To impress your loved ones this Valentine's Day, why not try some otheralternativesinstead of the usual bunch of hastily-purchased flowers or a box of chocolates? We spare no pains in the Focus to presentcrooninglovers a more meaningful love festival that differs from others.

今年的情人节，浪漫的你若想要打动爱人，又不满足于随意购束鲜花或弄盒巧克力送给对方，何不尝试着用其它方法来表达你的爱？我们推出的这期特别关注，希望能给甜蜜情侣们带来一个意义非凡的浪漫情人节...

Priest Valentine relates his story

There are varying versionsas tothe origin of Valentine's Day. This year, we invite the priest Valentine to tell of his moving story that happened in the days of Emperor Claudius. It is about worldly love and the holy mission.

关于"情人节"的来历，现存的版本很多。06年"情人节"到来之际，我们请到了传说中的圣·瓦伦丁，让他亲口讲述一段发生在克罗狄乌斯时代有关"神职之爱"与"世俗之爱"的故事。

故事发生在公元前250年左右，当时的罗马皇帝克罗狄乌斯为了扩军备战，下令禁止国人举行婚典。凡是一定年龄范围内的男子，都必须进入罗马军队，整个国家于是备受相思之苦。

我们的主人公圣·瓦伦丁牧师，不忍看到一对对伴侣生离死别，便以基督教方式为他们秘密举行婚礼，后被罗马皇帝发现送进监狱。传说临死前，他给朋友女儿留下字条，上面写着："爱你的瓦伦丁"，收字条的女孩在瓦伦丁遭遇不幸时一直鼓励他、关心他、爱护他。

牧师死的那一天是2月14日，公元269年的2月14日。

Let me introduce myself. My name is Valentine. I lived in Rome during the third century. That was long, long ago! At that time, Rome was ruled by an emperor named Claudius. I didn't like Emperor Claudius, and I wasn't the only one! A lot of people shared my feelings.

Claudius wanted to have a big army. He expected men to volunteer to join. Many men just did not want to fight in wars. They did not want to leave their wives and families. As you might have guessed, not many men signed up . This made Claudius furious. So what happened? He had a crazy idea. He thought that if men were not married, they would not mind joining the army. So Claudius decided not to allow any more marriages. Young people thought his new law was cruel. I thought it was preposterous ! I certainly wasn't going to support that law!

Did I mention that I was a priest? One of my favorite activities was to marry couples. Even after Emperor Claudius passed his law, I kept on performing marriage ceremonies -- secretly, of course. It was really quite exciting. Imagine a small candlelit room with only the bride and groom and myself. We would whisper the words of the ceremony, listening all the while for the steps of soldiers.

One night, we did hear footsteps. It was scary! Thank goodness the couple I was marrying escaped in time. I was caught. (Not quite as light on my feet as I used to be, I guess.) I was thrown in jail and told that my punishment was death.

I tried to stay cheerful. And do you know what? Wonderful things happened. Many young people came to the jail to visit me. They threw flowers and notes up to my window. They wanted me to know that they, too, believed in love.

One of these young people was the daughter of the prison guard. Her father allowed her to visit me in the cell. Sometimes we would sit and talk for hours. She helped me to keep my spirits up . She agreed that I did the right thing by ignoring the Emperor and going ahead with the secret marriages. On the day I was to die, I left my friend a little note thanking her for her friendship and loyalty. I signed it, "Love from your Valentine."

I believe that note started the custom of exchanging love messages on Valentine's Day. It was written on the day I died, February 14, 269 A.D. Now, every year on this day, people remember. But most importantly, they think about love and friendship. And when they think of Emperor Claudius, they remember how he tried to stand in the way of love, and they laugh -- because they know that love can't be beaten!

Vocabulary:
sign up :（应征入伍）
preposterous : absurd,crazy（荒谬的）
marry: to perform a marriage ceremony for(为…举行婚礼)
a candlelit room: (点满蜡烛的屋子）

Say "I Love you" in different languages

Close your eyes andpicturean emotional image: You proclaim your love to the God-blessed beloved in 311 different languages on the day of Valentine… Theoddsare that your tongues would have been held up by a deep kiss from yourswooningsweetheart before you could accomplish the grand cause. Maybe, on the moment you say the divine words in the 17th language. (责任编辑：www.cetcet.com)