A couple of months ago, I wrote a column imploring(恳求，哀求) young people to keep trying to find love, to not become cynical(愤世嫉俗的，悲观的) about romance and avoid the temptation of the accursed(被诅咒的，可恶的) “loneliness influencers” peddling(兜售，宣扬) antisocial behavior as some sort of newfangled(新奇的，新花样的) experiment that no one had thought of before. I stand here today saying, hey, I can’t be right all the time. Maybe it is better to be alone, since it costs a hell of a lot(非常多地，极其) less.
几个月前，我写了一篇专栏，恳求年轻人继续努力寻找爱情，不要对浪漫变得愤世嫉俗，并避免那些可恶的“孤独网红”的诱惑——他们兜售反社会行为，仿佛这是一种前所未有的新奇实验。今天我站在这里说：嘿，我不可能永远是对的。也许独处更好，因为这样花费要少得多。
Apparently, young people across the country are forgoing(放弃，弃绝) dating because it’s too damn expensive. Or at least, I think they are, based on the multiple newspaper articles saying so that came out in the last two weeks. As the New York Times put it(正如《纽约时报》所说), the “prospect of a tab(账单，费用) of $150 or more for two entrées(主菜), two drinks, an appetizer and tip” is too pricey for many gen Z singles. I say, only $150? Where are you going, Chili’s? I went on a date with (shameful brag incoming) a very famous political figure from the late 90s and spent twice that amount, sending my bank account into cardiac arrest(心脏骤停). I practically begged her to get dessert, even though it was clear our decade of age difference and general lack of chemistry(（人际间的）吸引力，火花) meant I was better off(更好的，更明智的) going home and journaling about it. I paid for the whole thing, and in return, I got an amazing story to tell at parties.
显然，全国各地的年轻人都在放弃约会，因为约会实在太贵了。或者至少，我是这么认为的，依据是过去两周发表的众多报纸文章。正如《纽约时报》所言，“两份主菜、两杯饮料、一份开胃菜加小费，账单高达150美元或更多”的前景，对许多Z世代单身人士来说过于昂贵。我说，才150美元？你们要去哪里，Chili‘s吗？我曾与一位90年代末非常著名的政治人物约会（惭愧的炫耀即将到来），花了那个数字的两倍，让我的银行账户陷入心脏骤停。我几乎是在恳求她点甜点，尽管很明显，我们相差十岁的年龄和普遍缺乏火花意味着我最好回家写日记。我付了全部费用，作为回报，我得到了一个可以在派对上讲述的精彩故事。
Dating is akin to(类似于，与……相似) gambling, in that it costs a lot and there’s no guarantee you’ll get anything out of it. I’m not suggesting that the money one spends on a date should entitle(使有权，使有资格) that person to love. That’s absurd and antithetical(对立的，截然相反的) to the entire modern conception of romance as a mutual experience shared by two people with equal agency(自主权，能动性). Rather, I’m saying that you’re better off enjoying the meal than worrying about the outcome. At least you’ll feel like you got your money’s worth(物有所值，钱花得值).
约会就像赌博，因为它花费高昂，而且无法保证你能从中得到任何回报。我并不是说一个人在约会上的花费就应该让他有权获得爱情。那很荒谬，也与现代浪漫观念相悖——浪漫是两个人平等参与的相互体验。相反，我的意思是，与其担心结果，不如享受美食。至少你会觉得物有所值。