ChinesePod
@ 30516 Chinese Wedding Customs
A: 我剛收到一張結婚請帖。
woˇ ga¯ ng sho¯ uda`o y¯ı zha¯ ng jie´hu¯ n qˇıngtieˇ.
I’ve just received a wedding invitation.
B: 是嗎？你在中國喝過喜灑嗎？
sh`ı ma? nˇı za`i Zho¯ ngguo´
he¯
guo xˇıjiuˇ
ma?
Really? Have you attended a wedding reception in China before?
A: 沒有。所以我特別興奮。這裡的喜灑是什麼樣子
的？
me´iyoˇu. suoˇyˇı woˇ ya`ngzi de?
te`bie´
x¯ıngfe`n. zhe`lˇı de xˇıjiuˇ
sh`ı she´nme
No, I haven’t, so I’m especially excited. What are wedding receptions in China like?
B: 首先，新郎、新娘會站在飯店門門迎接客人。
shoˇuxia¯ n, x¯ınla´ng, x¯ınnia´ng hu`ı zha`nza`i fa`ndia`n me´nkoˇu
y´ıngjie¯ ke`ren.
First the groom and the bride will stand at the entrance of the restaurant to receive their guests.
A: 啊？ 他們是那天的男女主角。怎麼能站在門門
呢？
a´? ta¯ men sh`ı na`tia¯ n de na´nnuˇ¨ me´nkoˇu ne?
zhuˇjue´. zeˇnme ne´ng zha`nza`i
Huh? They have the lead role that day. How can they stand at the entrance?
B: 這你就不懂了。中國人覺得客人來喝喜灑是給你
面子，所以新人一定要在門門招呼客人。
zhe`
nˇı jiu`
bu`
doˇng le. zho¯ ngguo´re´n jue´de ke`ren la´i he¯
xˇı-
jiuˇ sh`ı geˇi nˇı mia`nzi, suoˇyˇı x¯ınre´n y¯ıd`ıng ya`o za`i me´nkoˇu
zha¯ ohu ke`ren.
You don’t understand. Chinese people feel that the guest coming to attend their wedding reception gives them face. So the newlyweds definitely have to greet their guests at the door.
A: 哦，是這樣。怪不得新郎新娘要給每一桌敬灑。
那要喝多少啊？
o, sh`ı zhe`ya`ng. gua`ibude x¯ınla´ng x¯ınnia´ng ya`o geˇi meˇi y¯ı
zhuo¯
j`ıngjiuˇ. na`
ya`o he¯
duo¯ shaˇo a?
Oh, that’s why. No wonder the groom and the bride have to propose a toast at each table. If it’s like that, how much do they have to drink?
B: 這主要是伴郎、伴娘的任務。不過現在客人也不
太會逼著他們喝。
zhe`
zhuˇya`o sh`ı ba`nla´ng, ba`nnia´ng de re`nwu. bu`guo`
xia`nza`i
ke`ren yeˇ bu`ta`i hu`ı b¯ı zhe ta¯ men he¯ .
That’s mainly the job of the best man and bridesmaid. But nowadays the guests won’t really force them to drink.
A: 是啊。婚禮應該高高興興，喝醉了多難受。哎，
紅包要包多少？
sh`ı a. hu¯ nlˇı y¯ıngga¯ i ga¯ oga¯ ox`ıngx`ıng, he¯ zu`ı le duo¯ a¯ i, ho´ngba¯ o ya`o ba¯ o duo¯ shaˇo?
na´nsho`u.
Yeah. The wedding should be joyful, getting drunk is really unpleasant. Hey, how much money should we give in the red envelope?
B: 那要看你和新郎新娘的關係。不過三五百一定要
的。
na`
ya`o ka`n nˇı he´
x¯ınla´ng x¯ınnia´ng de gua¯ nxi. bu`guo`
sa¯ nwuˇ
baˇi y¯ıd`ıng ya`o de.
That depends on your relationship to the groom and the bride. But at least three to five hundred.
A: 這麼多？
zhe`me duo¯ ?
That much?
B: 是啊。不過在鬧洞房的時候你可以藉機整整他們。
sh`ı a. bu`guo` za`i na`o do`ngfa´ng de sh´ıhou nˇı keˇyˇı jie`j¯ı zheˇng-
zheng ta¯ men.
Yeah. But when they are hazing the groom and the bride you can take the opportunity to make them suffer.
A: 好主意。哎，我該怎樣祝賀他們？
haˇo zhuˇyi. a¯ i, woˇ
ga¯ i zeˇnya`ng zhu`he`
ta¯ men?
Good plan. Hey, how should I congradulate them?
B: 白頭偕老。就是祝他們相愛到老的意思。
ba´ito´uxie´laˇo. jiu`sh`ı zhu` ta¯ men xia¯ ng a`i da`o laˇo de y`ısi.
“Live to a ripe old age in marital bliss.” It means you wish them love until they are old.
A: 白頭偕老, 白頭偕老。 記住了。
ba´ito´uxie´laˇo, ba´ito´uxie´laˇo. j`ızhu le.
“Live to a ripe old age in marital bliss. Live to a ripe old age in marital bliss.” I’ve got it.
---Key Vocabulary---
請帖 qˇıngtieˇ written invitation
喜灑 xˇıjiuˇ wedding feast
面子 mia`nzi face
敬灑 j`ıngjiuˇ to propose a toast
逼 b¯ı to force
鬧洞房 na`o do`ngfa´ng to haze newlyweds
藉機 jie`j¯ı to seize the opportu- nity
整 zheˇng to make fun of
白頭偕老 ba´ito´uxie´laˇo live to a ripe old age in
marital bliss
---Supplementary Vocabulary---
喜糖 xˇıta´ng sweets presented at a wedding
嫁妝 jia`zhuang dowry
禮金 lˇıj¯ın cash gift
早生貴子 zaˇoshe¯ nggu`ızˇı give birth to a son soon
永結同心 yoˇngjie´to´ngx¯ın always be of one mind
百年好合 baˇinia´nhaˇohe´
a long-lasting harmo- nious union
度蜜月 du`
m`ıyue`
to go on a honeymoon
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