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The Business of Loneliness: Can Connection Be Bought?
孤独经济：人际关系可以用金钱购买吗？
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The Business of Loneliness: Can Connection Be Bought?
孤独经济：人际关系可以用金钱购买吗？
近来，随着感到孤独的人群日益增加，帮助人们交友的高价服务和人工智能产品业务大受欢迎。企业提供价值数千美元的关系辅导，或利用人工智能撮合陌生人聚会等服务。然而专家指出，这类一次性付费服务很难转化为真正的友谊，反而可能将最脆弱的低收入人群边缘化。
Startups are turning human loneliness into a booming business.
初创企业正在将人类的孤独变成一门赚钱的生意。turning into 变成 / booming business 蓬勃发展的行业
Search interest in the loneliness epidemic grew over 600 percent in five years.
关于孤独问题的搜索量在五年内激增了600%以上。search interest 搜索热度 / loneliness epidemic 孤独蔓延
Companies now sell expensive services to help lonely people make friends.
帮助孤独人群结交朋友的高价服务也应运而生。expensive services 高价服务 / make friends 结交朋友
Consumers can pay 3,000 dollars for a coach or 250 dollars for an AI pendant.
有人愿意花3000美元做辅导，或者花250美元买一个AI挂坠。pay for 为……付费 / AI pendant AI挂坠
One startup called 222 raised 10 million dollars,
一家名为'222'的初创公司获得了1000万美元的投资，startup called 名为……的初创公司 / raised 10 million dollars 筹集了1000万美元
and it uses AI to match strangers for group activities.
它利用AI将陌生人匹配到一起参加集体活动。match strangers 匹配陌生人 / group activities 团体活动
However, relationship experts remain unconvinced by these business models.
然而，人际关系专家对这种商业模式持怀疑态度。relationship experts 人际关系专家 / remain unconvinced 持怀疑态度 / business models 商业模式
Julianne Holt-Lunstad, a professor who studies social connection, says that
研究社会联系的朱利安·霍尔特-伦斯塔德教授指出：studies social connection 研究社会联系
commercial apps often mask loneliness instead of curing it.
商业应用往往只是掩盖了孤独，而不是真正解决它。commercial apps 商业应用 / mask loneliness 掩盖孤独 / curing it 解决它
She warns that deep friendships require time and steady effort,
建立深厚的友谊需要时间和持续的努力，deep friendships 深厚友谊 / require time 需要时间 / steady effort 持续的努力
but one-time paid events rarely lead to long-term contact.
但她警告说，一次性付费活动很难带来长期的联系。one-time paid events 一次性付费活动 / rarely lead to 很少转化为 / long-term contact 长期联系
In addition, high fees exclude people with lower incomes,
此外，高昂的费用往往将低收入人群排除在外，high fees 高昂费用 / exclude 排除在外 / lower incomes 低收入
who are often the most socially isolated.
而他们往往正是社会上最容易感到孤立的人群。most socially isolated 社交上最孤立的
Researchers urge developers to create organic spaces
研究人员敦促开发者创造自然的社交空间，urge developers 敦促开发者 / organic spaces 自然空间
that unite people without charging money.
也就是无需收费就能将人们凝聚在一起的场所。unite people 凝聚人群 / without charging money 免费
Quiz 🧠
Q1. Building strong, lasting friendships usually requires time and steady effort.
查看答案
✅ True
深厚的人际关系需要投入时间和持续的努力才能建立。一次性的聚会很难发展为长久的关系。
Deep friendships take time to grow. One-time paid events rarely create long-term personal bonds.
Q2. What does 'mask' mean in 'mask a problem'?
查看答案
✅ hide or cover
'mask'指对问题或情绪进行‘掩盖或隐藏’。
To mask something means to cover or hide it so others do not notice it.
Q3. Why do experts worry when friendship apps charge high membership fees?
查看答案
✅ They exclude poorer people
因为高昂的费用会将最容易在社会上孤立的低收入人群拒之门外。
High fees keep low-income people from joining, even though they are often the most isolated.
Dialogue 🎧
Michael: Did you know search interest in the loneliness epidemic jumped over six hundred percent?
Michael: 你知道关于孤独流行病的搜索热度激增了600%以上吗？
Emma: Yeah, it's wild.
Emma: 是啊，太惊人了。
Emma: And now startups are trying to turn human loneliness into a massive business.
Emma: 而且现在初创公司正试图把人类的孤独做成一门巨大的生意。
Michael: Wait, what does that even look like? Are people buying friends?
Michael: 等等，那具体是什么样的？大家都在花钱买朋友吗？
Emma: Pretty much! You can hire a friendship coach for three thousand dollars.
Emma: 差不多就是这样！你可以花3000美元雇一位交友教练。
Emma: Or buy a talking AI pendant for two-fifty.
Emma: 或者花250美元买一个能聊天的AI挂坠。
Michael: Three grand for a friend coach? That feels so sad, honestly.
Michael: 找交友教练要花3000美元？说实话，这感觉挺心酸的。
Emma: There is even an app called 222 that raised ten million dollars.
Emma: 甚至还有一个筹集了1000万美元、名叫'222'的应用呢。
Emma: It uses AI to match strangers for group activities.
Emma: 它利用AI匹配陌生人一起参加集体活动。
Michael: Okay, but does meeting strangers for one dinner actually fix feeling lonely?
Michael: 好吧，但是跟陌生人吃一顿饭真的能解决孤独感吗？
Emma: Experts like Julianne Holt-Lunstad say no.
Emma: 像朱利安·霍尔特-伦斯塔德这样的专家表示不行。
Emma: She warns commercial apps only mask loneliness instead of curing it.
Emma: 她警告说，商业应用只是在掩盖孤独，而不是在治愈它。
Michael: Right, like putting a bandage on a real hunger.
Michael: 确实，就像肚子饿了却贴创可贴一样。
Emma: Exactly. She says deep friendships require time and steady effort.
Emma: 正是如此。她说深厚的友谊需要时间和持续的努力。
Emma: One-time paid events rarely lead to long-term contact.
Emma: 一次性的付费活动很难带来长期的联系。
Michael: It sounds exhausting. And super expensive for someone who is struggling.
Michael: 听起来真累人。而且对那些生活本就不易的人来说太贵了。
Emma: That is the worst part.
Emma: 最糟糕的就在这里。
Emma: High fees exclude people with lower incomes, who are often the most socially isolated.
Emma: 高昂的费用把低收入人群排除在外，而他们往往在社交上最孤立。
Michael: So the people who need connection the most get left behind.
Michael: 所以最需要人际联系的人反而被落下了。
Emma: Yes.
Emma: 是的。
Emma: That's why researchers urge us to build organic spaces that bring people together without charging money.
Emma: 正因如此，研究人员敦促我们要建立自然的场所，无需收费就能让大家聚在一起。
Michael: Real connection shouldn't come with a price tag.
Michael: 真正的连接不应该明码标价。