硅谷風(fēng)格的愛情回歸現(xiàn)實(shí) 財(cái)富究竟和愛情是何關(guān)系?
昔日硅谷，新貴層出不窮，被單身女子視為尋找夢(mèng)中王子的場(chǎng)所；
今日硅谷，因?yàn)楣善北┑?，男人不再趾高氣揚(yáng)，女人也不再挑三揀四。
或許從本文中可以窺視美國(guó)的高科技企業(yè)家文化。
The love of silicon valley style returns to earth
(硅谷風(fēng)格的愛情回歸現(xiàn)實(shí))
During one incredible month in its dotcom heyday, Silicon Valley was minting 64 millionaires every day, many young and mostly male.
The San Francisco Bay Area, by media accounts, was a bachelorette's dream " The Valley of the Guys." Palo Alto boasted 36 percent more men than women. Magazines and Internet sites profiled male tech magnates in all their Palm-Pilot splendor, inviting women to drool over " Hunks of the Web."
But when the dotcom bubble deflated, hot air left the singles scene, too. In the wake of dotcom breakups, many singles are trying harder to build long-term relationships in their personal lives.Men are less arrogant,women less choosy.
The saga of courtship here, in America's capital of new wealth, accompanies sudden riches and the realignment that results when wide-eyed dreams collapse.
While the tale reflects wider societal trends, it is also a window on the unique culture of America's high-tech entrepreneurs.
Thanks to company shutdowns, Palo Alto the erstwhile Mecca of masculinity is now just 49 percent male.
But bigger than any numerical adjustment is the shift in mood.
It's evident at City Tavern, a mecca for 20-somethings in San Francisco's ritzy Marina district. Gianni Arnoldi, who has worked behind the U- shaped bar for five years, recalls the frenzied social scene. Swaggering dotcomers, with exuberance matched by narcissism, often approached romance as another adventure in capitalism, he says. " Guys would say, ' I work for this company, this is how much money I'm making, this is what I'm driving' and that's what the girls would gravitate to." Today, several Nasdaq nosedives later, the bravado is gone.
Personal ads have also undergone a sea change, growing more numerous and more humble. Where ads in the late 1990s hinted at expensive lifestyles, today's wishlists are " more down to earth."
Julie Paiva of Table for Six, a San Francisco matchmaking club for " elite singles," also sees a dramatic value shift. She says the men she interviews now have wishlists emphasizing personality and mothering skills. It's no longer " someone who's 5-foot, 8-inches and 120 pounds," or " someone who looks good on my arm when I go to ... benefits."
And where women once demanded men with impeccable social skills, they're now focusing on " his values, if he's interested in family" and are more open to " nerds."
And since the crash, she says, clients " freeze" memberships far more often meaning they've found serious partners, and are taking a break from singles events.
Marriages, indeed, are on the rise. Between the " boom time" of 1997～ 1999 and the bust of 2000～ 2001, the number of marriage licenses issued annually in Santa Clara County leapt 19 percent.
But if the race to the altar has quickened, the pace of life in general has slowed -- a trend reflected in the trappings of the singles scene.
Lavish tables laden with caviar and sushi have made way for mashed potatoes and bread, and cookies have replaced petits fours and tiny frosted cakes. Events once set in plush rooms with famous bands have moved to more humble settings, with local bands or DJs.
So what, exactly, has disappeared? The word that comes up most often is " entitlement."
For all its dynamism, the tech world is a bastion of male wealth. As of 2000, women entrepreneurs received just 2.3 percent of venture-capital dollars, and of the 100 highest-paid Silicon Valley execs, only nine were women.
With men dominating tech jobs and tech wealth, the industry boom and dating hype accentuated stereotypes: wealthy nerd bachelors versus gold-digging women.
Enchanted with quick success, and used to high-tech's flux, singles often weren't seeking long-term relationships.
That easy-come, easy-go atmosphere -- intoxicating to some -- fed an anxious scene. Skewed *** ratios raised the competition.
With almost everyone short on time, formal courtship went the way of typewriters.That isn't to say that no one sought a soul mate before the crash of 2000, or that singles here no longer care about money.
Indeed, to Rich Gosse, chairman of American Singles, motivations of love in the Valley are the same as those on any of the six continents he serves. " The one thing a woman will not tolerate in a man is a lack of money," he declares.
On the other side, some professional women found Valley pickings slim. They all had their own money,[so] the lure of a guy with a big bank account completely diminished.
