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你害怕一个人去餐厅吃饭吗？
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你害怕一个人去餐厅吃饭吗？
许多人发现，独自外出用餐会让人感到非常尴尬，还会被人评头论足。 
双语精读
Why Is Dining Alone So Difficult?
为什么独自去餐厅吃饭这么难？
There are few customers Conor Proft appreciates more than people who eat alone. A bartender at the Italian restaurant Fausto, in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn, he said the solo diners he serves tend to be more engaged and willing to chat. They are self-aware and more attuned to the restaurant's rhythms.
康纳·普罗夫特最欣赏的客人是独自就餐的人。他是位于纽约布鲁克林区展望高地的"福斯托"意大利餐厅的酒吧侍者，他说他服务的独自来用餐的客人往往更投入，更愿意聊天。他们了解自己的需求，更能适应餐厅的节奏。
But does Mr. Proft dine alone? Rarely. "I love the romantic ideal of going into a restaurant and sitting at the bar and striking up a conversation with a bartender," he said. "But oftentimes in practice, I am just consumed with anxiety" about standing out.
但普罗夫特会独自用餐吗？很少。“我喜欢那种很浪漫的想象，就是走进一家餐厅，坐在吧台边，然后和侍者聊起来，”他说道。“但如果我真的一个人去餐厅，我会无比焦虑”，害怕自己很显眼。
This is part of the paradox of solo dining. Even as Americans are spending more time on their own, many find eating out alone to be rife with awkwardness and judgment. And many restaurateurs, who already run their businesses on thin profit margins, worry that tables for one will cost them.
这就是独自用餐的悖论之一。尽管美国人独处的时间越来越长，但许多人发现，独自外出用餐会让人感到非常尴尬，还会被人评头论足。而许多餐厅老板的经营利润本就微薄，更是担心一个人坐一张桌位会让他们亏本。
Reservations for solo dining in the United States have risen by 64 percent since 2019, according to data from OpenTable, and 21 percent from 2022 to 2023, according to Resy. The trend may stem in part from a post-pandemic uptick in business trips, when solo travelers need to grab a bite, or the rising attention given to self-care, said Debby Soo, OpenTable's chief executive.
根据“开放餐桌”的数据，美国独自用餐的预订人次自2019年以来上升了64%，“简单订位”的数据显示，从2022年到2023年，这一数字增长了21%。“开放餐桌”的CEO戴比·苏表示，这种趋势可能部分源于疫情后商务旅行的增加，独自出差的人需要去餐厅解决伙食，也可能是因为人们越来越关注自我关怀。
But more solo dining doesn't necessarily mean better accommodation or less of a stigma, according to diners and restaurateurs interviewed by The New York Times.
但是《纽约时报》采访的食客和餐厅经营者表示，独自用餐的人越来越多，未必意味着更好地满足单人食客的需求或羞耻感更少。
Several diners described the experience of entering a restaurant hoping to treat themselves to a relaxing meal, then feeling guilty for taking up space, or fearful that they're being judged by everyone around them.
几位食客描述了这样的体验：他们走进餐厅，原本想让自己好好享受一顿放松的美食，结果却因占用桌位而感到愧疚，甚至害怕周围其他人投来异样的眼光。
"When you walk in by yourself, the look on the host or hostess's face changes," said Rajika Shah, a lawyer in Los Angeles who used to dine alone frequently, as she moved often for work and wanted to explore local dining. "It is sometimes a look of panic, like 'What are we going to do with this person?' Or sometimes it is a look of sympathy."
“当你独自走进餐厅时，接待员的表情会立刻变化，”洛杉矶律师拉吉卡·沙阿说，她过去经常独自用餐，出于工作原因她经常搬家，想趁机探索周边美食，“有时是一种惊慌的表情，好像在说‘我们该怎么安排这个人？’，有时是一种同情的眼神。”
Ms. Shah, 51, said she is often led to the worst table in the dining room, neglected by her server, and then rushed out at the end of the meal.
51岁的莎阿表示，她经常被带到餐厅里最差的座位，服务员对她爱答不理，用餐结束时又催她离开。
She blamed the tipping system - because workers are reliant on tips, she said, they may be less attentive to those who spend less than groups. "I am just so tired of being treated like a second-class citizen," she said.
