1    As a pastor(牧师) for more than 32 years, I have participated in many weddings and had the pleasure of counseling couples. I am a big fan of marriage — when it’s right. But getting it right can be as difficult as baking a soufflé(蛋奶酥) in a wood-burning stove.

2    This year, marriage takes on new significance(重要性，意义) in my life. I celebrate 26 years of marriage to my beautiful wife, Serita, and I also will see my youngest daughter marry. For my wife and me, it is a celebration of survival against many odds. But for my daughter and her fiancé(未婚夫), it is the beginning of an expedition filled with wonderment(惊喜) and warnings, amorous(表示爱情的，恋爱的) connections and deeply spiritual(精神的，心灵的) contemplations(沉思，冥想).

3    While I have cause to celebrate marriage, most do not. The statistics say it all: percentage of population that is married: 59 percent (down from 62 percent in 1990, 72 percent in 1970); percentage that is divorced(离婚的): 10 percent (up from 8 percent in 1990, 6 percent in 1980).

4    Marriage failure is more common and it is not isolated to any one social or economic class. One can enjoy professional success and still fail miserably(悲惨地) in marriage. Financial struggles have always been leading causes of divorce, but when you add the current economic climate, filled with unemployment(失业) , home foreclosures(丧失抵押品赎回权), vehicle repossessions(收回购物人不能如期偿付 的物品), and insurmountable(难以应对的) credit card debt, maintaining a successful marriage takes  on a different dynamic. Economic instability(不稳定) can wreak(造成) mayhem(大混乱，大破坏) in marriage.

5    Communication is important in a relationship, but what I find is that it is not that couples don’t communicate — they don’t listen. It is not enough to tell people to communicate when they don’t know how to listen. Let me share four tips that will help you become a better listener and a better mate(配偶，伙伴).

6    • Listen with your ears. Sometimes when we discuss things as important, passionate(充满激情的) and personal as money, child-rearing(养育) and sex, while the mate is talking, we are not listening but preparing our argument. We must listen with our ears and shut down the desire to immediately defend our position. The ears work better when windpipes (气管) are closed.

7    • Listen with your mind. Words come from the speaker’s background and perspective. Many times words are based on a point of reference that you may not be aware of. So don’t just listen to their words, but listen with your mind, understanding where they came from and what they went through.

8    • Listen with your heart. Many times words do not convey what’s in the heart; so when you listen, hear what is said but also what is meant. Compassion is a critical part of understanding. It is difficult to love people without understanding them. Love seeks to understand. Listening with your heart will take away your natural propensity(倾向，习性) to be selfish.

9    • Listen with humility(谦逊，谦卑). I often will repeat what has been said to make sure I heard the speaker correctly. Make sure you understand your mate clearly. Half of the wars in the home start from misunderstanding(误解).Many times couples are angry over what they thought the other meant and not what was intended. Humility is a hearing aid and saves the soul the expense of the apology later. 

1）This year, marriage takes on new significance in my life.

今年，婚姻在我的生活里又有了新的意义。 

take on在这里的意思是begin to have a particular quality, appearance, etc. “呈现”。又如：

This old factory has taken on a new look. 

这座老厂换了新貌。

When he heard the news, his face took on a ghastly expression. 

他听到这个消息，脸色变得很难看。

2）For my wife and me, it is a celebration of survival against many odds.

对我和妻子而言，这是对我们历经种种坎坷而挺过来的庆祝。 

3）But for my daughter and her fiancé, it is the beginning of an expedition filled with wonderment and warnings, amorous connections and deeply spiritual contemplations.

而对于女儿和她的未婚夫而言，这却是一个征程的开始，它将充满惊喜与警示、爱的牵系与深刻的精神思考。

句中filled with…是过去分词短语作定语，放在被修

饰的名词expedition之后，它的作用相当于一个定语从句。又如：This is the best novel of its kind ever written (= that has ever been written). 这将是这类小说中写得最好的。

4）While I have cause to celebrate marriage, most do not.

我是有理由庆祝婚姻的，而多数人却没有。

while在这里用以表示对比或相反的情况。又如： 

I drink black coffee while he prefers it with cream. 

我爱喝清咖啡而他喜欢加奶油的。