环球英语 — 117：Valentine’s Day: All About Love

　　Voice 1
Thank you for joining us for today’s Spotlight¹ program. I’m Liz Waid.
Voice 2
And I’m Rebekah Schipper. Spotlight uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.
Voice 1
It happened seventeen hundred [1700] years ago, in Rome. The story says that he was in prison for being a Christian². He performed marriages even though they were illegal. The government captured³ him and put him in prison. One day the government would execute⁴ him. While he was in prison, he met a beautiful girl. She visited his prison cell often. She was the daughter of the prison guard. He and the girl began to pass notes to each other through the prison bars. They loved each other. When it was time for the prison to execute him, he sent her one last letter. The last note he sent to her was a love note. He ended it, “from, your Valentine.” Some people believe that this is the story that started it all.
Voice 2
You may already know what we are talking about. Today’s Spotlight is on Valentines Day! People all around the world celebrate this holiday devoted⁵ to love. They celebrate it in many different ways. But the message is the same everywhere - love! Join us today as we tell about the different ways people all around the world celebrate their love for each other!
Voice 1
No one really knows if this story about Valentine and the prison guard’s daughter is true. But the holiday is named after at least two [2] men, each named Valentine. Both of these men died because of their faith - one [1] in [the year] 197, and one in [the year] 269. Later, the Christian church recognized these men. Historians⁶ have little information about either of them. But, historians do believe that both men died on February fourteenth [14th]. February fourteen [14] became Saint⁷ Valentine’s Day - a special day to celebrate their lives. This is the day that many people celebrate as Valentine’s Day.
Voice 2
Historical documents show that, originally, Valentine’s Day had little to do with love. Ancient Romans did have a fertility⁸ celebration in February. But, a recorded link between Valentine’s Day and love did not appear until about twelve hundred [1200] years later.
Voice 1
In 1382 Geoffrey Chaucer wrote a poem about love. He was a famous English Poet. The poem told about birds coming together half-way through the second month of the year. The birds met on this day, Valentine’s Day, to mate⁹. The poem influenced many people. And soon after, other writers began to use these ideas in their own writing. The link between Valentine’s Day and love became common!
Voice 2
By the seventeenth [17th] century, Valentine’s Day was a common celebration all over Great Britain. About a hundred years later, people began to exchange small gifts or notes on Valentine’s Day. These gifts were an expression of love between family, friends, and lovers¹¹.
Voice 1
Today, many people still celebrate Valentine’s Day in this way - people in Canada, Mexico, the United States, the United Kingdom, France and Australia. The most popular gift to exchange is the greeting card. It is usually just a simple paper note that expresses love or devotion. A person can send a Valentine’s Day greeting card to his lover¹⁰, his parents, his co-worker, or even his doctor! In fact, the Greeting Card Association¹² says that world-wide, people send over one thousand million [1,000,000,000] greeting cards every Valentine’s Day! But greeting cards are not the only thing people exchange. Besides sending a card, a couple may go out to a special dinner. They may buy each other a present, or just some good tasting candy or chocolate.
Voice 2
Let’s take a look at how other countries celebrate this day of love!
Voice 1
In Japan, Valentine’s Day is not a national holiday. But many people still celebrate it. Usually, women give sweet candy, chocolate or flowers to people they like. They call this chocolate ‘giri-choko.’ In Japanese, the word ‘giri’ means obligation¹³, or, something someone must do. And ‘choko’ is a short form of the word for chocolate. A woman may also give ‘honmei-choko’ to a person she loves or is in a relationship with. Or she can give ‘tomo-choko’ to her friends. On March fourteen [14] the men return the acts! Men may give chocolates or other small gifts to women who gave them chocolate.
Voice 2
In Finland, people celebrate ‘Friend’s Day’ on February fourteen [14]. This is not only a day for lovers. But, it is a day for celebrating and remembering your friends.
Voice 1
Some places do not celebrate Valentine’s Day at all. But they do celebrate a different day for love.
Voice 2
People living in Brazil celebrate ‘Boyfriend or Girlfriend Day.’ On June twelve [12], couples exchange gifts like chocolates, cards, flowers, and even special clothes. Some women even use this day to perform special customs. They believe these customs will help them find a good boyfriend or husband.
Voice 1
Colombians celebrate ‘Love and Friendship Day’ on the third [3rd] Friday and Saturday in September. And many groups of people join in a popular tradition called ‘amigo secreto’ or ‘secret friend.’ Each member of the group chooses another member’s name by chance. He gives the person he chose a gift on this day.
Voice 2
So, people in different places celebrate Valentine’s Day a little differently. They may celebrate it at a different time of the year. They may give gifts or greeting cards. They may write a special note to many people or to only one [1] person. But there is a common idea in all of these actions. Valentine’s Day is a time to think about the people around you. It is a time to think about the people you love. It is a time to think about how these people influence your life - how they make it better.
Voice 1
How do you feel when someone says ‘I love you’ to you? It is important for people to feel loved. But often, we do not express our love for the people around us. So, Valentine’s Day offers you the perfect chance to tell a person how much you value them. Tell your wife how much you love her. Tell your parents or children how wonderful they are. Tell your friends how much you like to see them.
Voice 2
Sharing our love with people is a very good thing to do. Christians¹⁴ believe that no other person can show as much love as God. In fact, they believe that God is love! And the Bible¹⁵ says that it is important for people to show their love for one another. It says:
Voice 3
“Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God.”
1 John 4:7a
Voice 1
At Spotlight, we encourage you to share your love for other people this Valentine’s Day. Family, friends, and lovers are all important in our lives. They should know how much we love them.
 