她认为这都怪小费制度，她说，因为员工依赖小费，所以他们对消费较少的顾客，可能不像对多人顾客那么上心。“我真是受够了被当成二等公民。”她说。
Even the menu can feel exclusionary: The shareable small plates that dominate many menus make it expensive and "difficult to eat a balanced and well-proportioned meal alone," said Amanda Lao, 55, who lives in Chicago and started solo dining while traveling for her former job as an auditor.
就连菜单也会让单人食客感到被排挤。许多菜单主要是适合多人分享的小份菜，55岁的阿曼达·劳说，“独自用餐时，想吃得营养均衡、分量合适，不仅很难，还很贵”，她住在芝加哥，以前做审计工作时，因为出差而开始独自去餐厅吃饭。
词汇预习
- frequently [高考]
美[ˈfriːkwəntli] | 英[ˈfriːkwəntli]
adv. 频繁地；经常地 - executive [高考]
美[ɪɡˈzekjətɪv] | 英[ɪɡˈzekjətɪv]
adj. 行政的；决策的；经营的；[计算机]执行指令
n. 行政主管；行政部门；决策者 - ideal [高考]
美[aɪˈdiːəl] | 英[aɪˈdiːəl]
adj. 理想的；完美的；空想的；观念的
n. 理想；典范；目标 - fearful [高考]
美[ˈfɪrfl] | 英[ˈfɪəfl]
adj. 担心的；可怕的；[口]非常的 - grab [高考]
美[ɡræb] | 英[ɡræb]
v.抓住，拿，攫取，吸引
n.不法所得，被抓住的人，抓取装置 - stem [高考]
美[stem] | 英[stem]
n. 柄；茎；干；船首
vi. 起源于
vt. 抽去 ... 的梗；给 ... 装柄；逆 ... 而行；阻止，遏制 - dominate [高考]
美[ˈdɑːmɪneɪt] | 英[ˈdɒmɪneɪt]
v. 支配；控制；统治；占优势；俯视；高耸于 - romantic [高考]
美[roʊˈmæntɪk] | 英[rəʊˈmæntɪk]
adj. 浪漫的；不切实际的
n. 浪漫的人 - attentive [高考]
美[əˈtentɪv] | 英[əˈtentɪv]
adj. 注意的；留意的 - server [高考]
美[ˈsɜrvə(r)] | 英[ˈsɜ:və(r)]
n. 服务器；侍者；辅祭者；发球者；托盘 - data [高考]
美[ˈdeɪtə] | 英[ˈdeɪtə]
n. 数据；资料 - trend [高考]
美[trend] | 英[trend]
n. 趋势；倾向；方位
vi. 倾向；转向 - accommodation [高考]
美[əˌkɑːməˈdeɪʃn] | 英[əˌkɒməˈdeɪʃn]
n. 膳宿；和解；住处；适应 - aware [高考]
美[əˈwer] | 英[əˈweə(r)]
adj. 知道的；意识到的 - anxiety [高考]
美[æŋˈzaɪəti] | 英[æŋˈzaɪəti]
n. 焦虑；担心；渴望 - former [高考]
美[ˈfɔːrmər] | 英[ˈfɔːmə(r)]
adj. 前者的；前任的；以前的
n. 创造者；[英]学校某一年级的学生 - profit [高考]
美[ˈprɑːfɪt] | 英[ˈprɒfɪt]
n. 利润；收益；利益
vi. 得益；获利
vt. 有益于 - Ms. [高考]
美[mɪz] | 英[mɪz]
n. 女士，小姐 - judgment [高考]
美['dʒʌdʒmənt] | 英['dʒʌdʒmənt]
n. 裁判；判断；判断力；意见；判决书 - sympathy [高考]
美[ˈsɪmpəθi] | 英[ˈsɪmpəθi]
n. 同情；同情心；同感；赞同；慰问 - panic [高考]
美[ˈpænɪk] | 英[ˈpænɪk]
n. 惊慌；恐慌
v. 使…惊慌；感到恐慌
adj. 恐慌的；惊慌的 - chief [高考]
美[tʃiːf] | 英[tʃiːf]
adj. 主要的；首要的
n. 首领 - self [高考]
美[self] | 英[self]
n. 自己；本性；自我
pron. 我自己；你自己；他或她自己
adj.同一的；纯净的；单一的
v. 近亲繁殖；自花授粉 - hostess [高考]
美[ˈhoʊstəs] | 英[ˈhəʊstəs]
n. 女主人；空姐；女主持 - in part [高考]
美[ɪn pɑːrt] | 英[ɪn pɑːt]
部分地 - in practice [高考]
美[ɪn 'præktɪs] | 英[ɪn 'præktɪs]
在实践中； 在不断练习中； 实际上 - bar [高考]
美[ bɑːr] | 英[bɑː(r)]
n. 酒吧；条；横木；栅
