THIS IS AMERICA - Dating

THIS IS AMERICA - Dating
By Jerilyn Watson

Broadcast: Monday, February 14, 2005

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

Welcome to THIS IS AMERICA, in VOA Special English. I'm Steve Ember.

VOICE TWO:

And I'm Faith Lapidus. February fourteenth is Valentine's Day. So this is a good time to play some love songs as we explore the subject of dating.

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

 
Graphic¹ Image
Valentine's Day is a special time for love. Millions of people will receive flowers, chocolate or some other gift. Others might get just a phone call or an electronic² message from someone they care about.

Still others would be happy just to have someone special in their life on Valentine's Day.

Tradition tells us that Saint³ Valentine was a third-century Roman who performed marriages and died for his Christian⁴ beliefs on February fourteenth. That was a day celebrated⁵ in ancient Rome in connection with love.

VOICE TWO:

 
(Photo - Universal⁶ Pictures)
Traditionally⁷, young people in America lived with their parents until marriage. Some still do. But, in general, young people have grown more independent. They wait longer to get married.

Even then, they still have to find the right person.

There are many ways for people to meet. Some meet at work. Others meet by chance. Still others look for help from services that bring people together.

VOICE ONE:

Friends and family members might offer to help. They might plan a blind date. This is a meeting between two people who have never seen each other before. And, unless things go well, may never seen each other again.

Some families follow their cultural traditions and plan the marriage of their child to a member of another family. The young people might not see each other much before they are married. Or they might see each other but never alone.

(MUSIC)

VOICE TWO:

In movies, two people often fall in love after what Hollywood⁸ calls a "cute meet." They might be lawyers on opposite sides in a court case. Or one person gets a letter meant for the other. Or their dogs get into a fight on the street. Who knows how many people really do meet this way.

In real life, finding⁹ a person and establishing a relationship is usually hard work.

VOICE ONE:

A lot of people try to improve their chances by looking in places where people with similar interests go. This might be a place of religion. Or a bookstore. Many bookstores in America offer special programs and social activities for single people.

Singles may join health clubs or sports teams where men and women play together. If nothing else, at least they get some exercise.

But sometimes none of these efforts succeed. So people might try to meet someone over the Internet. Here too there are no guarantees.

VOICE TWO:

Internet dating services had been growing sharply¹⁰ through the end of two thousand three. But the industry growth¹¹ rate has slowed.

What we are about to say may come as no shock, but people do not always tell the truth about themselves online. And if they do not exactly lie about their age, for example, then they might offer an old picture instead. Or a dating service might connect a person with someone who lives far away.

Some companies are working to improve their services. And others say they have a very good record of bringing people together.

VOICE ONE:

 
Graphic Image
There are companies with names like Match dot com (match.com) and eHarmony dot com (eharmony.com) and Americansingles dot com (americansingles.com).

And there are services especially for different groups, including older people. Senior¹² FriendFinder dot com (seniorfriendfinder.com) says that in one week, it placed more than two thousand pictures of older date-seekers online.

VOICE TWO:

People who meet through computer services may not have to give their full name or e-mail address at first. Relationships that begin over the Internet do sometimes lead to marriage. Yet there is a risk anytime strangers meet. It could be danger, or simply an unpleasant¹³ surprise.

A young woman in Washington¹⁴, D.C., was angry after seeing a date she met over the Internet. In his picture, he looked twenty-five or thirty years old. In reality, she said, he was old enough to be her father.

VOICE ONE:

Another example involves a woman in Chicago, Illinois. For several months, she exchanged e-mail with a man who sounded interesting. Then, when they met, he admitted he had a wife. He said he just wanted what he called "some harmless¹⁵ fun." The woman says she told him she was sorry she had wasted her time on a person who lies.

Online dating companies do offer some safety advice to women and men who decide to meet. For example, they say you should drive yourself to the date. And get together in a public place with lots of people around.

VOICE TWO:

Another way to meet people is through a service like the one offered by a company called Brief Encounters¹⁶ USA. This company holds events for small groups of people in several states and Washington, D.C. Men and women meet and get only three to six minutes to introduce themselves.

