VOA慢速英语2019 乌兹别克斯坦禁止婚庆典礼上的大幅支出

Uzbek Wedding Singers Protest New Limits

Uzbek singers are expressing their unhappiness over a law limiting the number of performers at marriage ceremonies.

乌兹别克斯坦的一些歌手表达了他们对一项法律的不满，该法限制结婚典礼上的表演人数。

The measure is part of new rules aimed at cutting back big spending at the often huge wedding events.

此举是新规定的部分内容，旨在削减大型结婚典礼中经常出现大额支出的现象。

Uzbekistan’s parliament passed the law in September. It limits the number of musical groups performing at weddings to just two. Other restrictions¹ include limiting the number of guests invited and vehicles used to transport members of the wedding party.

乌兹别克斯坦国会于9月通过了该法。该法将婚礼上表演的乐队数量限制到2个及以下。还有一些限制，比如限制受邀宾客数量和车辆数量，这里的车辆指用来运输婚典参加者的车辆。

Like other Central Asian countries, weddings in Uzbekistan often have hundreds of guests. Several different musicians often perform at celebrations after the marriage ceremony. Such big events can use up a family's savings² or even put it deep in debt. The new legislation in Uzbekistan hopes to reduce the financial hardship for families.

与其他中亚国家类似，乌兹别克斯坦的婚典通常有上百名宾客参加。几位不同的音乐家通常会在婚典上表演。这样大型的活动可能会用光一家人的积蓄，甚至让一家人负债累累。

Source of Income for Dozens

Several well-known Uzbek singers took to social media to protest the restrictions. They point out that their work at weddings creates income that supports not only the performer, but other people.

乌兹别克斯坦几位知名歌手通过社交媒体来抗议该法的限制措施。这些歌手指出，他们在婚典上的工作创造了收入，支持的不仅是表演者自己，还有其他人。

On Instagram, singer Munisa Rizaeva explained in a video how several families use the money she earns at weddings.

在社交媒体Ins上，歌手穆妮萨在视频中解释了几户人家是如何使用她在婚典上赚的钱的。

Rizaeva said she charges $800 just to perform four songs at a wedding reception. From that amount she pays a total of $450 to members of her group. They include six musicians, two administrators⁴, two drivers and two bodyguards⁵. All these people have 36 family members between them, her message said.

穆妮萨表示，她收了800美元的费用，在婚典上表演了4首歌曲。她把这笔钱里的450美元给了她的乐队成员。乐队成员包括6名音乐家、2名管理者、2名司机、2名保镖。这些成员有36名家人，她传达了这样的信息。

Rizaeva said that she is left with $350 for her day's work at just one wedding. However, she said, she must share her money with 41 other people who help her write songs, produce videos, and help organize her television and radio appearances.

穆妮萨表示她在一次婚典上的工作只为自己赚了350美元。不过，穆妮萨说她必须要将收入分给另外41人，这些人帮她写了曲子、做了视频，还帮助她组织了电视和广播上的亮相。

"My earnings⁶ benefit nearly 150 people per month," Rizaeva told her more than 3.1 million Instagram followers⁷.

我每个月赚钱的同时也惠及了近150人，穆妮萨这样跟她的310多万名Ins粉丝说道。

Another singer, Ozoda Nursaidova, has more than 1 million followers on Instagram. She noted⁸ that well-known Uzbek singers provide income for many people.

乌兹别克斯坦的邻国塔吉克斯坦也禁止大型婚礼等私人聚会。违背该禁令的人会受到处罚。

Nursaidova wrote that she charges $1,000 to perform five songs at a wedding. She employs seven musicians, two drivers and an administrator³ who, in total, have 30 family members.

The singer said she pays the group $400. That leaves her with $600, which she then shares with 18 other people, including songwriters and video producers.

Sharp cuts

The new rules on weddings and private social events limit the number of guests to 250, with up to three cars permitted in the wedding motorcade.

That represents a big change for many Uzbeks. Because this is a country where it is normal to invite at least 400 guests and have a long motorcade of costly⁹ cars for the newlyweds and their friends.

Families often save for many years or borrow from relatives to throw the huge wedding banquets. President Shavkat Mirziyoev has criticized such celebrations as shameless spending.

