全通翻譯/翻譯社

Valentine's Day: A Must for Lovers

THE origins of Valentine's Day are obscure. An ancient Roman celebration of love called Lupercalia, which fell between February 13-15, is one possible root. This festival involved naked young men spanking their female partnesrs with whips,which was said to increase fertility— hardly the image of romance we have now! Although it's unclear which of the several historical martyrs named Valentine was being venerated, St. Valentine's Day was declared a Christian feast around the late fifth century A.D. However, it wasn't until Chaucer's poem “Parlement of Foules” almost 900 years later that the day became associated with love. 

These days, Valentine's Day is celebrated across the world and has become a boon for florists, chocolatiers, and pretty much any business looking to make a pretty penny. A recent study showed that men in the U.S. fork out an average of US$168.74 on their partners, with women spending about half that amount. Meanwhile, 71 percent of men buy flowers, with half the women surveyed choosing chocolates. Even children, friends and pets are in on the loving, with consumers admitting to spending a few bucks on each group. 

While Valentine's Day has spread far and wide, many cultures have their own traditions that predate the Western day for lovers. In Asia, some of these have also changed with time. 


情人節戀愛商機大解密

西洋情人節的起源不明。其中一個可能來源是古羅馬時代的牧神節，這個讚頌愛情的慶典在二月十三到十五日舉行。慶典中，年輕男子裸身以鞭子鞭打女性伴侶，儘管據信此舉能增加生育力，卻跟我們現在對於浪漫的看法大相逕庭。雖然不清楚到底哪位名為華倫泰的殉教者才是我們現在所尊崇的聖徒，但聖華倫泰節的確在第五世紀晚期被宣告為基督教的節日。不過，直到幾乎九百年後喬叟的詩作《群鳥的議會》出現後，這個節日才與愛情有了連結。

現在，世界各地都慶祝情人節，花商、巧克力製造商和所有想大撈一筆的行業更是從中獲益。近期研究指出美國男性平均掏出 168.74 美元來取悅另一半，而女性的花費則為該數目的一半。同時，71% 的男性會買花，半數的受訪女性則選擇購買巧克力。即便是兒童、朋友及寵物也受到愛意包圍，消費者承認會對這些族群花上一些錢。

儘管西洋情人節已廣為流傳，許多文化卻早在這之前便有自己的習俗。在亞洲，有些傳統也隨著時代有所變化。

資料來源：biz 互動英語電子報