速配啟航篇

這年頭，婚介所又火起來了，成了不少尋“愛”未果的單身人士的求助所。在這個講究效率的年代，婚介所的存在是有其合理性的。與其單憑感覺在茫茫人海中找尋你的命中注定，還不如相信專業人士，只有鎖定目標，才能提高命中率。前頭Jackie還為愛苦悶不已，這頭他已經向愛情發起了沖鋒。

Sydney: Please come in.

Jackie: You’ll have to excuse me， I’ve never been to a dating agency before. I’m a little bit nervous about this.

Sydney: Don’t worry， you’re not the first to feel that way. It’s natural to feel a bit nervous when it comes to falling in love. But fear not， here at Soul Connections we make it our Number One 1)priority to match couples who are perfect for each other， or your money back.

Jackie: You really think you can find someone that I’m going to fall in love with?

Sydney: Well， ①I don’t like to 2)toot my own 3)horn， but we do have an eighty-five percent success rate of matching couples that stay together for at least two years and twenty-five percent of our couples get married.

Jackie: I guess they are better 4)odds than I’m going to get with someone I meet in a bar or someone my mother sets me up with.

Sydney: Sure are. Now， take a seat. Do you have any questions before we begin?

Jackie: No， not at all. ②Just ready to get the show on the road.

Sydney: Great. I love to see enthusiasm like that. So， I already have your paperwork and

5)particulars， ③let’s get down to the nitty-gritty. I’m going to ask you a series of questions to better understand exactly who you are looking for.

Jackie: Cool.

Sydney: Let’s begin. What is the first thing you notice when you meet a woman?

Jackie: Her…umm…eyes. I guess I’m really drawn to a girl with nice eyes. Not any specific colour， just eyes that make me feel comfortable， like they understand me.

Sydney: Great. And what three personality

6)traits do you find most important in a partner?

Jackie: I’d have to say: honesty—I’ve been hurt a lot in the past by dishonest women;

7)intelligence—I want someone I can have a conversation with， but I don’t want her to be too smart; and a sense of humour—if you can’t have a good laugh， life isn’t worth living.

Sydney: Great， great， great. And finally， do you have any physical or racial preferences?

Jackie: Oh， not at all. ④I’m easy. As long as she has a good heart， I don’t care where she comes from.

Sydney: OK. I’ll just put all this information into the computer and in a few minutes we should have a match for you!

西德尼:請進。

杰基:請多多包涵，我之前從沒來過婚姻介紹所，有點緊張。

西德尼:不用擔心，你不是第一個有這種感覺的。跟戀愛有關的事情自然會讓人感到緊張。但不要怕，我們“心靈交流站”的首要宗旨就是撮合理想伴侶，否則你可以要求退錢。

杰基:你真的有把握可以為我找到喜歡的人?

西德尼:嗯，不是我自夸，經由我們介紹在一起至少兩年的情侶配對成功率高達85%，而25%的情侶最終步入了婚姻的殿堂。

杰基:我想比起我在酒吧中結識的或是我媽給我介紹的成功率應該會高些吧。

西德尼:那當然。來，請坐。在我們正式開始之前你還有沒有什么疑問?

杰基:沒有。已經作好準備了，開始吧。

西德尼:非常好。我就喜歡你這樣的熱情。行。我手上已經有你的資料和詳細介紹了，讓我們開始著手一些基本細節問題。接下來我會問你一連串問題以便更好地了解你在物色怎樣的伴侶。

杰基:很好。

西德尼:我們開始吧。當你和女性見面時，你首先會關注她的什么地方。

杰基:她的……呃……眼睛。我想我會被雙眸漂亮的女孩子所吸引。并非得特定什么顏色，就是那種眼神能讓我感到自在的，好像它們能讀懂我。

西德尼:好的。那你說說你最看重另一半的哪三個人格特質。

杰基:我想說的是，要誠實，過去我曾被不忠的女人傷得很深;有智慧，我希望我們之間有話可聊，但我又不希望她太精明;還要有幽默感，如果你無法開懷大笑，那么你就白來世上走一趟了。

西德尼:好好好。最后，在相貌和人種方面你有沒有什么偏好?

杰基:哦，沒有。我不在意這些。只要她心地好，我不在乎她來自哪里。

西德尼:行。我會把這些信息都輸進電腦，幾分鐘后我們就可以為你找到合適的人選。

Smart Sentences

① I don’t like to toot my own horn.不是我自夸。

toot one’s own horn: brag or boast about oneself(自我吹噓，自我夸耀)。例如:

My mother loves to toot her own horn about how she was pursued by three boys.

我媽喜歡夸耀自己當年如何被三個男孩子追求的事。

② Just ready to get the show on the road. 已經作好準備了，開始吧。

get the show on the road: get started(著手開始，付諸實施)。例如:

Nina loves to talk about ideas， but never gets the show on

the road.

尼娜喜歡談想法，但卻從不付諸實施。

③ Let’s get down to the nitty-gritty. 讓我們開始著手一些基本細節問題。

nitty-gritty: the most important， basic parts of a matter， or a situation(基本事實，本質)，also “nuts and bolts”(也可用nuts and bolts)。例如:

The nitty-gritty of the job is what I enjoy the most， not the title.

我喜歡的是這個工作的點點滴滴，而不是它的頭銜。

④ I’m easy.我不在意這些。

I’m easy: anyone/anything is okay with me(隨便)。例如:

—Do you want some noodles， a sandwich or a salad?

你想要吃點面，還是來個三文治，或是吃個沙拉?

—I’m easy. Whatever is convenient for you.

隨便，哪個方便就哪個吧。