The materialism of Chinese women is putting off some Chinese men and driving them into the arms of Western women.
中國女性的物質主義至上已讓中國男性望而卻步，使他們轉投西方女性的懷抱。
"Chinese man fancies Western woman" was the title of the personal ad Li Lei posted online, in which he asked if any Western "ladies (in Beijing) are open to a long-term and serious relationship with a Chinese guy". And by "long-term and serious", Li meant marriage.
李磊(音譯)在網上發了一篇名為“中國男人偏愛西方女性”的個人交友貼，他在文中寫道尋找“在北京生活的外籍女士，愿意和一位中國男士確立一段長期、穩定的戀愛關系。”而李磊所說的“長期穩定”也就意味著婚姻。
Marriages between Chinese men and Western women in China are noticeably fewer than vice versa, so why is Li taking the road less traveled?
在中國，相比中國女性嫁老外，本地郎娶洋媳婦的現象少之又少，可為什么李磊仍要堅持如此呢?
After studying for a combined five years in the Netherlands and United Kingdom, the 30-year-old Beijinger discovered he preferred the personality of Western European women. He considers them more independent than their Chinese counterparts, less girlish and more straightforward.
由于先后在荷蘭和英國兩地學習生活了5年的時間，這位離異的30歲北京人發覺自己更偏愛西歐女性的性格，他們比中國女性更獨立、不嬌氣且更直爽。
Li puts extra emphasis on the last attribute. "That's something I really love. If they want something, they just tell you," he says in British-accented English, his boyish face lighting up. "Although it is the nature of a woman to want somebody to figure them out, the key factor is the degree."
李磊特別強調了最后一個特點，“如果她們想要什么，會直白的告訴你。這是我最欣賞的。”他說一口英國英語，孩子般的臉上透著興奮。“雖然女生天生喜歡讓別人猜測，但關鍵要拿捏好這個度。”
Besides writing personals, the trading company project manager also participates in speed-dating parties with foreigners and frequents international networking events.
除了發布網絡交友貼，現在貿易公司的任項目經理的李磊也經常出現在與外國人的速配派對上，并常常參加一些在線跨國交友活動。
Tony, a 28-year-old native of Hunan is also keen on Western women.
28歲的湖南小伙子托尼也對西方女性情有獨鐘。
After two serious relationships with Chinese women, in which he got exasperated trying to figure out the reason why his girlfriends got upset, he decided two years ago that a North American or European woman would suit him better.
托尼之前與中國姑娘正式地談過兩次戀愛，他實在疲于去猜測女友為何不開心，并為此感到很惱火。就在兩年前，他斷定北美或者歐洲的女性更適合自己。
"Let's adjust the preferences," he remembers thinking at that point. Tony has worked as a data analyst at a multinational company for five years and has regular interactions with female foreign co-workers.
說到這點，他回憶說：“我們要正確對待這種偏愛。”托尼曾在一家跨國公司擔任了5年的數據分析師，經常與外籍女同事交流。
Tony and Li's preference for Western women, the men say, is also due to the growing materialism of Chinese women and the pressure to provide a new apartment for one's bride-to-be.
人們認為，托尼和李磊對西方女性的偏愛源于中國女性不斷膨脹的物質主義，以及為未婚妻買房帶來的壓力。
"In this situation, a foreign girl will say, OK, we can marry first before we have a house. We can work together to buy a house. There's not so much pressure on you. Both of us can bear this,'" Tony says, citing conversations with female foreign acquaintances.
托尼說：“在這種情況下，外國女孩一般會說：‘好吧，我們可以先結婚再一起賺錢買房。兩個人一起承擔，你就不會壓力過大。’”他表示這是在與熟悉的外籍女性談話時了解到的。
Li says the spotlight on newlyweds' possessions is something that "distorts love in China".
李磊認為，在中國人們對于新婚夫婦財產問題的過度關注，在某種程度上也使愛情變了味。
Li and Tony's taste in women may put them in the minority, but their numbers are growing as more foreign women come to China and more Chinese men learn foreign languages and experience life overseas.
李磊和托尼的擇偶條件也許并不多見，但隨著越來越多的外籍女性來到中國，更多的中國男性開始學習外語、體驗海外生活，他們的隊伍將不斷壯大。
"Every relationship is about curiosity and communication and openness to learn and a willingness to accept," says Dr Alfred Chambers, a relationship-counseling specialist at Beijing United Family Hospital and Clinics.
來自北京和睦家醫院的戀愛關系輔導專家，阿爾弗雷德?錢伯斯博士表示：“每段感情都要經歷好奇、溝通、樂于學習新事物和全心接納四個階段。”
"But when there's different cultures, there's just more things to learn and so we need more curiosity and acceptance and patience," he says, stressing it is a life-long process.
他說：“但是當文化背景不同時，還會有更多的東西需要學習。因此我們要有更多的好奇心、包容心和耐心。”他同時強調說這還是一個終身的“事業”。
相關詞匯
vice versa 反之亦然
participate 參加，加入
be keen on 喜歡
exasperate 惱火、惱羞成怒
spotlight 公眾注意的中心
