Love versus romance 愛情與浪漫

有些人憧憬浪漫的邂逅和愛情，然而這或許隻是一場過於美妙的夢—現實生活中真的存在理想般的愛情嗎？或許這隻是在電影裡才能找到的幻想。如果你足夠幸運，遇上瞭一生的摯愛，你們之間的戀情會長長久久嗎？本集《隨身英語》提出這樣的命題：真正的浪漫是否已不復存在？還是從未出現過？

課文內容

Vocabulary: romance 詞匯: 浪漫

Are you a hopeless romantic? Do you get excited by the idea of falling in love with the man or woman of your dreams? Does watching a romcom or a period drama on TV make you cry? Or are you someone who thinks romance is based on an idealised view of reality that doesn’t really exist? Well, you could be right!

I’m no romantic and more of a realist – taking a more practical approach to love – maybe that’s why I never had many girlfriends! But if you really are expecting the kind of love that makes your heart flutter with happiness you may be dissapointed.

Our expectation of what romance is, probably originated from the Romantic period – an artistic, literary, musical and intellectual movement that originated in Europe in the 18th Century. The notion of falling in love, getting married and living happily ever after were culturally held ideas formed during this period and still exist today.

Of course there’s nothing wrong with liking the idea of romance; it makes us feel good – but we must be careful not to use it as a benchmark for our own relationships. This idealised version of love leaves out the nitty-gritty of real-life relationships. There’s usually work, finances and other stresses of everyday life to deal with. You can’t expect romantic gestures like a bunch of red roses every day – there are bills to pay!

Many popular love stories end at the point where the characters get together or tie the knot. That puts the focus on finding someone special. But very few show us how to keep that perfect catch over a long period of time. A relationship is hard work. It’s frustrating, messy and can be emotionally damaging.

If you’re still convinced romance isn’t dead, how will you ever find it? Historian and TV presenter Lucy Worsley thinks nowadays, any idea of romance is dying because it has become “too easy” to meet new people via dating apps. She told the AYYBLOG the “slow exquisite torture of love in Jane Austen novels no longer existed in the age of Grindr and Tinder [apps].”

Perhaps romance is best left to the movies – a fantasy that makes us feel good – and instead concentrate on finding a good and healthy relationship with its ups and downs but one that is full of love. Do you believe romance really exists?

詞匯表

a hopeless romantic 無可救藥的浪漫派
romcom 浪漫愛情喜劇，多指影視節目
period drama 古裝劇，歷史劇
idealised 理想化的
realist 現實主義者，註重實際的人
makes your heart flutter 迷得你的心怦怦直跳
Romantic period （藝術）浪漫主義時期，源自十八世紀歐洲
intellectual 思想知識上的
notion 概念，觀念
benchmark 衡量標準，參照
the nitty-gritty （口語表達）指（事情、問題的）實質，實際情況
romantic gestures 浪漫之舉
tie the knot （口語表達）結婚
perfect catch 完美的、般配的戀愛對象
emotionally damaging 傷感情的
dating apps 約會應用軟件
exquisite 甜蜜又讓人痛苦的
fantasy 幻想
ups and downs 曲折起伏

測驗與練習

1. 閱讀課文並回答問題。

1. What expression does the writer use to mean your perfect partner?

2. Where did the Romantic period begin?

3. True or false: It’s romantic to pay the bills with red roses.

4.What do popular love stories concentrate on?

5. Which word in the text means ‘feeling annoyed and impatient because you can’t achieve what you want to’?

2. 請你在不參考課文的情況下完成下列練習。選擇一個意思合適的單詞填入句子的空格處。

1. Alan’s been making the girls hearts ________ ever since he started college.

flatter flitter flutter flap

2. Gita has an ________ view of her school days – at the time, she hated being there.

realised idealised exquisite notion

3. The quality of his workmanship has set a _________ for other builders to follow.

bench benchmark benchmarks markbench

4. He was a heavy smoker and died of lung cancer, which proves the ________ that smoking kills.

fantasy movement notion nitty-gritty

5. We’ve been living together for years but only now I have persuaded my boyfriend to _________.

tie knots tie up knots tied the knot tie the knot

答案

1. 閱讀課文並回答問題。

1. What expression does the writer use to mean your perfect partner?
The man/woman of you dreams.

2. Where did the Romantic period begin?
The Romantic period – an artistic, literary, musical and intellectual movement that originated in Europe in the 18^th Century.

3. True or false: It’s romantic to pay the bills with red roses.
False. It’s romantic to give red roses to someone but impossible to pay the bills with them!

4.What do popular love stories concentrate on?
Many popular love stories put the focus on finding someone special, not what happens afterwards.

5. Which word in the text means ‘feeling annoyed and impatient because you can’t achieve what you want to’?
Frustrating. (A relationship is hard work. It’s frustrating, messy and can be emotionally damaging.)

2. 請你在不參考課文的情況下完成下列練習。選擇一個意思合適的單詞填入句子的空格處。

1. Alan’s been making the girls hearts flutter ever since he started college.

2. Gita has an idealised view of her school days – at the time, she hated being there.

3. The quality of his workmanship has set a benchmark for other builders to follow.

4. He was a heavy smoker and died of lung cancer, which proves the notion that smoking kills.

5. We’ve been living together for years but only now I have persuaded my boyfriend to tie the knot.