VOICE ONE:

This is how it works¹⁷: Two people sit across from each other at a table. They talk until a bell rings. Then everyone meets a new person.

People write down their reactions to the ones they met. At the end, they give the names of those they liked best to an employee¹⁸ of Brief Encounters. Within forty-eight hours, the people who took part receive the names and telephone numbers of the people who liked them.

Religious¹⁹ organizations operate a number of dating services. A program called SpeedDating began in California²⁰ with Jewish²¹ students in Los Angeles. Many young people gather in a room. They meet and talk with someone else for seven minutes before they move on to another person.

VOICE TWO:

Many American newspapers and magazines publish what are called personals. These are messages from people who want to meet others. For example, a message might say: "Nice looking woman, thirty years old, thin, athletic²², successful, great cook, desires long-term²³ relationship."

There are also telephone services. People call and record a message about themselves and the kind of person they hope to meet. Other people call and listen to the messages. If they hear one they like, they leave their own message.

There are also video dating services. People go on camera and record a message about themselves. Then they wait until someone likes what they see.

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

In some cafes, people hope to find more than just a good cup of coffee. A place called Drip²⁴ opened in New York City in nineteen ninety-six. It began with the idea of having employees²⁵ help set up dates between people who answer questions about themselves. The idea spread. Drip dot com (drip.com) offers an online dating service.

VOICE TWO:

However two people meet, once they have made a date, either alone or with friends, the question becomes where to go. People of all ages do many of the same things. They might go out to eat. They might go for a long walk. Or they might go dancing, or to a movie or a museum or a concert.

Some couples play sports together. Others like to spend an evening just watching television. However they spend their time, the important thing -- Valentine's Day or not -- is that they are spending it together.

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

Our program was written by Jerilyn Watson and produced by Caty Weaver²⁶. I'm Steve Ember.

VOICE ONE:

And I'm Faith Lapidus. Join us again next week for THIS IS AMERICA in VOA Special English.

1 graphic   

adj.生动的，形象的，绘画的，文字的，图表的

参考例句：

• The book gave a graphic description of the war.这本书生动地描述了战争的情况。
• Distinguish important text items in lists with graphic icons.用图标来区分重要的文本项。

2 electronic   

adj.电子的；n.[-s]电子学，电子设备

参考例句：

• It is an electronic device with many uses.这是一部具有多种用途的电子仪器。
• Father needs a new electronic shaver.爸爸需要一个新的电子剃须刀。

3 saint   

n.圣徒；基督教徒；vt.成为圣徒，把...视为圣徒

参考例句：

• He was made a saint.他被封为圣人。
• The saint had a lowly heart.圣人有谦诚之心。

4 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

5 celebrated   

adj.有名的，声誉卓著的

参考例句：

• He was soon one of the most celebrated young painters in England.不久他就成了英格兰最负盛名的年轻画家之一。
• The celebrated violinist was mobbed by the audience.观众团团围住了这位著名的小提琴演奏家。

6 universal   

adj.宇宙的，全世界的；普遍的，一般的；通用的，万能的

参考例句：

• First of all we should make primary education universal.首先我们应普及初等教育。
• Climate change is a universal problem.气候变化是个世界性的问题。

7 traditionally   

adv.传说地；传统地

参考例句：

• Traditionally,people clean the house before the Spring Festival.传统上，人们在春节前打扫房子。
• Medicine is traditionally the first of the Nobel prizes awarded each year.根据传统，医学奖是诺贝尔奖每年颁发的第一个奖项。

8 Hollywood   

n.好莱坞；美国电影业

参考例句：

• She dreamed of becoming a Hollywood screen goddess.她梦想成为好莱坞的银幕女神。
• The film has a Hollywood happy ending.那部电影有一个好莱坞式的美满结局。

9 finding   

n.发现，发现物；调查的结果

参考例句：

• The finding makes some sense.该发现具有一定的意义。
• That's an encouraging finding.这是一个鼓舞人心的发现。

