每日英語 #112: The Holidays and Being Single

2024/09/06閱讀時間約 6 分鐘

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The Holidays and Being Single

The “holidays” (the December celebrations of Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanza, and New Year’s Day) are considered a happy time of the year, but not for everyone. According to a 2010 study of what people write on their Facebook pages, the holidays are more likely to be a time for ending relationships rather than starting happy, new ones.

「節日」指的是12月的聖誕節、光明節、寬扎節和元旦，被認為是一年中快樂的時光，但對於每個人來說並非如此。根據2010年對人們在臉書上寫的內容進行的研究，節日更有可能成為結束關係的時候，而不是開始新的幸福關係的時候。

After looking at more than 3,000 Facebook pages over the period of one year, two “journalists” (news reporters) from the Wall Street Journal concluded that the most common times for “breaking up” (ending a romantic relationship) with your boyfriend or girlfriend are (1) the two weeks before Christmas, and (2) during early March, a time when many schools have a one-week vacation period called Spring Break.

在一年內查看了超過3000個臉書頁面後，來自《華爾街日報》的兩位「記者」得出結論，與男朋友或女朋友「分手」的最常見時間是：(1) 聖誕節前的兩週，以及(2) 3月初，這段時間許多學校都有為期一週的春假。

Why do so many people end their relationships during the two weeks before Christmas? One reason may be that they don’t want to buy their “ex-loved one” (former boy/girlfriend) a “present” (gift). Of course, if someone breaks up with you because they don’t want to buy you a Christmas present, it was probably not a relationship that was going to last very long anyway. It may also be that people want to clear their “consciences”; that is, they may feel as though they’re not really “committed to” (serious about) the relationship and that continuing it would not be honest. Fortunately, the least likely day for a romantic breakup is on Christmas Day itself. That, I suppose, would be considered too “cruel” (unkind; mean).

為什麼那麼多人會在聖誕節前的兩週結束關係呢？一個原因可能是他們不想給「前愛人」（前男/女朋友）買「禮物」。當然，如果有人因為不想買你聖誕禮物而跟你分手，那這段關係可能本來就不會持續太久。另外，也可能是因為人們想要清理自己的「良心」，即他們可能感覺自己對這段關係並不「投入」（認真），繼續下去也不誠實。幸運的是，最不可能發生浪漫分手的日子正是聖誕節當天。因為那會被認為太「殘酷」（不友善；刻薄）。

The reasons for breaking up before Spring Break seem a little easier to guess. High school and college students typically go on “group vacations” to a beach or another popular vacation spot during this time, providing them with an excellent opportunity to meet a new romantic partner.

在春假前分手的原因似乎比較容易猜測。高中生和大學生通常會在這段時間去海灘或其他熱門度假勝地進行「團體度假」，這給了他們一個認識新浪漫伴侶的絕佳機會。