Talk about being under pressure...

　　既然说到了压力……

　　Let's say, for argument's sake, you actually like sitting across from people. Fine. But what about the comparison factor? First date dinners are such a cliché, it's nearly impossible to avoid thinking back to all the other times you took a guy or girl out to eat for the first time. Not to mention the quintillion dinner-date scenes Hollywood has managed to squeeze into every rom-com ever.

　　为了全方位论证我的观点，我们就打个比方，假设你确实喜欢和人面对面坐着。那好。但比较起来该怎么办呢？第一次约会共进晚餐总是这么的老套，会让你不可避免地回想起你以前带男孩或女孩第一次出去吃饭的时光。更不要说好莱坞拍了无数个爱情电影，每个里面都有共进晚餐的约会场景了。

　　The thing is, the compare-and-contrast game is unwinnable. One of two things will inevitably happen: your brain will kindly dredge up the worst faux-pas you've ever committed and give you debilitating social anxiety, or you’ll think of Cameron Diaz and Jude Law chatting in a fancy French bistro and realize this date doesn't even come close. Inevitably, you'll find yourself subconsciously struggling to either avoid the mistakes of the past or to measure up to impossible standards. Neither of these, of course, will accomplish anything besides adding extra pressure to an already stressful event.

　　问题是，在这种比较加对比的游戏中你是不会获胜的。你脑海中会不由自主地浮现出最失态的那次经历，加剧你的社交恐惧；或者你会想起卡梅隆·迪亚兹和裘德·洛在一家有情调的法国酒吧聊天的场景，然后意识到自己的这次约会可远远比不上人家。你会不可避免地发现自己在潜意识中挣扎，要么试图避免过去的错误，要么以不可能的标准要求自己。而这两种情况，除了给已经够紧张的事增加额外压力，别的什么都实现不了。

　　Break the mold and opt for a better, more casual alternative. Consider mini golf, or a trip to the museum, or attending a local festival -- literally anything more creative and enjoyable than the nightmare of the first date dinner. The future yin to your yang will thank you for it.

　　打破常规，选择一个更好更轻松的方式吧。考虑一下去打迷你高尔夫、参观博物馆，或者参加当地的节日庆祝活动，这些都比像噩梦一般的晚餐更新鲜、更愉快。你未来的另一半也会因此感谢你的。

　　Vocabulary

　　spaghetti：意大利式细面条

　　slurp：出声地吃或喝

　　英文来源：thrillist.com（作者：Kim Berkley）

　　译者：实习生孙美真

【纠错】

责任编辑： 余申芳