现在的年轻人会在游戏里“组CP”、在社媒上“磕CP”，但在现实中却很难开启一段恋爱关系。他们不知道如何与潜在对象交流，也对自己的吸引力缺乏自信。为什么这代年轻人越来越抗拒感情承诺？他们失去的仅仅是爱情吗？
The Reason Gen Z Isn't Dating
(选自YLYK 2026.04.14）
At least incels cared about getting with the opposite sex.
The mostly male, mostly heterosexual looksmaxxers seem to have dispensed with relationships entirely. In their focus on the self and detachment from real experiences, looksmaxxers intensify the Gen Z approach to romance — or the lack thereof.
注释：
1.date 英 [deɪt] 美 [deɪt] v.（带有浪漫意图的）约会
2.incel（involuntary celibate的缩写） 英 [ˈɪnsel] 美 [ˈɪnsel] n. 非自愿独身者
拓展:
celibate n. 独身主义者（最初指因为宗教信仰自愿选择禁欲、不结婚的神职人员，后来用法扩展到了世俗领域）involuntary celibate (非自愿独身者) 起源于90年代一个互助社区，初衷是给那些因为各种原因难以建立亲密关系的人，创造一个友善的交流空间；后来在网络亚文化的发酵下，incels逐渐演变成了一个带有厌女倾向的极端群体。
3.get with somebody 追求某人；与某人在一起
4.heterosexual 英 [hetərəˈsekʃuəl] 美 [hetərəˈsekʃuəl] adj. 异性恋的
拓展:
前缀hetero表示“相异的，相反的”heterodox adj. 异端的，非正统的
5.looksmaxxer 英 [ˈlʊksˌmæksə] 美 [ˈlʊksˌmæksər] n. 把外貌最大化、把变美当作头等大事的人
拓展:
looksmaxxer由looks（外貌），max（最大化）和表示人群的后缀"-er"构成
6.dispense with something 免除，省去，不再需要某物（to get rid of something）
拓展:
We can dispense with cash altogether.
我们完全用不上现金了。
Let's dispense with the small talk and get straight to the point.
我们省去寒暄，直接切入正题吧。
7.focus on the self 聚焦于自我，关注自我
8.detachment from something 与某事分离、抽离
拓展:
detach v. 使分离
9.intensify 英 [ɪnˈtensɪfaɪ] 美 [ɪnˈtensɪfaɪ] v. 加剧；强化
拓展:
intensify the conflict 加剧冲突intensify the heat 让热度升高
10.romance 英 [rəʊˈmæns] 美 [roʊˈmæns] n. 浪漫；恋爱关系
11.thereof 英 [ˌðeərˈɒv] 美 [ˌðerˈʌv] adv. 指代前面刚提到的事物（of that）
This generation came of age as the social environment fractured and courtship norms broke down — an environment that made sex scary and unappealing, dating hard to parse and substitutes for intimacy readily available. Covid-enforced social isolation in their formative years made practicing real-world relationship skills nearly impossible, and the rise of dating apps made sure that Gen Z-ers continued to view all romantic possibilities through the filter of the smartphone screen, even if they might have preferred otherwise.
注释：
1.come of age
达到法定年龄；（某种现象、技术或文化）发展到成熟、有了足够影响力的时刻
拓展:
The internet came of age in the 1990s.
互联网在90年代走向成熟。
2.fracture 英 [ˈfræktʃə] 美 [ˈfræktʃər] n. 骨折；v. 分裂，撕裂
3.courtship 英 [ˈkɔːtʃɪp] 美 [ˈkɔːrtʃɪp] n. 求爱；恋爱
拓展:
courtship norms 约定俗成的"求爱规则"
4.unappealing 英 [ʌnəˈpiːlɪŋ] 美 [ʌnəˈpiːlɪŋ] adj. 没有吸引力的，让人提不起兴趣的（not attractive）
5.parse 英 [pɑːs] 美 [pɑːrs] v. 拆解，分析，找逻辑
6.readily available 容易获得的，随手可得的（easy to get）
拓展:
readily available shared bikes 随处可见的共享单车
readily available food delivery 唾手可得的外卖服务
7.formative years 性格形成期（the period when someone's character develops）
8.otherwise 英 [ˈʌðəwaɪz] 美 [ˈʌðərwaɪz] adv. 以另外的方式（in a different way）
Parents played a role, too, pushing their children to prioritize education and achievement while neglecting to advise on love. And online, where they spent an ever-increasing share of their time, rage-bait relationship content and polarized dating“advice”filled the gap.
注释：
1.play a role 扮演角色；起作用，产生影响
拓展:
Luck plays a role in success, but hard work matters more.
运气对成功的确有影响，但努力更为重要。
2.push sb to do something 催促某人做某事
3.prioritize 英 [praɪˈɒrətaɪz] 美 [praɪˈɔːrətaɪz] v. 优先处理
拓展:
You must learn to prioritize your tasks.
你必须学会对你的任务进行优先排序。
4.rage-bait 英 [ˈreɪdʒ beɪt] 美 [ˈreɪdʒ beɪt] n. 愤怒诱饵（指为了获取流量，故意制造对立、煽动情绪的内容）
5.polarized 英 [ˈpəʊləraɪzd] 美 [ˈpoʊləraɪzd] adj. 两极分化的
6.fill the gap 弥补空缺，填补空白
拓展:
I can fill the gap — I’ve got some design experience.
我可以补这个缺，我有点设计经验
Multiple studies show that young people aren't dating, having sex or forming partnerships. Less than 40 percent believed themselves to be attractive to potential partners or felt comfortable discussing their feelings with them.
注释：
feel comfortable doing something 做某事感到自在、舒服
拓展:
Many people don't feel comfortable asking for help even when they need it.
许多人即使在需要的时候也不愿意寻求帮助。
For younger adults, romance has turned into something to be debated, theorized and optimized for but not actually engaged in. As Gen Z retreats into itself while pretending to focus on the other, the delta between the sexes grows wider.
注释：
1.theorize 英 [ˈθɪəraɪz] 美 [ˈθɪəraɪz] v. 形成理论，理论化
2.optimize for... 为……进行优化
拓展:
optimize for the algorithm 为算法优化内容
3.engage in something 参与、投入某事
拓展:
engage in a conversation 沉浸到对话中
4.retreat into something 退入，躲进......
拓展:
retreat into silence 陷入沉默
retreat into one's shell 缩回自己的壳里
5.delta 英 [ˈdeltə] 美 [ˈdeltə] n. (本文）鸿沟，差距；差值，变化量（Δ）
