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第一次约会最好不要一起吃饭
添加时间:2016-04-21 18:44:08 浏览次数: 作者:未知
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  • Restaurants are the go-to for so many social and professional occasions. Whether you're in for a professional meet-up, brunch1 with friends, or an overdue2 date night with your longtime partner, the convo-and-cuisine combo is, in general, the perfect fallback option.

    很多时候,社交和工作可能要在餐馆进行。无论是工作洽谈、与朋友吃早午餐,还是与人生伴侣共赴一场早就定好的约会,一边讨论问题一边进餐都是非常完美的备选方案。

    But as a first date? No thanks, I'd rather shove bamboo under my fingernails while listening to Yoko Ono songs on repeat.

    但第一次约会呢?还是算了吧,我宁可边循环播放小野洋子的歌,边往指甲里扎竹片。

    Just because it's been a courtship staple4 since forever doesn't mean it's a good idea, any more than ordering garlic bread and onion soup just before going in for the first kiss is a good idea. Not convinced? Let's break it down.

    仅仅因为共进晚餐是求爱的永恒主题,并不意味着这是个好方法,这和点了蒜蓉面包和洋葱汤后再献初吻是一样的性质。你不信吗?看我慢慢给你分析。

    You've got spinach5 in your teeth

    你牙缝里有菠菜

    Let me be blunt here: no one looks attractive while they're eating. Not you, not your date, not even Hollywood celebrities6. (Ever seen a tabloid7 photo of a famous person wolfing down a double-stacked hamburger? I rest my case.)

    我就直白一点说吧:没人吃相好看。你不好看,你的约会对象不好看,甚至好莱坞明星也不好看。(你在小报上见过明星狼吞虎咽吃双层汉堡的照片吗?我不用再多说了吧。)

    Sure, the way he slurps8 his spaghetti like a child or the way she always takes 20 minutes to order might become an endearing quirk9 later on. But when it comes to first impressions, gnawing10 on BBQ ribs11 is far from alluring12. Salad isn't any safer. For whatever reason, restaurants love to serve giant-sized leaves of lettuce13 in their salads that are all but impossible to fit into a human-sized mouth without unhinging your jaw14 like a snake. You could try taking a knife to your edible15 jungle, but then you're likely to get that look that says, "Are you crazy? Why are you using a steak knife on your salad?"

    当然了,他吃意大利面时吧唧嘴的样子像个孩子,她点菜总要花上20分钟的时间……这些怪癖也许恰恰促成了你们后来的爱情。但是想要留下良好的第一印象,大口嚼着烤肋排可一点都不吸引人。沙拉也安全不到哪儿去。不知道为什么,餐馆提供的沙拉里面的生菜叶总是很大,你不像蛇一样把嘴张到最大根本没法把它塞进嘴里。你也可以拿把刀切一下这些菜叶,但那样的话别人也许就会投来异样的眼光,好像在说:“你疯了吗?怎么用切牛排的刀来切沙拉?”

    By the way, if you do somehow find yourself at the local eatery during your first romantic rendezvous16, bring a toothbrush. Murphy's law of dating says that if you can get a huge glob of food stuck in your front teeth while trying to woo your potential future SO, you will.

    顺便提醒一下,如果你确实发现自己不小心把第一次浪漫约会设在了当地一家餐厅,那就带把牙刷吧。墨菲的约会定律说,如果你有可能在追求潜在伴侣的时候门牙上粘了一团食物,那么,这样的事就会发生。

    Two words: gastrointestinal distress17

    四个字:肠胃不适

    Even if you manage to choose a restaurant with an appealing menu and reasonable prices—both of those are BIG ifs!—you're still running a dangerous risk by trusting your stomach to do the right thing. Our gastrointestinal systems work in mysterious ways, and there's no telling if or when two seemingly innocuous foods might have an unexpected reaction that will lead to embarrassing results.

