2005年NPR美国国家公共电台七月-The 'Times' Fascination with the Single M

And now a question we're all pondering: What’s on the mind of an unmarried man? Day to Day contributor Brian Unger is single, but even he doesn’t have a clue, still he says the New York Times is searching for an answer.

On Friday, gawker.com, a website that covers Manhattan media news and gossip, reported that the New York Times is going back again,one more time, delving¹ deep deep deep into the psyche² of America's single man to figure out once and for all---what is he thinking? Gawker.com cites a query³ from ProfNet, the PR Newswire service that helps connect journalists with sources. In the item, a reporter for the New York Times is on the prowl. She writes, “I am exploring the topic of Yellow Light Bachelors, single straight men who have reached an age where their friends and family start to wonder what is wrong, why they are still single, are they commitment-phobes, are they gay, it’s the, well if he is so successful and attractive, yet single, what's wrong with him?”.

What's wrong with him might be the repetitive banging of the New York Times on his front door, desperately⁴ wanting to get inside his brain. Gentleman, the old gray lady will not be ignored. She is gonna boil a bunny on your stove. You are being stalked by a newspaper. The upcoming yellow-light-bachelors expose comes on the heels of the July 5th Times' investigation⁵ 'Straight, Gay or Lying, Bisexuality Revisited', that on the heels of their ground-breaking June 19th report ‘Gay or Straight, hard to tell", that on the heels of their heart-hitting April 10th analysis ‘the Man Date-- what do you call two straight men having dinner', that on the heels of the now infamous⁶ 2003 journalistic nuclear bomb “Metrosexuals Come Out”.

Since the New York Times started probing unmarried men, the folks at Webster's and Microsoft haven’t been able to take a vacation. They are constantly having to update the dictionary and spell-check with words like metrosexual, man date and commitment-phobe. On every beach in the Hamptons, scrabble games have erupted in fist-fights over people trying to play the word gay-vague seduced⁷ by its sexy point total. In its upcoming shot of these Zeitgeist smash-hit yellow light bachelors, the New York Times will again courageously⁸ attempt to distill⁹ man’s essence into a brand of shoe, define his elusiveness¹⁰ by his hair product, discover his soul through his flat front pants, and give Fox News another reason to hate the New York Times. Perhaps the New York Times is coming out of the closet. Maybe it wants to change its monniker to the old gay lady, or more likely, these stories are paid back for generations of women having to endure the question : Why aren't you married, and furthermore why don't you have any kids? Will the New York Times ever uncover what's inside the mind of an unmarried man?

I am reminded of a joke, as old as the New York Times itself. A man says" I broke up with my girlfriend because she asked the wrong question." His friend asks :"what question is that?" The man replies," she asked what are you thinking”. And that’s today’s Unger Report, I am Brian Unger.

1 delving   

v.深入探究，钻研( delve的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• He has been delving into the American literature of 20th century. 他一直在潜心研究美国20世纪文学。 来自互联网
• In some ways studying Beckett is like delving into Shakespeare's words. 在某些方面，研究Beckett的戯好像是深入研究莎士比亚的语句。 来自互联网

2 psyche   

n.精神；灵魂

参考例句：

• His exploration of the myth brings insight into the American psyche.他对这个神话的探讨揭示了美国人的心理。
• She spent her life plumbing the mysteries of the human psyche.她毕生探索人类心灵的奥秘。

3 query   

n.疑问，问号，质问；vt.询问，表示怀疑

参考例句：

• I query very much whether it is wise to act so hastily.我真怀疑如此操之过急地行动是否明智。
• They raised a query on his sincerity.他们对他是否真诚提出质疑。

4 desperately   

adv.极度渴望地，绝望地，孤注一掷地

参考例句：

• He was desperately seeking a way to see her again.他正拼命想办法再见她一面。
• He longed desperately to be back at home.他非常渴望回家。

5 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

6 infamous   

adj.声名狼藉的，臭名昭著的，邪恶的

参考例句：

• He was infamous for his anti-feminist attitudes.他因反对女性主义而声名狼藉。
• I was shocked by her infamous behaviour.她的无耻行径令我震惊。

7 seduced   

诱奸( seduce的过去式和过去分词 )； 勾引； 诱使堕落； 使入迷

参考例句：

• The promise of huge profits seduced him into parting with his money. 高额利润的许诺诱使他把钱出了手。
• His doctrines have seduced many into error. 他的学说把许多人诱入歧途。

8 courageously   

ad.勇敢地，无畏地

参考例句：

• Under the correct leadership of the Party Central Committee and the State Council, the army and civilians in flooded areas fought the floods courageously, reducing the losses to the minimum. 在中共中央、国务院的正确领导下，灾区广大军民奋勇抗洪，把灾害的损失减少到了最低限度。
• He fought death courageously though his life was draining away. 他虽然生命垂危，但仍然勇敢地与死亡作斗争。

9 distill   

vt.蒸馏，用蒸馏法提取，吸取，提炼

参考例句：

• This standard set determine the method of petroleum products distill.本标准规定了测定石油产品蒸馏的方法。
• Distill the crucial points of the book.从书中提炼出关键的几点。

10 elusiveness   

狡诈

参考例句：

• The author's elusiveness may at times be construed as evasiveness. 这个作家的晦涩文笔有时会被理解为故弄玄虚。 来自互联网
• For all their elusiveness, suicide rates can certainly be correlated with other social and economic indicators. 相对于自杀的令人难以捉摸而言，它却能揭示与之相关的社会问题和经济问题。 来自互联网