公园的相亲角

星期xīng qī六lìu上午shàng wǔ，人民rén mín公园gōng yuán的de角落jiǎo luò里lǐ挤jǐ满mǎn了liǎo人rén。奇怪qí guài的de是shì，来lái这里zhè lǐ的de几乎jī hū全quán是shì头发tóu fa花huā白bái的de老人lǎo rén，年轻nián qīng人rén一yī个gè也yě看kān不见bù jiàn。

On Saturday morning the corner of People's Park is packed. Oddly, nearly everyone is white-haired; not a young person in sight.

这里zhè lǐ是shì城里chéng lǐ最zuì有名yǒu míng的de相亲xiāng qīn角jiǎo。老人lǎo rén们men手里shǒu lǐ举jǔ着zhuó的de纸zhǐ板bǎn上shàng，写xiě着zhuó自己zì jǐ孩子hái zi的de年龄nián líng、身高shēn gāo、学历xué lì、工作gōng zuò和hé收入shōu rù。

This is the city's famous matchmaking corner. The boards the elders hold list their children's age, height, education, job and salary.

刘liú阿姨ā yí的de纸zhǐ板bǎn写xiě得děi特别tè bié详细xiáng xì：女儿nǚ ér，三sān十shí岁suì，硕士shuò shì，在zài外企wài qǐ工作gōng zuò，有yǒu房fáng。她tā已经yǐ jīng在zài这里zhè lǐ站zhàn了liǎo两liǎng年nián了liǎo。

Auntie Liu's board is very detailed: daughter, thirty, master's degree, works at a foreign company, owns a flat. She has stood here two years.

我wǒ女儿nǚ ér太tài挑tiǎo了liǎo，她tā说shuō，问wèn什么shén me都dōu不肯bù kěn来lái。其实qí shí她tā自己zì jǐ一yī个人gè rén过guo得děi挺好tǐng hǎo，是shì我wǒ着急zháo jí。

My daughter is too picky, she says, and refuses to come herself. Actually she lives quite well on her own; it is me who is anxious.

旁边páng biān一yī位wèi大爷dà ye凑còu过来guò lái看kān了liǎo看kān纸zhǐ板bǎn，说shuō：我wǒ儿子ér zi三sān十shí二èr，银行yín háng工作gōng zuò，要不yào bù让ràng他们tā men加jiā个gè微信wēi xìn？

An old man nearby leans over to read the board: my son is thirty-two, works in a bank. Shall we have them add each other on WeChat?

两liǎng位wèi老人lǎo rén交换jiāo huàn了liǎo孩子hái zi的de照片zhào piàn和hé条件tiáo jiàn，认真rèn zhēn地dì谈tán了liǎo一yī个gè多duō小时xiǎo shí，像xiàng谈tán一yī笔bǐ重要zhòng yào的de生意shēng yi。

The two elders exchange photos and conditions, talking seriously for over an hour, like negotiating an important deal.

可是kě shì第dì二èr天tiān，刘liú阿姨ā yí的de女儿nǚ ér听说tīng shuō以后yǐ hòu很hěn生气shēng qì：妈mā，你nǐ别bié再zài去qù公园gōng yuán了liǎo！我wǒ的de事shì我wǒ自己zì jǐ会huì处理chǔ lǐ。

The next day Auntie Liu's daughter is furious when she hears: Mom, stop going to the park! I will handle my own life.

刘liú阿姨ā yí叹tàn了liǎo口气kǒu qì。她tā不bù明白míng bai，为什么wèi shén me自己zì jǐ是shì为了wèi le孩子hái zi好hào，孩子hái zi却què不bù领lǐng情qíng。

Auntie Liu sighs. She cannot understand why doing something for her child's good earns no thanks.

年轻nián qīng人rén有yǒu年轻nián qīng人rén的de想法xiǎng fǎ。公园gōng yuán的de相亲xiāng qīn角jiǎo每měi个gè周末zhōu mò依然yī rán热闹rè nao，只是zhǐ shì相亲xiāng qīn的de主角zhǔ jué，几乎jī hū从来不cóng lái bù来lái。

Young people think differently. The matchmaking corner bustles every weekend, though the stars of the show almost never come.

纸zhǐ板bǎn上shàng什么shén me都dōu有yǒu：有yǒu写xiě年薪nián xīn的de，有yǒu写xiě户口hù kǒu的de，还有hái yǒu特别tè bié注zhù明míng会huì做饭zuò fàn、性格xìng gé温柔wēn róu的de。

The boards list everything: salaries, household registration, even notes like 'can cook' and 'gentle personality'.

中介zhōng jiè也yě在zài人群rén qún里lǐ转zhuàn来lái转zhuàn去qù，收shōu一yī份fèn联系lián xì方式fāng shì要yào二èr十shí块kuài钱qián。老人lǎo rén们men不在乎bù zài hu，只要zhǐ yào能néng给gěi孩子hái zi找到zhǎo dào对象duì xiàng，花huā点diǎn钱qián算suàn什么shén me。

Brokers weave through the crowd too, charging twenty yuan per contact. The elders don't mind, what's a little money for finding a child a match?

有人yǒu rén在zài这里zhè lǐ站zhàn了liǎo五wǔ年nián，终于zhōng yú给gěi孩子hái zi说shuō成chéng了liǎo一yī门mén亲qīn事shì。消息xiāo xi传zhuàn开kāi，大家dà jiā都dōu围wéi过来guò lái取经qǔ jīng：你nǐ家jiā是shì怎么zěn me成chéng的de？

One woman stood here five years and finally made a match for her child. The news spread and everyone crowded around for the secret: how did you do it?

公园gōng yuán角落jiǎo luò里lǐ还huán挂guà着zhuó横hèng幅fú：抵制dǐ zhì高价gāo jià彩cǎi礼lǐ。可kě老人lǎo rén们men不bù看kān横hèng幅fú，只zhī看kān手里shǒu lǐ的de纸zhǐ板bǎn。

A banner in the corner reads 'resist high bride prices'. The elders don't read banners; they read the boards in their hands.

有人yǒu rén问wèn刘liú阿姨ā yí还huán去qù不bù去qù。她tā说shuō：去qù，怎么zěn me不bù去qù？在zài那儿nà r跟gēn老lǎo伙伴huǒ bàn们men聊liáo聊liáo天tiān，也yě是shì一yī天tiān。

Asked if she will keep going, Auntie Liu says: of course. Chatting with old friends there is still a day well spent.