vt. 禁止；阻挠；闩上；在 ... 设栅栏 - bite [高考]
美[baɪt] | 英[baɪt]
v. 咬；叮；蜇
n. 咬；一口；(被咬的)伤痕 - dine [高考]
美[daɪn] | 英[daɪn]
v. 用正餐；进餐 - solo [高考]
美[ˈsoʊloʊ] | 英[ˈsəʊləʊ]
n. 独奏；独唱
adj. 单独的
adv. 单独地
v. 单独表演；[空]放单飞(飞行员一个人开飞机,无教练陪同) - necessarily [四级]
美[ˌnesəˈserəli] | 英[ˌnesəˈserəli]
adv. 必然地；必定地；必需地 - paradox [四级]
美[ˈpærədɑːks] | 英[ˈpærədɒks]
n. 悖论；似非而是的论点；自相矛盾的话 - awkwardness [四级]
美[ˈɔkwɚdnɪs] | 英['ɔ:kwədnəs]
n. 笨拙 - make it [四级]
美[mek ɪt] | 英[meik it]
成功 达到预定目标,性交易,幸存 - do with [四级]
美[dʊ wɪð] | 英[duː wɪð]
处理； 利用； 忍受； 需要； 相处 - tired of [四级]
美 | 英
厌倦； 厌烦 - conversation with [四级]
美 | 英
与……谈话 - reliant on [四级]
美 | 英
依赖于…… - striking [四级]
美[ˈstraɪkɪŋ] | 英[ˈstraɪkɪŋ]
adj. 显著的; 引人注目的; 容貌出众的; 妩媚动人的
v. 打( strike的现在分词); 击; 敲响; 报时 - according [专四]
美[ə'kɔrdɪŋ] | 英[ə'kɔːdɪŋ]
adj. 相符的；相应的；一致的
v. 给予；符合，一致；正式协议（accord的现在分词） - reliant [专八]
美[rɪˈlaɪənt] | 英[rɪˈlaɪənt]
adj. 依赖的 - standing [专八]
美[ˈstændɪŋ] | 英[ˈstændɪŋ]
n. 持续；地位
adj. 永久的；不动的；直立的；不流动的 - auditor [考研]
美[ˈɔːdɪtər] | 英[ˈɔːdɪtə(r)]
n. 听者；稽核员 - exclusionary [考研]
美[ ɪkˈskluːʒəneri] | 英[ɪkˈskluːʒənri]
n. 排除；除外；逐出 - less than [雅思]
美[les ðən] | 英[les ðən]
不到； 少于
重点讲解
Why Is Dining Alone So Difficult?
为什么独自去餐厅吃饭这么难？
be attuned to 熟悉；适应
【例】She wasn't yet attuned to living in a foreign country.
她还没有适应国外的生活。
【近义词】be familiar with 熟悉
【拓展】tune n./v. 音调/调音
【搭配】be in tune with sth 与某事协调一致
There are few customers Conor Proft appreciates more than people who eat alone. A bartender at the Italian restaurant Fausto, in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn, he said the solo diners he serves tend to be more engaged and willing to chat. They are self-aware and more attuned to the restaurant’s rhythms.
康纳·普罗夫特最欣赏的客人是独自就餐的人。他是位于纽约布鲁克林区展望高地的"福斯托"意大利餐厅的酒吧侍者，他说他服务的独自来用餐的客人往往更投入，更愿意聊天。他们了解自己的需求，更能适应餐厅的节奏。
be attuned to 熟悉；适应
【例】She wasn't yet attuned to living in a foreign country.
她还没有适应国外的生活。
【近义词】be familiar with 熟悉
【拓展】tune n./v. 音调/调音
【搭配】be in tune with sth 与某事协调一致
But does Mr. Proft dine alone? Rarely. “I love the romantic ideal of going into a restaurant and sitting at the bar and striking up a conversation with a bartender,” he said. “But oftentimes in practice, I am just consumed with anxiety” about standing out.
