二月十四号“情人节”可以说是年度最浪漫的一天。世界各地的情侣们都会借此机会以各种方式来向对方表达自己的心意。可是你知道“情人节”的由来是什么吗？各国情侣会通过什么方式来来表达爱意呢？
　　情人节的渊源
　　Although Valentine’s Day has become a global industry with more than 80 million roses sold worldwide, the origins of the day are unclear and hidden in the mists of time. Nobody knows exactly who St Valentine was.
　　情人节 Valentine’s Day 已经是一个全球化的产业。仅情人节这一天，全球玫瑰花的销量就达到八千多万朵。可是情人节究竟是怎么来的，何时开始的，历史上没有很清楚的记载和说明。没有人清楚地知道 St Valentine 到底是谁。
　　The legend has it that St Valentine was a priest in ancient Rome. The emperor had forbidden marriage because he wanted men to fight in his army. Valentine didn’t agree with the emperor, so he married couples in secret and was caught.
　　据说 St Valentine 是生活在古罗马时代的一名神父。当时的罗马皇帝禁止人们结婚，因为他要更多的男人加入他的军队。 Valentine不同意皇帝的决定，秘密的主持了婚礼，成全了很多对新人，但最终还是被发现了。
　　Valentine was thrown into jail and sentenced to death on 14 February. On the final day, he sent a love letter signed “From your Valentine” to his lover.
　　Valentine 被捕入狱后，无法幸免死刑的厄运。他被杀害的那天是2月14日。他临死前给爱人写了封信并署名 “From your Valentine 寄自你的Valentine”。
　　It’s thought that the first recorded Valentine’s card was sent by the Duke of Orleans in 1415. He was in prison at the time. He wrote love poems to his wife, so he didn’t feel so lonely and isolated in the cell.
　　据说史上第一张有记载的情人卡 Valentine’s card 是奥尔良公爵于1415年在狱中写的。他被监禁后，以给他妻子写诗的方式寻求安慰。
　　情人节各国不同的庆祝方式
　　Valentine’s Day is now celebrated in many countries around the world. However, the traditions often differ from place to place. Did you know that in Japan, it’s the guys who receive chocolates from the girls?
　　来自世界很多国家的人们现在都会也庆祝2月14日情人节。不过各国庆祝情人节的方式会略有不同。比如，在日本，男孩子们会收到女孩子们送上的甜蜜巧克力。
　　Also in Japan, unofficially, 14th March is ‘White Day’. Guys who received Valentine gifts and cards in February are supposed to thank those who remembered them, with white chocolate or marshmallows.
　　同样在日本，约定俗成的另一个非正式地与爱情有关的节日就是“白日White Day”。每年3月14日这一天，那些在情人节2月14日收到贺卡和礼物的男生可以回赠女生白色巧克力或棉花糖，以表谢意。
　　In Korea, 14th of April is known as ‘Black Day’. It’s a time when the guys who received nothing on Valentine’s Day gather together to eat black noodles, to cheer each other up.
　　而在韩国，4月14日被称为“黑日 Black Day”，这个由情人节演变出来的节日是专为那些在2月14日情人节没有收到任何贺卡、礼物或邀请的男生而设立的。他们在这一天会聚到一起，吃碗黑汁面条，相互安慰。
　　传统情人节礼物
　　Roses are a symbol of love traditionally; it’s no surprise that in the UK alone, more than ￡20 million is spent on flowers. For something edible, chocolate is the most popular Valentine gift, in the United States over $1 billion is splashed out on chocolates.
　　玫瑰是传统的爱情标志，难怪仅在英国，情人节这一天就会卖出价值约两千万英镑的玫瑰花。在能吃的情人节礼物中，巧克力自然是首选，在美国，人们会花掉十亿美金买巧克力作为情人节礼物。

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