundreds of people or just a few close friends. They choose their own style of colors, decorations and music during the ceremony. But some things rarely change. The bride usually wears a beautiful, long white wedding dress. She traditionally wears "something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue." The groom wears a formal suit or tuxedo. Several close friends participate in the ceremony as attendants, including the best man and the maid of honor.

　　最后就是婚礼了，虽然大多的婚礼仍沿袭长久以来的传统，但是美国人的个人主义仍有其空间，例如，通常婚礼的地点是在教堂，但是有些人却是到戶外的风景区结婚，有些人甚至是跳伞或骑马结婚！双方可能邀请上百人或者只是一些熟朋友，婚礼的顏色风格，布置和音乐都由他们自己决定，但有些事是不太会变的；新娘通常都穿著美丽的白色结婚礼服，按照传统她必须穿的衣服上包括了：一些旧的，一些新的，一些借来的，及一些蓝色的东西。新郎则穿着正式的西装或燕尾晚礼服，几位熟朋友参加婚礼并协助帮忙，包括了伴郎和伴娘。

　　As the ceremony begins, the groom and his attendants stand with the minister, facing the audience. Music signals the entrance of the bride's attendants, followed by the beautiful bride. Nervously, the young couple repeats their vows. Traditionally, they promise to love each other "for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health." But sometimes the couple has composed their own vows. They give each other a gold ring to symbolize their marriage commitment. Finally the minister announces the big moment: "I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss your bride!"

　　当典礼开始时，新郎和伴郎和牧师站在一起，面对观众，音乐一起，表示伴娘入场，后面就跟着美丽的新娘。年轻的男女双方紧张地跟着说出他们的誓言，传统上而言，他们会承诺要彼此相爱，「不论好、坏、贫、富、生病时或健康时」，但是有时候，他们也可能自己编一套自己的誓言，他们互赠金戒指以此表示结婚的承诺，最后牧师宣布这重大的时刻：「我现在宣布你们成为夫妻，你可以亲吻你的新娘！」

　　At the wedding reception, the bride and groom greet their guests. Then they cut the wedding cake and feed each other a bite. Guests mingle while enjoying cake, punch and other treats. Later the bride throws her bouquet of flowers to a group of single girls. Tradition says that the one who catches the bouquet will be the next to marry. During the reception, playful friends "decorate" the couple's car with tissue paper, tin cans and a "Just Married" sign. When the reception is over, the newlyweds run to their "decorated" car and speed off. Many couples take a honeymoon, a one- to two-week vacation trip, to celebrate their new marriage.

　　在结婚宴会上，新娘新郎向宾客问候．然后切结婚蛋糕并互相喂对方一口。宾客们在享受蛋糕、饮料及其他的食物时就混在一起交谈。之后新娘将捧花投向一群单身女孩，传统说接到捧花的女孩会成为下一位新娘。在婚宴上，爱闹的朋友用面纸、铝罐和「新婚」标志「装饰」礼车，宴会结束后，新婚的小俩口就跑向他们「装饰完成」的礼车，迅速地离开，许多夫妻会去渡蜜月，就是一至二星期的假期以庆祝他们的新婚。

　　Almost every culture has rituals to signal a change in one's life. Marriage is one of the most basic life changes for people of all cultures. So it's no surprise to find many traditions about getting married . . . even in America. Yet each couple follows the traditions in a way that is uniquely their own.

　　几乎每一种文化都有仪式来表示一个人生命中的改变。结婚对于所有文化的人而言是一生中最重要的大事之一，所以会有这么多婚礼的习俗就不足为奇了，美国也不例外。然而每对新人都以自己认为独特的方式来跟随传统。