中英對照讀新聞》Japanese parents are doing matchmaking for their children 日本父母幫子女相親

日本近來也吹起由父母代替子女相親的風潮。圖為今年3月底1對情侶在日本東京六本木與櫻花合影。（法新社）

◎張沛元

Around 60 men and women have gathered for a matchmaking session to find true love. Each of them has forked out 14,000 yen to attend the speed-dating event. And they are all hoping to meet someone just like them; a parent whose still single daughter or son might be the perfect match for their own lonesome child.

約60名男女齊聚參加1場相親活動以尋找真愛，他們每人得掏出日幣1萬4000圓才能參加這場快速約會活動，並皆盼能遇到跟自己一樣的人：為人父母，其膝下的單身兒女，可能是自己的孤家寡人的孩子的完美伴侶。

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It’s not that Japan, a notoriously work-obsessed nation where time is at a premium, hasn’t tried out the more direct approach to speed-dating, where the youngsters do it for themselves. It’s more that leaving the young to it doesn’t seem to be working.

這並非是日本這個有忙工作忙到沒閒暇的惡名的國家，不曾嘗試更直接地讓年輕人自己來搞定快速約會，而是交給年輕人來做根本成不了事。

With rising living costs, poor economic prospects and the demanding work culture conspiring against them, fewer Japanese today are opting to get married and have children.

生活成本提高、經濟前景欠佳，以及要求嚴苛的工作文化，共同導致年輕人不願擇偶，如今沒有多少日本人選擇結婚生子。

新聞辭典

fork out：片語，（勉為其難）付錢，花費。例句：Why should men always have to fork out for dinner on the first date?（憑啥男人總得在初次約會時請客吃飯？）

at a premium：慣用語，奇缺，非常稀罕；因稀少而顯得昂貴。

conspire against：片語，（事情、環境）共同導致（計畫失敗）。例句：Bad weather conspired against our plan for camping.（壞天氣毀了我們的露營計畫。）

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