Susan：So that's why it's hard to have a happy marriage with a foreigner.
Jenny：Not really. There are many successfuI mixed marriage around us.
跨国婚姻
苏珊：如果让你选的话，你想嫁给中国人还是外国人？
珍妮：为什么这么问？汤姆向你求婚了吗？
苏珊：没有，我期望能获得父母同意。
珍妮：我猜猜，你父母一定是想让你嫁给中国人，对吗？
苏珊：是呀，我正头疼呢，我觉得左右为难。
珍妮：我和以前的男朋友谈恋爱时，也遇到了同样的问题。
苏珊：那你怎么解决的？
珍妮：我就顺其自然，继续和我的韩国男朋友约会，但是后来我们还是分手了。
苏珊：太可惜了，为什么呀？
珍妮：很简单，我们性格不合，双方的文化也有很多不同之处。
苏珊：比如呢？
珍妮：他希望我们过韩式的生活，要求我放弃工作，安心待在家里。
苏珊：这样啊，在他们的文化里，女性应该以家庭为重。
珍妮：是呀，他说这样对我、对家里都好。但是我就是不想辞掉工作。
苏珊：所以和外国人结婚，很难幸福。
珍妮：也不一定，我们周围不也有很多成功的例子嘛。
欧美文化360°洗礼
“格差婚”英语怎么说？
贫民女子嫁入豪门都被叫做“灰姑娘”，而且都被人们看作很平常的事情。可是反过来，如果一个男人娶了一个各方面都比自己强的妻子，就可能会被人们叫做“吃软饭”。这样的婚姻被称为是“格差婚”。
A"status-gap marriage"is one in which there is a clear gap in income， pedigree， social status， etc. between the husband and wife.The phrase usually refers to marriages in which a woman marries"beneath herself，"such as the marriage between Japanese actress Norika Fujiwara and her husband， the lesser-known comedian Tomonori Jinnai.They ended in divorce in 2009.
Status-gap marriage（格差婚）指夫妻双方在收入、家庭条件、社会地位等方面相差悬殊的婚姻，多指女方“下嫁”的情况。比如，日本女星藤原纪香与不太知名的喜剧演员阵内智则的婚姻就被看作是格差婚。两人最终于2009年离婚。
10.分手之痛 Breaking up
西方人分手都比较干脆，一些西方人有了感情问题，整个人“蒸发了”都不足为奇，比如换个城市、换份工作，甚至可以换个国家生活，所以不太存在藕断丝连。
交流应急句
1.Things have changed.I think we need to talk.
事情已经变化了，我们需要谈谈。
2.I'm not sure we are working out.
我不确定我们正在解决。
3.We've been fighting a Iot recently.
我们最近总是吵架。
4.It's nothing against you；our relationship just isn't going smoothly anymore.
这不关你的事，只是我们的关系不再那么顺畅了。
5.I still Iike you as a person.Can we remain friends？
我还是挺喜欢你这个人的。我们还能做朋友吗？
6.I really think we should break up.
我真的觉得我们应该分手了。
7.I don't think we should stay friends.
我觉得我们不应该保持朋友关系。
8.I don't think we should see each other at all anymore.
我觉得我们彼此还是不要再见了。
9.I want to stay friends……can't we at Ieast try？
我还想做朋友……难道我们至少不能再试一下吗？
10.Are you just giving up？
你难道要放弃吗？
实用情景对话
Breaking up
Lucy：We need to talk.
Jack：What is it？
Lucy：We have been fighting too much Iately.All I seem to do is make you sad， and vice versa.
Jack：Yeah， I know. We used to be happy， but Iately we have been making each other depressed.
Lucy：Exactly. That's why I think we should break up.
Jack：I knew you would say that……and I agree. But I really miss how we used to be.
Lucy：Me too. I just don't think we could ever go back to that.We have been through too much.
Jack：I know. So are we going to stay friends？
Lucy：I'd Iike that， but if you need a break from I'll understand. You're still important to me.
Jack：Okay. We can try to stay friends.
Lucy：Thanks. I'm sorry about all this.
Jack：It's alright. I know this is for the best.
