The young man had a simple question: "Would you often come riding with me on my bike?" It's the kind of line that worked for many suitors in China, the kingdom of bicycles, during its austere decades under Chairman Mao. But Ma Nuo, a Beijing model, seeks loftier transport and wealthier dates.
回想毛主席年代的艱苦歲月里,中國(guó)還只是個(gè)自行車王國(guó)。那時(shí)年輕男士通常會(huì)問意中人一個(gè)簡(jiǎn)單的問題:“你愿意讓我騎自行車載你出去嗎?”而這種求愛方式卻很奏效。但現(xiàn)如今,北京模特馬諾所追尋的卻是高級(jí)轎車和豪華約會(huì)。
Even if a date went bad, "I'd rather cry in a BMW" was her giggling, withering rejection, watched by millions on China's top-rated TV entertainment show. Material girls such as Ma, 22, have rocketed If You Are the One and its rival dating show, Take Me Out, to the summit of Chinese television fame.
在國(guó)內(nèi)收視最高的電視綜藝節(jié)目中,她微笑著在數(shù)百萬電視觀眾的注視下給對(duì)方一個(gè)讓人無語的回答:就算約會(huì)出了問題,“我寧愿坐在寶馬里哭”。像馬諾這樣22歲的“物質(zhì)女孩”使《非誠勿擾》及其競(jìng)爭(zhēng)對(duì)手《我們約會(huì)吧》一躍成為中國(guó)最著名的電視節(jié)目。
The programs, which both first aired in January, have generated discussion about money worship among China's younger generation. Publicity-generating scandals include allegations of fake contestants and nude photos, posted online, of one contestant, who says she was coerced.
自1月份開播以來,兩檔節(jié)目成功引發(fā)了人們對(duì)中國(guó)年輕一代拜金主義的激烈討論。然而,宣傳期間卻爆出一系列丑聞,先是有人爆料某些選手是托兒,后又有人在網(wǎng)上發(fā)布某選手的不雅照,而該選手聲稱自己是被逼的。
The shows' popularity is easy to explain, says Tian Fanjiang, CEO of baihe.com, a matchmaking website. "There are 180 million single people in China," Tian says. "They and their parents are all worried about the marriage problem."
百合網(wǎng)首席執(zhí)行官田范江說,這類節(jié)目受歡迎很容易解釋。田說:“中國(guó)有1.8億單身者,他們自己和他們的父母都為婚姻問題擔(dān)心。”
By the standards of the USA, China's twice-weekly, hour-long hit shows can appear tame. For Chinese viewers, they have proved riveting, turning traditional matchmaking on its head and celebrating instant celebrity.
但是,按照美國(guó)的標(biāo)準(zhǔn),這種每周兩次、每次一小時(shí)的相親節(jié)目可能不算什么。而對(duì)中國(guó)觀眾而言,它們卻極具吸引力,不僅顛覆了傳統(tǒng)相親模式,還能讓人一夜成名。
Although dating programs have aired for almost two decades here, they didn't look like this.
雖然電視相親節(jié)目已經(jīng)在中國(guó)存在了近2 0年,但過去跟現(xiàn)在大有不同。
"In the old shows, people just introduced themselves, and there was little mutual choice," says Wang Gang, who produces If You Are the One for Jiangsu Satellite TV. Wang says his show offers confrontation, nerves and suspense. "Our style is new, and the mass audience has got bored of singing and dancing programs."
“過去的相親節(jié)目中,人們只是自我介紹,幾乎沒有什么互相選擇的環(huán)節(jié)。”江蘇衛(wèi)視《非誠勿擾》欄目制片人王剛表示,該節(jié)目為大家提供一個(gè)面對(duì)面的機(jī)會(huì),節(jié)目緊張充滿懸念。“我們的節(jié)目風(fēng)格新穎,大眾也已經(jīng)厭倦了歌舞類節(jié)目。”
"The Chinese family is unique in the world, as we have a one-child policy," says Take Me Out producer Liu Lei, "but parents attach great importance to carrying on the family name, so marriage is a big issue."