但普罗夫特会独自用餐吗？很少。“我喜欢那种很浪漫的想象，就是走进一家餐厅，坐在吧台边，然后和侍者聊起来，”他说道。“但如果我真的一个人去餐厅，我会无比焦虑”，害怕自己很显眼。
strike up sth 开始做某事
【例】to strike up a friendship 建立友谊
to strike up a waltz 开始演奏华尔兹舞曲
【拓展】strike v. 打；击
be consumed with sth 充满强烈的感情
【例】She was consumed with guilt.
她深感内疚。
【拓展】consume v. 吃；吞噬
【搭配】be consumed by sth 被某物吞噬
【例】The hotel was consumed by fire.
那座旅馆被大火吞噬。
This is part of the paradox of solo dining. Even as Americans are spending more time on their own, many find eating out alone to be rife with awkwardness and judgment. And many restaurateurs, who already run their businesses on thin profit margins, worry that tables for one will cost them.
这就是独自用餐的悖论之一。尽管美国人独处的时间越来越长，但许多人发现，独自外出用餐会让人感到非常尴尬，还会被人评头论足。而许多餐厅老板的经营利润本就微薄，更是担心一个人坐一张桌位会让他们亏本。
paradox n. 悖论；自相矛盾的情况
【例】It is a paradox that professional comedians often have unhappy personal lives.
这真是个矛盾现象：职业喜剧演员的私人生活往往并不快乐。
【拓展】paradoxical adj. 自相矛盾的
Reservations for solo dining in the United States have risen by 64 percent since 2019, according to data from OpenTable, and 21 percent from 2022 to 2023, according to Resy. The trend may stem in part from a post-pandemic uptick in business trips, when solo travelers need to grab a bite, or the rising attention given to self-care, said Debby Soo, OpenTable’s chief executive.
根据“开放餐桌”的数据，美国独自用餐的预订人次自2019年以来上升了64%，“简单订位”的数据显示，从2022年到2023年，这一数字增长了21%。“开放餐桌”的CEO戴比·苏表示，这种趋势可能部分源于疫情后商务旅行的增加，独自出差的人需要去餐厅解决伙食，也可能是因为人们越来越关注自我关怀。
stem from 来源于；来自
【例】Their disagreement stemmed from a misunderstanding.
他们的分歧源自一场误会。
【拓展】stem n. 树干
【近义词】spring from 起源于；来自
But more solo dining doesn’t necessarily mean better accommodation or less of a stigma, according to diners and restaurateurs interviewed by The New York Times.
但是《纽约时报》采访的食客和餐厅经营者表示，独自用餐的人越来越多，未必意味着更好地满足单人食客的需求或羞耻感更少。
accommodation n. 住处；迁就通融；方便
【例】The hotel tries to make accommodations for people with small children.
这家酒店努力照顾到亲子顾客的需求。
【拓展】accommodate v. 照顾特殊需求；提供方便
accommodating adj. 与人方便的
【例】The hotel tries to accommodate the needs of people with small children.
这家酒店努力照顾到亲子顾客的需求。
The hotel is accommodating to provide baby care products for free.
这家酒店提供免费的婴儿用品，很是体贴客人的需求。
stigma n. 羞耻；污名
【例】There is no longer any stigma attached to being divorced.
离婚不再是什么丢脸的事。
【近义词】shame n. 羞耻
【拓展】stigmatize v. 污名化；带来耻辱
Several diners described the experience of entering a restaurant hoping to treat themselves to a relaxing meal, then feeling guilty for taking up space, or fearful that they’re being judged by everyone around them.
几位食客描述了这样的体验：他们走进餐厅，原本想让自己好好享受一顿放松的美食，结果却因占用桌位而感到愧疚，甚至害怕周围其他人投来异样的眼光。
accommodation n. 住处；迁就通融；方便
【例】The hotel tries to make accommodations for people with small children.
这家酒店努力照顾到亲子顾客的需求。
【拓展】accommodate v. 照顾特殊需求；提供方便
accommodating adj. 与人方便的
【例】The hotel tries to accommodate the needs of people with small children.
这家酒店努力照顾到亲子顾客的需求。
The hotel is accommodating to provide baby care products for free.
