文本选自：The Economist（经济学人）
作者：Unknown
原文标题：What’s the best age gap in a relationship?
原文发布时间：17 Jul. 2023
What's the best age gap in a relationship?
When a friend opts to date someone who is old enough to be their parent, a common response is to see if the decision passes the "half their age plus seven" test. The rule, whose origins remain mysterious, has been passed down through generations as a way of justifying or, more commonly, pouring scorn on other people's couplings. It's fine for a 22-year-old to go out with an 18-year-old. It's not ok for a 38-year-old to go out with a 23-year-old, however a 26-year-old would be fair game. The older you get, the wider the permissible age gap: a 50-year-old can venture as old as 86.
That's the theory. In practice, research conducted by Christian Rudder, co-founder of OKCupid, a dating website, suggests that when it comes to age gaps, men and women have slightly different ideas. While female users look for men roughly the same age as them (or perhaps a year or two older) men prefer women in their early twenties, regardless of their own age. While women prefer a small and constant age gap, men are so hooked on the idea of a nubile young partner that they prefer a larger age gap the older they get.
Are men searching wisely? In theory there are plenty of reasons to favour a small age gap. The ability of both members of a couple to sing a favourite childhood television theme tune could bond them together, at the risk of irritating those nearby. And sharing the joy of getting a free bus pass at a similar time, or saving money from combining big birthday parties, is clearly attractive.
恋爱中最佳年龄差是多少?
精听党背景导读
“年龄不是问题，身高不是距离。”当爱情发生时，似乎一切都不是问题。不过，是否存在最佳的年龄差可以让亲密关系更长久呢？
一种流传很广的理论认为，社会普遍能接受的年龄差是年纪小的一方不小于年纪大的一方年龄的一半加上7。
文本选自：The Economist（经济学人）作者：Unknown原文标题：What’s the best age gap in a relationship?原文发布时间：17 Jul. 2023关键词：年龄 恋爱关系 差距
精听党带着问题听
1.“代沟”用英语可以怎么表达？2. 如何理解段二中的“hooked”？3. 男性通常希望自己的女性配偶在哪个年龄段？
精听党选段赏析
标题解读
What’s the best age gap in a relationship?
恋爱中最佳年龄差是多少?
age gap 年龄差距；1. There's a big age gap between them (= a big difference in their ages). 他们之间年龄差距很大。2. generation gap 代沟（两代人之间的隔阂）；
relationship n.（人、团体、国家之间的）关系；1. She has a very close relationship with her sister. 她和她妹妹非常亲密。2. n. 【特】情爱关系；
Are you in a relationship? 你在恋爱吗？
段一
When a friend opts to date someone who is old enough to be their parent, a common response is to see if the decision passes the “half their age plus seven” test. The rule, whose origins remain mysterious, has been passed down through generations as a way of justifying or, more commonly, pouring scorn on other people’s couplings. It’s fine for a 22-year-old to go out with an 18-year-old. It’s not ok for a 38-year-old to go out with a 23-year-old, however a 26-year-old would be fair game. The older you get, the wider the permissible age gap: a 50-year-old can venture as old as 86.
opt to do sth. 选择做某事；
date vt. 与（某人）谈恋爱；1. casual dating 随意约会；2. exclusive dating 排他性约会；
origin n. 起源，起因；
pass down 传递，传承；
generation n. 一代人；1. the younger/older generation 年轻的一代/老一辈；
justify vt. 证明…正确（或正当、有理）；
scorn n. 蔑视，轻视；嗤之以鼻的态度；
coupling n. 结合；联结；
go out with 和…约会；
fair game 公平竞争；
permissible adj. 允许的，许可的；
venture vi. 不敢冒险；就一事无成；
参考译文
当一个朋友选择和年龄大到可以当父母的人约会时，一个常见回应是看这个决定是否通过了“年龄的一半加七”测试。这条规则的起源仍是个谜，但它已经被代代相传，作为一种证明婚姻合适，或更常见的是，对别人的婚姻报以嗤之以鼻态度的标准。22岁和18岁的年轻人约会没什么大不了。38岁的人和23岁的人约会却是不合适的，但26岁的人就可以了。年龄越大，允许的年龄差距就越大：一个50岁的人可以“兼容“到86岁。
段二
That’s the theory. In practice, research conducted by Christian Rudder, co-founder of OKCupid, a dating website, suggests that when it comes to age gaps, men and women have slightly different ideas. While female users look for men roughly the same age as them (or perhaps a year or two older) men prefer women in their early twenties, regardless of their own age. While women prefer a small and constant age gap, men are so hooked on the idea of a nubile young partner that they prefer a larger age gap the older they get.
