A Congratulatory Remark

祝詞

新郎友堂博士、新娘約文小姐、雙方家長、邱先生、邱夫人、Ms. Kehoe、各位親友貴賓：

今天是友堂博士和約文小姐的結婚喜日，我們全體親友懷著無比喜悅的心情來參加他們的喜宴，我們衷心恭喜這一對很優秀的異國青年結成佳偶，祝賀他們的婚姻和未來人生幸福、美滿、富有、喜樂、百年好合、白首偕老。

中國人有一種說法：『千里姻緣一線牽』，也說『良緣天定』，這是傳統統習俗說法，包含著相信緣分早已由上天安排，也有敬仰天地和珍惜緣分的意思，有時想想：人生確實有許多神奇和驚喜，您們想：友堂是英國人、約文是在台灣長大的中國人，兩人相隔數千里，約文去英國讀書和有堂相識、戀愛，到今日結成佳偶，不是很神奇嗎？我們相信月老早已用一條紅線把兩人的腳、兩人的心牽綁在一起。所以良緣天定是一點沒錯的；此緣分讓兩人成為夫妻，多麼神奇而珍貴。我們衷心祝福新郎新娘，你們要感謝上天賜此良緣，相愛相惜，開創美滿人生。

約文的父母親邱先生邱夫人交代我介紹新郎新娘給所有親朋好友、諸位嘉賓，我深覺十分榮幸，容我介紹他們：
孔友堂君Mr. Thomas B. Kehoe是愛爾蘭人，與約文係英國Exeter大學（University of Exeter）同學，他主修物理，得博士學位之後，現在英國Bath大學（University of Bath）擔任研究員，從事半導體方面的研發工作。
約文東吳大學經濟系畢業，曾任中華經濟研究院研究助理。赴英國Exeter大學讀書，得到了歐盟經濟碩士學位（MA in Economics of European Union）。回國之後先擔任行政院新聞局「英文台北紀事報」（Taipei Journal）採訪編輯，之後轉任新聞局「光華雜誌」（Sinorama Magazine）英文編輯，婚後她將前往英國。
諸位親友嘉賓一定很高興認識了這一對十分優秀的佳偶，我們一起恭喜新郎娶得美麗、聰慧、賢淑、好性情的約文小姐為妻子，也恭喜新娘得此博學多才的友堂先生為丈夫，恭喜二人得到上天的保佑、賜福，結合為有福氣的好夫妻。
其次，我們誠摯恭喜約文的父母親邱宜煜先生和夫人，有女長成、婷婷玉立，有最好的家庭教育，又培養得高學位、好學養、既美麗嫻淑又有好學問、好性情。多麼令人羨慕敬佩您們。有女兒如此才德兼備，這是您們教育有方的功勞成就，如今又得博學多才的洋女婿友堂先生，女兒女婿共組美滿家庭，牽手共創成功人生，恭喜您們，真是有福氣！
我在此也要特別向邱先生、邱夫人表達崇敬和感謝，邱先生宜煜兄和我是台北工專的同學，今天的喜宴又把我帶回將近五十年前，我們同進工專，許多珍貴回憶，宜煜兄年紀比全班同學大一點，我們叫他「older」，意思是我們很尊敬他、很怕他；他做人做事都是我們的模範，平常大家太吵鬧，他大吼一聲『安靜』，我們都會乖乖安靜下來，他要求考試不可作弊，我們都聽他的話，其他事情也都如此。我要特別感謝老邱的是在我們工專畢業之後，他經常鼓勵我，叫我一定要到國外深造，他常說：「去！去！去！你一定要去國外繼續讀書」，當時我有點怕看到他，後來真的成行去美國讀書，得到學位，這都是他的鼓勵所賜，我始終感謝銘記在心，衷心感謝老邱和夫人。你們教育女兒有方， 其實老邱早就是一位良師益友， 我們同學很尊敬他。
我們也誠摯恭喜有堂先生遠在英國的家人和今晚代表在座的有堂先生的妹妹Ms. Kehoe，你們也是一樣多麼有福氣的人，教育了有高才識、品德高尚的有堂得博士學位，如今娶得美麗、才德兼具的中國女子約文為妻，天賜良緣，上天必賜福您們。

為人父母最大的喜樂安慰，莫過於養育兒女健康成長，看到兒女和心愛的人結成佳偶，成家立業共創美滿成功人生，我們誠摯向雙方家長、家人恭喜道賀。父母養育之恩恩重如山，新郎新娘要常懷感謝雙方父母恩情。

最後容我拿雙「囍」一字祝賀這一對新人：
喜字上面是一個『吉』字，吉祥的『吉』，我們祝福您們一生吉祥如意；喜字的下面是一『古』字，古老的『古』，我們祝福您們百年好和；兩個喜成為『雙喜』，『吉吉古古』吉事連連、一生吉祥如意相隨伴，「執子之手、與子偕老」，天長地久好姻緣，一生相親相愛牽手共創幸福、美滿、富有、喜樂、成功的人生。

最後敬祝各位親友嘉賓萬事如意、健康愉快。謝謝大家



A Congratulatory Remark
On Thomas and Yuehwen’s Wedding
by C. Chiang 2004/5/15


It’s a great honor and pleasure for me to say a few words in English to congratulate this fine couple of newlyweds, the groom Dr. Thomas B. Kehoe and the bride Ms. Chu Yuehwen on their blissful wedding ceremony and their happy marriage and future sweet family as well.

All the distinguished guests, friends and relatives are gathering here tonight to express sincerely our best wishes to you, wishing you every happiness in your marriage and your bright lives together ahead. May joy and peace surround you, contentment and happiness always be with you.

There is a Chinese saying that a blessed marriage of two lovers who live thousand miles afar is linked up by a red string of the Heaven. Indeed, We believe in that there is a fortunate lot or lucky destiny by which people are brought together, such a good fortune is an amazing treasure of life. Just imaging how amazing it is that Yuehwen is a charming Chinese young lady from Taiwan who went to the University of Exeter in England for advanced study years ago, she met an Irish fine young man Thomas there, they have been knowing each other, falling in love with each other, then they are getting married today. What an amazing arrangement of the God to unite you as a fine couple, the husband and wife. May the Heaven’s love be with you forever. As you begin your life together, may each step you take bring you closer to happiness and closer to each other. There’s a beautiful future ahead of you and you’re wished a lifetime of happiness together. Congratulations!

Both of the groom and bride are very lucky, you are from very good and sweet families, having the best family education and almost the highest school education for both, Thomas obtained his Ph.D in physics from University of Exeter, and now he is a research fellow at University of Bath, and Yuehwen got her MA in Economics of European Union from the same University of Thomas’, she is now an English editor of Taipei Journal and Sinorama Magazine. We congratulate you on your academic and career achievements. We congratulate upon Thomas’ fortune for his marrying Yuehwen, a very charming, talent and virtue Chinese young lady, we also congratulate upon Yuehwen’s fortune for her marrying to Thomas, a very gentle and gifted Irish young scholar. Marriage joins two people in the circle of its love, marriage is a commitment to life, to the best that two people can find and bring out in each other, a joining that is promised for a lifetime.

Here I would like to read a poem of a traditional Irish marriage blessing to wish you a very happy and auspicious marriage and a joining harmonic life together for hundred years to come:

May God go with you and bless you,
May you see your children’s children,
May you be poor in misfortune and rich in blessings,
May you know nothing but happiness from this day forward.

Congratulations! And thank you all.