The young man had a simplequestion: "Would you often come riding with me on my bike?" It's the kind of line that worked for many suitors in China, the kingdom of bicycles, during its austere decades under Chairman Mao. But Ma Nuo, a Beijing model, seeks loftier transportand wealthier dates.

 

回想毛主席年代的艰苦岁月里，中国还只是个自行车王国。那时年轻男士通常会问意中人一个简单的问题：“你愿意让我骑自行车载你出去吗？”而这种求爱方式却很奏效。但现如今，北京模特马诺所追寻的却是轿车和豪华约会。

 

Even if a date went bad, "I'd rather cry in a BMW" was her giggling, withering rejection, watched by millions on China's top-rated TV entertainment show. Material girls such as Ma, 22, have rocketed If You Are the One and its rival dating show, Take Me Out, to the summitof Chinese television fame.

 

在国内收视的电视综艺节目中，她微笑着在数百万电视观众的注视下给对方一个让人无语的回答：就算约会出了问题，“我宁愿坐在宝马里哭”。像马诺这样 22岁的“物质女孩”使《非诚勿扰》及其竞争对手《我们约会吧》一跃成为中国最的电视节目。

 

The programs, which both first aired in January, have generated discussionabout money worship among China's younger generation. Publicity-generating scandals include allegationsof fake contestants and nude photos, posted online, of one contestant, who says she was coerced.

 

自1月份开播以来，两档节目成功引发了人们对中国年轻一代拜金主义的激烈讨论。然而，宣传期间却爆出一系列丑闻，先是有人爆料某些选手是托儿，后又有人在网上发布某选手的不雅照，而该选手声称自己是被逼的。

 

The shows' popularityis easy to explain, says Tian Fanjiang, CEO of baihe.com, a matchmaking website. "There are 180 million single people in China," Tian says. "They and their parents are all worried about the marriage problem."

 

百合网首席执行官田范江说，这类节目受欢迎很容易解释。田说：“中国有1.8亿单身者，他们自己和他们的父母都为婚姻问题担心。” 　

 

By the standards of the USA, China's twice-weekly, hour-long hit shows can appear tame. For Chinese viewers, they have proved riveting, turning traditional matchmaking on its head and celebrating instant celebrity.

 

但是，按照美国的标准，这种每周两次、每次一小时的相亲节目可能不算什么。而对中国观众而言，它们却极具吸引力，不仅颠覆了传统相亲模式，还能让人一夜成名。

 

Although dating programs have aired for almost two decades here, they didn't look like this.

 

虽然电视相亲节目已经在中国存在了近2 0年，但过去跟现在大有不同。

 

"In the old shows, people just introduced themselves, and there was little mutualchoice," says Wang Gang, who produces If You Are the One for Jiangsu Satellite TV. Wang says his show offers confrontation, nerves and suspense. "Our style is new, and the mass audience has got bored of singing and dancing programs."

 

“过去的相亲节目中，人们只是自我介绍，几乎没有什么互相选择的环节。”江苏卫视《非诚勿扰》栏目制片人王刚表示，该节目为大家提供一个面对面的机会，节 目紧张充满悬念。“我们的节目风格新颖，大众也已经厌倦了歌舞类节目。”

 

"The Chinese family is unique in the world, as we have a one-child policy," says Take Me Out producer Liu Lei, "but parents attach great importanceto carrying on the family name, so marriage is a big issue."

 

（湖南卫视）《我们约会吧》的制片人刘蕾说：“中国的家庭在世界上是独特的，我们有独生子女政策。但家长对延续家族姓氏非常重视，所以婚姻是很重要的问题。”

 

Liu insists that the money-worship of some contestants does not reflect mainstreamChinese society, but she concedes, "Many girls really love rich men."

 

刘蕾坚持说，某些征婚者对金钱的崇拜不能反映中国社会主流，但她也承认：“很多女孩的确爱有钱人。”

 

A wealthy catch

 

相亲活动市场大

 

Matchmakers are rushing to cash in at matchmaking fairs and other events.

 

如今，婚介机构正你争我赶，利用集体相亲活动和其他活动赚钱。

 

Fifteen thousand women applied for a chanceto date a wealthy man at an event May 1 organized by matchmaking website jiayuan.com, says Zhang Guoyu, director of the company's Southwest China branch. In June, 50 of them will meet the men who paid $14,650 for the service.

 

世纪佳缘交友网西南区总监张国玉说，15000名女性报名参加他们公司5月1日举行的活动，争夺与一名富翁的相亲机会。她们当中的5 0人将于6月份与这名男士会面，后者为此支付了14650美元。

 

No TV show can fully reflect social reality, says Yin Hong, a Chinese television scholar at Beijing's Tsinghua University. He prefers If You Are the One because "It's more controversial." Why so popular? "China's social environment is changing, as people dare to express their privatelife and love values in public," he says.

 

清华大学的电视学者尹鸿说，没有任何一个电视节目能完全反映社会现状。他更喜欢《非诚勿扰》。他说：“这个节目更具争议性，冲突更激烈。”那么，这个节目 为什么如此受欢迎呢？他说：“中国的社会环境在不断变化，人们敢于表达私生活和爱情价值观。”

 

Parents involved

 

家长插手

 

China's one-child policy has skewed the gender balance over the past three decades because of farmers' preference for boys.

 

30年来，中国独生子女政策使性别失衡，因为农民更偏爱男孩。

 

If women enjoy a greater selection, though, they face other challenges. "Our surveys show that men consider women old after 28," says matchmaker Tian, and women consider a man old after 35.

 

但是，如果说女性享有更大的选择范围，她们却面临其他挑战。田范江说：“我们的调查显示，男性认为女性过了28岁就老了。”而女性认为男性过了35岁才算老。

 

In Beijing's Zhongshan Park one Sunday, more than 1,000 parents swap details on their single, grown offspring.

 

一个周日，超过1000名家长到北京中山公园互换成年子女的详细资料。

 

He Lan, 56, hopes to find a date for his daughter He Fan, 28, who works for an elevatorfirm.

 

56岁的何澜(音)希望给28岁的女儿何帆（音）寻找男朋友，何帆在一家电梯公司工作。

 

"It's hard for young people to find partners now, as they are so busy with their jobs," he says.

 

他说：“年轻人现在找对象很难，因为他们都忙于工作。”

 

He is a big fan of the dating programs and tuned in Saturday to a new show, I See You.

 

他很喜欢看那些交友节目，而且周六看了一个新节目--相亲相爱。

 

"I took down the number and told my daughter she must apply to go on," he says. Her reaction? "Go on it yourself!" he laughs.

 

他说：“我记下电话号码，告诉我女儿她得去报名。”她的反应呢？“你自己去报吧！”他笑着说。

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