[ti:Getting Married during a Pandemic] [by:www.51voa.com] [00:00.00]更多听力请访问51VOA.COM [00:00.04]From VOA Learning English, this is the Health & Lifestyle report. [00:07.20]Marriage ceremonies, or weddings, [00:10.20]are among the most important events in the lives of many people. [00:15.80]The COVID-19 health crisis has severely affected weddings [00:20.72]and damaged the multi-billion dollar industry that supports them. [00:27.60]Because of the virus, many couples in the United States [00:31.96]and around the world have had to postpone "The Big Day" [00:36.24]-- another way of saying wedding. [00:39.08]But now that some areas have eased rules on public gatherings, [00:45.16]plenty of couples are ready to say, "I do!" [00:50.12]However, they may need to wear a face mask when they say it. [00:55.16]And that has led to some problems. [00:59.20]Many couples are not willing to have a pandemic-looking wedding party. [01:05.72]So, they are not willing to follow restrictions on large gatherings [01:10.64]-- like wearing face masks, limiting the number of guests and social-distancing. [01:18.64]In early July, Reuters also reported that wedding venues in Turkey had re-opened, [01:25.40]but with restrictions. [01:27.56]Guests' temperatures were taken upon arrival. [01:32.00]Tables had to be separated. [01:34.80]And everyone -- including the bride and groom -- had to wear masks. [01:41.72]The marketing research company KPMG says that families in India [01:47.72]spend an estimated $50 billion on weddings every year. [01:54.44]The market in the U.S. is also huge, worth more than $72 billion a year. [02:03.24]To make couples happy, some places, or venues, in the U.S., [02:08.96]are not following coronavirus safety restrictions. [02:13.56]And this may be putting wedding industry workers at risk. [02:20.92]Wedding planners, photographers and musicians are just some of the people [02:27.28]who earn money from wedding parties and related events. [02:32.56]The pandemic quickly put a stop to their earnings. [02:37.72]So now, as more couples are getting married, [02:41.32]those employed in the wedding industry have little choice but to work. [02:48.04]Recently, some have begun sharing stories of health risks. [02:54.12]One of them is Susan Stripling, a photographer from New York. [03:00.56]She reported recently that some venues are not following guidelines on masks [03:07.04]or limiting the number of wedding guests. [03:12.08]In Chicago, photographer Cherie Schrader told The Associated Press (AP) she felt tricked. [03:20.12]Before taking a wedding job, Schrader had been told that all safety guidelines would be followed. [03:27.92]Yet when she showed up for a July wedding, [03:31.24]she found 165 unmasked people indoors and no signs of social distancing. [03:41.32]"It looked like a normal wedding pre-COVID," she said. [03:47.00]Alexis Alvarez of Chicago works as a wedding planner. [03:53.12]She said her bridal parties have reduced the number of guests to help with social distancing. [04:01.56]They are also asking guests to wear masks. [04:06.36]She told the AP, "The reality is guests that don't feel safe attending events ... aren't going to." [04:16.56]Alvarez uses other safety measures at her weddings. [04:22.32]Tables are spaced farther apart than usual. [04:27.08]When possible, people are grouped by family. [04:31.52]To avoid crowd issues, she advises some couples to hold separate celebrations [04:38.56]with smaller groups of people at different times. [04:44.32]Some couples argue that face masks will ruin the memories of their Big Day. [04:51.12]Other couples are giving guests the choice to wear or not to wear a face mask. [04:58.28]Still others are wearing beautiful face masks that match the wedding gown. [05:05.08]In Turkey, Biricik Kiziltas, a bridal gown designer, makes beautiful masks for the brides. [05:13.24]"Brides are already feeling sad, and they have no excitement," she told Reuters, [05:19.80]"so we tried to make something to cheer them up." [05:24.48]Wedding planner Lynne Goldberg is organizing a December wedding party for 200 guests. [05:32.72]The venue will be the home of the bride's parents in upstate New York. [05:39.72]Goldberg says the couple and their families [05:43.16]do not want the pandemic to affect their wedding plans. [05:48.04]So, there will be no face masks and no social distance warnings at the wedding. [05:56.20]Planning a wedding for 200 guests while social distancing is difficult, [06:01.16]Goldberg said, "but doable." [06:06.48]But asking 200 guests to not wear masks, she added, "is crazy." [06:14.24]Alexis Alvarez said she understands that face masks in photos [06:20.12]and videos may ruin the look for many couples. [06:25.16]"The big question everyone needs to be answering right now," she said, [06:30.48]"is -- what's the moral responsibility?" [06:34.76]Weddings causing COVID-19 outbreaks remain rare. But they do happen. [06:41.64]Back in early June, Reuters reported that a wedding party in Iran [06:46.68]likely caused an increase in coronavirus infections. [06:52.04]President Hassan Rouhani made this claim on state television, the story explained. [06:59.68]Reuters reported last month that Australia had banned singing, [07:05.76]dancing and mingling at weddings. [07:10.20]Health officials did this after an increase in COVID cases were reported. [07:18.24]And that's the Health & Lifestyle report. [07:21.00]I'm Anna Matteo. [07:22.64]And I'm Bryan Lynn. 更多听力请访问51VOA.COM