    如果你选到了一家菜品美味、价格合理的餐厅(大写的“如果”),即使你觉得你的肠胃到时候可以正常运转,那么你还是冒了很大的风险。我们的肠胃系统运作方式非常神秘,不会提前告诉你:是否以及何时,两种看上去相安无事的食物会发生意想不到的反应,并导致非常尴尬的结果。

    There are a million different factors working simultaneously18 to determine if and when your food will disagree with you. Even ordering an old favorite doesn't guarantee that it won't send you racing19 to the bathroom halfway20 through your meal, or force you to make the impossible choice between whether to let one rip (and hope your date doesn't hear) or bravely try to hold it in.

    你的食物什么时候会在体内作怪是百万个因素共同作用的结果。即使点你一直喜欢的菜也不能保证你在吃到一半时不会冲向卫生间,或者你犹豫一番,到底是排下气呢(还要祈祷你的约会对象不会听到),还是勇敢地忍住——这种选择真是两难啊。

    And if you did order that garlic bread and onion soup? Well, I just hope you carry an emergency supply of breath-freshening mints in your pocket at all times. Otherwise, you're screwed.

    如果你确实点了蒜蓉面包和洋葱汤呢?这样的话,我希望你随时随地携带救急用的口气清新薄荷糖。否则的话,你就完了。

    It's like a job interview, only worse

    就像面试一样,只是比面试更糟

    Even when I'm out with a familiar face, I prefer to sit next to the person, rather than across from them. It's cozier, more intimate, and less confrontational21. Bonus: it puts you in prime position to snag a bite off their plate before they can fight back.

    即使我是和熟人一起出去吃饭的,我也更喜欢坐在那人旁边,而不是与他面对面。这样更舒适,也更亲密,也不显得太对立。给你点儿额外福利:这个位置使你能在他们还没反应过来的时候,从他们的盘子里抢一口吃的。

    Sitting across from someone in a one-on-one setting is far too reminiscent of an interview, especially given all the questions you'll be asking each other. Unless, of course, you're stuck in perpetual awkward silence, which is far, far worse. In fact, a lot of dating advice columns have pointed22 out the similarities between a first date and a job interview: in both cases, you're dressing23 up and trying to put your best foot forward in the hopes of securing a callback.

    和某人面对面坐着简直太像面试了,特别是你们还要问对方很多问题。当然,除非你们处在长时间尴尬的沉默中才能不像面试,但那样会比糟糕更糟。事实上,很多约会建议专栏都说过第一次约会和面试的相似之处:在这两个情境中,你都会打扮得光鲜亮丽,试图给人留下个好印象,期待着能有下次。

    Realizing the connection, of course, only makes it seem that much more nerve-wracking. At least at the end of a job interview, you get to go home knowing you'll never have to see that person again unless they actually liked you. Rarely will you get so lucky in the world of romance.

    意识到这些联系,当然只会让约会看起来更令人精神紧张。至少,在面试后,你在回家的路上就知道,你永远不会再见到他了,除非那个人确实喜欢你。而你在情场中很少能有这么好的运气。

    Nerves, of course, are part and parcel of a first date. So why would you want to put yourself in a situation that'll just ramp24 up the anxiety even more?

    当然,第一次约会的时候紧张不可避免 。那么为什么你还要把自己置于紧张的情境中,加剧自己的焦虑呢?

    Talk about being under pressure...

    既然说到了压力……

    Let's say, for argument's sake, you actually like sitting across from people. Fine. But what about the comparison factor? First date dinners are such a cliché, it's nearly impossible to avoid thinking back to all the other times you took a guy or girl out to eat for the first time. Not to mention the quintillion dinner-date scenes Hollywood has managed to squeeze into every rom-com ever.