in practice 实际上，在现实生活中；
conduct vt. 实施，进行；1. conduct an experiment/a survey 进行实验/调查；
co-founder n. 共同创立者，联合创始人；
when it comes to 当谈到；
slightly adv. 稍微，轻微地；
roughly adv. 粗略地，大约；
early twenties 二十出头；
hooked adj. 入迷的；
nubile adj. 适婚的，性感的；
参考译文
这就是理论。实际上，约会网站OKCupid的联合创始人克里斯蒂安·鲁德尔进行的研究表明，当谈到年龄差距时，男性和女性的想法略有不同。女性用户寻找与自己年龄相仿(或者可能比自己大一两岁)的男性，而男性不管自己的年龄如何，都更喜欢20岁出头的女性。女性更偏爱小而稳定的年龄差距，而男性非常着迷于年轻性感的伴侣，因此男性年龄越大越倾向于选择更大的年龄差。
段三
Are men searching wisely? In theory there are plenty of reasons to favour a small age gap. The ability of both members of a couple to sing a favourite childhood television theme tune could bond them together, at the risk of irritating those nearby. And sharing the joy of getting a free bus pass at a similar time, or saving money from combining big birthday parties, is clearly attractive.
wisely adv. 明智地；聪明地；精明地；
favour vt. 支持，喜爱；
childhood television theme tune 儿童电视主题曲；1. tune n. 曲调，曲子；
bond vi.（使）建立亲密关系；
at the risk of 冒着…的风险；
irritate vt. 使不耐烦，激怒；
free bus pass 免费巴士通行证；
combine vt. 使…合并；合并；
参考译文
男人们的选择是明智的吗？从理论上讲，有很多理由支持较小的年龄差距。如果夫妻双方都能唱童年时最喜欢的电视主题曲，可能会让他们走得更近，哪怕冒着惹恼周围人的风险。在同样的时间里分享获得免费公交卡的喜悦，或者通过举办大型生日派对来省钱，显然是有吸引力的。
精听党每日单词
age gap
年龄差距；
relationship
/rɪˈleɪʃ(ə)nʃɪp/ n.（人、团体、国家之间的）关系；
opt to do sth.
选择做某事；
date
/deɪt/ vt. 与（某人）谈恋爱；
origin
/ˈɔːrɪdʒɪn/ n. 起源，起因；
pass down
传递，传承；
generation
/ˌdʒenəˈreɪʃ(ə)n/ n. 一代人；
justify
/ˈdʒʌstɪfaɪ/ vt. 证明…正确（或正当、有理）；
scorn
/skɔːrn/ n. 蔑视，轻视；嗤之以鼻的态度；
coupling
/ˈkʌplɪŋ/ n. 结合；联结；
go out with
和…约会；
fair game
公平竞争；
permissible
/pərˈmɪsəb(ə)l/ adj. 允许的，许可的；
venture
/ˈventʃər/ vi. 不敢冒险；就一事无成；
in practice
实际上，在现实生活中；
conduct
/kənˈdʌkt/ vt. 实施，进行；
co-founder
/koʊ faʊndər/ n. 共同创立者，联合创始人；
when it comes to
当谈到；
slightly
/ˈslaɪtli/ adv. 稍微，轻微地；
roughly
/ˈrʌfli/ adv. 粗略地，大约；
early twenties
二十出头；
hooked
/hʊkt/ adj. 入迷的；
nubile
/ˈnuːb(ə)l/ adj. 适婚的，性感的；
wisely
/ˈwaɪzli/ adv. 明智地；聪明地；精明地；
favour
/ˈfeɪvər/ vt. 支持，喜爱；
childhood television theme tune
儿童电视主题曲；
bond
/bɑːnd/ vi.（使）建立亲密关系；
at the risk of
冒着…的风险；
irritate
/ˈɪrɪteɪt/ vt. 使不耐烦，激怒；
free bus pass
免费巴士通行证；
combine
/kəmˈbaɪn/ vt. 使…合并；合并；
精听党文化拓展
据Atlantic在2014年的研究，有5岁年龄差的夫妻离婚的可能性比年龄相同或相近的夫妻要大18%。但是这种判定也不是绝对的，离婚与年龄差不一定就存在着因果关系。
虽然不少人认为有较大年龄差的两个人关系可能不会长久，但也有研究表明伴侣之间年龄差较大意味着更多的信任与承诺。
年龄差较大的情侣会更信任彼此，嫉妒也会少得多。有超过四分之三的年轻女性与年长男性结合的情侣们对亲密关系很满意。
如果存在年龄差的情侣们认为他们的家人或朋友不赞成二人的结合，那么这段关系破裂的可能性就会相应增大。
另外一个影响关系走向的因素是两个人所处的人生阶段。例如，同样是10岁的年龄差，20岁和30岁之间人生阶段的差异自然要比53岁和63岁的大很多。
当然，数据只是一个大致趋势，爱情这种人生的修行还是如人饮水，冷暖自知。
世界上不存在成功爱情的秘诀，一段亲密关系能否快乐而健康最终还是取决于身处其中的当事人。
尽管年龄差距可能会为一段关系中的两人带来一些挑战，但只要双方共同维系这段感情，年龄就不会成为障碍。
精听党每日美句
Penny wise, pound foolish.
贪小便宜吃大亏。