美国国家公共电台 NPR Reconnecting Strangers On A Train, One Tumblr Post At A Time

 

LULU GARCIA-NAVARRO, HOST:

There are times when we can connect surprisingly deeply with a stranger and then never see them again - a missed connection. We've been trying to help some of you connect with people you've been trying to find. Turns out we're not the only ones doing that.

UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: (Through interpreter) Every day, I get on Zwolle, and you get on in the city of Ladenstat. And every day, we look at each other. And when you get off the train at Amsterdam South, sometimes, you'll say something very softly, like a greeting. Should we maybe have a conversation with each other some time?

GARCIA-NAVARRO: This message is one of hundreds found on a Tumblr operated by Dutch Railways.

GERJAN VASSE: My name is Gerjan Vasse, and I work for the Dutch Railways. And there, I work for the department of communications. We saw in the research that one-third of our travelers flirt¹ quite frequent. So why won't we just facilitate² this?

GARCIA-NAVARRO: So because of all the flirts³, they created a program called...

VASSE: Hartkloppingen. In English, it's called Heartbeats.

GARCIA-NAVARRO: It's been around since the 1990s. Back then, the messages were printed on free train magazines. They were extremely popular. In 2008, they moved Heartbeats online - missed connection posts from over 2000 miles of railways.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: (Through interpreter) We sat on the balcony of a train from Amafurt to Eutrich. I had fries with peanut sauce, afraid that it would stink⁴ up the whole train. You had a mullet, just came from a singing bowls concert. I think you're pretty. I thought it was way too short, the time we chatted. Want to catch up?

GARCIA-NAVARRO: Fries with peanut sauce. Hmm. Rail spokesman⁵ Vasse says the message board is the extent, though, that they'll play Cupid.

VASSE: We are not a dating site. The connecting part - people really got to do that themselves.

GARCIA-NAVARRO: With or without their help, Vasse says, about 4,000 relationships a year start on the Dutch Railway. Last year, they hosted three marriage ceremonies with the hope for more in 2018.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "HEARTBEAT")

BUDDY⁶ HOLLY⁷: (Singing) Heartbeat - why do you miss when my baby kisses me? Heartbeat - why does a...

1 flirt   

v.调情，挑逗，调戏；n.调情者，卖俏者

参考例句：

• He used to flirt with every girl he met.过去他总是看到一个姑娘便跟她调情。
• He watched the stranger flirt with his girlfriend and got fighting mad.看着那个陌生人和他女朋友调情，他都要抓狂了。

2 facilitate   

vt.使容易（便利）推进，促进

参考例句：

• Modern inventions facilitate housework.许多现代发明便利了家务劳动。
• The new airport will facilitate the development of tourism.新机场将促进旅游业的发展。

3 flirts   

v.调情，打情骂俏( flirt的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• She flirts with every man she meets. 她同她遇到的每个男人调情。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• She flirts with every handsome man she meets. 她和所遇到的每个美男子调情。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

4 stink   

vi.发出恶臭；糟透，招人厌恶；n.恶臭

参考例句：

• The stink of the rotten fish turned my stomach.腐烂的鱼臭味使我恶心。
• The room has awful stink.那个房间散发着难闻的臭气。

5 spokesman   

n.发言人，代言人

参考例句：

• The government spokesman gave a quick briefing to the reporters.政府发言人向记者们作了情况简介。
• They drew lots to decide who should be their spokesman.他们抽签决定谁是他们的发言人。

6 buddy   

n.（美口）密友，伙伴

参考例句：

• Calm down,buddy.What's the trouble?压压气，老兄。有什么麻烦吗？
• Get out of my way,buddy!别挡道了，你这家伙！

7 holly   

n.[植]冬青属灌木

参考例句：

• I recently acquired some wood from a holly tree.最近我从一棵冬青树上弄了些木料。
• People often decorate their houses with holly at Christmas.人们总是在圣诞节时用冬青来装饰房屋。