    为了全方位论证我的观点,我们就打个比方,假设你确实喜欢和人面对面坐着。那好。但比较起来该怎么办呢?第一次约会共进晚餐总是这么的老套,会让你不可避免地回想起你以前带男孩或女孩第一次出去吃饭的时光。更不要说好莱坞拍了无数个爱情电影,每个里面都有共进晚餐的约会场景了。

    The thing is, the compare-and-contrast game is unwinnable. One of two things will inevitably26 happen: your brain will kindly27 dredge up the worst faux-pas you've ever committed and give you debilitating28 social anxiety, or you'll think of Cameron Diaz and Jude Law chatting in a fancy French bistro and realize this date doesn't even come close. Inevitably, you'll find yourself subconsciously29 struggling to either avoid the mistakes of the past or to measure up to impossible standards. Neither of these, of course, will accomplish anything besides adding extra pressure to an already stressful event.

    问题是,在这种比较加对比的游戏中你是不会获胜的。你脑海中会不由自主地浮现出最失态的那次经历,加剧你的社交恐惧;或者你会想起卡梅隆·迪亚兹和裘德·洛在一家有情调的法国酒吧聊天的场景,然后意识到自己的这次约会可远远比不上人家。你会不可避免地发现自己在潜意识中挣扎,要么试图避免过去的错误,要么以不可能的标准要求自己。而这两种情况,除了给已经够紧张的事增加额外压力,别的什么都实现不了。

    Break the mold and opt3 for a better, more casual alternative. Consider mini golf, or a trip to the museum, or attending a local festival—literally anything more creative and enjoyable than the nightmare of the first date dinner. The future yin to your yang will thank you for it.

    打破常规,选择一个更好更轻松的方式吧。考虑一下去打迷你高尔夫、参观博物馆,或者参加当地的节日庆祝活动,这些都比像噩梦一般的晚餐更新鲜、更愉快。你未来的另一半也会因此感谢你的。

