[双语]婚礼开销：爱情不能承受之重

Weddings are not only about love; they`re also about money.
婚礼不只关乎爱情，也关乎金钱。

To celebrate this important event in their lives, members of the post-80s generation in Shanghai are facing huge costs, which are rivaling those in the United States and Europe, a recent survey has revealed.
最近一项调查显示，上海地区80后为婚姻大事开销之巨大，已超过了欧美地区的水平。

The survey, conducted by Shanghai Chan Link International Inc, a Shanghai-based wedding service provider, found that in line with the growing affluence of the Chinese people, the cost of a middle to high-end wedding ceremony in Shanghai is as high as 400,000 yuan ($61,000).
开展这项调查的上海庆联会议展览有限公司是专门提供婚庆服务的公司。调查结果显示，随着中国人腰包渐渐鼓起来，上海地区中高端标准的婚礼花费也已高达40万人民币，折合美元6.1万。

"I want to have the best wedding I can afford," said 26-year-old Gao Jimin, an office worker in Shanghai who planned to spend at least 400,000 yuan on her wedding in October. She said she had already spent about 7,000 yuan on her wedding dress, and planned to spend 300,000 yuan on the banquet and another 130,000 yuan on rings.
26岁的上海办公室职员高继敏（音译）计划花费至少40万元在她今年十月的婚礼上。 她说：“我要办我能办的最好的婚礼”她说她已经花了近七千元买婚纱，并准备在酒席上花三十万，钻戒上花十三万。

"I know the cost of my wedding is a bit higher than the average, but it is the event of a lifetime," she said. "I am willing to pay for it."
“我知道我在婚礼上的花费比一般人高些，但毕竟这是一辈子的大事。花再多的钱也心甘情愿。”

However, not all younger people can afford a luxury wedding.
然而，不是所有年轻人都能承受得起奢华的婚礼。

"A wedding is an expensive event, but we have to do it anyway," said 29-year-old fashion designer Xu Juncheng, who will also get married in October.
同样今年十月结婚的29岁时尚设计师徐俊成（音译）说：“办婚礼确实很耗钱，但也得办。”

Xu spent a year planning his wedding. "We went to every wedding fair we could to get the best price," he said.
徐先生说自己花了一年时间做婚礼策划，“我们看了很多场婚礼博览会,想寻找最优的价格。”

Xu said the budget for his wedding is about 120,000 to 150,000 yuan, which includes almost everything from photos, to the banquet and the honeymoon.
他的结婚预算在12-15万元，包括从婚纱照，婚宴到蜜月游的接近全部事项。

"Several sections in the wedding ceremony are required by our parents, who set standards such as hotel classes. We only decided on details," he said.
“双方父母对婚礼仪式一些部分有很多讲究，例如酒店的星级。只有细节问题由我们自己决定。”

In China, a complete wedding includes photography, the marriage ceremony, the banquet, dresses, wedding rings and honeymoon. Sometimes a new apartment and car is compulsory, depending on the couple`s financial circumstances.
在国内，一场完整的婚礼包括拍婚纱照，婚礼，婚宴，婚纱，钻戒和蜜月。根据双方的经济条件，有时还得有新房和新车。

An anonymous consultant at Wedding Story, a Shanghai-based wedding service company, told China Daily that the cost of a wedding is growing every year.
上海薇婷故事婚庆公司的一位顾问向中国日报记者透露，结婚花费保持着年年上升的趋势。

"We`ve arranged a wedding that cost as high as 800,000 yuan," she said. "The couple hosted a banquet for at least 1,000 guests. A table of 10 guests cost 10,000 yuan on average. "Usually the parents pay for the wedding. Few younger people can afford to pay for their own weddings. "Also, in China a wedding ceremony is largely a way for the couple`s parents to demonstrate their financial status."
“我们策划过一场花费80万的婚礼。酒席请了上千人，平均每桌花费一万元左右。婚礼的费用通常都是父母掏的，现在的年轻人很少有能自己负担得起的。而且，在中国，对双方父母而言，婚礼讲的是排场。”

The consultant said although most young people prefer stylish weddings, the final decisions are usually made by their parents. She also said the normal price for a wedding in her company is about 200,000 yuan.
她还说，尽管多数年轻人喜欢时尚的婚礼，但最终还是由父母说了算。她的公司策划的婚礼，一般而言，花费在20万左右。

"With wedding cars, rings and other small gifts for guests, 400,000 yuan is a reasonable price," she said. "We served more than 200 couples last year."
“加上婚车，婚戒，还有给来宾的小礼物，40万算是较合理的价格了。去年我们就主持了200多场婚礼。”