双语美文：左先生会成为右先生吗？

　　今天是情人节，你们中的许多人肯定在想：“我现在约会的对象是我要找的那个人吗?”

　　Well, Chinese women seem to have identified the signs that you may have found "Mr Right."

　　是的，中国女性似乎已经发现了你或许已经找到Mr. Right的迹象。

　　According¹ to a post titled "Mr Left and Mr Right" that went viral on China’s social media² platform WeChat recently, here are some differences between Mr Left and Mr Right.

　　根据最近在中国社交媒体平台微信上发表的一篇名为《左先生和右先生》的文章，一位是左先生，一位是右先生，两位先生对“你”展示的却是不同的态度。

　　For example, here are their differences in reaction to you working overtime⁴. Mr Left: "I know you are busy, but don’t forget to eat."Mr Right: "I’ve ordered you takeout food. Eat it when you have time."

　　例如，当你加班时，左先生和右先生的反应迥然不同。左先生：“我知道你很忙，但别忘了吃饭吆。”右先生：“我已经给你点外卖了，抽空吃了。”

　　Their different reactions when you leave for a business trip:Mr Left: "Take good care of yourself."Mr Right: "I have written down your flight number and hotel address. Don’t forget to send me a photo of the license⁵ number of the taxi."

　　当你动身出差的时候，他们的表现也不同。左先生：“一个人在外，要照顾好自己!”右先生：“航班号和酒店地址我已经记下了，打车前把车牌号拍给我!”

　　How they react³ when it is cold outside: Mr Left: "Drink some hot water." Mr Right: "Let’s go and get you some warmer clothes."

　　外面天气寒冷，左先生和右先生对“你”有着不同的反应。左先生：“多喝点热水。”右先生：“走，给你出去买件厚点的衣服。”

　　Now, do you get it?

　　你现在意会到了吗?

　　The post suggests you should date Mr Left but marry Mr Right.

　　你可以和左先生谈恋爱，但一定要嫁给右先生。

　　Why, you might ask? Mr Left is a talker, while Mr Right is a doer. That actually makes sense in China. As you might know, Chinese men do not often say, "I love you." They believe actions speak louder than words. Therefore, women have to rely⁶ on their actions to see how much he cares about her.

　　你可能会问：“为什么呀?”因为左先生是一位空谈者，而右先生是一位行动派。这么说在中国其实是有道理的。你或许知道，中国男人不会常说“我爱你!”，他们认为行动比言语更重要。所以，女人必须多看看男人的实际行动，通过他们的行动来判断他有多爱你。

　　Following the post, many women asked for advice on how to turn Mr Left into Mr Right, and the responses from men were hilarious⁷. One said, "You were lucky enough to find a Mr Left, so don’t expect anything more." You know what? He is right. Women sometimes expect too much. Those unrealistic expectations ruin our relationships.I understand why many Chinese women prefer the loving and caring Mr Right. They prefer a strong partner who can take care of them.

　　许多女人看到那篇文章会问左先生怎样才能成为右先生呢，男人们的回答是极其有趣的。有人说：“找到左先生你已经很幸运了，再别期望太多啦。”你知道吗?他说的是对的。有时候女人就是期望太多。那些不切实际的要求最终会破坏我们的关系。我能理解为什么许多中国女性偏爱细致入微的右先生。她们更喜欢一个能够照顾她们的强壮伴侣。

　　Look around the street next time you are out. Have you ever seen a guy who carries his girlfriend’s or wife’s handbag? Yeah, that’s a thing in China. It shows how much he loves her by helping⁸ and spoiling⁹ her. As an old Chinese saying goes, "carrots and cabbages, everyone has his/her own preference¹⁰."

　　你下次出去的时候观察下街道上的男男女女们。你见过一个拎着他女朋友或他妻子包的男人吗?是的，这在中国是很常见的。他帮助她，宠着她，用自己的实际行动告诉爱的人，他有多爱她!就像一句谚语说的：“萝卜青菜，各有所爱。”

　　I actually prefer Mr Left. The reason is simple. When Mr Right solves all your problems, he becomes your problem. Perhaps one of the most important roles a boyfriend can play is a cheerleader rather than a helper¹¹.

　　其实我更喜欢左先生，理由很简单。当右先生解决了你所有的问题，他会成为你的问题。或许一个男朋友或丈夫更应该扮演一个鼓励者的角色，而非佣人。

　　Maybe some Chinese men have a problem saying "I love you," but there are things we all want to hear more than those three words. For example, "You can do it;" "You have my support;" and "Well done! I am so proud of you."

　　或许有些人对于“我爱你”三个字会有疑问，但是除了这三个字，还有好多字眼都是我们期待听到的，如“你可以做到的”，“我支持你”，“做的棒，我为你自豪”等。

　　We cannot expect our boyfriend or husband to help us solve all of our problems all the time.

　　我们不要盼着我们的男朋友或丈夫帮我们解决所有的事儿。

　　Sometimes we admire them so much that we forget they are also human beings, not Superman¹².

　　有时候我们很欣赏他们，但别忘了男人也是人，不是超人。

　　Yes, maybe Mr Left cannot erase¹³ our insecurities, and maybe he cannot help you every time you need him, but that doesn’t matter. Instead of giving you fish, he teaches you how to fish. His encouragement and love raises your confidence¹⁴ and guides you to overcome problems by yourself.

　　是的，也许左先生给我们带不来安全感，也许当你需要他时他不在你身旁，但这都没关系。他没有给你鱼，但他教会你怎样钓到鱼。他的鼓励和关爱会让你增加自信，也会引导你自己克服困难。

　　You eventually become a better and stronger person.

　　最终你将成为一名勇士。

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