《中英對照讀新聞》In speed-dating, size really matters -survey 調查:在快速約會,大小真的很重要
◎鄭寺音
Walk tall-it’s the short cut to success at speed-dating. In what is billed as the first study of its kind, two academics at a British university found there is no short cut to true love.
走路時挺直腰桿,這是快速約會成功的捷徑。在號稱是同類型之先的研究中,一個英國大學的兩名學者發現,真愛無捷徑。
They calculated that for every inch taller a man is than his speed-dating rivals, the number of women who want to meet him goes up by about five percent.
他們推測,男性身高比快速約會的敵手每高一英寸,女性想要跟他們會面的比率,就會增加約5%。
Reducing the magical chemistry of love at first sight to a set of complicated equations, researchers Michele Belot and Marco Francesconi analysed the choices made by 1,800 men and 1,800 women at 84 speed-dating events across Britain.
把一見鍾情的神奇化學作用,轉為一組複雜的方程式,研究人員碧羅與法蘭西斯科尼分析1800名男性與1800名女性,在英國各地84次快速約會中所做的選擇。
Each hopeful pays about 20 pounds and has just three minutes to convince a possible partner of the opposite sex.
每個候選人付20英鎊,只有3分鐘,說服一名異性當他的伴侶。
The conclusion of the University of Essex study was blunt and to the point: "Women prefer men who are young and tall, while men are more attracted to women who are young and thin."
這份艾塞克斯大學的研究結論,直截了當且一針見血:「女性偏好年輕高大的男性,男性則較受年輕纖瘦的女性吸引。」
But, in the unforgiving numbers game of love, age is crucial. Each extra year, in comparison with others in the speed-dating group, reduces a man’s chance of finding a partner by four percent. For women it is five percent.
但在愛情遊戲的無情數字中,年齡卻是至關重要。與快速約會族群中的其他人相比,男性每多一歲,找到伴侶的機會就會降低4%,女性則降低5%。
新聞辭典
walk tall 挺直腰桿,表現自信。
例句:You’d have more chance of success if you’d stand tall.如果你挺直腰桿,表現自信,你會有更多機會成功。
go up 增加。
例句:The average cost of a new house has gone up by 5% to £76500.新房子的平均價格上漲了5%,來到7萬6500英鎊。
reduce to 使變為。
例句:The fire reduced the paintings to ashes.大火將這些畫作燒成了灰燼。