The search for money may have intensified as cash grew scarce. But today, uncertain dotcomers have for the most part changed their courtship tune, looking for someone to cling to when the market heads south.
[參考譯文]在網(wǎng)絡(luò)業(yè)如日中天、不可一世的日子里,硅谷每天創(chuàng)造64個(gè)百萬富翁,其中許多是年輕人,多半又都是男性。
按照媒體的說法,舊金山灣是單身女子夢(mèng)中追尋的地方--"男子谷"。帕洛阿爾托一度吹噓其男性人口超出女性人口36％。雜志和互聯(lián)網(wǎng)描述男性技術(shù)顯貴都是一副手持掌上電腦,神采奕奕的樣子,引得女性對(duì)這些"網(wǎng)絡(luò)猛男"傾慕不已。
但是,當(dāng)網(wǎng)絡(luò)泡沫破滅時(shí),這種火熱的景象也從單身漢的生活中消失了。網(wǎng)絡(luò)業(yè)衰退帶來的是許多未婚者更加努力地在個(gè)人生活中建立長(zhǎng)久的婚戀關(guān)系。男人不那么趾高氣揚(yáng)了,女人也不那么挑三揀四了。
在美國(guó)的這個(gè)新貴之都,有關(guān)求愛的傳說可能伴隨著一夜暴富,或是驚人夢(mèng)想破滅時(shí)出現(xiàn)的資金重組。
盡管這種故事折射出更廣泛的社會(huì)趨勢(shì),但它也是窺視獨(dú)特的美國(guó)高科技企業(yè)家文化的一個(gè)窗口。
由于公司倒閉,帕洛阿爾托--從前充滿陽剛之氣的圣地--目前的男性人口比例僅49％。
比任何數(shù)字調(diào)整更為顯著的是情緒的變化。
這一點(diǎn)在錫蒂塔弗恩顯而易見,這個(gè)地方位于舊金山奢華的馬里納地區(qū),它是20來歲的人向往的地方。在U形吧臺(tái)后工作了5個(gè)年頭的詹尼·阿諾爾迪回憶起那些狂熱的社交情景時(shí)說,趾高氣揚(yáng)的網(wǎng)絡(luò)從業(yè)者富有而自戀,他們往往將愛情當(dāng)作資本主義的另一場(chǎng)冒險(xiǎn)去追求。"小伙們會(huì)說,'我為這家公司工作,我賺這么多錢,我開這樣的車--這就是吸引姑娘們的東西'。"在納斯達(dá)克股價(jià)幾次暴跌后的今天,這種虛張聲勢(shì)的場(chǎng)面沒有了。
征婚啟事也大有改觀,數(shù)量更多且更為謙遜。20世紀(jì)90年代的征婚啟事都暗示要求對(duì)方生活富足,今天的求偶意向則希望"更腳踏實(shí)地"。
"六人桌"是舊金山一個(gè)為"單身貴族"提供婚介服務(wù)的俱樂部。該俱樂部的朱莉·派瓦也注意到了價(jià)值觀的巨大轉(zhuǎn)變。她說,她現(xiàn)在接待的男士在擇偶意向中都強(qiáng)調(diào)女方的性格--以及相夫教子的能力。再也不是什么"覓身高5英尺8英寸,體重120磅"或"落落大方,在晚會(huì)上光彩照人"之類的要求了。
女性一度要求男性具備無可挑剔的社交能力,她們?nèi)缃駞s把目光集中在"他的價(jià)值觀上,看他是否熱愛家庭"--而且更垂青"書呆子"。
派瓦說,自經(jīng)濟(jì)受挫以來,俱樂部的會(huì)員們比以往更多地"冷凍"會(huì)員身份--說明他們已經(jīng)找到了正式交往的對(duì)象,暫時(shí)中止參加單身活動(dòng)。
結(jié)婚人數(shù)確實(shí)呈上升趨勢(shì)。在"經(jīng)濟(jì)快速增長(zhǎng)"的1997至1999年和經(jīng)濟(jì)下挫的2000至2001年間,圣克拉拉縣結(jié)婚許可證的發(fā)放量每年增長(zhǎng)19％。
但是,如果說邁向婚姻圣壇的步伐加快了,生活節(jié)奏總的說來是放慢了--這種趨勢(shì)反映在單身聚會(huì)的細(xì)節(jié)方面。
擺滿魚子醬和壽司的豐盛餐桌讓位給了土豆泥和面包,餅干取代了小點(diǎn)心和蛋糕。從前在豪宅里舉行并有知名樂隊(duì)助興的活動(dòng)移至更為樸素的背景中,并且是本地樂隊(duì)或DJ伴奏。
那么,失去的到底是什么呢?人們常常想起的一個(gè)詞是:權(quán)力。
從科技行業(yè)的所有動(dòng)力來說,它是一個(gè)男性財(cái)富的基地。就2000年來說,以美元計(jì)算,女企業(yè)家得到的風(fēng)險(xiǎn)資本只占總數(shù)的2.3％,而硅谷前100名收入的經(jīng)理中只有9位女性。
由于男性壟斷著技術(shù)界的職位和財(cái)富,因此本行業(yè)的繁榮--也是約會(huì)訣竅--遵循著老套的規(guī)律:郎才女貌。
單身漢們被迅速的成功沖昏了頭腦并習(xí)慣了高科技變遷,因此往往不去追尋長(zhǎng)久的愛情。
這種來得容易、去得也容易的氣氛--麻醉了一些人--組成了一幅令人焦慮的畫面。傾斜的性別比例引發(fā)了競(jìng)爭(zhēng)。
因?yàn)榇蠹业臅r(shí)間都不多,因此正式求婚就像打字機(jī)一樣快。這并不是說,在2000年技術(shù)行業(yè)破產(chǎn)之前,沒有人尋覓心靈上的伴侶;也不是說,這里的未婚者不在乎錢了。
