考研英语阅读:日本流行离婚典礼?
日本流行离婚典礼?
With porce on the rise in Japan, some couples are choosing to celebrate the end of an unhappy marriage by saying “I do” for a final time at a porce ceremony before friends and family.
日本离婚率不断上升，一些夫妇举办一种仪式来结束不愉快的婚姻生活。在离婚典礼上，他们会当着家人和朋友的面最后说一次“我愿意”。
Divorce ceremonies were pioneered about a year ago by a former salesman, Hiroki Terai, who set up a “porce mansion” in a small undercover space in Tokyo.
名叫寺井广木的销售员一年前开始提供离婚典礼这项服务，他在东京隐蔽的小场所创立了一个“离婚公馆”。
Since then about 25 couples have each paid 55,000 yen ($600) to hold a ceremony with all the pomp and grandeur of a wedding that publicly ends their relationship before they officially file for porce.
此后，有25 对夫妻来此举办了离婚典礼，典礼的隆重程度不亚于婚礼。在正式申请离婚前，这些夫妻每人愿意花费5.5 万日元（600 美元）在正式申请离婚前公开结束婚姻关系。
Terai said he had received more than 900 inquiries.
据寺井介绍，至今他已收到900 多人的询问。
The latest couple, who called themselves Mr and Mrs Fujii, met near Sensoji Temple in Tokyo’s traditional Asakusa area on Sunday and rode in separate rickshaws to the porce mansion.
最近一次离婚典礼于上周日举行。当天一对自称藤井的夫妇在东京老城区浅草区的浅草寺附近会合，之后各乘一辆人力车前往离婚公馆。
“By putting an end to our marriage, we wanted to give ourselves fresh starts and give our lives a sense of renewal,”said Mr Fujii, a 33-year-old businessman.
33 岁的商人藤井先生说：“结束这段婚姻后，我们想给自己一个新的开始，迎接新生活。”
Friends and family of the Fujii couple followed closely behind the rickshaws on foot, arriving at the porce mansion for a ceremony where the Fujiis smashed their wedding ring with a gavel, a gesture signifying the end of their partnership.
藤井夫妇的亲朋好友紧跟着人力车步行前往离婚公馆参加典礼。在典礼上，夫妻俩用木槌将结婚戒指砸碎，宣告两人关系的结束。
The gavel has a frog’s head as frogs symbolize change in Japanese culture.
在日本文化中青蛙象征着改变，因此这把木槌上有一个青蛙头。
“When we smashed the ring together, I felt like‘Oh, this is the end of it, really’and my heart and soul felt renewed.
藤井先生说：“当我们一起用力砸扁戒指时，我想‘哦，总算结束了’。那一刻我感觉心灵和灵魂都获得了新生。
Now I feel I can have a new life and start all over again,” said Mr Fujii. His wife of eight years also expressed relief.
现在我可以有新生活，一切可以重新开始了。”与他结婚八年的藤井太太也表达了同样的心情。
“The moment I saw the smashed ring, I said to myself‘, Yes! That feels so good’,” Mrs Fujii said.
她说：“当我看到砸扁的戒指时，我对自己说，‘好！这感觉太好了’”。
Divorce is on the rise in Japan, where it was once taboo,
离婚在日本曾是禁忌，如今日本的离婚率却不断攀升。
with about 251,000 porces taking place in 2008, partly blamed on the poor economy?taking its toll on?romance.
2008 年日本约有25.1 万对夫妇离婚。经济不景气要对婚姻的破裂负一定责任。
