双语散文：美国人的爱情观
How the Americans View Love

An old song says that “love makes the world go around.” If you watch Americans on Valentine’s Day, you can believe it. The whole country breaks out with little red hearts. Love-struck people give cards, flowers and candy to their sweethearts. You might call it an annual celebration of love.

The American concept of love and romance begins with dating. Young people date in several ways. At first they might have group dates with several boys and girls together. Later, they start going on single dates—just one boy and one girl. Sometimes a boy and a girl will go to a movie. Maybe they will go to a party at a friend’s house. Or they might go out to eat.

When two couple go out together, it’s called double dating. A friend might even arrange a blind date for you with someone you don’t know. That doesn‘t mean you keep your eyes closed the whole evening. You just don’t know who your partner will be until the time of the date. If someone asks you out on any kind of d ate, and you don‘t want to go, you may politely say, “No, thanks.”

Americans view dating differently from people in other culture. American young people see a date as a time just to have fun. They don‘t always have a romantic interest in mind. Someone may go out with one person this week, and another person the next. After a while, a boy and a girl may decide they want to go steady. This means they think of each other as boyfriend and girlfriend. It also means they don’t want to date anyone else. Romance is beginning to bloom.

Romantic love is very much a part of American culture. Movies, TV shows and books in America all picture people falling in love. Americans know no romance is perfect, but still they try to find the ideal person. Actually, love is a part of every culture, not just American culture. People all over the world search for happiness in a loving relationship. Maybe love does make the world go around.

有一首老歌中唱道“爱让世界转动”。如果你看到美国人是如何庆祝情人节的, 你便会相信这句话。这一天在美国不论你走到哪里都能看到一颗颗小红心。坠入爱河中的人向自己的心上人赠送卡片、鲜花和糖果。你可以将情人节称之为一年一度的爱的庆贺日。

美国人的爱情和浪漫始于约会。年轻人有几种约会方式。最开始, 他们可能是好几个男孩和女孩都参加的集体约会。之后, 他们单独出去约会—只有一男一女。有时他们会去看电影, 也可能一起去参加朋友的晚会, 或一起出去吃饭。

如果两对男女一起出去, 这叫做双重约会。一个朋友还可能安排一个“蒙眼约会”。那并不是说你整个晚上都紧闭双目。只是在约会之前你并不知道你的伴侣是谁。如果有人请你出去约会, 不管是哪种约会, 假若你不想去, 你都可以礼貌地说声“不, 谢谢！”

对于约会, 美国人与别的国家的人有不同的看法。美国的年轻人把约会看成是玩得开心的时间, 并不一定就抱着浪漫的念头。有的人可能这星期与一个人出去, 下星期又与另外一个人出去。经过一段时间后, 一个男孩和一个女孩可能决定保持稳定的关系。这意味着他们把彼此看成“男朋友和女朋友”, 这也意味着他们不想与别的人约会。浪漫之花开始绽放。

浪漫爱情是美国文化的重要组成部分。美国的电影、电视和书籍都描绘人们如何坠入爱河。美国人知道没有哪段爱情是完美的, 但他们还是努力去寻找自己的意中人。事实上, 爱是每个文化的组成部分, 而不仅仅是美国文化。全世界的人们都在爱中寻求幸福。也许确实是爱使世界转动。