在線約會軟件找不到白馬王子？你可以去“新郎集市”看一眼，一手交錢，一手交人。這不是天方夜譚，而是在印度傳承了700多年的一項傳統。集市上被買賣的新郎都是明碼標價，其中從事工程師、醫生和政府職員等職業的年輕小伙子最為搶手。

For over 700 years, the Indian state of Bihar has been hosting a unique groom market where women and their families come to shop for husbands.

印度的比哈爾邦有一個延續了700多年的“新郎集市”，女子及其家人可以來這個獨特的集市選購丈夫。

Every year, thousands of men gather under the Pipal trees in the local market area of Madhubani district, India’s Bihar state, and wait to be chosen by prospective brides. The 9-day groom market was allegedly started by Raja Hari Singh of the Karnat dynasty over seven centuries ago to make it easier for women to find the right husband from a diverse group of men. Each groom is priced based on their capability, including their educational qualifications and family background.

每年都有成千上萬的男子聚集在比哈爾邦默圖伯尼區當地市場的菩提樹下，等待著被他們未來的新娘選中。據稱這種為期9天的新郎集市是七個多世紀前由卡納特王朝的拉賈·哈里·辛格創立的，目的是為了讓女子更容易從萬千男子中找到合適的丈夫。每名新郎會根據自己的能力（包括學歷和家庭背景）來標價。

Imagine going to a market to pick up your life partner. That sounds crazy, especially in this day in age, but it’s exactly how some women in Bihar choose their husbands. Accompanied by their families, they browse the available offers, ask for proof such as birth certificates and school certificates, and if they find someone they like (and they can afford), they start discussing the details.

想象一下去市場挑選人生伴侶吧，聽起來很瘋狂，尤其在今時今日，但這就是比哈爾邦的一些女子挑選丈夫的方式。在家人的陪同下，她們會瀏覽集市上各位新郎的價格，請他們出示出生證明和學歷證書等證明，如果找到自己中意又“買得起”的，就可以開始商討細節了。

Al Jazeera recently documented Bihar’s traditional groom market, reporting that engineers, doctors and government employees are most sought after, with the young ones being the most popular. Even though dowries are officially illegal in India, and that one of the main goals of the groom market was to eliminate the dowry, it’s still common practice for young, eligible bachelors to demand considerable dowries from the family of the bride.

半島電視臺最近播出了一部關于比哈爾邦傳統新郎集市的紀錄片，紀錄片中報道稱工程師、醫生和政府職員是新郎集市上最搶手的，從事這些職業的年輕小伙子最受歡迎。盡管嫁妝在印度是不合法的，新郎集市的主要目標之一也是為了消除嫁妝陋習，但是在印度，條件好的年輕單身漢向新娘家索要高額嫁妝的做法仍然很普遍。

Apparently, the brides themselves hardly have a say in choosing the groom. It’s their families who have the last word, ultimately choosing the bachelor that strikes a good balance between affordability and an impressive resumé.

顯然，新娘自己對于新郎人選幾乎沒有發言權，新娘的家人才能決定選誰，并最終選定一個價格合適、簡歷又出眾的單身漢。

Although the groom market of Bihar isn’t nearly as popular as it was only a few decades ago – mainly because of more convenient options, like online dating apps – it still draws thousands of bachelors, some of whom travel hundreds of kilometers in the hopes of being selected.

盡管比哈爾邦的新郎集市沒有幾十年前那么受歡迎了——這主要是因為在線約會應用等便利婚戀方式的涌現——但是新郎集市仍然吸引了成千上萬的單身漢，有些人不遠數百公里來此就是希望能被選上。

Interestingly, India also has a bride market. In Haudati, brides are available for various prices, depending on their qualifications and homemaking skills.

有趣的是，印度也有一個新娘集市。在好達提的這個集市，新娘的價格高低取決于她們的各種資質和持家才能。

英文來源：Oddity Central

翻譯&編輯：丹妮