1 spotlight   

n.公众注意的中心，聚光灯，探照灯，视听，注意，醒目

参考例句：

• This week the spotlight is on the world of fashion.本周引人瞩目的是时装界。
• The spotlight followed her round the stage.聚光灯的光圈随着她在舞台上转。

2 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

3 captured   

俘获( capture的过去式和过去分词 )； 夺取； 夺得； 引起（注意、想像、兴趣）

参考例句：

• Allied troops captured over 300 enemy soldiers. 盟军俘虏了300多名敌方士兵。
• Most of the rebels were captured and disarmed. 大部分叛乱分子被俘获并解除了武装。

4 execute   

vt.执行，实行，实现，实施；处死，处决

参考例句：

• Never once did I doubt that I would be able to execute my plan.我从未怀疑过我能执行自己的计划。
• The general gave the word to execute the deserters.将军下令处决逃兵。

5 devoted   

adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的

参考例句：

• He devoted his life to the educational cause of the motherland.他为祖国的教育事业贡献了一生。
• We devoted a lengthy and full discussion to this topic.我们对这个题目进行了长时间的充分讨论。

6 historians   

n.历史学家，史学工作者( historian的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Historians seem to have confused the chronology of these events. 历史学家好像把这些事件发生的年代顺序搞混了。
• Historians have concurred with each other in this view. 历史学家在这个观点上已取得一致意见。

7 saint   

n.圣徒；基督教徒；vt.成为圣徒，把...视为圣徒

参考例句：

• He was made a saint.他被封为圣人。
• The saint had a lowly heart.圣人有谦诚之心。

8 fertility   

n.肥沃；繁殖力

参考例句：

• A green manure is a crop grown mainly to improve soil fertility.种植绿肥作物主要是为使土壤更加肥沃。
• She is taking drugs to increase her fertility.她为了增强她的生殖能力而在服药。

9 mate   

n.伙伴，同事；配偶；大副；v.(使)交配

参考例句：

• Where is the mate to this glove?这副手套的另一只在哪儿？
• She has been a faithful mate to him.她一直是他忠实的配偶。

10 lover   

n.情人，恋人；爱好者

参考例句：

• Every lover sees a thousand graces in the beloved object.情人眼里出西施。
• Mr.Smith was a lover of poetry.史密斯先生是一名诗歌爱好者。

11 lovers   

爱好者( lover的名词复数 )； 情人； 情夫； 情侣

参考例句：

• They were off-screen lovers. 他们是真实生活中的情侣。
• Shakespeare's star-crossed lovers, Romeo and Juliet 罗密欧和朱丽叶这一对莎士比亚笔下命运多舛的恋人

12 association   

n.联盟，协会，社团；交往，联合；联想

参考例句：

• Our long association with your company has brought great benefits.我方和贵公司的长期合作带来了巨大的利益。
• I broke away from the association ten years ago.我10年前就脱离了那个团体。

13 obligation   

n.（法律、道德上的）义务，责任

参考例句：

• Every player is under an obligation to keep the rules.每个选手都必须遵守这些规则。
• It is the obligation of citizens to perform military service.服兵役是每个公民的义务。

14 Christians   

n.基督教徒( Christian的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Christians of all denominations attended the conference. 基督教所有教派的人都出席了这次会议。
• His novel about Jesus caused a furore among Christians. 他关于耶稣的小说激起了基督教徒的公愤。

15 bible   

n.《圣经》；得到权威支持的典籍

参考例句：

• According to the Bible we are all the seed of Adam.根据《圣经》所说的，我们都是亚当的后裔。
• This dictionary should be your Bible when studying English.学习英语时，这本字典应是你的主要参考书。