ask_about_britain_39_dating_etiquette

BBC Learning English – Ask About Britain

About this script

Please note that this is not a word for word transcript of the programme as broadcast. In the recording and editing process, changes may have been made which may not be reflected here.

关于台词的备注：

请注意这不是广播节目的逐字稿件。本文稿可能没有体现录制、编辑过程中对节目做出的改变。

BBC LEARNING ENGLISH

Lily: This is Ask About Britain, the programme where we answer your questions about British culture including the English

language, people and how they live their lives. I’m Lily and

with me here is Sun Chen.

Sun Chen: 大家好，今天的问题来自青岛的红蕾。

Lily: And her question today is about dating etiquette.

Sun Chen: 约会的礼仪。

Insert:

I am curious about the dating etiquette in Britain. For instance what would people normally do on their first dates? Are there any rules to follow?

Lily: What do people normally do on their first date? Well, we asked some people in London. I must warn you though that

you will hear very different views:

Insert:

Young man: I'd expect to pay on a first date, to be a gentleman.

Young woman 1: I'd go Dutch. If I go on a date I would like to pay my way.

Young woman 2: I'd go Dutch rather than ask the man to pay.

Lily: It does sound like different people have different ideas.

According to the first speaker he would expect to pay on a

first date – to be a gentleman.

Sun Chen: 有思想准备，在第一次约会的时候买单。Expect.

Lily: The reason why he does this is to show that he is a

gentleman.

Sun Chen: 就是，总得有点儿绅士风度吧。

Lily: But both women we heard like the idea of going Dutch on the first date. “To go Dutch” is a set phrase, meaning each

person pays for him or herself.

Sun Chen: 就是各付各的钱，AA制。To go Dutch. 但是，也有人认为，谁提出的邀请，谁就应该付钱。Listen:

Insert:

Woman: Whoever takes someone on a date, that's your responsibility to pay for the date. Be ready for it - you invited me, that's your - you take me out, that means you have to be responsible for everything.

Lily: What she thinks is whoever does the inviting should pay. It’s you who invited me out so you should be ready for it.

Sun Chen: In other words, it’s the responsibility of whoever invites to pay for the first date.

BBC Learning English

Lily: In Ask About Britain today we are talking to some people in London about dating etiquette in Britain.

Sun Chen: So far we have heard different opinions about who is expected to pay for the meal or drinks on the first date.

Lily: But of course food and drinks are only part of a date. There seem to be certain ground rules regarding the first date.

Sun Chen: 这个听起来挺有意思。我们来看看这个基本规则ground rules 我估么着你要是特别喜欢参加这种聚会的话，你可一定得听好了这个约会的基本

规则。

Lily: Well, here is the question we put to people: W hat are the general expectations of a first date?

Sun Chen: 通常人们在第一次约会的时候，希望会是什么样呢？

Insert:

Man: On a first date I suppose you are polite and try not to blot your copybook in any way too much. I believe that on a first date - in the early stages of a relationship you kind of draw up an unspoken kind of agreement or contract between two people and it's difficult to break those rules later on, so tread carefully.

Young woman: I expect that the man shouldn't be too forward, and there should be a not too intense atmosphere. And that both parties should pay towards it, instead of putting the costs on one person by himself or herself.

Lily: Let’s look at some of the tips on a first date.

Sun Chen: 首次约会的技巧或须知。

Lily: You should be polite and try not to blot your copybook – it’s an old way of saying don’t make mistakes that may jeopardize the

relationship.

Sun Chen: 可别在这上面出错或坏了自己的名声。

Lily: Then the woman said that the man shouldn't be too forward.

Sun Chen: 就是男方别太过于主动或随便。

Lily: I guess the first impression is very important, isn’t it?

Sun Chen: Yes it is. 那位男士说，在两个人的关系刚刚有那么一点儿意思的时候，就好像双方都达成了一种不用明说的默契。这种默契一旦建立起

来，在以后的交往当中，也就不容易打破。所以刚开始的时候，可得小

心对待。

Lily: T hat’s right. Draw up an unspoken agreement or contract between two people. This means you need to tread carefully. There’s an English

saying: “First impressions count”, so it’s important to make a good first

impression.

Sun Chen: Definitely. And learning some social etiquette about dating will help you understand British culture better.

Lily: I hope you have a better idea now about dating dos and don’ts in the UK, but if you have any other questions about Britain please email us. Sun Chen: 我们的电子邮件地址就是: chinaelt@https://www.360docs.net/doc/b62771036.html,

Lily: Bye for now.

Sun Chen: Bye.

BBC Learning English

Glossary 单词和词组

dating etiquette 约会礼仪to go Dutch AA 制

to pay one’s own way 个人付个人的to take responsibility 负责expectations 期待to blot your copybook 出差错tread carefully 谨慎行事to be too forward 过于主动或随便