Time Constraints Boost Popularity of Online Dating
网上求爱日渐流行
Any lingering stigma about finding true love online seems to be fading,particularly among older adults, researchers fiound
研究人员发现，在网络上寻找真爱似乎已经不再是什么令人羞愧的事，尤其是对于大龄成年人而言。
In a study of 175 newlywed couples scientists at Iowa State University said those who met through online dating agencies, or social networking sites, tended to be older than other couples who met through traditional ways offline'. They were also less likely to be marrying for the first time and had shorter courtshipsZ before tying the knot一18.5 months instead of 42 months.
爱荷华州立大学的科学家在一项针对175对新婚夫妇开展的研究中发现，他们当中，通过在线交友网站或社交网站结识的夫妇通常要比那些通过传统的“线下”方式结识的夫妇年龄大。同样，通过网络所结成的伴侣，他们是初婚的几率较小，而且在结婚前谈恋爱的时间也较短，仅为18.5个月，而对于传统婚姻模式，谈恋爱的时间是42个月。
"In many cases, there are real structural forces that encourage the support and use of these technologies,”said Alicia Cast, an associate professor of sociology at the university.
爱荷华州立大学社会学副教授艾丽西亚·卡斯特说:“在很多情况下，真实存在的结构性力量促使了人们对这些技术的支持和使用。”
"And one of them is just structural constraints on people’s time-such as people who have kids, or have full-time jobs, or work long or extensive hours," she added in a statement. But the online spouses' were as attractive, intelligent and had the same self-esteem levels of the offiine couples.
她在一项声明中补充说道:“在结构性力量中，其中一种力量就是关于人们时间上的结构性限制，就比如说那些有孩子、全职工作或工作时间较长的人。”不过，通过网络结识的伴侣其实和在现实中寻得的另一半一样迷人、聪慧、有自尊。
Online dating agencies have gained in popularity and acceptability. A recent survey by Forbes.com that named New York as the best U.S. city for singles found it achieved the No. 1 position because it has more people with active online dating accounts than any other city in the country.
如今，在线交友网站的受欢迎程度和接受程度越来越高。近日一项由福布斯网站开展的调查—评选美国最佳的单身城市，纽约高居榜首，因为纽约拥有活跃在线交友帐号的人比美国其他任何城市都要多。
U.S.-based eHarmony, which launched in the United States in 2000, claims an average of 236 of its members marry every day in the United States as a result of being matched on the site. eHarmony is also available in Canada, Australia and Britain.
于2000年创建于美国的约会服务婚恋网站声称，在美国，通过该网站结识的会员平均每天有236人喜结连理。约会服务网站在加拿大、澳大利亚和英国也有分支。
Cast and her graduate assistant Jamie McCartney studied data on the couples over a three-year period. Twenty five couples in the study had met online
卡斯特和她的研究生助手杰米·麦克卡特尼利用三年多的时间研究了这些夫妇的资料。在这项研究中，其中25对夫妇通过网络相识。
"My understanding is that there are very few studies that have been able to simultaneously get access to a source of coupes who met through more conventional means,along with those who choose to meet people online,”said Cast.
卡斯特说:“我的理解是，现在几乎很少有研究项目能够同时获得通过传统渠道和通过网络渠道结识的夫妇的两手资料。”