分手
露西：我们需要谈谈。
杰克：什么事呀？
露西：我们最近总是吵架。我所做的好像只是让你心烦，反之亦然。
杰克：是啊，我明白。我们曾经是那么快乐，但最近我们总是一直让对方郁闷。
露西：确实如此。那就是我觉得我们应该分手的原因。
杰克：我就知道你会那么说……我同意。但是我真的怀念以前的日子。
露西：我也是。我只是觉得我们再也回不到以前那样了，我们经历得太多了。
杰克：我明白。那我们还是朋友吗？
露西：我很愿意，但如果你要和我断绝关系我也会理解的。你对我仍然很重要。
杰克：好吧，我们可以试着做朋友。
露西：谢谢。我对这一切很抱歉。
杰克：没关系，我知道这是最好的办法。
欧美文化360°洗礼
Living together though apart 蜗婚
都说80后这代人身上发生的是非多。制造了不少的流行词，比如“蜗居”，比如“蚁族”。近几年，面对节节高升的房价压力，离婚的“80后”们宁可选择蜗居在一处也不分道扬镳，这类“80后”自嘲为蜗婚族。
我们之前曾经介绍过年轻恋人或夫妻“分开同居”（即Living Apart While Together）的现象，指情侣或夫妻保持固定的情感关系，但是不住在一起。由此类推，“蜗婚”一族选择离婚后还住在一处，那么我们就可以用living together though apart来表示他们的这个状态。
An increasing number of divorced couples choose to live separate lives under the same roof because they can't make mortgage and rent payments solo. With increasingly expensive property prices， selling their property may not be a wise decision， so they just live together apart in expectation of a rise in their property's value.
因为无法单独承担房产月供或租金，越来越多的夫妻选择离婚后仍然生活在同一个屋檐下。房价还在不断上涨，出售房产可能不是明智之举。因此，他们只好住在一处，希望房产会继续升值。
However， even when a split is amicable， living apart under the same roof is not straightforward. There will be new partners.If one of them brings partner back， that will be too fresh and emotional.
不过，虽然分手可以很友好，但同在一个屋檐下生活却并非易事。可能双方会有新的伴侣。假如其中一方将新伴侣带回来，那将会让人一时难以接受，很受刺激。
For some， living together apart might be a good opportunity to have a second thought about the relationship. And if fortunate enough， they may dig out the problem and get back to happy marriage again.
对有些人来说，“蜗婚”是重新考虑这段关系的一个好机会。如果够幸运的话，双方可能会找到婚姻的问题所在，然后又重回到幸福的婚姻中去。
11.享受单身 Enjoying Single
单身是一种生活状态，但是单身久了也会产生很多危害。如何摆脱单身：相信自己，展现魅力；欣赏他人，赞美异性；敢爱，敢行动。
交流应急句
1.I used to enjoy being single， but I've been Ionely Iately.
我以前挺喜欢单身的，但最近感觉挺孤单的。
2.I think I'll go out to the bar tonight.Maybe I'll meet some new people.
我想我晚上要去酒吧。在那里可能会遇到新的朋友。
3.Being single gives me all the freedom I need.I can hang out with my boys anytime I Iike.
单身给了我想要的自由。我可以随时和我的兄弟们一起玩。
4.Being single is great.I'm not tied down to a relationship.
单身真好。我是不会谈恋爱的。
5.Being single feels Iike I'm on the top of the world.
单身感觉真是太好了。
6.I Iove being single.I have so much freedom.
我喜欢单身。我有很多自由。
7.Don't you get Ionely at all， though？
单身你不觉得孤单吗？
8.You could try dating someone again.
你可以再试着约会。
9.Is there someone that you're interested in？
你现在有中意的对象吗？
10.Now that I do not need to report to my girlfriend， I feeI all better.
不用向女友报告了，我感觉真是太好了。
实用情景对话
Enjoying Single
Jack：Man， I'm tired of being single.
Tony：Why not go out more often？
Jack：I don't know. I'm just not feeling motivated Iately， I guess.
Tony：Maybe you should try out one of those online dating sites.
Jack：I thought only creepy people joined those.
Tony：Nah， I don't think so. A Iot of average guys sign up for that stuff.I think there are a few free ones， too.
Jack：Do you think I could find a girI through that？
Tony：Maybe， but you could at Ieast get some practice talking to girls.
Jack：Sure， I guess. And after I'm on the site for a while， I could do a speed dating program.
Tony：No， only creepy people go to those.
Jack：（Iaughs）Whatever， man.
享受单身
杰克：哥们儿，我厌倦单身了。
托尼：你为什么不经常出去走走呢？
杰克：我不知道，我只是最近感觉没什么激情。
托尼：也许你可以试试网上约会的网站。
杰克：我觉得只有那些古怪的家伙才参加那些。
