聘金是中国传统习俗的一部分。这一习惯在整个中国都很普遍。但是近几年来其标准不断上升，致使大多数家庭都很难达到。高额的聘礼常常“抢劫”了新郎父母必生的积蓄，甚至引起家庭纠纷。此外，许多新婚夫妇被迫举行奢侈的婚礼宴会，在这个过程中，大量债务的累积可能使他们的新婚生活变得辛酸，至少在最初阶段是这样。想想老一辈节俭的婚礼，虽然简简单单，但也幸福美满，没有给他们婚后的生活带来任何负担。

【参考译文】Endowment may be part of Chinese tradition, but the standards have become so high in recent years that a majority of families are finding it difficult to meet them. The high endowment amounts often rob grooms’ parents of their life’s savings and causes family disputes. Besides, many newly married couples are forced to host extravagant wedding ceremonies to keep up with the Joneses and, in the process, run up huge debts that could turn their married life sour, at least in the initial phase. Considering the frugal wedding of many parents, simple but happiness, didn’t have any bearing on their married life.