里奇·戈斯是美國(guó)未婚青年協(xié)會(huì)的主席,在他看來,硅谷中的愛情動(dòng)力與他在世界其他所有地方看到的沒什么兩樣。他說:"女人對(duì)男人無法忍受的一件事就是沒錢。"
另一方面,一些職業(yè)女性感覺在硅谷的選擇機(jī)會(huì)少了。"她們自己有錢,因此有著大筆銀行存款的男人的吸引力已經(jīng)完全消失了。
因?yàn)楝F(xiàn)金變少了,女孩子找有錢人的競(jìng)爭(zhēng)可能更激烈了。但是,那些*不住的網(wǎng)絡(luò)從業(yè)者多半要改變他們求愛時(shí)的口氣,在股市下跌的時(shí)候找個(gè)可以依*人。
昔日硅谷，新貴層出不窮，被單身女子視為尋找夢(mèng)中王子的場(chǎng)所；
今日硅谷，因?yàn)楣善北┑?，男人不再趾高氣揚(yáng)，女人也不再挑三揀四。
或許從本文中可以窺視美國(guó)的高科技企業(yè)家文化。
The love of silicon valley style returns to earth
(硅谷風(fēng)格的愛情回歸現(xiàn)實(shí))
During one incredible month in its dotcom heyday, Silicon Valley was minting 64 millionaires every day, many young and mostly male.
The San Francisco Bay Area, by media accounts, was a bachelorette's dream " The Valley of the Guys." Palo Alto boasted 36 percent more men than women. Magazines and Internet sites profiled male tech magnates in all their Palm-Pilot splendor, inviting women to drool over " Hunks of the Web."
But when the dotcom bubble deflated, hot air left the singles scene, too. In the wake of dotcom breakups, many singles are trying harder to build long-term relationships in their personal lives.Men are less arrogant,women less choosy.
The saga of courtship here, in America's capital of new wealth, accompanies sudden riches and the realignment that results when wide-eyed dreams collapse.
While the tale reflects wider societal trends, it is also a window on the unique culture of America's high-tech entrepreneurs.
Thanks to company shutdowns, Palo Alto the erstwhile Mecca of masculinity is now just 49 percent male.
But bigger than any numerical adjustment is the shift in mood.
It's evident at City Tavern, a mecca for 20-somethings in San Francisco's ritzy Marina district. Gianni Arnoldi, who has worked behind the U- shaped bar for five years, recalls the frenzied social scene. Swaggering dotcomers, with exuberance matched by narcissism, often approached romance as another adventure in capitalism, he says. " Guys would say, ' I work for this company, this is how much money I'm making, this is what I'm driving' and that's what the girls would gravitate to." Today, several Nasdaq nosedives later, the bravado is gone.
Personal ads have also undergone a sea change, growing more numerous and more humble. Where ads in the late 1990s hinted at expensive lifestyles, today's wishlists are " more down to earth."
