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外刊跟读|年龄差距恋爱没你想的那么糟(上)Age gaps in relationships are not as bad as you think.

2026-02-08 01:02:28

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这是第21篇英文外刊跟读文章，欢迎跟随我们的脚步，读外刊，学英语，涨知识，收获成长与进步。

本期文章来自The Economist杂志本周刊。

原标题：Age gaps in relationships are not as bad as you think.

年龄差距恋爱没你想的那么糟

Selected Text Words Count: 545 words in 5 paragraphs.

Reprocessed by Kevin Yao

凯文老师说：

最近读了很多科技和商业类型的文章，但大考的阅读内容种类丰富，题材多样。今天就让我们来读一篇社会或文化类的内容，有关夫妻关系中年龄差距是否重要的话题。和科技类的文章相比，专业词汇没有那么多了，但是也不代表就简单一些，因为一些句型的表达同样充满了挑战。本篇文章较长，将分今天明天两次发表。

另外，感谢读者提出建议，本期开始，我将在文章开始时放出整篇音频供集中收听（仅限当期内容），每段对照的音频仍保留。

可以先听一下本期文章完整音频

Paragraph 01

It was not love at first sight. When Nick Viall, a reality-television star, met his wife Natalie Joy, he insisted they would never date. His reluctance stemmed in part from being 18 years older, about the length of a generation. Mr Viall married Ms Joy in 2024. Now he is embarking on a different sort of courtship: trying to seduce new viewers. “Age of Attraction”, a dating series hosted by Mr Viall and Ms Joy, will debut on Netflix later this year. The show follows single 22- to 59-year-olds to test whether “age is just a number”. Mr Viall has said the programme will set aside cultural biases about age to focus on compatibility. It is a romantic idea that speaks to an empirical truth. Age gaps are not as unhealthy as some assume.

这并非一见钟情。真人秀明星尼克・维亚尔（Nick Viall）与妻子娜塔莉・乔伊（Natalie Joy）相遇时，曾坚称两人绝无可能约会。他的不情愿部分源于两人相差 18 岁 —— 近乎一代人的跨度。维亚尔先生与乔伊女士于 2024 年成婚。如今，他正开启一种截然不同的 “追求”：试图吸引新观众。由两人主持的约会类节目《吸引力年代》（Age of Attraction）将于今年晚些时候在网飞（Netflix）首播。该节目追踪记录了 22 至 59 岁的单身人士，旨在验证 “年龄只是一个数字” 这一说法。维亚尔表示，节目将抛开对年龄的文化偏见，聚焦于伴侣间的契合度。这一浪漫的理念背后蕴含着实证真理：年龄差距并不像一些人认为的那样不利于感情。

重点词汇解析

reluctance:（n）unwillingness to do something 不情愿；勉强
例句：Her reluctance to speak in public made the presentation a challenge.（她不愿在公众面前发言，这让演讲成了一项挑战。）
常用短语：reluctance to do sth.（不愿做某事）；without reluctance（毫不犹豫地）
同义词：unwillingness；反义词：willingness
stemmed from:（phr）to originate from or be caused by something 源于；由…… 造成
例句：His success stemmed from years of hard work and perseverance.（他的成功源于多年的努力和坚持。）
常用搭配：stem from sth.（源自某事）
同义词：originate from；derive from
embarking on:（phr）to start or begin a new project, journey, or activity 着手；开始（新计划、旅程或活动）
例句：She is embarking on a career in environmental science after graduation.（毕业后，她即将开启环境科学领域的职业生涯。）
常用搭配：embark on a journey/career/project（开启旅程 / 职业生涯 / 项目）
courtship:（n）the period of time when two people are dating before getting married 求爱期；追求期
例句：Their courtship was short but full of sweet moments.（他们的求爱期虽短，却充满了甜蜜的瞬间。）
同义词：wooing；courting
seduce:（v）to persuade someone to do something they might not otherwise do, or to attract someone 吸引；诱使
例句：The charming scenery seduced many tourists to stay for an extra day.（迷人的风景吸引了许多游客多停留一天。）
常用短语：seduce sb. into doing sth.（诱使某人做某事）
同义词：entice；tempt
debut:（v/n）to make the first public appearance or performance; the first public appearance 首次亮相；首播；首演
例句：The new smartphone will debut at the tech conference next month.（这款新智能手机将于下月在科技大会上首次亮相。）
常用搭配：make one's debut（首次亮相）；debut on sth.（在…… 平台首播 / 亮相）
set aside:（phr）to ignore or put aside something for a period of time 搁置；抛开
例句：We need to set aside our differences and work together on this project.（我们需要抛开分歧，共同推进这个项目。）
其他含义：留出（时间、金钱等），例：set aside an hour a day for reading（每天留出一小时阅读）
biases:（n）prejudice in favor of or against one thing, person, or group compared with another 偏见；偏向
例句：The article has a clear bias towards the new policy.（这篇文章对新政策带有明显的偏向性。）
常用短语：cultural biases（文化偏见）；gender bias（性别偏见）
同义词：prejudice；partiality
compatibility:（n）the ability of two people or things to exist or work together without problems 契合度；兼容性
例句：Marital happiness often depends on the compatibility of partners' values.（婚姻幸福往往取决于伴侣间价值观的契合度。）
常用搭配：compatibility between A and B（A 与 B 的契合度 / 兼容性）
形容词形式：compatible（兼容的；契合的）
empirical:（adj）based on observation or experience rather than theory 实证的；经验主义的
例句：The scientist provided empirical evidence to support his hypothesis.（这位科学家提供了实证证据来支持他的假设。）
常用短语：empirical research（实证研究）；empirical truth（实证真理）
副词形式：empirically（以实证方式）

