相亲 Blind Dates — HSK 4 Reading

在zài中国Zhōngguó，很多hěn duō父母fùmǔ担心dānxīn孩子háizi的de婚姻hūnyīn问题wèntí，就jiù会huì给gěi孩子háizi安排ānpái相亲xiāngqīn。

In China, many parents worry about their children's marriage prospects, so they arrange blind dates for them.

相亲xiāngqīn就是jiù shì父母fùmǔ或者huòzhě朋友péngyou帮bāng你nǐ介绍jièshào一yí个ge还hái不bú认识rènshi的de人rén，看看kànkan你们nǐmen合不合适hé bu héshì。

A blind date is when your parents or friends introduce you to someone you don't know yet, to see if you're a good match.

很多hěn duō年轻人niánqīngrén一开始yì kāishǐ不bú愿意yuànyì相亲xiāngqīn，觉得juéde这样zhèyàng太tài不bú自由zìyóu了le。

Many young people are unwilling to go on blind dates at first, feeling that it's too restrictive.

但是dànshì随着suízhe年龄niánlíng越来越yuè lái yuè大dà，工作gōngzuò又yòu忙máng，认识rènshi新xīn朋友péngyou的de机会jīhuì越来越yuè lái yuè少shǎo。

But as they get older and busier with work, opportunities to meet new friends become fewer and fewer.

所以suǒyǐ不少bù shǎo人rén也yě开始kāishǐ接受jiēshòu父母fùmǔ安排ānpái的de相亲xiāngqīn。

So quite a few people also start to accept the blind dates their parents arrange.

相亲xiāngqīn的时候de shíhou，两liǎng个ge人rén一般yìbān会huì一起yìqǐ吃饭chīfàn、聊天liáotiān，互相hùxiāng了解liǎojiě一下yíxià。

During a blind date, the two people will usually eat and chat together, getting to know each other a little.

如果rúguǒ两liǎng个ge人rén聊得来liáo de lái，就jiù可以kěyǐ继续jìxù见面jiànmiàn；如果rúguǒ没有méiyǒu感觉gǎnjué，就jiù不用bú yòng再zài见面jiànmiàn了le。

If the two of them get along, they can continue seeing each other; if there's no chemistry, they don't need to meet again.

我wǒ觉得juéde相亲xiāngqīn不是bú shì坏事huàishì，它tā只是zhǐshì多duō给了gěi le你nǐ一yí次cì认识rènshi别人biérén的de机会jīhuì。

I think blind dates aren't a bad thing — they just give you one more chance to meet someone new.

🔊 Audio uses your device's Chinese voice for now — teacher recordings are coming. Tap any word to see its meaning.

Key words 生词

相亲xiāngqīnblind date

婚姻hūnyīnmarriage

安排ānpáito arrange

自由zìyóufreedom; free

机会jīhuìopportunity

互相hùxiāngmutually

随着…… — Along with / as...

Introduces a change that accompanies or causes another change.

随着年龄越来越大，认识新朋友的机会越来越少。— As they get older, opportunities to meet new friends become fewer.

如果……就…… — If... then...

A basic conditional: if the first clause is true, the second clause follows.

如果没有感觉，就不用再见面了。— If there's no chemistry, they don't need to meet again.

不是……只是…… — It's not X, it's just Y

Softens a claim by rejecting one interpretation and offering a smaller, simpler one instead.

相亲不是坏事，它只是多给了你一次认识别人的机会。— Blind dates aren't a bad thing, they just give you one more chance to meet someone.

1. What is a 相亲 (blind date), according to the text?

2. Why do many people eventually accept blind dates arranged by their parents?

3. What does the author think blind dates offer?