Matrimony is the state of being married — not the party, not the dress, the being-married itself. If two people are in matrimony, they are spouses.

Matrimony Matrimony is the state of being married指的是已婚的狀態——not the party不是婚禮派對,not the dress也不是婚紗,the being-married itself而是「已婚」這件事本身。If two people are in matrimony如果兩個人處於matrimony的狀態,they are spouses他們就是配偶。

It is an old, formal, slightly church-flavoured word. You hear it in holy matrimony at a wedding service, and in legal or bookish English.

It它is an old, formal, slightly church-flavoured word是個古老、正式、帶點教會味道的字。in holy matrimony at a wedding service在婚禮儀式上的「holy matrimony」,and in legal or bookish English還有法律或書面英文裡,You hear it你會聽到這個字。

In ordinary talk, people say marriage. Younger speakers almost always say marriage. Older texts and priests still like matrimony.

In ordinary talk在日常對話裡,people say marriage大家會說marriage。Younger speakers年輕的說話者,almost always say marriage幾乎都說marriage。Older texts and priests比較舊的文本和神父,still like matrimony還是比較喜歡用matrimony。

Though actually, people sometimes use it as if it meant the wedding day. The wedding is one day. Matrimony is the life and the legal state that start after. A short marriage is still matrimony; a long engagement is not.

Though actually不過,people sometimes use it有些人有時候會這樣用,as if it meant the wedding day好像它指的是婚禮那一天。The wedding婚禮is one day只是一天。Matrimony Matrimony is the life and the legal state that start after指的是婚禮之後才開始的生活和法律狀態。A short marriage一段短暫的婚姻,is still matrimony仍然算是matrimony;a long engagement但一段很長的訂婚期,is not卻不算。

The Latin idea underneath is tied to mother plus a kind of duty — marriage as the path that made someone a mother in Roman law. That is history, not how you should hear it now.

The Latin idea underneath這個字底層的拉丁文概念,is tied to mother plus a kind of duty跟「母親」加上一種「責任」有關——marriage as the path that made someone a mother in Roman law在羅馬法裡,婚姻是讓一個人成為母親的途徑。That is history那是歷史,not how you should hear it now不是你現在應該理解這個字的方式。

Today it simply means marriage, in a serious voice.

Today今天,it simply means marriage它單純就是指婚姻,in a serious voice只是語氣比較正式、嚴肅。