Dear Annie:My girlfriend and I have been togetherfor three years. When we first started dating, Maryunexpectedly became pregnant and we now have abeautiful child who is our life's joy. I would like to askMary to become my wife. Here's the problem: Moneyis pretty tight with a toddler, so buying an expensiveengagement ring will be difficult. Is cubic zirconiumworth looking into? I thought I'd get a nice-lookingCZ ring and, when things settle down, maybereplace it with a real diamond.

亲爱的安妮：我和我女朋友在一起已经有三年了。当我们开始约会时，玛丽意外怀孕了，所以现在我们有个漂亮的宝宝，他给我们的生活带来不少快乐。我想让玛丽成为我的妻子。但存在一个问题：有了孩子之后用钱很紧张，因此买昂贵的婚戒就困难起来。那么暂时镶上锆石是否值得考虑?我打算先买一个好看的锆石环，等稳定以后，再用真正的钻石换掉锆石。

My initial thought is to be upfront with Mary and tell her. Do you think that's a good idea? Wehave a joint checking account, so she'll know all about my purchases. Is there a good way tomask how much the ring costs?—Perplexed in the Midwest

我最初的想法是想事先跟玛丽商量一下。你认为这个主意好不好?我们拥有一个共同的支票账户，所以我买任何东西她都会知道。有没有好的方法掩盖戒指的价值。

Dear Perplexed:Don't lie to Mary about the value of the ring. Women can be very understandingabout not getting a diamond, but they don't like being fooled. And if you are serious aboutreplacing the ring later, it doesn't matter what the original is made from. As for hiding thecost, you can put aside small amounts of cash until you have enough to purchase the ring andMary will never know what you paid for it. P.S.: Best wishes on your upcoming engagement.

戒指的价值不要和Mary撒谎。没有钻戒女人能理解，但是她们不喜欢被骗。如果你真的准备事后换戒指，那戒指最先是什么材料都不重要。至于隐藏花销，你可以先攒小笔钱，直到你有足够的钱来购买戒指，玛丽绝不会知道你用哪比钱买的戒指。附：祝福你们即将到来的婚礼。