这家酒店提供免费的婴儿用品，很是体贴客人的需求。
stigma n. 羞耻；污名
【例】There is no longer any stigma attached to being divorced.
离婚不再是什么丢脸的事。
【近义词】shame n. 羞耻
【拓展】stigmatize v. 污名化；带来耻辱
“When you walk in by yourself, the look on the host or hostess’s face changes,” said Rajika Shah, a lawyer in Los Angeles who used to dine alone frequently, as she moved often for work and wanted to explore local dining. “It is sometimes a look of panic, like ‘What are we going to do with this person?’ Or sometimes it is a look of sympathy.”
“当你独自走进餐厅时，接待员的表情会立刻变化，”洛杉矶律师拉吉卡·沙阿说，她过去经常独自用餐，出于工作原因她经常搬家，想趁机探索周边美食，“有时是一种惊慌的表情，好像在说‘我们该怎么安排这个人？’，有时是一种同情的眼神。”
panic n. 惊慌；慌乱
【例】Office workers fled in panic as the fire took hold.
起火时，办公室人员惊慌逃出。
a panic attack 突然感到心慌意乱
panic buying/selling 恐慌性抢购/抛售
【拓展】panick v. 恐慌；心态崩了
【例】During the listening test, I couldn’t understand the first passage and just panicked.
听力考试的时候，我没听懂第一段，然后我就慌了。
Ms. Shah, 51, said she is often led to the worst table in the dining room, neglected by her server, and then rushed out at the end of the meal.
51岁的莎阿表示，她经常被带到餐厅里最差的座位，服务员对她爱答不理，用餐结束时又催她离开。
panic n. 惊慌；慌乱
【例】Office workers fled in panic as the fire took hold.
起火时，办公室人员惊慌逃出。
a panic attack 突然感到心慌意乱
panic buying/selling 恐慌性抢购/抛售
【拓展】panick v. 恐慌；心态崩了
【例】During the listening test, I couldn’t understand the first passage and just panicked.
听力考试的时候，我没听懂第一段，然后我就慌了。
She blamed the tipping system — because workers are reliant on tips, she said, they may be less attentive to those who spend less than groups. “I am just so tired of being treated like a second-class citizen,” she said.
她认为这都怪小费制度，她说，因为员工依赖小费，所以他们对消费较少的顾客，可能不像对多人顾客那么上心。“我真是受够了被当成二等公民。”她说。
be attentive to 注意的；留心的；关心的
【例】She was always attentive to the children’s needs.
她总是无微不至地关心孩子们。
【拓展】attention n. 注意力
inattentive adj. 不关心的；注意力不集中的
tend to sb/sth 照顾；关心；招待
Even the menu can feel exclusionary: The shareable small plates that dominate many menus make it expensive and “difficult to eat a balanced and well-proportioned meal alone,” said Amanda Lao, 55, who lives in Chicago and started solo dining while traveling for her former job as an auditor.
就连菜单也会让单人食客感到被排挤。许多菜单主要是适合多人分享的小份菜，55岁的阿曼达·劳说，“独自用餐时，想吃得营养均衡、分量合适，不仅很难，还很贵”，她住在芝加哥，以前做审计工作时，因为出差而开始独自去餐厅吃饭。
well-proportioned adj. 比例合适的
【例】She is slender and well-proportioned.
她身材苗条、匀称。
The apartment is well-proportioned.
这套公寓布局合理。
【反义词】ill-proportioned adj. 比例失衡的
out of proportion 比例失衡的
课后练习
What does Conor Proft think about solo diners?
A. They are usually anxious and not willing to chat.
B. They are often self-centered and have bad manners.
C. They are embarrassed about going to the restaurant alone.
D. They are self-aware and adapt well to the restaurant's rhythms.What is the trend of solo dining in America?
A. The number of reservations for solo dining has been decreasing.
B. There has been a significant increase in solo dining reservations.
C. Restaurants are attracting solo diners with better service.
D. Solo dining is increasingly regarded as cool and trendy.According to Rajika Shah, what is the cause of worse service for solo diners?
A. The tipping system.
B. The shortage of staff.
C. The lack of space in most restaurants.
D. The unreasonable seating arrangement.What does Amanda Lao complain about dining alone?
A. The unbearable noise in most restaurants.
B. The high price of main courses in the restaurant.
C. The difficulty of finding suitable dishes for solo diners.
D. The solitude and frustration of eating without company.
