ESL Podcast 905 – Getting a Marriage License

 　　Yves: Help me fill out this application for our marriage license¹.

　　Vanessa: Can’t you do it? I’m really busy with work right now. Do as much as you can and just ask me if you don’t know something.

　　Yves: Okay, I’ll try, but I’m reading through the requirements, and it’s a good idea for both of us to know what they are.

　　Vanessa: Okay, then just read them out loud to me.

　　Yves: All right. We need to bring identification and it’s best to bring our birth certificates, just in case. We don’t need blood tests and there’s no waiting period in this state. Are you listening?

　　Vanessa: To every word. Go on.

　　Yves: For people who have been married before, they’ll have to bring proof of divorce, death, or annulment². Okay, since you’ve been married before, you’ll need to bring a copy of your final divorce decree. Did you hear that?

　　Vanessa: Yeah, yeah.

　　Yves: We can choose any qualified³ officiant and the marriage license is valid⁴ for 90 days – that’s 90 days to get married and have the marriage recorded. We only have 90 days after we get the license to get married, got that?

　　Vanessa: Sure, 90 days. No problem.

　　Yves: I’m starting to wonder. If you don’t have time to fill out our marriage license application, how will you make time for our wedding?

　　Vanessa: What? I’m really busy right now. Let’s talk about it later.

　　Yves: Is it just me, or does this conversation not bode⁵ well for our future marriage?

1 license   

n.执照，许可证，特许；v.许可，特许

参考例句：

• The foreign guest has a license on the person.这个外国客人随身携带执照。
• The driver was arrested for having false license plates on his car.司机由于使用假车牌而被捕。

2 annulment   

n.废除，取消，（法院对婚姻等）判决无效

参考例句：

• The annulment caused a profound impression in Japan. 同盟的废止，在日本发生了强烈的反响。 来自辞典例句
• Law An annulment acquittal; dismissal, of a court order. 取消，宣告无罪；法院命令的撤销。 来自互联网

3 qualified   

adj.合格的，有资格的，胜任的，有限制的

参考例句：

• He is qualified as a complete man of letters.他有资格当真正的文学家。
• We must note that we still lack qualified specialists.我们必须看到我们还缺乏有资质的专家。

4 valid   

adj.有确实根据的；有效的；正当的，合法的

参考例句：

• His claim to own the house is valid.他主张对此屋的所有权有效。
• Do you have valid reasons for your absence?你的缺席有正当理由吗？

5 bode   

v.预示

参考例句：

• These figures do not bode well for the company's future.这些数字显示出公司的前景不妙。
• His careful habits bode well for his future.他那认真的习惯预示著他会有好的前途。