10 sharply   

adj.锐利地，急速；adv.严厉地，鲜明地

参考例句：

• The plane dived sharply and rose again.飞机猛然俯冲而后又拉了起来。
• Demand for personal computers has risen sharply.对个人电脑的需求急剧增长。

11 growth   

n.生长，栽培

参考例句：

• All living things depend on the sun for their growth.万物靠太阳生长。
• Youth is the time of physical growth.青年时期是长身体的时期。

12 senior   

adj.年长的；资格较老的，地位较高的；n.年长者，前辈；大学高年级学生

参考例句：

• My brother is senior to me by two years.我哥哥比我年长两岁。
• They are senior students.他们是高年级学生。

13 unpleasant   

adj.使人不愉快的，使人厌恶的，煞风景的

参考例句：

• A very unpleasant thing has happened.一件令人很不愉快的事发生了。
• The kind advices are often unpleasant to the ear.好言常常不入耳。

14 Washington   

n.华盛顿特区(是美国首都)

参考例句：

• His birthplace is Washington,but he lives in San Francisco.他出生于华盛顿，但住在旧金山。
• They, together with my father,have gone to Washington.他们和我父亲一起去华盛顿了。

15 harmless   

adj.无害的，无恶意的

参考例句：

• This experiment was harmless to the animals.这个试验不会对动物造成伤害。
• He was a harmless sort.他是一个不怀恶意的人。

16 encounters   

遭遇战( encounter的名词复数 )； [天文学]（向着某一天体的）接近； 突然遇到

参考例句：

• Encounters of like charges act to diminish the coagulation rate. 同性带电粒子间的碰撞作用减少凝聚率。
• At each stage of development the trematode encounters formidable hazards. 吸虫在发育的每一个阶段，都可能遭遇到极大的风险。

17 works   

n.作品，著作；工厂，活动部件，机件

参考例句：

• We expect writers to produce more and better works.我们期望作家们写出更多更好的作品。
• The novel is regarded as one of the classic works.这篇小说被公认为是最优秀的作品之一。

18 employee   

n.职员，员工，受雇人员

参考例句：

• Each employee received a like bonus.每个雇员都得到了相同数目的奖金。
• They brought around a new employee this morning.他们今天早晨请来了一位新雇员。

19 religious   

adj.宗教性的，虔诚的，宗教上的；n.修道士，出家人

参考例句：

• She is very religious person who goes to church every Sunday.她十分虔诚，每个星期天都上教堂。
• It is hard for me to reject religious beliefs.要我抛弃自己的宗教信仰是困难的。

20 California   

n.加利福尼亚(美国)

参考例句：

• He was elected governor of the state of California.他当选为加州州长。
• We were driving on a California freeway.我们正沿着加利福尼亚的一条快车道驾车行驶。

21 Jewish   

adj.犹太人的，犹太民族的

参考例句：

• The coin bears a Jewish symbol.硬币上有犹太标记。
• They were two Jewish kids;I was friendly with both of them.他们是两个犹太小孩；我同他们都很要好。

22 athletic   

adj.擅长运动的，强健的；活跃的，体格健壮的

参考例句：

• This area has been marked off for athletic practice.这块地方被划出来供体育训练之用。
• He is an athletic star.他是一个运动明星。

23 long-term   

adj.长远的，长期的

参考例句：

• It isn't a long-term policy.这不是长久之计。
• We must calculate on a long-term basis.我们要作长期打算。

24 drip   

n.滴，点滴；水滴；乏味的人；v.滴下，漏水

参考例句：

• I hate this sort of drip.我讨厌这种无聊的闲话。
• A drip of water fell from the tap.从龙头滴下一滴水。

25 employees   

n.雇工，雇员( employee的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• She is always polite and considerate towards her employees. 她对待雇员总是客客气气，关心体谅。
• The company has a strict dress code—all male employees are expected to wear suits. 公司有严格的着装规定—所有男职员都要穿西服。

26 weaver   

n.织布工；编织者

参考例句：

• She was a fast weaver and the cloth was very good.她织布织得很快，而且布的质量很好。
• The eager weaver did not notice my confusion.热心的纺织工人没有注意到我的狼狈相。