纽约：恋爱教练教你网上约会

Lonely but hurried New Yorkers can rest easy this Valentine's Day -- the love coach is on her way.

Laurie Davis, 29, founded eFlirtExpert.com to guide the lovelorn through a $4 billion Internet dating industry where quantity doesn't necessarily translate into Mr or Mrs Right.

Think of her as the personal fitness instructor of the heart.

For $140, Davis will construct clients a profile and send out five messages on dating websites. For $2,500 -- the "VIP" package -- a whole life makeover is offered: "dating management, concierge service, personal shopping."

Davis says: "I become you until you find the perfect gingerbread man."

Client Laura Myers, 38, went for help when her Internet matchmaking attempts resulted in men too old, too young, or with "salaries far below mine."

Her flirt coach is helping her present herself online -- and explain who she's looking for -- more coherently.

Myers says taking advice from a woman a decade younger is a good idea in today's high-tech dating game.

"Last time I was seriously dating someone you didn't have Facebook, you couldn't Google someone, so I do think it’s important because it's now such a big part of everyone's life to make sure that you're out there in a positive way."

孤独而匆忙的纽约人这个情人节可以高枕无忧了，因为恋爱教练来了。

29岁的劳里．戴维斯创办了一个叫eFlirtExpert.com的网站，给单身人士提供网上约会方面的指导。虽然网上约会产业现在的总市值已达40亿美元，但是约会网站的庞大数量并不意味着一定会让你找到意中人。

你可以把戴维斯看作是你的私人恋爱教练。

如果你付140美元，戴维斯会为你建立一个个人主页，并在婚恋网站上帮你发送五条信息。而价值2500美元的VIP套餐则是一整套能帮你改变生活面貌的服务，包括约会管理、代办服务、以及个人购物助理服务。

戴维斯说：“在你找到你的完美另一半之前，我就是你。”

38岁的客户劳拉．梅尔斯之前也在婚恋网站上试过，但是她找的男人要么年龄相差太多，要么就是收入远低于她。于是，她来找戴维斯帮忙。

她的恋爱教练正在帮她在网上展示自己，并且教她更清楚地说明她想找什么类型的人。

梅尔斯说在今天的高科技约会游戏中，听听比自己小十多岁的女人的意见是个不错的主意。

梅尔斯说：“我最后一次认真地谈恋爱的时候，人们还没有Facebook可以用，也没法用谷歌搜索某个人的个人资料。现在我确实觉得学会在网上正面地展示自己很重要，因为网络占据了人们生活的很大比重。”

Vocabulary:

makeover: the process of improving the appearance of a person or a place （外观的）改进，改善；修饰

concierge: 委托代办