Julie Paiva of Table for Six, a San Francisco matchmaking club for " elite singles," also sees a dramatic value shift. She says the men she interviews now have wishlists emphasizing personality and mothering skills. It's no longer " someone who's 5-foot, 8-inches and 120 pounds," or " someone who looks good on my arm when I go to ... benefits."
And where women once demanded men with impeccable social skills, they're now focusing on " his values, if he's interested in family" and are more open to " nerds."
And since the crash, she says, clients " freeze" memberships far more often meaning they've found serious partners, and are taking a break from singles events.
Marriages, indeed, are on the rise. Between the " boom time" of 1997～ 1999 and the bust of 2000～ 2001, the number of marriage licenses issued annually in Santa Clara County leapt 19 percent.
But if the race to the altar has quickened, the pace of life in general has slowed -- a trend reflected in the trappings of the singles scene.
Lavish tables laden with caviar and sushi have made way for mashed potatoes and bread, and cookies have replaced petits fours and tiny frosted cakes. Events once set in plush rooms with famous bands have moved to more humble settings, with local bands or DJs.
So what, exactly, has disappeared? The word that comes up most often is " entitlement."
For all its dynamism, the tech world is a bastion of male wealth. As of 2000, women entrepreneurs received just 2.3 percent of venture-capital dollars, and of the 100 highest-paid Silicon Valley execs, only nine were women.
With men dominating tech jobs and tech wealth, the industry boom and dating hype accentuated stereotypes: wealthy nerd bachelors versus gold-digging women.
Enchanted with quick success, and used to high-tech's flux, singles often weren't seeking long-term relationships.
That easy-come, easy-go atmosphere -- intoxicating to some -- fed an anxious scene. Skewed *** ratios raised the competition.
With almost everyone short on time, formal courtship went the way of typewriters.That isn't to say that no one sought a soul mate before the crash of 2000, or that singles here no longer care about money.
Indeed, to Rich Gosse, chairman of American Singles, motivations of love in the Valley are the same as those on any of the six continents he serves. " The one thing a woman will not tolerate in a man is a lack of money," he declares.
On the other side, some professional women found Valley pickings slim. They all had their own money,[so] the lure of a guy with a big bank account completely diminished.
