【视频讲解】
Greater equality for women might seem to render male-courtship displays redundant. But mating preferences evolved over millennia and will not change quickly. If diamonds were to cease being a way to signal a man’s marriageability, what might take their place?
随着女人地位的提高，男性的求偶表演似乎愈显多余。但择偶观经由千年而成，且不会迅速改变，倘使钻石不再是一名男子适婚性的象征，那又有什么将取而代之呢？
render v.使成为 (to cause to/become)
- Depression can render a person helpless.
redundant adj.多余的
- Avoid redundant expressions in your writing.
mate v.交友
millennia n.一千年
cease v.停止
marriageability n.适合结婚

A different gift, perhaps. In China skewed sex ratios mean that a prospective bridegroom must own an apartment and shower his future in-laws with cash. But a glittering stone goes to the woman, not her family. And it is more than a gift: it is a status symbol, demonstrating that even as a man approaches the expenses of married life, he can still splash out on a bauble. Or a man could rely on more generic forms of display, such as a fancy degree, good job or sharp suit.
或许是一样新的礼物。在中国，男性人口远超女性。这就意味着一位理想新郎要有一套房还要给女方家属一大笔现金。但是钻石是给新娘的，而不是她的家人。另外，钻石不单单是礼物，它还是地位的象征。它代表新郎不但能负担得起结婚的费用，还能在珠宝上挥金如土。或许，男性还能用更普通的事物来求婚，例如高学历、好工作或者得体的西装。
skewed adj.歪曲的，不公平的
- skewed data
ratio n.比例
prospective adj.未来的
- A prospective mother
bridegroom n.新郎
in-laws n.岳父母
glittering adj.闪耀的
- glitter v.发光
splash out 挥霍
bauble n.小饰品 （trinket）

But these can impress one woman as easily as another, or several simultaneously. He must show commitment—a need not unique to courtship. Salvadoran gangsters get extravagant tattoos; Japanese yakuza cut off a fingertip. These visible signs of allegiance make it hard to defect, and impose heavy costs. But as marriage proposals they would fall short. Few women would feel proud to carry around their fiancé’s severed pinkie.
但是这些东西能够打动任何一个女性，或同时打动几个女性。男性必须显示出他的诚意。而除了求婚，还有许多场合需要人们显示诚意，形式多样。萨尔瓦多黑帮会在身上纹精美的纹身。日本黑帮会切下自己的指尖。这些表忠心的直观方式使人们不会轻易叛变，且束之以惨重代价。但这些行为却不适于求婚——鲜有女性会满怀自豪感地随身携带未婚夫的小指。
simultaneously adv.同时地
- simultaneous adj.同时的
gangster n.黑帮
yakuza 日本黑帮
fingertip n.指尖
visible adj.可见的
allegiance n.忠诚
defect v.背叛
- The reporter defected to another network.
impose v.施加
fall short 不足，失败
sever v.切断
pinkie n.小手指

Many millennial women seek a mate who is creative, charitable and earns enough not to live with his parents. The millionaire founder of a startup that makes an app to teach yoga to orphans would be ideal. As a token of his commitment, a suitor might offer the object of his affections 51% of his shares—so much nicer than a joint bank account.
许多千禧一代的女性的择偶标准是要富有创造力，富有爱心，经济独立，不用和父母住一块。以这个标准，如果有一位亿万富翁，他创立一家致力于教孤儿们瑜伽的新兴软件公司，那这个人一定就是她们的理想型了。为了显示诚意，他还要把51%的公司股份给女方，这可比共享银行账户要好多了。
charitable adj.有爱心的
startup n.创业公司
orphan n.孤儿
ideal adj.理想的
token n.象征
suitor n.追求者
- suit v.合适，取悦（please）
affection n.爱
joint bank account 共同银行账户

Less eligible men could offer instead to link Uber accounts, thus entwining the couple’s reputations: their joint five-star rating would be at risk if either misbehaved. Uber-linking would also allow each tokeep track of the other’s whereabouts, discouraging infidelity. Whatever ultimately replaces diamonds, it will surely be digital, not worn on a digit.
条件差一点的男性可以把俩人的优步账户绑定在一起，这样俩人的信誉就会紧密联系在一起。一旦一方有什么不良行为，他们俩人的五星信用度就会面临降星的风险。这一做法还能相互知道另一方的行踪，防止发生出轨行为。最后取代钻石的一定是一样数据产品，而不是戴在手指上的实物。
eligible adj.合格的
entwine v.缠绕纠结在一起 (twist together)
- twine v.缠绕
misbehave v.不良作为
whereabouts n.行踪
infidelity n.不忠
- fidelity n.忠诚 (allegiance)
ultimately adv.最终地
- ultimate adj.最终的
digit n.指头 (finger or toe)