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Paragraph 02

Birds of a feather flock together, as the saying goes, and so do people. Researchers studying marriage data have found that couples tend to be similar in age. This is not entirely unexpected. People frequently pair up with others who share similar traits, including race, education and religion. In America one in eight married couples is the same age, to the nearest year; a third is no more than a year younger or older. Schooling reinforces this trend by sorting pupils into age-based cohorts, otherwise known as classes.

常言道，物以类聚，人以群分。研究婚姻数据的学者发现，伴侣双方的年龄往往较为相近。这并非完全出人意料。人们通常会与拥有相似特质的人结合，包括种族、教育背景和宗教信仰等方面。在美国，近八分之一的已婚夫妇年龄完全相同（精确到年份）；三分之一的夫妇年龄差距不超过一岁。学校教育通过将学生按年龄划分成群体（即班级），进一步强化了这一趋势。

重点词汇解析

traits:（n）a distinguishing quality or characteristic 特质；特征
例句：Honesty is one of his most admirable traits.（诚实是他最令人钦佩的特质之一。）
常用搭配：personality traits（性格特质）；physical traits（身体特征）
同义词：characteristics；attributes
reinforces:（v）to make something stronger or more effective 强化；巩固
例句：Regular practice reinforces language learning.（定期练习能巩固语言学习效果。）
常用短语：reinforce a trend（强化趋势）；reinforce one's confidence（增强某人的信心）
名词形式：reinforcement（强化；增援）
sorting into:（phr）to separate or arrange things into groups 分类；划分
例句：The librarian is sorting books into different categories.（图书管理员正在将书籍分成不同类别。）
常用搭配：sort A into B（将 A 划分为 B）
cohorts:（n）a group of people who share a common characteristic, especially age （具有共同特征的）群体；同批人
例句：The study focused on a cohort of students born in the 2000s.（这项研究聚焦于 2000 年代出生的一批学生。）
常用搭配：age-based cohorts（年龄群体）；cohort study（队列研究）

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Paragraph 03

And yet, though both men and women tend to choose partners close to their own age, the most common pairing—two-thirds of American marriages—is between an older man and a younger woman. This pattern can be found in almost every country across the world. A recent paper by researchers at the Pew Research Centre, a think-tank, puts the global average gap at 4.2 years. In North America husbands are 2.2 years older than their wives, on average; in Europe the average age gap is 2.7 years; in Asia-Pacific it is 4. The age difference is highest in sub-Saharan Africa: 8.6 years.

