2月29日“女性表白日”今天你求婚了吗？

TODAY is "Leap Day" and for centuries has been traditionally associated with the idea of romance reversal as women take to one knee to propose to their men.

This Scottish tradition has its roots in the 5th century when St Bridget complained to St Patrick about women having to wait to be proposed to.

Despite the option it appears that all of the lucky ladies in Warwick are keeping coy about any plans they might have.

Rose City Jewellers manager Peter Walsh said he had not heard of anything.

"No women have come in here, so unfortunately nothing this year, unless they decide to come in tomorrow," Mr Walsh said.

"They might still be trying to find the right words."

Rose City Jewellers' Carol Campbell supports women proposing.

"A girl can propose at any time, not just on a leap year because when it's the right time it's the right time," Mrs Campbell said.

From romantic traditions to workplace debate the leap year has some workers counting their pennies in 2017.

The question on everyone's lips is, will they be paid for working today, or will they be coming up for the extra hours spent in the office?

Research conducted by Twentieth Century Fox found that Australian workers would spend an extra 6.5 hours in the office this year and lose an average of $180 pay as a result of the year's extra day.

Mr Walsh said he was not worried about the extra day. "It all works out in the wash over the next four years," Mr Walsh said. Mrs Campbell shared a similar view.

"We should just leave it be because I'm sure it will all even itself out over four years", Mrs Campbell said.

This year the leap year will celebrate its 366th birthday after it was implemented in 1582 as part of the Gregorian calendar.

(Read by Nelly Min. Nelly Min is a journalist at the China Daily Website.)

双语资讯

(Agencies)

今天是四年一度的“闰日”，也是浪漫反转的“女性表白日”，女性可以在这一天向男性求婚。这个传统已经有几百年历史。

这一传统来自五世纪的苏格兰，当时圣布里奇特向圣帕特里克抱怨说，女性总要等男性来求婚。

尽管可以在这一天向男性求婚，但似乎沃里克的所有幸运女士们都不好意思实行自己的求婚计划。

玫瑰城的珠宝商彼得•沃尔什说自己根本没听说过。

沃尔什先生说：“没有女性来看珠宝，所以不幸的是今年没什么变化，除非她们决定明天来。”

“也许她们还在思考如何开口。”

玫瑰城的珠宝商卡罗•坎贝尔支持女性求婚。

坎贝尔女士说：“女孩可以随时求婚，不仅仅在闰年，因为合适的时机不容错过。”

不管是作为浪漫传统，还是所激起的职场讨论，一些职员都开始盘算起今年兜里的钱了。

每个人都会问，自己在今天上班会有额外的钱吗？或者今天算加班吗？

20世纪福克斯公司的调查发现，澳大利亚员工今年要多工作6.5个小时，由于今年有闰日，平均每人损失180美元的工资。

沃尔什先生说自己不担心多出一天，他说：“四年才有一个闰日，不会有太大影响。”坎贝尔女士看法类似。

她说：“我们应该随它去，因为我确信四年才有一次，不会有显著影响。”

闰日在1582年被加入公历，今年将迎来第366个闰日。

Vocabulary:

coy: 害羞的，腼腆的，忸怩作态的

Gregorian calendar: 公历，阳历