上海婚恋博览会吸引上万人参加

A public matchmaking fair in Shanghai at the weekend attracted about 10,000 singles with 4,000 of their family members and friends also participating. The two-day event, for Chinese nationals only, was the eastern city’s largest ever matchmaking party.
周末上海一次公开婚恋博览会吸引了约1万名单身者，还有4000多位他们的家庭成员、朋友的参加。为期两天的活动只面向中国人，而且是这个东方城市有史以来最大型的婚恋派对。

Searching for love - Single women were up against stiff competition, with a ratio of three women to two men. The figure reflects a growing trend in the country, as many successful women are unwilling to choose partners inferior in education levels and standards of living. But some do not buy the idea.
寻找爱情——单身女性面临激烈的竞争，男女比例为3:2。这个数字反映出中国一个上升的趋势，很多成功女士不愿意选择教育水平低、生活标准的低的人作另一半。但是有些人并没有这种想法。

Zhu Tianwei, a participant, said, “If we can relate well with each other, there should also be good chemistry. Then the issue of social status will no longer be a problem."
一位叫Zhu Tianwei的参与者称：“如果我们彼此能很好地相处，就应该也会有完美的化学反应。那么社会地位这个问题将不再是问题了。”

The organizer has another explanation for the rising number of unmarried women in the city. Zhou Juemin, president of Shanghai Matchmaking Association, said, "Girls are much more independent. There’s a lot of work pressure, so many girls are busy with their jobs and perhaps tend to consider their careers above marriage."
组织者对该城市未婚女性人数不断增加有另一种解释。上海市婚姻介绍机构管理协会会长周珏珉指出：“现在的女孩子更加独立了。工作压力很大，所以很多女孩子忙着工作，可能趋向于先立业后成家。”

There have been some changes in young men’s mindsets in searching for love, which may run counter to traditional soul-searching ideas.
年轻男子在寻找爱情上的心态也发生一些改变，这可能与传统的反思想法相违背。

Li Jianxun, a participant, said, “I wouldn’t mind pursuing girls with a higher education level or a better standard of living. As long as the feelings are mutual, it is still possible to interact and get to know each other."
一位叫Li Jianxun的参加者表示：“我不会介意追求那些学历水平高或生活标准更好的女孩子。只要双方有感觉，仍然有可能沟通、相互了解的。”

Around 3,000 parents were a special force at the event; they were offered a special corner to advertise their unmarried children. Parents kept an eye out for suitable future in-laws, with a different view than youngsters.
3000多位父母是这次活动的一股特殊的力量；主办方为他们提供了一个专门的角落来为他们未结婚的孩子做宣传。父母们用与年轻人不一样的眼光留意着合适的未来姻亲。

Qi Xiong, a parent, said, "If your education level or your income is too high as a girl, we’re more likely to oppose the idea. A huge difference between education levels will make it difficult to communicate."
家长Qi Xiong表示：“如果你是教育水平或收入太高的女孩子，我们比较有可能反对。教育水平的巨大差距会使沟通困难。”

Census data shows a rise in the percentage of older single women over the last decade, while the percentage of older single men has fallen. With an increase of female "leftovers" in the city, the organizer says the fair will be held once or twice each year in the future.
人口普查数据显示，在过去十年间，年纪大的单身女士的比例在上升，而年纪大的单身男士的比例已经降下来。由于这个城市的剩女在增加，组织者称，未来这种博览会将一年举办一次或两次。