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传统婚介遭挑战英单身一族钟情网上觅偶

发布者: yucc | 发布时间: 2006-1-9 23:36| 查看数: 5655| 评论数: 2|

Two thirds of the singles looking for love in Britain turned to the internet last year, according to figures released yesterday. Specialist sites offer introductions to smokers, to Roman Catholics, tall people, beautiful people, frequent flyers and vegans. Technology has revolutionised the dating game. 

　　A survey by Parship.co.uk, a British subsidiary of Europe's largest dating service with more than 1.5 million members, says that 3.6 million Britons used online dating services last year. That is 65 per cent of the 5.4 million Britons who are looking for a relationship and have used a dating service. 

　　A spokeswoman for Relate, the relationship counsellors, confirmed that a figure of two thirds sounded "about right". "The internet is the way people are looking these days," she said. "The stigma from dating agencies seems to have gone. Doing it online allows people quite a lot of privacy as well, because they can do a bit of quiet research and look around from the comfort of their own home. You don't have to meet a middleman or go to an actual dating agency office, which takes a lot of courage." 

　　There are more than 100 independent online dating agencies in Britain, chasing a market that is valued at about ?12 million and expected to rise to ?47 million by 2008. Parship says that 50 per cent of single people believe they will meet a suitable partner through the internet, up from 35 per cent six months ago. 

　　A spokesman said: "Internet dating chatrooms are still seen as slightly seedy - somewhere you might arrange a one-night stand. But online dating agencies are regarded in a much more positive light. As in life offline, there's nothing we can do to stop people who don't own yachts claiming that they do, or people who smoke pretending that they don't. But we do check they are who they say they are when they pay, and the majority of people who use the service are looking to form a serious relationship." 

　　Chris Simpson, commercial director of Telecom Express, which supports several dating sites, including the Encounters service of The Times, said that greater interactivity on the internet had lured singletons online. "If you could pick one single thing that's changed everything, it's the ability to see a picture of the person," he said. "The internet offers a far more visual and interactive experience." 

　　At the top end of the online dating business, companies emulate some of the attention to detail of the old agencies by asking clients to fill out extensive questionnaires. This weeds out half-hearted fling-seekers and improves the chances of finding a good match. 

　　Parship uses detailed psychometric tests similar to the personality profiles that many large companies employ to screen potential employees. 

　　Love and Friends, which has 75,000 British members, asks singletons to spend about an hour completing its form. 

　　Mary Balfour, the founder, also runs the exclusive introductions agency Drawing Down the Moon, where a full "hand-holding" matchmaking service can cost more than ?5,000. She says that the internet has revolutionised the dating industry by raising its profile and placing a new reliance on getting to know a date before meeting. 

　　"It's like a return to old-fashioned love letters," she said. "You don't base your initial judgment on how someone looks but what their profile's like. You e-mail or talk before you actually see each other. 

　　"Everybody you know who is single these days has at least had a good look at a dating website, introduction agency or personal ad. They have to, because all the old matchmaking institutions have gone, from the Church, the extended family, local community and factory floor to the ball and party circuits. People work harder, settle down later and live more isolated lives. They're much more likely to end the day with a DVD and a can of beer than by going to a village dance." 
 
 
　　欧洲帕尔希普网上婚姻介绍所日前指出，三分之二的英国单身者在2005年通过互联网寻找意中人。互联网已经让传统的约会形式发生了革命。 

　　据《泰晤士报》网站1月5日报道，帕尔希普为欧洲最大的网上婚姻介绍所。其英国子公司最新公布的调查结果显示，2005年，360万英国人通过互联网寻找自己的意中人，这占540万有求偶意向的英国单身者的65%。 

　　专家称，通过互联网约会是当前人们所关注的求偶方式，那些在传统婚介所不断遭遇尴尬的时代已经一去不复返了。网上约会可以让人们保护更多的隐私。单身汉们也不用鼓足勇气去见媒人或是前往婚介所了。 

　　报道说，目前，英国已经有100多家网上婚介所。帕尔希普网上婚介所指出，50%的单身者相信他们可以在网上找到合适的伴侣，而这一数字在6个月前还为35%。 

　　该婚介所发言人表示："比起一般的网络聊天室，网上婚介所则更加可靠。在网上，你无法阻止穷光蛋装成富翁，烟鬼装作是不吸烟者，但一旦成为婚介所的会员，我们就会负责审核会员资料的真实性，而加入网上婚介所的大部分人都是在期待一份真心诚意的恋情。"同时，帕尔希普网上婚介所还提供给会员一份复杂的性格测验。然后根据性格测验的结果，找到与会员有相似性格、或性格相配的朋友。 

　　而英国另一家名为"爱与朋友"的网上婚介所也要求入会者用1个小时来填写各种登记表，让会员们从各个方面增加了解。该婚介所创始人玛丽·巴尔弗指出，互联网是对传统约会方式的革命，它让人们在见面之前通过电子邮件或网络聊天了解对方更多的情况，增强信任感。这就又像是回到了以前用书信互诉衷肠的时代。" 

　　巴尔弗还说，现代人的工作更辛苦，生活也更加孤寂、许多人宁愿在影碟和啤酒中结束一天，也不愿去参加一场舞会。所以，网上婚介所是找到朋友甚至恋人的好途径。

dating, 一族, 传统, 单身, 婚介

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