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The Amy Adams movie called 'Leap Year' deals with a woman who can ask a man to marry her on February 29th in a leap year. But where does this tradition come from and is there any truth tothe movie's premise?
艾米.亞當斯在電影閏年中精彩演繹了女子求婚記.然而,電影里面那個關于閏年女子向男子求婚的傳說到底有幾分可信度,是否真的是有依有據呢?
Actually, leap Year has been the traditional time inmany place that women can propose marriage.
在很多地方,女人可以在閏年特定的某天向自己中意的男人求婚的.
In many of today's cultures, it is okay for a woman to propose marriage toa man. Society doesn't look down on such women. However, that hasn't alwaysbeen the case. When the rules of courtship were stricter, women were onlyallowed to pop the question on one day every four years. That day was February29th.
向男人求婚在如今的社會看來并不是什么大不了的事,更不會有人覺得女人這樣做是丟臉的行為. 然而,在過去, 女人向男人求婚絕對是不被允許的. 但是也有特例,在閏年的2月29號這一天,女人可以大膽向男人求婚.
St. Bridget's Complaint
圣布里奇特的抱怨
It is believed this tradition was started in 5thcentury Ireland when St. Bridget complained to St. Patrick about women havingto wait for so long for a man to propose. According to legend, St. Patrick saidthe yearning females could propose on this one day in February during the leapyear.
很多人相信,閏年女人允許向男人求婚的傳統開始于5世紀的愛爾蘭. 當時,修女圣布里奇特向大主教圣帕特里克抱怨,女人等男人求婚要等很久,于是,圣帕特里克決定允許女人在閏年的2月29號向男人求婚.
February 29th in English Law
英國法律對于閏年2月29號規定
According to English law, February 29th was ignoredand had no legal status. Folks assumed that traditions would also have nostatus on that day. It was also reasoned that since the leap year day existedto fix a problem in the calendar, it could also be used to fix an old and unjustcustom that only let men propose marriage.
根據英國法律規定, 閏年2月29號這一天不受法律約束.人們相信這一天,也可以不受傳統的束縛, 閏年的目的是為了彌補人為規定與地球公轉產生的差異,那么這一天同樣可以打破只能由男人想女人求婚的傳統.
The first documentation of this practicedates back to 1288, when Scotland supposedly passed a law that allowed women topropose marriage to the man of their choice in that year. Tradition states theyalso made it law that any man who declined a proposal in a leap year must pay afine. The fine could range from a kiss to payment for a silk dress or a pair ofgloves.
將閏年女人向男人求婚這個規定記錄在案的文獻可以追溯到1288年,蘇格蘭按照這個規定制訂了法律,女人在閏年的這一天向自己心儀的男人求婚,如果男人拒絕女人的求婚,男人要接受一定的責罰,責罰也許就是一給女方一個吻,或是給女方一件絲織裙或是一雙手套.
Greek Superstition
希臘人的忌諱
However,there is a Greek superstition that claims couples have bad luck if they marry during a leapyear. Apparently one in five engaged couples in Greece will avoid planningtheir wedding during a leap year.
然而在希臘,人們對閏年卻是有忌諱的,人們認為情侶在閏年結婚會招來霉運,所以5對訂婚情侶中至少有1對會避開閏年舉行婚禮.
