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What’s the proper age for boys and girls to start dating? And will there be objections from their parents?
Silvia, Xi'An
Do you still remember your first love?

It's almost impossible to resist love when you're a teenager.
What was it like for you?

During a lifetime, we could fall in love many times, but the first rush of love always has a special place in our hearts.

While we explore the idea of love and enjoy the feeling of happiness, our parents could be experiencing something else entirely.

They may feel protective and anxious about their loved ones.

Helen: Hello. This is Ask About Britain from BBC Learning English. I’m Helen.
Feifei: 我是冯菲菲， 大家好。 欢迎收听英国问答 Ask About Britain, 我们在这个节目中
专门回答有关英国文化习俗的各种问题。
Helen: Our question today is from Feifei’s home town.
Feifei: 是吗？有人从我家乡西安向我们提问？What’s the question?
Helen: It’s from Silvia and she would like to know what’s the proper age for
boys and girls to start dating? And will there be objections from parents?
Feifei: 这个问题很有趣， Silvia 想知道在英国男孩们和女孩们什么时候开始谈朋友？家长
们会不会反对？
Helen: Let’s hear from Sally first, here she tells us about her first boyfriend.
Insert
In my case, my first boyfriend was when I was 16 and he was 21. And we dated for
about two months, and then he moved to a different city. So we broke up.
Feifei: Sally 16 岁的时候，交了她的第一个正式男友。
Helen: She was 16 and he was 21.
Feifei: 他们俩年龄上差了5岁，这不是很好吗？
Helen: But sadly it didn’t work out. They dated for two months and he moved to
a different city.
Feifei: 他们正式交往了两个月就吹了 they broke up，原因是男孩搬到另一个城市去了。
What a shame!
Helen: It is. But we all know it’s very rare for first love to last a long time.
Feifei: Anthony 的工作是负责举办展览会, 他回忆起他的first love.
Insert
I must have been about twelve, thirteen? But it wasn’t serious dating, it was
holding hands and that’s it. Nothing serious till I got a bit older, probably about 17.

Helen: Oh, isn’t that sweet. Anthony’s met his first love when he was about
twelve or thirteen.
Feifei: 十二三岁的年龄，那不还是小朋友吗。不算正式的谈朋友，最多也就是牵牵手。
Helen: When he got older, then things became more serious for him.
Feifei: Anthony 说他17 岁以后才开始正式的交女朋友了。
Helen: Nicola started dating a little bit earlier.
Insert
I guess I had my first boyfriend about 15 or so. But it was very innocent, it was a
lot of hand holding, it was all quite cute.
Feifei: Nicola 说她大概是15 岁的时候碰到了她第一个男朋友。
Helen: She says that it was very innocent.
Feifei: 很天真无邪的 very innocent. 很多时间两人都是手牵手。
Helen: It was all quite cute.
Feifei: 很可爱的cute. 看来英国人大多数都是在青少年期间开始谈恋爱的，你说是不
是？
Helen: Yes, most young people would start going out with their first
boyfriend or girlfriend between 13 and 16. That’s what teenage years
are all about. Falling in love and have your heart broken.
Feifei: 那么让我们来看看 Silvia 的第二个问题， 家长们对孩子们谈恋爱有什么看法？
他们会反对吗？
Insert
I don't think parents can prevent children from falling in love, I don’t think that’s
something that you can really stop. I think some parents might try to protect their
children. But I think a lot of kids are going to do whatever they want to without
their parents’ approval. But they probably prefer to have their parents’ approval.
Helen: I agree with Sally, parents can’t prevent children from falling in love.
Feifei: 尤其是在西方社会，家长是不可能阻止孩子们谈恋爱的。不过有些家长可能会想
方设法保护自己的孩子在感情上不受伤害。
Helen: I think that’s not going to be very easy. We all know how rebellious
teenagers can be and love is something we all have to learn for
ourselves.
Feifei: Sally 说孩子们想谈恋爱的时候是不会考虑到家长同意还是不同意的。
Approval 就是同意，认可。

Helen: What about Anthony’s parents, were they worried about him having
girlfriends?
Insert:
No not at all. They were obviously used to the experience. You know you’re going
to fall in love, and they know it’s going to end in tears at some point and you’re
going to fall in love again, It’s all an experience.
Feifei: Anthony 的父母很放松。用他的话来说这都是人生经历，it’s all about
experience.
Helen: His parents know that he’s going to fall in love and then it’s going to
end in tears at some point and he’ll fall in love again.
Feifei: 他的父母知道他会坠入爱河fall in love, 但不久就会以眼泪收场, end in tears.
这个过程然后又会再重复。所以他们根本就不担心。
Helen: They’re very used to the experience.
Feifei: Nicola 有两个孩子，她认为作为家长，她所能做的是帮助她的孩子们做出正确
的选择。
Insert:
You’ve got try and give them the tools to cope with it well. So they’re not
infatuated or they’ll deal with it the right way. That’s probably my job as a mother.
So for example, what I consider a completely inappropriate person might not be, I
have got to allow them to judge for themselves. But I’ve got to be there to support
them, I don’t want to alienate them by preventing them doing it.
Helen: Nicola believes that it’s about giving children the tools to cope with
falling in love.
Feifei: 我想她的意思是怎样让孩子们来正确的看待爱情这回事儿。
Helen: So that they’re not infatuated with someone.
Feifei: Infatuated 迷恋某人。
Helen: If Nicola feels someone is inappropriate, she’ll let her children judge
for themselves, rather than stopping them in the first place.
Feifei: 如果Nicola 觉得她的孩子交了不合适的朋友， inappropriate 就是不般配，不
合适，那么她会让孩子们自己去做出决定to judge for themselves.
Helen: But she’ll be there to support them, she doesn’t want to alienate
them by preventing them doing it.
Feifei: 有需要时，她会提供支持和援助，但是她觉得如果强行阻止孩子们的行动，会让
他们离家长更远. Alienate 就是关系疏远。

Helen: Nicola has offered a very good parenting tip to me. I’m sure I’ll be
thinking about the same when my son Lenny reaches puberty.
Feifei: 好了，希望今天我们回答了Silvia 同学的问题，英国人什么年龄开始谈恋爱和
家长们的看法。 大家有机会可以登陆我们的网站 www.bbcukchina.com ，下
载更多的精彩节目。
Helen: Thanks for listening and see you next time.
Feifei: 我们下次节目再见。
Glossary
rare 少见的，少有的 innocent 天真无邪的
rebellious 叛逆的 prevent 防止
approval 同意，认可 end in tears 以眼泪收场
infatuated 迷恋 inappropriate 不适合
alienate 关系疏远 puberty 青少年发育期