然而，尽管男性和女性都倾向于选择年龄相近的伴侣，但最常见的组合 —— 占美国婚姻的三分之二 —— 是年长男性与年轻女性。这种模式在全球几乎所有国家都存在。智库皮尤研究中心（Pew Research Centre）的研究人员近期发表的一篇论文指出，全球夫妻年龄差距的平均值为 4.2 岁。在北美，丈夫平均比妻子大 2.2 岁；欧洲的平均年龄差距为 2.7 岁；亚太地区为 4 岁；撒哈拉以南非洲的年龄差距最大，达 8.6 岁。

重点词汇解析

pairing:（n）a combination or partnership of two people or things 组合；配对（尤指伴侣）
例句：The most popular pairing in the dance competition won first prize.（舞蹈比赛中最受欢迎的配对组合赢得了一等奖。）
动词形式：pair（配对；结伴）
常用搭配：romantic pairing（浪漫配对）
think-tank:（n）an organization that does research and gives advice on political, social, or economic issues 智库；智囊团
例句：The government consulted a leading think-tan
k on environmental policy.（政府就环境政策咨询了一家顶尖智库。）
常用搭配：independent think-tank（独立智库）
sub-Saharan Africa:（n）the part of Africa south of the Sahara Desert 撒哈拉以南非洲
例句：Many international aid projects focus on poverty alleviation in sub-Saharan Africa.（许多国际援助项目聚焦于撒哈拉以南非洲的扶贫工作。）

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Paragraph 04

Why are age gaps so common? The leading explanation is evolutionary. Men, it is argued, prefer partners who are fertile; women prefer mates who can provide for their offspring. Since women are most fertile when they are young, and men tend to accumulate resources with age, a modest gap should, in theory, produce more children. Data show this to be true. A paper published in 2007 by researchers at the University of Vienna showed that Swedish couples in which the husband is roughly five years older than the wife have 5% more children than same-age couples. American data tell a similar story (see chart 2). The benefit of an older, wealthier husband may be even greater in poor countries.

为什么年龄差距如此普遍？最主要的解释是进化论层面的。有一种观点认为，男性更倾向于选择生育能力强的伴侣；而女性则更偏好能为后代提供生活保障的配偶。由于女性在年轻时生育能力最强，而男性的资源往往会随着年龄增长而积累，因此理论上，适度的年龄差距应该能带来更多的子女。数据也证实了这一点。维也纳大学（University of Vienna）的研究人员于 2007 年发表的一篇论文显示，在瑞典，丈夫比妻子大约年长 5 岁的夫妇，其子女数量比同龄夫妇多 5%。美国的数据也呈现出类似趋势（见图 2）。在贫困国家，拥有一位年长且富有的丈夫，带来的益处可能更为显著。

重点词汇解析

evolutionary:（adj）relating to the process of evolution 进化的；进化论的
例句：Evolutionary theory explains how species change over time.（进化论解释了物种如何随时间变化。）
名词形式：evolution（进化；演变）
常用搭配：evolutionary explanation（进化论层面的解释）；evolutionary biology（进化生物学）
fertile:（adj）able to produce children or young; able to grow plants well 能生育的；肥沃的
例句：The doctor said she is still fertile despite her age.（医生说尽管她年纪不小了，但仍具备生育能力。）
反义词：infertile（不育的；贫瘠的）
名词形式：fertility（生育能力；肥力）
mates:（n）a partner in a romantic or sexual relationship 伴侣；配偶（非正式）
例句：They have been mates for over 20 years and still get along well.（他们做了 20 多年的伴侣，关系依然很好。）
同义词：partner；spouse
其他含义：朋友；同事（尤英式英语），例：my old school mate（我的老校友）
offspring:（n）a person's children or an animal's young 子女；后代
例句：The couple are proud of their three healthy offspring.（这对夫妇为他们三个健康的子女感到骄傲。）
同义词：children；descendants（较为正式）
注意：单复数同形
accumulate:（v）to collect or gather together over time 积累；积聚
例句：He accumulated a lot of experience in international trade during his career.（他在职业生涯中积累了丰富的国际贸易经验。）
常用短语：accumulate wealth/resources/experience（积累财富 / 资源 / 经验）
名词形式：accumulation（积累；积聚）
modest:（adj）of a reasonable or moderate amount, size, or degree 适度的；适中的
例句：She has a modest income but lives a happy life.（她收入适中，但生活得很幸福。）
同义词：moderate；reasonable
其他含义：谦虚的，例：a modest person（谦虚的人）
in theory:（phr）according to what is supposed to be true or possible 理论上
例句：In theory, this plan should work, but we need to test it in practice.（理论上，这个计划应该可行，但我们需要在实践中检验。）
对应短语：in practice（实际上）

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Paragraph 05

Social norms play a part, too. Those attracted to a much older or younger partner may choose someone closer to their own age to avoid raising eyebrows. “Can you bring someone who’s 20 years younger to your parents?” asks Renata Topinkova, a social scientist at Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich. What is considered acceptable changes over time. In 1920 American husbands were about 4.5 years older than their wives, compared with 2.2 years today (see chart 3). Once-common “trophy wives”—young spouses of high-earning men—are now rare enough in America that they can no longer be spotted in the data (though they can still be spotted at country clubs like Mar-a-Lago).

