Wedding custom around the world (1)

Early African American：Jumping the Broom1) In the times of slavery2) in this country, African American couples were not allowed to formally marry and live together. To make a public declaration3) of their love and commitment, a man and woman jumped over a broom into matrimony4), to the beat of drums. （The broom has long held significant meaning for the various Africans, symbolizing the start of home-making for the newlywed5） couple. In Southern Africa, the day after the wedding, the bride assisted the other women in the family in sweeping the courtyard, indicating her dutiful willingness to help her in-laws with housework till the newlyweds could move to their new home. ） Some African-American couples today are choosing to include this symbolic rite in their wedding ceremony.

世界各地婚俗（一）

早期非洲裔美国人：跳扫帚 在美国的黑奴时代, 黑人男女是不允许正式结婚生活在一起的。为了向世人宣布他们的爱情和婚约, 一对黑人男女和着鼓声的节奏, 一起跳过一把扫帚。（扫帚对各种非洲人长期来都具有很重要的意义, 因为它意味着新婚夫妇组成家庭的开始。在南部非洲, 新娘在婚后的第一天要帮助夫家的其他女性清扫院子, 以此表明在住进自己的新家前, 她愿意尽职地帮助丈夫的家人承担家务劳动。）直至今日, 一些美国黑人还在他们的婚礼上举行这种象征性的仪式。

NOTE 注释：

1. broom n. 扫帚

2. slavery n. 奴隶

3. declaration n. 宣布, 宣言, 声明

4. matrimony n. 结婚

5. newlywed n. 新婚的人, 新婚夫妇
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