2007-11-13, Nubian Wedding

It is modern, yet firmly rooted in the past, the Nubian wedding ritual shared by the entire village for seven days and nights. The air is perfumed by incense¹ and filled with the sound of beating drums and joyful² Nubian songs. Two years ago, Sherrie's family told him it was time to get married. He visited every home in the village, looking for the right girl. Then with one look at Abier, he ran home to tell his mother he had found his bride. They didn't meet again until just before their Muslim wedding.

The first time I saw her when the sheriff came to sign the book, I looked at her picture to make sure it was her.

After the legal papers are signed, 7 days of celebration begin. Each day early in the morning, the party spills into the village streets. The bride becomes a canvas, painted from head to toe with henna. One day before the ceremony, the groom³'s bed is taken outside to be bathed in sandalwood incense. Sherrie is also perfumed. The scents⁴ which will last for weeks are meant to get his blood moving and give him stamina⁵. The Nubians traditionally lived along the banks of the Nile River in what is now southern Egypt and Sudan. But in the 1960s, that changed. In Egypt, the Nubian population was moved by the Egyptian government and their ancient lands were flooded when the Aswan Dam was built. Muhammad Newer migrated here at the age of 12. His family left their mud-brick home for one of cement built by the government.

Even though they were in new village, there was no electricity or means of transportation like we have here now. Still, life there was better. There we used to keep our Nubian traditions and Nubian language. Nubian language could be endangered here today.

On the final night of the wedding, the village is served a feast of meat and rice in front of the groom's house. Armed with a sword and whip, the groom leaves his parents' home and leads his neighbors through the streets, chanting Islamic songs. Well after midnight, the groom at last picks up the bride and they arrive at the party. They spend all night dancing and singing from sunset to noon. The word Nubia derives⁶ from an ancient term for gold and refers to the gold mines for which the area was once famous. That gold still shines today as the bride is draped with jewelry⁷ as if she were royalty⁸. It's now past three in the morning. But by Nubian standards, the party has just begun. After the exchange of rings, mother kisses her son and his new bride as they begin their life together, carrying on their ancient customs. Egyptian by nationality, but Nubian by tradition.

1 incense   

v.激怒；n.香，焚香时的烟，香气

参考例句：

• This proposal will incense conservation campaigners.这项提议会激怒环保人士。
• In summer,they usually burn some coil incense to keep away the mosquitoes.夏天他们通常点香驱蚊。

2 joyful   

adj.欢乐的，令人欢欣的

参考例句：

• She was joyful of her good result of the scientific experiments.她为自己的科学实验取得好成果而高兴。
• They were singing and dancing to celebrate this joyful occasion.他们唱着、跳着庆祝这令人欢乐的时刻。

3 groom   

vt.给（马、狗等）梳毛，照料，使...整洁

参考例句：

• His father was a groom.他父亲曾是个马夫。
• George was already being groomed for the top job.为承担这份高级工作，乔治已在接受专门的培训。

4 scents   

n.香水( scent的名词复数 )；气味；（动物的）臭迹；（尤指狗的）嗅觉

参考例句：

• The air was fragrant with scents from the sea and the hills. 空气中荡漾着山和海的芬芳气息。
• The winds came down with scents of the grass and wild flowers. 微风送来阵阵青草和野花的香气。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 stamina   

n.体力；精力；耐力

参考例句：

• I lacked the stamina to run the whole length of the race.我没有跑完全程的耐力。
• Giving up smoking had a magical effect on his stamina.戒烟神奇地增强了他的体力。

6 derives   

v.得到( derive的第三人称单数 )；（从…中）得到获得；源于；（从…中）提取

参考例句：

• English derives in the main from the common Germanic stock. 英语主要源于日耳曼语系。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He derives his income from freelance work. 他以自由职业获取收入。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 jewelry   

n.（jewllery）（总称）珠宝

参考例句：

• The burglars walked off with all my jewelry.夜盗偷走了我的全部珠宝。
• Jewelry and lace are mostly feminine belongings.珠宝和花边多数是女性用品。

8 royalty   

n.皇家，皇族

参考例句：

• She claims to be descended from royalty.她声称她是皇室后裔。
• I waited on tables，and even catered to royalty at the Royal Albert Hall.我做过服务生， 甚至在皇家阿伯特大厅侍奉过皇室的人。