In 2018, he said, "Instead of spending [for wasteful¹⁰ parties], you had better paint the home of a poor man or buy a TV set for his family."

With jobs hard to get, millions of Uzbeks work as laborers¹¹ in Russia and many other countries.

The weddings and other private gatherings¹² -- such as funerals and birthday parties -- put pressure on many families in Uzbekistan, where the average wage is about $250 a month.

Neighboring Tajikistan has also banned huge weddings and other private parties. People who violate the ban are punished.

I’m Anne Ball.

Words in This Story

guest – n. a person who is invited to a place or an event as a special honor

income – n. money that is earned from work, investments, business

benefit – n. a good or helpful result or effect

motorcade – n. a group or line of cars or other vehicles that travel together

lavish¹³ – adj. giving or using a large amount of something

banquet – n. a formal dinner for many people usually to celebrate a special event

shameless – adj. having or showing no shame

TV set – n. an electronic device that receives television signals and displays them on a screen

1 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

2 savings   

n.存款，储蓄

参考例句：

• I can't afford the vacation,for it would eat up my savings.我度不起假，那样会把我的积蓄用光的。
• By this time he had used up all his savings.到这时，他的存款已全部用完。

3 administrator   

n.经营管理者，行政官员

参考例句：

• The role of administrator absorbed much of Ben's energy.行政职务耗掉本很多精力。
• He has proved himself capable as administrator.他表现出管理才能。

4 administrators   

n.管理者( administrator的名词复数 )；有管理（或行政）才能的人；（由遗嘱检验法庭指定的）遗产管理人；奉派暂管主教教区的牧师

参考例句：

• He had administrators under him but took the crucial decisions himself. 他手下有管理人员，但重要的决策仍由他自己来做。 来自辞典例句
• Administrators have their own methods of social intercourse. 办行政的人有他们的社交方式。 来自汉英文学 - 围城

5 bodyguards   

n.保镖，卫士，警卫员( bodyguard的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Brooks came to Jim's office accompanied—like always—by his two bodyguards. 和往常一样，在两名保镖的陪同下，布鲁克斯去吉姆的办公室。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Three of his bodyguards were injured in the attack. 在这次袭击事件中，他有3名保镖受了伤。 来自辞典例句

6 earnings   

n.工资收人；利润，利益，所得

参考例句：

• That old man lives on the earnings of his daughter.那个老人靠他女儿的收入维持生活。
• Last year there was a 20% decrease in his earnings.去年他的收入减少了20%。

7 followers   

追随者( follower的名词复数 )； 用户； 契据的附面； 从动件

参考例句：

• the followers of Mahatma Gandhi 圣雄甘地的拥护者
• The reformer soon gathered a band of followers round him. 改革者很快就获得一群追随者支持他。

8 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

9 costly   

adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的

参考例句：

• It must be very costly to keep up a house like this.维修这么一幢房子一定很昂贵。
• This dictionary is very useful,only it is a bit costly.这本词典很有用，左不过贵了些。

10 wasteful   

adj.（造成）浪费的，挥霍的

参考例句：

• It is a shame to be so wasteful.这样浪费太可惜了。
• Duties have been reassigned to avoid wasteful duplication of work.为避免重复劳动浪费资源，任务已经重新分派。

11 laborers   

n.体力劳动者，工人( laborer的名词复数 )；（熟练工人的）辅助工

参考例句：

• Laborers were trained to handle 50-ton compactors and giant cranes. 工人们接受操作五十吨压土机和巨型起重机的训练。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• Wage-labour rests exclusively on competition between the laborers. 雇佣劳动完全是建立在工人的自相竞争之上的。 来自英汉非文学 - 共产党宣言

12 gatherings   

聚集( gathering的名词复数 )； 收集； 采集； 搜集

参考例句：

• His conduct at social gatherings created a lot of comment. 他在社交聚会上的表现引起许多闲话。
• During one of these gatherings a pupil caught stealing. 有一次，其中一名弟子偷窃被抓住。

13 lavish   

adj.无节制的；浪费的；vt.慷慨地给予，挥霍

参考例句：

• He despised people who were lavish with their praises.他看不起那些阿谀奉承的人。
• The sets and costumes are lavish.布景和服装极尽奢华。