社会规范也起到了一定作用。那些被比自己年长或年幼很多的人吸引的人，可能会选择年龄更相近的伴侣，以避免引起他人侧目。慕尼黑大学（Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich）的社会科学家雷纳塔・托平科娃（Renata Topinkova）问道：“你能把比你小 20 岁的人带回家见父母吗？” 人们认为可接受的年龄差距标准会随着时间推移而变化。1920 年，美国丈夫平均比妻子大 4.5 岁，而如今这一差距仅为 2.2 岁（见图 3）。曾经常见的 “花瓶妻子”—— 高收入男性的年轻配偶 —— 如今在美国已十分罕见，在数据中已无法追踪到（尽管在马阿拉歌庄园等乡村俱乐部仍能见到）。

重点词汇解析

social norms:（n）shared expectations or rules about how people should behave in a society 社会规范
例句：Following social norms helps maintain order in a community.（遵守社会规范有助于维护社区秩序。）
常用搭配：break social norms（打破社会规范）
raising eyebrows:（phr）to cause surprise or disapproval 引起惊讶；招致侧目（表示不赞同）
例句：His decision to quit his stable job raised a few eyebrows among his colleagues.（他放弃稳定工作的决定让同事们有些惊讶。）
同义表达：raise concerns（引发担忧）；arouse disapproval（招致反对）
trophy wives:（n）a young, attractive wife of a wealthy or powerful older man, often seen as a status symbol 花瓶妻子；战利品妻子（指年轻貌美的妻子，被视为丈夫的身份象征）
例句：The term "trophy wife" is often considered offensive because it objectifies women.（“花瓶妻子” 这一说法通常被认为具有冒犯性，因为它将女性物化了。）
相关表达：trophy husband（花瓶丈夫，对应男性）
spouses:（n）a husband or wife 配偶
例句：Employees can extend their health insurance to their spouses.（员工可以将健康保险覆盖到配偶。）
同义词：husband；wife；partner（更宽泛）
spotted:（v）to see or notice someone or something 发现；见到
例句：I spotted my old friend in the crowd at the concert.（我在音乐会的人群中看到了我的老朋友。）
常用搭配：spot sb. doing sth.（发现某人做某事）
同义词：see；notice；detect
country clubs:（n）a private club, typically in a suburban or rural area, offering sports facilities and social activities 乡村俱乐部（私人俱乐部，通常位于郊区或乡村，提供体育设施和社交活动）
例句：Many wealthy families are members of exclusive country clubs.（许多富裕家庭是高端乡村俱乐部的会员。）

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To be continued. 未完待续。

考研雅思托福重点句子翻译与解析

原文：The leading explanation is evolutionary. Men, it is argued, prefer partners who are fertile; women prefer mates who can provide for their offspring. Since women are most fertile when they are young, and men tend to accumulate resources with age, a modest gap should, in theory, produce more children.

翻译

最主要的解释是进化论层面的。有一种观点认为，男性更倾向于选择生育能力强的伴侣；而女性则更偏好能为后代提供生活保障的配偶。由于女性在年轻时生育能力最强，而男性的资源往往会随着年龄增长而积累，因此理论上，适度的年龄差距应该能带来更多的子女。

解析

句式结构：复合句嵌套结构。第一句为简单句；第二句是 “it is argued” 引导的插入语结构，主句包含两个并列分句（men prefer...; women prefer...），各带一个定语从句（who are fertile/who can provide...）；第三句是 since 引导的原因状语从句，主句含 “in theory” 插入语，逻辑链条清晰（原因→结论）。

考点分析：考研英语中常考插入语的识别与翻译（如 it is argued）、定语从句的嵌套翻译、原因状语从句的逻辑连接；雅思托福中侧重 “evolutionary”“fertile”“accumulate” 等学术词汇的运用，以及 “modest gap”“in theory” 等表达的精准理解。

拓展运用：可用于 “性别差异与择偶观”“社会现象分析” 类写作，例：In terms of mate selection, the evolutionary perspective suggests that different genders prioritize distinct traits, which can help explain common social patterns.（在择偶方面，进化论视角表明不同性别优先考虑不同特质，这有助于解释常见的社会现象。）

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