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Americans celebrate Valentine's Day each year on February fourteenth.
美國人在每年的2月14日慶祝情人節。
It is a holiday for lovers.
這是情人們的節日。
Valentine's Day is a good day for a man to ask his girlfriend to marry him.
情人節是男士向女友求婚的好日子。
It is also a good day for couples to get married.
同樣,情人節也是情人們結婚的好日子。
Other couples might go out for a special meal at a nice restaurant.
其他的夫婦可能會道外面找家優雅的餐廳好好吃上一餐。
The holiday is named for Saint Valentine.
情人節是以瓦倫丁命名的。
He was an early Christian churchman who reportedly helped young lovers.
他是早期的基督教徒，據說他幫助了許多年輕的情侶。
Valentine was executed for his Christian beliefs on February fourteenth, more than 1,700 years ago.
1700多年前的2月14日，瓦倫丁由于其基督教信仰而被處死了。
But the day that has his name is even older than that.
雖然情人節以瓦倫丁命名，但它的起源比這一時間還要早。
The ancient Romans celebrated a holiday for lovers more than 2,000 years ago.
2000多年前，古羅馬人就開始慶祝情人們的節日。
As part of the celebration,each girl wrote her name on a piece of paper and put it in a large container.
作為情人節慶祝活動的一部分，姑娘們把她們的名字分別寫字一張張紙條上，然后把紙條放進一個大盒子里。
Each boy reached into the container and pulled out the name of a girl.
小伙子們把手伸進盒子里抽出姑娘的名字。
That girl became his girlfriend for a year.
被抽中的姑娘就要在接下來的一年中做他的女友。
Lovers still put their names on pieces of paper on Valentine's Day.
如今，情人們仍在情人節這天把她們的名字寫在一張張紙條上。
They send each other cards that express their love.
他們互贈情人節卡片，以此表達他們的愛慕之情。
Sometimes they send other gifts, too,like jewelry... or flowers... or candy... or all three!
有時，他們也會送其他禮物，如珠寶，鮮花或是糖果，或者這三種都送。
Americans usually send cards through the mail system or in a computer message.
美國人通常會通過郵局或電子郵件寄送卡片。
But there is another way many Americans send messages of love on Valentine's Day.
在情人節這一天，許多美國人還有另外一種互訴情衷的方式。
They pay to have them printed in a newspaper.
他們花錢把要傳達的愛慕之情刊登在報紙上。
Some of these messages are simple and short:Susan, I love you very much. From John.
有的信息簡單明了:蘇珊，我非常愛你，約翰。
Others say more, like this example:David, roses are red, violets are blue.I hope you love me as much as I love you. Forever, Mary.
有的信息會長一些，比如:大衛，玫瑰是紅色的，紫羅蘭是紫色的，我希望你像我愛你那樣愛我，直到永遠，瑪麗。
There is only one problem in sending a Valentine's Day message this way.
這種表達愛意的唯一缺憾是:
It will only reach the one you love if he or she reads the newspaper that day!
如果你的愛人沒有讀當天報紙中的這欄信息，那么你的愛意就無法傳達給對方。