?。ê闲l(wèi)視)《我們約會(huì)吧》的制片人劉蕾說:“中國(guó)的家庭在世界上是獨(dú)特的,我們有獨(dú)生子女政策。但家長(zhǎng)對(duì)延續(xù)家族姓氏非常重視,所以婚姻是很重要的問題。”
Liu insists that the money-worship of some contestants does not reflect mainstream Chinese society, but she concedes, "Many girls really love rich men."
劉蕾堅(jiān)持說,某些征婚者對(duì)金錢的崇拜不能反映中國(guó)社會(huì)主流,但她也承認(rèn):“很多女孩的確愛有錢人。”
Matchmakers are rushing to cash in at matchmaking fairs and other events.
如今,婚介機(jī)構(gòu)正你爭(zhēng)我趕,利用集體相親活動(dòng)和其他活動(dòng)賺錢。
Fifteen thousand women applied for a chance to date a wealthy man at an event May 1 organized by matchmaking website jiayuan.com, says Zhang Guoyu, director of the company's Southwest China branch. In June, 50 of them will meet the men who paid $14,650 for the service.
世紀(jì)佳緣交友網(wǎng)西南區(qū)總監(jiān)張國(guó)玉說,15000名女性報(bào)名參加他們公司5月1日舉行的活動(dòng),爭(zhēng)奪與一名富翁的相親機(jī)會(huì)。她們當(dāng)中的5 0人將于6月份與這名男士會(huì)面,后者為此支付了14650美元。
No TV show can fully reflect social reality, says Yin Hong, a Chinese television scholar at Beijing's Tsinghua University. He prefers If You Are the One because "It's more controversial." Why so popular? "China's social environment is changing, as people dare to express their private life and love values in public," he says.
清華大學(xué)的電視學(xué)者尹鴻說,沒有任何一個(gè)電視節(jié)目能完全反映社會(huì)現(xiàn)狀。他更喜歡《非誠勿擾》。他說:“這個(gè)節(jié)目更具爭(zhēng)議性,沖突更激烈。”那么,這個(gè)節(jié)目為什么如此受歡迎呢?他說:“中國(guó)的社會(huì)環(huán)境在不斷變化,人們敢于表達(dá)私生活和愛情價(jià)值觀。”
China's one-child policy has skewed the gender balance over the past three decades because of farmers' preference for boys.
30年來,中國(guó)獨(dú)生子女政策使性別失衡,因?yàn)檗r(nóng)民更偏愛男孩。
If women enjoy a greater selection, though, they face other challenges. "Our surveys show that men consider women old after 28," says matchmaker Tian, and women consider a man old after 35.
但是,如果說女性享有更大的選擇范圍,她們卻面臨其他挑戰(zhàn)。田范江說:“我們的調(diào)查顯示,男性認(rèn)為女性過了28歲就老了。”而女性認(rèn)為男性過了35歲才算老。
In Beijing's Zhongshan Park one Sunday, more than 1,000 parents swap details on their single, grown offspring.
一個(gè)周日,超過1000名家長(zhǎng)到北京中山公園互換成年子女的詳細(xì)資料。
He Lan, 56, hopes to find a date for his daughter He Fan, 28, who works for an elevator firm.
56歲的何瀾(音)希望給28歲的女兒何帆(音)尋找男朋友,何帆在一家電梯公司工作。
"It's hard for young people to find partners now, as they are so busy with their jobs," he says.
他說:“年輕人現(xiàn)在找對(duì)象很難,因?yàn)樗麄兌济τ诠ぷ鳌?rdquo;
He is a big fan of the dating programs and tuned in Saturday to a new show, I See You.
他很喜歡看那些交友節(jié)目,而且周六看了一個(gè)新節(jié)目--相親相愛。
"I took down the number and told my daughter she must apply to go on," he says. Her reaction? "Go on it yourself!" he laughs.
他說:“我記下電話號(hào)碼,告訴我女兒她得去報(bào)名。”她的反應(yīng)呢?“你自己去報(bào)吧!”他笑著說。