现代社会剩男剩女越来越多，多少岁才算得上“剩”，男女还要区别对待。某知名招聘网站发布的调查报告显示，大多数受访者认为男35岁、女28岁才算“剩”。而因为交际圈小和经济压力等问题，剩男剩女寻找另一半并不容易，类似于“猎头”的“猎婚”也进入了婚姻领域，约有七成单身白领接受这种方式。
Realize the Concept of Surplus Male and Female
认识剩男剩女的概念
1 中国主要城市：剩女成为问题
The Xinhua News Agency has a headline news story on the problem of “excess women” in China's major cities, who were born in the 1970's and are unable to find suitable partners for marriage.
“31 years old Li Lingling is hurrying to register for participation in a marriage introduction group arranged by a dating website before 26 August. She hopes to be able to find her future husband through this event.”
“According to the Chinese calendar, August 26 this year is the date of the traditional 'double Seven Festival'. Many young people in China, however, have made this date China's very own Valentine's Day.”
“‘I don't want to spend that day alone. I long for romance, and hope to be able to find a suitable partner, as well as marry as soon as possible', says Li Lingling. Because the 31 year-old has not yet married, she must endure nagging from her father and mother on a daily basis, as well as the excessive 'concern' of her friends.”
“After graduating from university at the age of 24, Li Lingling has been constantly searching for the person with whom she can share the rest of her life. 'I've reached the appropriate age for marriage, she have been unable to find the appropriate man', she laughs. 'I have acquired the title within my circle of friends of being the 'Excess Woman.'”
“In today's China's, 'excess women' like Li Lingling have become a widespread social phenomenon. They were born in the 1970's, and according to tradition are already considered 'old maids.' Most 'excess women' had advanced educations, are intelligent, capable, have high incomes and possess appearances beyond reproach.”
2 关于剩男剩女的表达方式
spinster or gold miss 剩女
well-educated 高学历
high-income 高收入
high IQ 高智商
3S lady-Single （单身）
seventie （大多数生于上世纪七十年代）
stuck （被卡住了）
housebound man/lady 宅男宅女
soul mate 闺蜜
social circle 社交圈子
singles' Day 11月11日的光棍节
primary 25-27岁为初级剩女
middle 28-29岁为中级剩女
advanced 30-34岁为高级剩女
extra grade 到了35岁往上，那就是特级剩女
剩男剩女正在以几何级数增长，他们被称为这个时代的“情剩”，意为在通往婚姻的竞争中，被剩下了。不管是主动的还是被动的，被“剩下”多少有些尴尬，也最终成为了话题。
这是时代与制度的合谋。在一个工业化日渐繁荣、城市化急剧变迁的时代里，单身者尤其是女性获得了经济、知识以及各项社会权利的大跃进，人与人之间或人与家庭之间的依附关系日渐疏离。这是单身的资格。
Key words & Sentences
关键词句全知道
When you are young your standards are set very high, however, as you age, you will have to lower your standards a bit and a bit and a bit.
当你还年轻的时候，你的择偶标准定得很高，但是随着年纪的增长，你不得不一点点把标准降低。
Because there is no love experience, the skills with the opposite sex are lacked. On the other hand, the degree of understanding of the opposite sex is also very low.
因为没有恋爱经验，故而缺乏跟异性交往的技巧。同时，这类女人对异性的了解度也相当低。
Is it false to be the fascinating and brilliant “remainder”?
漂亮有才的“剩女”，难道是一种错？
One of our reasons for staying single is that you can afford to wait for your true soul mate （if one even exists） to pop into the picture.
单身理由之一，你可以等待，直到真正的心灵伴侣出现（如果存在的话）。
You can take the time to casually wade through the barracuda-infested waters of the dating pool and set your hook for the prize catch.
面对遍布荆棘的婚姻之路，你可以耐下性子，放长线，钓大鱼。
You're single-a heat-seeking bachelor, committed to no one in particular, able to party like John Belushi and sleep until noon with no one underfoot to tell you to do otherwise. It's a great life, and why shouldn't it be?
假设你是单身——一个热衷艳遇的单身汉，那么你既不需要向谁负责，又可以像John Belushi那样狂欢，还可以一觉睡到自然醒，太阳照到屁股也没人管。多美妙的生活啊，难道不是么？
It's sad to say, but too many guys get hitched for the wrong reasons, like they've reached a certain age, all of their friends are getting married, and they haven't been successful at dating and this woman is the first to show interest.
很遗憾的是，有太多人因为错误的原因选择结婚。比如说，到了某个年龄，或是朋友们都结了婚，又或是情场屡屡失意后终于碰上一个对自己表现出兴趣的女人。
Our No. 2 reason for staying single is that you can enjoy the opportunity of building your career without draining the tons of energy a permanent relationship entails.