     11级    美文 


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    1 brunch [brʌntʃ] kWxzP   第9级
    n.早午餐
    参考例句:
    • They eat much the same thing for brunch every day. 每天早午餐他们总是吃同样的东西。
    • What did you have for your brunch? 你早午饭都吃些什么?
    2 overdue [ˌəʊvəˈdju:] MJYxY   第7级
    adj.过期的,到期未付的;早该有的,迟到的
    参考例句:
    • The plane is overdue and has been delayed by the bad weather. 飞机晚点了,被坏天气耽搁了。
    • The landlady is angry because the rent is overdue. 女房东生气了,因为房租过期未付。
    3 opt [ɒpt] a4Szv   第7级
    vi.选择,决定做某事
    参考例句:
    • They opt for more holiday instead of more pay. 他们选择了延长假期而不是增加工资。
    • Will individual schools be given the right to opt out of the local school authority? 各个学校可能有权选择退出地方教育局吗?
    4 staple [ˈsteɪpl] fGkze   第7级
    n.主要产物,常用品,主要要素,原料,订书钉,钩环;adj.主要的,重要的;vt.分类
    参考例句:
    • Tea is the staple crop here. 本地产品以茶叶为大宗。
    • Potatoes are the staple of their diet. 土豆是他们的主要食品。
    5 spinach [ˈspɪnɪtʃ] Dhuzr5   第10级
    n.菠菜
    参考例句:
    • Eating spinach is supposed to make you strong. 据说吃菠菜能使人强壮。
    • You should eat such vegetables as carrot, celery and spinach. 你应该吃胡萝卜,芹菜和菠菜这类的蔬菜。
    6 celebrities [siˈlebritiz] d38f03cca59ea1056c17b4467ee0b769   第7级
    n.(尤指娱乐界的)名人( celebrity的名词复数 );名流;名声;名誉
    参考例句:
    • He only invited A-list celebrities to his parties. 他只邀请头等名流参加他的聚会。
    • a TV chat show full of B-list celebrities 由众多二流人物参加的电视访谈节目
    7 tabloid [ˈtæblɔɪd] wIDzy   第11级
    adj.轰动性的,庸俗的;n.小报,文摘
    参考例句:
    • He launched into a verbal assault on tabloid journalism. 他口头对小报新闻进行了抨击。
    • He believes that the tabloid press has behaved disgracefully. 他认为小报媒体的行为不太光彩。
    8 slurps [slə:ps] 52e33f11d46c74ce9a0a3beccd148a22   第11级
    n.啧啧吃的声音( slurp的名词复数 )v.啜食( slurp的第三人称单数 )
    参考例句:
    9 quirk [kwɜ:k] 00KzV   第10级
    n.奇事,巧合;古怪的举动
    参考例句:
    • He had a strange quirk of addressing his wife as Mrs Smith. 他很怪,把自己的妻子称作史密斯夫人。
    • The most annoying quirk of his is wearing a cap all the time. 他最令人感到厌恶的怪癖就是无论何时都戴著帽子。
    10 gnawing ['nɔ:iŋ] GsWzWk   第9级
    a.痛苦的,折磨人的
    参考例句:
    • The dog was gnawing a bone. 那狗在啃骨头。
    • These doubts had been gnawing at him for some time. 这些疑虑已经折磨他一段时间了。
    11 ribs ['rɪbz] 24fc137444401001077773555802b280   第7级
    n.肋骨( rib的名词复数 );(船或屋顶等的)肋拱;肋骨状的东西;(织物的)凸条花纹
    参考例句:
    • He suffered cracked ribs and bruising. 他断了肋骨还有挫伤。
    • Make a small incision below the ribs. 在肋骨下方切开一个小口。
    12 alluring [ə'ljuəriŋ] zzUz1U   第9级
    adj.吸引人的,迷人的
    参考例句:
    • The life in a big city is alluring for the young people. 大都市的生活对年轻人颇具诱惑力。
    • Lisette's large red mouth broke into a most alluring smile. 莉莎特的鲜红的大嘴露出了一副极为诱人的微笑。
    13 lettuce [ˈletɪs] C9GzQ   第7级
    n.莴苣;生菜
    参考例句:
    • Get some lettuce and tomatoes so I can make a salad. 买些莴苣和西红柿,我好做色拉。
    • The lettuce is crisp and cold. 莴苣松脆爽口。
    14 jaw [dʒɔ:] 5xgy9   第7级
    n.颚,颌,说教,流言蜚语;v.喋喋不休,教训
    参考例句:
    • He delivered a right hook to his opponent's jaw. 他给了对方下巴一记右钩拳。
    • A strong square jaw is a sign of firm character. 强健的方下巴是刚毅性格的标志。
    15 edible [ˈedəbl] Uqdxx   第7级
    n.食品,食物;adj.可食用的
    参考例句:
    • Edible wild herbs kept us from dying of starvation. 我们靠着野菜才没被饿死。
    • This kind of mushroom is edible, but that kind is not. 这种蘑菇吃得,那种吃不得。
    16 rendezvous [ˈrɒndɪvu:] XBfzj   第9级
    n.约会,约会地点,汇合点;vi.汇合,集合;vt.使汇合,使在汇合地点相遇
    参考例句:
    • She made the rendezvous with only minutes to spare. 她还差几分钟时才来赴约。
