Marriage is not just the union of two hearts, and not also just the union of two lives, but also the union of two families. — T.Josh Tabares.
今天，打開手機，各種花式秀恩愛撲面而來！
May 20 may be a normal day for many people worldwide, but in China, it is a special day for love. And this Chinese Valentine's Day of sorts is actually all about the sound.
Unlike other Valentine’s Day origins filled with legend stories, China's 20th day of May celebration, which originated from the Internet, is all based on the pronunciation of “5·20” (wǔ èr líng) that sounds pretty close to the word “I love you” in Chinese (wǒ ài nǐ). And with this gimmick, the day has become a perfect day to be brave and to express love.
好了，你們先秀著，我要去看電視了！聽說最近一檔相親節目很火，最主要的是戲 很 足 ！
這是一檔 帶 上 爸 媽 的相親節目。
《新相親時代》於3月底在江蘇衛視首播，口號是“父母在，更有愛”。
“New Chinese Dating Time,” a weekly dating show that lets parents choose partners for their kids, has topped the national TV ratings in China since it debuted on Jiangsu Satellite Television in March.
To win a potential husband/wife on this Chinese dating show, the candidate has to win over his/her parents first.
作為各大衛視自制綜藝節目的主戰場，週末晚間檔的競爭一向慘烈。然而這檔沒有卡司的季播相親節目這幾周居然成為了週日黃金時段的收視黑馬。
（收視率截圖↑）
節目在網絡上也是話題不斷，前一陣還上了熱搜。
起因是一位男嘉賓在節目中的表達。男嘉賓姓晁，25歲，來自老媽的實力助攻常常讓他在眾多選手中超有存在感。
Mr. Chao, a 25-year-old man from central China’s Henan Province, has been on stage for three episodes. He was known by many audience members and netizens for his mother’s witty replies on stage.
被拒接幾次後，晁終於等到了“為他而來”的曾女士。
In this episode, Chao was rejected several times by the ladies before someone finally chose him. Ms. Zeng, a 25-year-old divorced teacher, saw Chao on the TV show and signed up to show her love on the stage.
面對告白，他的回答卻讓現場氣氛瞬 間 凝 固 ——
“你是想要一個老公，我覺得我是一個兒子。在臺下能不能先從朋友做起。”
“You are looking for a husband and I think I’m still a son,” he said. “I think we can start our relationship as friends.”
主持人當場打斷，“你有拒絕的權力，但是收起你那句話，從朋友做起那就是戀愛。”並在隨後的點評中說，“他應該選擇誠實，並且尊重別人的表達。”
The anchor said, “You have the right to reject others, but please withdraw your words about starting as friends, because it means starting a relationship for the lady.”
節目播出不久，這一話題就被推上了微博熱搜。
His immature response ignited a backlash among Chinese social media users soon after the episode aired.
“I agree with the anchor. He rejected the lady on stage and then wanted to start to know her as friends off stage? It does not make any sense.”
“I think he hurt the lady, and wasted all the staff’s hard work.”
“He’s still his mom’s baby. When criticized by the anchor, his first reaction was to turn around and seek support from his mother.”
其實早在兩年前，電視上就出現了這種全家參與式的相親節目，甚至還一度流行到了國外。
《中國式相親》於2016年底首播，截至2018年4月底共播出兩季，是國內首檔“代際相親交友節目”。
“Chinese Dating with the Parents,” a similar dating show that gets parents involved, debuted in December 2016 and finished its second season last month.
早些年曾買進《非誠勿擾》的澳大利亞SBS廣播公司(Special Broadcasting Service)年初又入手了這檔節目，並且在網站上，給出了“很誘人”的劇情介紹。
SBS has been delivering “If You Are the One” for a few years. According to fashionjournal.com, “the network is now fueling our obsession with Chinese dating shows further, airing ‘Chinese Dating with the Parents.’”
“Any potential partners must go through an intensive and grueling interrogation with the contestant’s parents to proceed to the next stage,” reads the SBS site.
節目中，父母的提問總是相當直接。
On the show, parents' requirements for their children's ideal spouses are often blunt and materialistic.
前 方 高 能 ↓ ↓ ↓
看過節目，外國網友也坐不住了
The show has drawn viewers and generated lively discussions on social media.
“我和我爸媽一起看了倆小時了，這節目真不錯，牆裂推薦！”
“這是我最近最愛看的節目！快來看這些父母的表現吧！”
“我在想有沒有可能讓父母和孩子角色互換一下……”
但在現實中，帶父母相親這件事，說多了還是無奈。
在北京的中山公園、上海的人民公園，隨處可見代替子女前來相親的父母。談戀愛好像已經不止是兩個人的事。
According to many media reports, it’s quite common to see elderly parents gather at the famous blind date corner in some public parks, trying to find matches for their children by exchanging their children's personal information with other parents.
Blind dating in China isn't just limited to singles; many worried parents are also getting involved.
懷著好奇，2015年，未婚女藝術家郭盈光曾在上海人民公園做了一場行為藝術——為自己相親。相親廣告下，她藏著攝像機，記錄下家長們的真實反應。
Pretending to be one of the “single ladies” who was “advertising” herself, Guo Yinguang, a 25-year-old artist, made a photography project on China’s marriage market. She went to the blind date corner in Shanghai’s People’s Park and captured the reactions of various questioners with her hidden camera.
雖然事先有所準備，“但還挺受刺激的”。她說，第一次站了5分鐘就不行了，必須找個地方靜一靜。
She was so upset by these questions that the first time she shot footage, she had to stop after five minutes to leave and calm down.
但照片洗出來，她才發現照片上的父母們是那麼焦慮。
But after developing the film, she realized she had neglected something – most parents in her pictures were unhappy and anxious. They might just have their own ways of trying to mitigate their anxieties.
做完這個項目後，郭盈光說自己的變化是會多一些理解。“從他們眼神裡透露出來的，是一種關心。”
所以你能接受父母的這種“關心”嗎
或者也有扎心的故事想要分享
來評論區告訴我吧
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