单身理由之二，你可以尽情打拼事业，无需为婚姻心力交瘁。
You remain free to put in long hours, work on the weekends or do whatever else you have to do to be successful.
你可以投入大把时间，在周末工作，或是做那些可以让你有所成就的事情。
This is especially true if you're working in any kind of time-demanding field, such as medicine, law or entrepreneurship.
尤其当你的工作很费时间，例如从医、从事法律工作或是做企业家，这一条就更加重要。
A woman's experience could be turbulent, but the woman's state of mind absolutely must be simple.
女人的经历可以沧桑，但女人的心态绝对要保有纯真。
The more obedient daughters are, the more often there is no perfect life, especially the marital problems. The more the parents involve in the children, the greater the chances of unhappiness are.
越是听话的女儿，往往越没有完满的人生，尤其是婚姻问题。父母参与越多，下一代不幸福的几率越大。
Marriage isn't love but the combination of other conditions. Though it's sharp, it's true.
婚姻不单单意味着爱情，它是各种条件加减乘除后的产物。这话听起来挺薄情，但事实的确如此。
When you're single, the world is your oyster.
如果你是单身，那么整个世界尽在掌握。
You can pick up and go anywhere you want, do anything you want, any time you want.
不论何时何地，你可以从心所欲。
No one is in the background nagging at you to do chores, go shopping, or “grow up”.
没人催着你干家务或去逛街，也没人要你“别耍孩子气”。
You're absolutely free to hang out with your buddies, party until dawn and find plenty of time for your personal interests and hobbies.
你可以尽情和弟兄们出去狂欢至天明，留出足够的时间从事兴趣爱好。
Best of all, you have the luxury of being all by yourself, if you feel like it.
最妙的是，你可以做你喜欢的自己。
Staying single means not being forced into buying a 10,000-megawatt diamond ring （so your finace can impress her friends with the huge price tag） or any of the other bloodsucking financial drains that marriage entails, for that matter.
坚持单身，意味着你不必硬着头皮去买天价钻石（以便你的未婚妻在朋友面前炫耀），也免得被婚姻慢慢榨干血汗钱。
By staying single, you're not legally or financially obligated to anyone but yourself.
坚持单身，在金钱和法律方面你只需对自己负责。
But once you John Hancock the dotted line on that marriage contract, she has you by the balls forever.
而一旦在那张白纸上签下黑字，她这辈子就都靠你养了。
Another reason for staying single is that being alone means peace and quiet.
另一个单身理由是，你可以享受到宁静。
And, of course, there are no fights.
此外，没有爆发战争的危险。
Let's Talk！
开始交流吧！
Nancy: more and more Chinese are marrying foreigners.
南希：越来越多的中国人嫁给了外国人。
Sara: That's true. But I have a low opinion of those women who go out with foreigners.
萨拉：是啊，但是我挺鄙视那些和外国人在一起的女人的。
Nancy: Oh, why?
南希：啊？为什么啊？
Sara: I think some Chinese women marry foreigners for money while others just want to live abroad. There is no true love between them.
萨拉：我觉得有些人嫁给外国人是为了钱，有些人是为了去国外定居，反正他们之间没有真爱。
Nancy: I wouldn't say that's totally true. I've met many happy intercultural couples.
南希：也不全是吧。我见过很多幸福的跨国夫妻。
Sara: Well, then why aren't there many East-West couples where the man is a Chinese and the woman is a Westerner?
萨拉：那为什么没有多少夫妻，男方是中国人，女方是西方人的呢？
Nancy: I guess it's because the Chinese women are more attractive to Western men.
南希：可能是因为中国女人对西方男人更有吸引力吧。
Sara: Or because they are less attractive to Chinese men.
萨拉：或者这些女人对中国男人没那么有吸引力吧。
Nancy: What do you mean?
南希：怎么说？
Sara: You know, usually the woman is in her thirties and she is a left girl.
萨拉：这些女人大约三十多岁，是剩女。
Nancy: A left girl? What's that?
南希：剩女？什么意思啊？
Sara: They're called that because they're left behind on the shelf. They're also known by their three H's-high diploma, high salary, and high degree.
萨拉：这么说，因为他们是别人挑剩下的。她们有三高：高文凭，高工资，高学位。
Nancy: And they're also known as the three S's-single, stuck, and born in the seventies.
南希：还有人说她们有三难：单身，高不成低不就，出生在70年代后。
Sara: Definitely! So most of these women go for Western men.
萨拉：的确！所以这些人就把目标转向了西方人。
Nancy: You have a point here, but I believe some mixed marriages are based on true love.
南希：也许吧。但有些跨国婚姻还是有真爱的。
Sara: That' for sure but very few.
萨拉：那是，不过很少。