The search for money may have intensified as cash grew scarce. But today, uncertain dotcomers have for the most part changed their courtship tune, looking for someone to cling to when the market heads south.
[參考譯文]在網(wǎng)絡(luò)業(yè)如日中天、不可一世的日子里,硅谷每天創(chuàng)造64個(gè)百萬富翁,其中許多是年輕人,多半又都是男性。
按照媒體的說法,舊金山灣是單身女子夢(mèng)中追尋的地方--"男子谷"。帕洛阿爾托一度吹噓其男性人口超出女性人口36％。雜志和互聯(lián)網(wǎng)描述男性技術(shù)顯貴都是一副手持掌上電腦,神采奕奕的樣子,引得女性對(duì)這些"網(wǎng)絡(luò)猛男"傾慕不已。
但是,當(dāng)網(wǎng)絡(luò)泡沫破滅時(shí),這種火熱的景象也從單身漢的生活中消失了。網(wǎng)絡(luò)業(yè)衰退帶來的是許多未婚者更加努力地在個(gè)人生活中建立長(zhǎng)久的婚戀關(guān)系。男人不那么趾高氣揚(yáng)了,女人也不那么挑三揀四了。
在美國(guó)的這個(gè)新貴之都,有關(guān)求愛的傳說可能伴隨著一夜暴富,或是驚人夢(mèng)想破滅時(shí)出現(xiàn)的資金重組。
盡管這種故事折射出更廣泛的社會(huì)趨勢(shì),但它也是窺視獨(dú)特的美國(guó)高科技企業(yè)家文化的一個(gè)窗口。
由于公司倒閉,帕洛阿爾托--從前充滿陽剛之氣的圣地--目前的男性人口比例僅49％。
比任何數(shù)字調(diào)整更為顯著的是情緒的變化。
這一點(diǎn)在錫蒂塔弗恩顯而易見,這個(gè)地方位于舊金山奢華的馬里納地區(qū),它是20來歲的人向往的地方。在U形吧臺(tái)后工作了5個(gè)年頭的詹尼·阿諾爾迪回憶起那些狂熱的社交情景時(shí)說,趾高氣揚(yáng)的網(wǎng)絡(luò)從業(yè)者富有而自戀,他們往往將愛情當(dāng)作資本主義的另一場(chǎng)冒險(xiǎn)去追求。"小伙們會(huì)說,'我為這家公司工作,我賺這么多錢,我開這樣的車--這就是吸引姑娘們的東西'。"在納斯達(dá)克股價(jià)幾次暴跌后的今天,這種虛張聲勢(shì)的場(chǎng)面沒有了。
征婚啟事也大有改觀,數(shù)量更多且更為謙遜。20世紀(jì)90年代的征婚啟事都暗示要求對(duì)方生活富足,今天的求偶意向則希望"更腳踏實(shí)地"。
"六人桌"是舊金山一個(gè)為"單身貴族"提供婚介服務(wù)的俱樂部。該俱樂部的朱莉·派瓦也注意到了價(jià)值觀的巨大轉(zhuǎn)變。她說,她現(xiàn)在接待的男士在擇偶意向中都強(qiáng)調(diào)女方的性格--以及相夫教子的能力。再也不是什么"覓身高5英尺8英寸,體重120磅"或"落落大方,在晚會(huì)上光彩照人"之類的要求了。
女性一度要求男性具備無可挑剔的社交能力,她們?nèi)缃駞s把目光集中在"他的價(jià)值觀上,看他是否熱愛家庭"--而且更垂青"書呆子"。
派瓦說,自經(jīng)濟(jì)受挫以來,俱樂部的會(huì)員們比以往更多地"冷凍"會(huì)員身份--說明他們已經(jīng)找到了正式交往的對(duì)象,暫時(shí)中止參加單身活動(dòng)。
結(jié)婚人數(shù)確實(shí)呈上升趨勢(shì)。在"經(jīng)濟(jì)快速增長(zhǎng)"的1997至1999年和經(jīng)濟(jì)下挫的2000至2001年間,圣克拉拉縣結(jié)婚許可證的發(fā)放量每年增長(zhǎng)19％。
但是,如果說邁向婚姻圣壇的步伐加快了,生活節(jié)奏總的說來是放慢了--這種趨勢(shì)反映在單身聚會(huì)的細(xì)節(jié)方面。
擺滿魚子醬和壽司的豐盛餐桌讓位給了土豆泥和面包,餅干取代了小點(diǎn)心和蛋糕。從前在豪宅里舉行并有知名樂隊(duì)助興的活動(dòng)移至更為樸素的背景中,并且是本地樂隊(duì)或DJ伴奏。
那么,失去的到底是什么呢?人們常常想起的一個(gè)詞是:權(quán)力。
從科技行業(yè)的所有動(dòng)力來說,它是一個(gè)男性財(cái)富的基地。就2000年來說,以美元計(jì)算,女企業(yè)家得到的風(fēng)險(xiǎn)資本只占總數(shù)的2.3％,而硅谷前100名收入的經(jīng)理中只有9位女性。
由于男性壟斷著技術(shù)界的職位和財(cái)富,因此本行業(yè)的繁榮--也是約會(huì)訣竅--遵循著老套的規(guī)律:郎才女貌。
單身漢們被迅速的成功沖昏了頭腦并習(xí)慣了高科技變遷,因此往往不去追尋長(zhǎng)久的愛情。
這種來得容易、去得也容易的氣氛--麻醉了一些人--組成了一幅令人焦慮的畫面。傾斜的性別比例引發(fā)了競(jìng)爭(zhēng)。
因?yàn)榇蠹业臅r(shí)間都不多,因此正式求婚就像打字機(jī)一樣快。這并不是說,在2000年技術(shù)行業(yè)破產(chǎn)之前,沒有人尋覓心靈上的伴侶;也不是說,這里的未婚者不在乎錢了。
里奇·戈斯是美國(guó)未婚青年協(xié)會(huì)的主席,在他看來,硅谷中的愛情動(dòng)力與他在世界其他所有地方看到的沒什么兩樣。他說:"女人對(duì)男人無法忍受的一件事就是沒錢。"
另一方面,一些職業(yè)女性感覺在硅谷的選擇機(jī)會(huì)少了。"她們自己有錢,因此有著大筆銀行存款的男人的吸引力已經(jīng)完全消失了。
因?yàn)楝F(xiàn)金變少了,女孩子找有錢人的競(jìng)爭(zhēng)可能更激烈了。但是,那些*不住的網(wǎng)絡(luò)從業(yè)者多半要改變他們求愛時(shí)的口氣,在股市下跌的時(shí)候找個(gè)可以依*人。