The Proposal
求婚
The process began with an elaborate marriage proposal and acceptance.
求婚的过程始于精心设计的求婚和赞同。
This process was placed in the hands of a go-between，who acted as a medium between the two parties - a role similar to that of a real estate agent today.
这个过程由媒人主持，媒人的角色介于双方的之间，类似于现在的房地产中介。
The important parties in proposal and betrothal negotiations were the parents of the prospective bride and groom，rather than the bride and groom themselves.
在求婚和订婚的商讨环节中起重要角色的是新郎和新娘的父母，而不是新郎新娘他们。
Marriage was for continuing the ancestral line and creating alliances between families-too important a duty to be left in the rash hands of the young.Costa explains.
Costa解释说：“婚姻是为了延续香火和两家结为联盟-这责任重大到不能轻率地交给年轻人处理。”
When the boy’s parents identified a likely bride-to-be，they would send the go-between to present gifts to the girl’s parents and to sound out their feelings about the match.
当男方的双亲相中了某位闺女，他们会让媒人给女方父母捎去礼物以及联姻的想法。
If the proposal was well-received, the go-between would obtain the date and hour of the girl’s birth recorded on a formal document.
如果求婚顺利，那么媒人会将女孩的生辰八字存档。
The groom’s family would place this document on the ancestral altar for three days.
新郎的家族会将此档放在祖坛三天。
If no inauspicious omens, e. g. quarrels between the parents or a loss of property, took place within that time, the parents would give the information to a astrological expert to confirm that the young woman and their son would make a good match.
如果没有什么不详的预兆，例如父母不和或财产损失，发生在那个时期，父母会给占星师一个信号来确认女孩和自己的儿子是天作之合。
If the boy’s family found the horoscope to be favorable, they gave the boy’s birth date and hour to the go-be1ween to bring to the girl’s family, who would go through the same process.
如果男孩的家庭相信星象，他们会让媒人将自己儿子的生辰八字带给女方家庭，女方家庭也会回复女方的生辰八字。
Only after both outcomes were favorable, would the two families arrange to meet.
只有当生辰八字相配的时候，双方家庭才会互相约见。
Finally face-to-face, each family evaluated the other in terms of appearance, education, character, and social position.
最后的面对面，双方家庭都会互相考量对方的样貌，教育水平，性格，以及社会地位。
If both were satisfied they would proceed to the betrothal.
如果双方满意就会举行订亲仪式。