2019年CATTI二级笔译英译汉：婚礼篇
Wasting Money On A Wedding Vs. Wasting
挥霍：为婚礼?还是为自己?
Everyone knows that weddings—the most elaborate and costly form of old school pageantry still acceptable in modern society—are stupid expensive. But it turns out Americans are now blowing even more money than ever before on what’s supposed to be the most magical day of any couple’s life together. Money that, to be honest, could be spent on much, much cooler stuff.
每个人都清楚婚礼贵的荒唐至极，这种形式繁琐且花费高昂的老掉牙庆典方式仍然为现代社会所接受 。本应该是夫妻婚姻生活中最为美妙的一天却让美国人挥霍掉比以往任何时候都要多的银子。老实讲，那些银钱本来可以用来干许多更酷的事情。
The Knot released its annual wedding survey this week, with findings showing that couples are spending a mind-numbing average of $32,641 on matrimonial celebrations. The study includes data from nearly 18,000 pairs across the country. While the cost of a wedding varied greatly from city to city—reaching a nauseating high of $82,300 in Manhattan—the price was steep no matter where couples chose to get hitched. All this despite the fact that weddings (and marriages in general, honestly) can be a fairly impractical thing to invest in. Seriously, even 50 Cent doesn’t spend as much in a day as you’re spending on a reception band alone. Think about that.
本周，爱结网发布了年度婚庆行业调查报告，调查发现，时下每对夫妇在婚礼上的平均花费达到令人震惊的32,641美金。研究涵盖了来自全美各地将近18,000夫妇 的数据。尽管婚庆的花消因不同城市而有很大的差异-在曼哈顿这个数字甚至达到了令人厌恶的82,300美金-无论新人在哪里喜结连理，价格就是那么的不合情理。 所有这些无视这样一个事实，那就是：投资婚礼本身就是一件相当不靠谱事情(老实讲，婚姻本身大体也是这样一回事)。说真的，歌手“50分儿”一天的花费也不及你在婚礼庆典上迎宾乐队一项上的开支。想想看，不是么?
So rather than buying into the Marriage Industrial Complex on a union that may or may not work out, wouldn’t it make more sense to save your hard-earned money by forgoing the big ceremony for the major expenses you’re likely to face in married life? You know, like a mortgage. Or braces for your wallet-draining children-to-be. And if your fianceé is dead set on a fairytale wedding? You could always just blow your financial load on a plenty fulfilling single life.
与其为了一个未必有好结果的结合而“投资”给婚庆产业公司，倒不如放弃这样的大阵仗，将节省下来的辛苦钱用到将来婚姻生活中更重要的支出上面，这样不是更有意义? 你懂的，比如，房贷，再如，为你那“穷尽你荷包”的孩子们戴上牙箍。如果你的女友坚持要拥有一个童话般的婚礼呢?你也只有将银子挥霍在那令人惬意的单身生活上。
With nearly $33,000 to spend in the life of a singledom, you could get pretty far when it comes to amenities and entertainment. Perhaps the best part of being free from the shackles of wedding planning is the opportunity to treat yourself. Like, why drop $1,400 on a frilly dress you’ll wear once before it turns to moth food when you can rock the most expensive shoes of the season and look great doing it?
在单身生活中有了可供支配的33,000美金，当谈到舒适和消遣的事情，你总可以应付自如。远离婚礼策划的桎梏，这事最美的之处在于，你有机会犒赏自己。比如，当你可以脚踏本季最贵的鞋子并且看起来神采奕奕，何必还要去花费1,400美金去买一件只穿一次而后就被蛀掉的裙装?
And while weddings are supposed to be all about the happy couple, everyone knows that’s bull, because you have to feed your guests and provide them entertainment and put a roof over their heads for a couple of hours and likely go into debt doing it. But screw it. Here’s a modest proposal: instead of shelling out nearly $600 on a tiered fondant monstrosity for your guests, you could always splurge on a year’s worth of Brazilian bikini waxes. As the saying goes: Let them eat cake.
婚礼的主角理应是快乐的夫妻，每个人都知道这是屁话，你要为宾客供给这几个小时的食物，娱乐消遣以及栖身之所，并且因此而负债累累。算了，不说这些了。给你一个小小的建议，与其花费将近600美金，为来宾准备多层方旦糖怪物，不如将它挥霍在足够一年使用的巴西比基尼蜡上面。还是那句名言，任由他们去吃蛋糕吧!
In addition to simply having fun, there are some more practical ways to spend your wedding purse as well. For instance, purchasing and providing for a nice house cat rather than dropping major dough on finger bling intended for fending off hotties for the rest of your life. Fluffy won’t care if you bring home someone new every weekend—he’ll just hate everyone indiscriminately. Or you could save money on that expensive ceremony venue by purchasing your own funeral casket. Sure, you don’t get to take that momentous walk down the aisle, but what’s that worth, really, when we all die alone?
除了直截了当拥有欢乐，同时还有一些更有效方式使用你的婚礼资金。比如，购买并豢养一只家猫，而不是花大价钱购置豪华戒指-足以让那些辣妹对你敬而远之。然而，毛茸茸的小猫才不在乎你是否会在每个周末带回陌生人- 他就是那样一视同仁地“敌视”每个人。再有，去买一副棺材，以此节省昂贵的庆典场地费用。当然，你不会籍此而步入婚礼殿堂，但当我们孤独老去，婚礼又价值几何?
