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.

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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?

After this reading

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