    • I have a rendezvous with Peter at a restaurant on the harbour. 我和彼得在海港的一个餐馆有个约会。
    17 distress [dɪˈstres] 3llzX   第7级
    n.苦恼,痛苦,不舒适;不幸;vt.使悲痛
    参考例句:
    • Nothing could alleviate his distress. 什么都不能减轻他的痛苦。
    • Please don't distress yourself. 请你不要忧愁了。
    18 simultaneously [ˌsɪməl'teɪnɪəslɪ] 4iBz1o   第8级
    adv.同时发生地,同时进行地
    参考例句:
    • The radar beam can track a number of targets almost simultaneously. 雷达波几乎可以同时追着多个目标。
    • The Windows allow a computer user to execute multiple programs simultaneously. Windows允许计算机用户同时运行多个程序。
    19 racing [ˈreɪsɪŋ] 1ksz3w   第8级
    n.竞赛,赛马;adj.竞赛用的,赛马用的
    参考例句:
    • I was watching the racing on television last night. 昨晚我在电视上看赛马。
    • The two racing drivers fenced for a chance to gain the lead. 两个赛车手伺机竞相领先。
    20 halfway [ˌhɑ:fˈweɪ] Xrvzdq   第8级
    adj.中途的,不彻底的,部分的;adv.半路地,在中途,在半途
    参考例句:
    • We had got only halfway when it began to get dark. 走到半路,天就黑了。
    • In study the worst danger is give up halfway. 在学习上,最忌讳的是有始无终。
    21 confrontational [ˌkɒnfrʌnˈteɪʃnl] confrontational   第9级
    adj.挑衅的;对抗的
    参考例句:
    • Fans love rappers partly because they strike such a confrontational pose. 乐迷热爱这些饶舌艺人一定程度上是因为他们所采取的那种战斗姿态。 来自互联网
    • You prefer a non confrontational approach when it comes to resolving disputes. 面对争端,你不喜欢采用对抗性的手段来解决。 来自互联网
    22 pointed [ˈpɔɪntɪd] Il8zB4   第7级
    adj.尖的,直截了当的
    参考例句:
    • He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil. 他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
    • A safety pin has a metal covering over the pointed end. 安全别针在尖端有一个金属套。
    23 dressing [ˈdresɪŋ] 1uOzJG   第7级
    n.(食物)调料;包扎伤口的用品,敷料
    参考例句:
    • Don't spend such a lot of time in dressing yourself. 别花那么多时间来打扮自己。
    • The children enjoy dressing up in mother's old clothes. 孩子们喜欢穿上妈妈旧时的衣服玩。
    24 ramp [ræmp] QTgxf   第9级
    n.暴怒,斜坡,坡道;vi.作恐吓姿势,暴怒,加速;vt.加速
    参考例句:
    • That driver drove the car up the ramp. 那司机将车开上了斜坡。
    • The factory don't have that capacity to ramp up. 这家工厂没有能力加速生产。
    25 cliche ['kli:ʃeɪ] jbpy6   第7级
    n./adj.陈词滥调(的);老生常谈(的);陈腐的
    参考例句:
    • You should always try to avoid the use of cliche. 你应该尽量避免使用陈词滥调。
    • The old cliche is certainly true:the bigger car do mean bigger profits. 有句老话倒的确说得不假:车大利大。
    26 inevitably [ɪnˈevɪtəbli] x7axc   第7级
    adv.不可避免地;必然发生地
    参考例句:
    • In the way you go on, you are inevitably coming apart. 照你们这样下去,毫无疑问是会散伙的。
    • Technological changes will inevitably lead to unemployment. 技术变革必然会导致失业。
    27 kindly [ˈkaɪndli] tpUzhQ   第8级
    adj.和蔼的,温和的,爽快的;adv.温和地,亲切地
    参考例句:
    • Her neighbours spoke of her as kindly and hospitable. 她的邻居都说她和蔼可亲、热情好客。
    • A shadow passed over the kindly face of the old woman. 一道阴影掠过老太太慈祥的面孔。
    28 debilitating [di'biliteitiŋ] RvIzXw   第12级
    a.使衰弱的
    参考例句:
    • The debilitating disease made him too weak to work. 这个令他衰弱的病,使他弱到没有办法工作。
    • You may soon leave one debilitating condition or relationship forever. 你即将永远地和这段霉运说拜拜了。
    29 subconsciously ['sʌb'kɔnʃəsli] WhIzFD   第10级
    ad.下意识地,潜意识地
    参考例句:
    • In choosing a partner we are subconsciously assessing their evolutionary fitness to be a mother of children or father provider and protector. 在选择伴侣的时候,我们会在潜意识里衡量对方将来是否会是称职的母亲或者父亲,是否会是合格的一家之主。
    • Lao Yang thought as he subconsciously tightened his grasp on the rifle. 他下意识地攥紧枪把想。 来自汉英文学 - 散文英译

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