Compared to ancient people， we should feel grateful for having more freedom to find the person we want to be with。
跟古代人相比，我们应该心怀感恩，因为现代人找对象要比古人自由得多。
In ancient China， marriage was often decided by parents or even the government。 And during some periods， like the Jin Dynasty （265-420）， marriage policies could go to extremes。 Single women must get married by a certain age。 If a female was still single at 17， there would be a forced marriage with local administrators‘ involvement。
在中国的古代，婚姻大事多由父母或官府定来定夺。在一些历史时期比如金朝（公元265-420年），婚姻政策则比较极端。律法规定，单身女子必须在一定的年龄前结婚。如果单身女子到了17岁仍未嫁娶，当地官府就会介入并强行安排婚配。
Extreme policies to force people to get married were rare。 Ancient Chinese had milder ways to encourage people to find a spouse。
当然，这种极端的婚姻政策在历史上是比较少的。在中国古代可是有不少比较温和的方式鼓励年轻人找对象的。
As early as the Zhou Dynasty （c.11th century-256BC）， officials in charge of people‘s marriages appeared。 The Rites of Zhou （Zhou Li）， a Chinese book on organizational and bureaucracy theory that came out in the middle of the 2nd century BC，中国直播网， recorded the creation of this kind of officer， who served to manage people’s marriages。
早在周朝（公元前11世纪-公元前256年），中国直播网 ，官府就开始负责婚嫁事宜。先秦儒家经典《周礼》（成书于公元前2世纪中叶，记载古代礼法官制）就记载了这种官职的产生——官媒，专门负责婚嫁事宜。
During the Three Kingdoms （220-280）， Southern frontiers in China that were still behind in civilization had official matchmakers as well。
三国时期（公元220-280年），中国一些文明比较落后的南疆地区也有官媒一职。
The traditional complicated engagement processes before marriage were also simplified by the policies of the Tang （618-907） and Song （960-1279） governments， to encourage more people to get married quickly。
古代传统婚嫁前的定亲仪式是繁琐复杂的。到唐（公元618-907）宋（公元960-1279）时期，为了让更多青年男女尽快成亲，定亲仪式已经大为简化。
Official match makers became more professional， especially appointed by the government even with certifications later in the Yuan Dynasty （1271-1368）。
官媒随着年代的变迁也逐步专业化。到了元代（公元1271-1368年）官府甚至统一委派，后期对主体资格都有明确的规定。
And in the Qing Dynasty （1644-1911）， there were many such matchmakers in Xinjiang where large numbers of male criminals and farmers were sent for land reclamation。 And to let themsettle down， official match makers would help the singles to find spouses。
到了清朝（公元1644-1911年），新疆地区有很多所谓的“媒官”。当时大批的犯人和农民被流放至西北开垦荒地，为了让他们安家，官媒负责给这些“遣户”安排对象。
Yet not all of them were lucky enough to marry someone， due to the small number of women in the area。
但是，由于当地的女性比较少，并不是所有的“遣户”都能够幸运的结婚。
Opportunities during festivals
古代相亲大会
Ancient Chinese still had certain freedoms to get married with people they liked， rather than being completely manipulated by their parents or government。
当然古代的中国人在婚嫁上还是有一定的自由度跟自己喜欢的人成亲的。婚姻大事并不全由父母或官府操控。
In the Spring and Autumn Period （770-476BC）， there was an annual “Mid-Spring Meeting” on the third day of lunar March that provided unmarried people a chance to get to know each other。
春秋战国时期（公元前770-476年），每年的农历三月初三都会举办“仲春会”，给未婚男女提供见面认识的机会。
Lantern Festival was another opportunity for single people to meet。 On the night of that day， unmarried men and women would meet at the flower fair and lantern-decorated street。
元宵节是古代单身男女相见的另一个机会。正月十五晚上，花市和灯笼妆点的集市都是未婚男女约会的最佳场所。
来源：外研社博客，点击
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