Jilted Mexico City brides, grooms may be able to collect

Runaway brides - and grooms - in Mexico City could get stuck paying for the limo and flowers under a bill proposed by a local lawmaker.

If approved by the city assembly, the law would offer engaged couples a legal contract outlining how much a man or woman can recoup if he or she gets jilted at the altar.

The contract would stipulate reimbursements at any point the engagement is called off.

According to Mexican tradition, the bride's family absorbs most of the expenses.

"What we want is to protect the person who is being hurt, not only emotionally but also economically," said Jose Zepeda, a divorce lawyer-turned-politician. "Whoever rents a wedding hall, pays for the church, for the cake, has the right to be reimbursed."

Such contracts could "eliminate the culture of fighting," said Zepeda, who proposed the bill Friday.

Laura Gomez, a 33-year-old, bride-to-be perusing a bridal shop in downtown Mexico City, said the contracts were "a perfect idea."

They would "give more security and trust to both people involved," said Gomez.

But Pamela Montiel, a 19-year-old getting married in April, said she would never sign such an agreement. "Things like that are for immature people," she said.

（美国）墨西哥城一位立法人士日前提出一项法案，该市临阵“逃婚”的新娘或新郎须承担豪华婚车和鲜花等筹办婚礼所需的各项费用。

如果该提案在市民大会上通过，那么按照该法案规定，新人们在订婚后可签订一份具有法律效力的协议，其中规定在婚礼当天不幸被对方抛弃的一方所能获得的赔偿。

该协议将规定在任何时间段取消婚约应支付的赔偿。

根据墨西哥城的传统，婚礼的大部分费用一般由新娘家来承担。

曾担任离婚律师的提案者尤思•加培达说：“我们的目的是保护在情感和经济上受到双重伤害的一方。谁支付了婚礼场地租金、及教堂和婚礼蛋糕费用，谁就有权得到赔偿。”

加培达于上周五提交了该法案。他说，这样的协议可“避免冲突”。

33岁的准新娘劳拉•格美兹在墨西哥城市中心一家婚礼用品店挑选结婚用品时说，这是个“很好的”提议。

她说，这种协议“能给双方带来更多的安全感和信任”。

然而，将于今年四月结婚的19岁女孩帕米拉•蒙特尔则表示，她不会签这样的协议。她说，“那样的协议是为不成熟的人准备的。”

Vocabulary:

get stuck: 被卡在...,被堵...

get jilted：被(情人或恋人)抛弃