第1644期:The cost of going to a wedding

Weddings are expensive affairs – there’s nothing new or surprising in that statement. When we talk about the costs of a wedding, we often think about the financial toll on the person paying for it. The outlay on tiered cakes, the dress with a long train, appliques and veil, and canapes at the reception can all add up. But what about the guests? The cost to your friends and family to attend.婚礼是昂贵的事情——这句话没有什么新鲜或令人惊讶的。当我们谈论婚礼的费用时，我们通常会想到支付费用的人的经济损失。分层蛋糕、长裙裾、贴花和面纱以及招待会上的开胃小菜的支出都可以加起来。但是客人呢？您的朋友和家人参加的费用。The first thing to think about when attending is the price of getting there. Even just a few hundred miles from where you live can bring some expenses – be it transport or staying in a hotel. But some people like to tie the knot in exotic locations, thinking it will make their special day even more special – on a beach in front of palm trees rather than somewhere closer to home. Going to far-flung corners of the Earth to watch the event can really be a dealbreaker for some when deciding if they can make it.参加时首先要考虑的是到达那里的价格。即使离你住的地方只有几百英里，也会带来一些费用——无论是交通还是住在酒店。但有些人喜欢在异国情调的地方结婚，认为这会让他们的特殊日子更加特别——在棕榈树前的海滩上，而不是在离家更近的地方。在决定是否能成功时，去地球的偏远角落观看赛事对于某些人来说确实是一个交易破坏者。Then there is the gift. What do you give a person on their wedding day? In some cultures, asking for money isn’t the done thing. Sometimes the bride and groom may issue a list of items they want to receive that you have to pick from. But what do you buy? And if it’s money, how much do you give them? How much is too much? These are questions all attendees face – give too little and you may cause offence, too much and you may be out of pocket. And of course, you don’t want to be outdone by a friend giving more than you.然后是礼物。你在婚礼当天给一个人什么？在某些文化中，要钱不是完成的事情。有时，新娘和新郎可能会发布一份他们想要收到的物品清单，您必须从中挑选。但是你买什么？如果是钱，你给他们多少钱？多少是太多了？这些是所有与会者都面临的问题——给得太少，你可能会冒犯，太多，你可能会赔钱。当然，你不希望朋友比你付出更多。Finally, the last thing you want to feel when going to a wedding is regret about the amount you’ve spent. If you give a good gift and spend a lot on getting there, and the event isn’t great, or the food at the reception isn’t perfect, you might feel a little resentment. Therefore, only give what you can afford to give. Weddings can be expensive for everyone concerned. But people often overlook the cost for guests. In the end, though, that special day is supposed to be a celebration of love above anything else.最后，在参加婚礼时，你最不想感受到的就是对自己花费的金额感到后悔。如果你送了一份好礼物，花了很多钱去那里，但活动不太好，或者招待会的食物不完美，你可能会感到有点不满。因此，只给予你能负担得起的。婚礼对每个人来说都是昂贵的。但人们往往忽略了客人的成本。不过，最后，那个特殊的日子应该是对爱高于一切的庆祝。词汇表affair 活动，经历toll 损失，代价outlay 开支tiered 多层的train 裙摆applique 贴花veil 面纱canape （聚会上提供的）开胃饼reception 婚礼招待会，婚宴tie the knot 喜结良缘（结婚）far-flung 遥远的dealbreaker 不做某事的决定因素the done thing 礼节，礼貌bride 新娘groom 新郎attendee 宴席嘉宾out of pocket 亏钱的，白花钱的not to be outdone 不甘示弱，不甘落后