经济学人38:韩式之恋 两个人的专属网络

 　　Business

　　商业

　　Love, Korean-style

　　韩式之恋

　　Two's company

　　两个人的专属网络

　　The world's most exclusive social network

　　世界上最专一的社交网络

　　SOUTH KOREANS take romance seriously. Lovers are expected to swap¹ sweet nothings many times a day and woe² betide the clod who forgets a "100-day anniversary". Some pairs dress in "couple style", in the same garish³ red sweater and blue jeans combo, for instance. Small wonder that a Korean firm has created a social network for couples.

　　韩国人向来注重浪漫。一天之内，恋人总是交换甜言蜜语数遍不厌倦。若是谁忘了"100天纪念日"，那他可就要倒霉了。一些情侣穿着情侣装，诸如艳丽的红色羊毛套衫搭配蓝色牛仔裤。由此，一家韩国公司开创了一个专属于情侣的社交网络，这也没什么好大惊小怪的。

　　VCNC's app is called "Between". It creates a private space for two people, in which they can share photographs and special memories, chat in real time and exchange any number of cute "emoticons": smiley faces, winks⁴, hearts and so on. Though revolting to singles, Between is a hit. Since its launch in November, more than 560,000 Koreans have fallen for it. This comes despite VCNC spending virtually nothing on marketing⁵. Park Jae-uk, the firm's boss, claims another 200,000 users abroad, divided between China, Japan and North America

　　韩国公司VCNC开发了一款叫"Between"的社交应用。这款社交应用给情侣们提供了两个人的专属空间。情侣们可以分享相片，珍贵的时刻，可以即时聊天，以及交换一些可爱的表情符号（如笑脸，眨眼，爱心等等）。不得不说，"Between"让单身人士感到恶心，但它却引领起一股风潮。自去年十一月推出以来，超过56万的韩国人爱上了它。实际上，VCNC公司并没有在营销上做出太多动作。公司老板朴在旭（Park Jae-uk）宣称Between在海外拥有20万用户，并分布在中国，日本以及北美。

　　Between is part of a trend towards intimacy⁶ in social networking. Some Facebook users are fed up with the torrent⁷ of "friend" requests from people they barely know. Others resent being tagged in embarrassing photographs their boss can see. Hence the rise of services such as Path, an American network that limits members to 150 friends. Other networks, such as FamilyLeaf and Storytree, target families.

　　如今社交网络趋向私密化，Between也紧跟这种潮流。一些Facebook用户已经对源源不断的"好友申请"感到厌倦。这些好友申请通常来自于他们几乎不认识的人。而一些用户则讨厌被标记在一些尴尬的照片上，因为这些照片连他们的老板也看得到。因此，一些社交网络服务的崛起，诸如Path,就严格限制了好友的封顶数为150人，而其它的一些社交网络，如FamilyLeaf和Storytree的目标受众则是家族成员。

　　VCNC is betting that couples particularly value their privacy. A message on one's Facebook "Wall" from an old flame can incinerate a new relationship. Cutting the ex (and everyone else) out removes the risk. Cynics may ask how a social network for two differs from simply sending text messages back and forth⁸. Between's users presumably think the cynics lack romance in their souls.

　　VCNC认定情侣之间特别重视个人隐私。在Facebook上一条旧情人的信息足以破坏一段新恋情。屏蔽掉"前度"或者其他人则可以移除风险。有些愤世嫉俗者可能会问，Between和简单的来回发短信有什么不同。Between的用户可能会认为，这些批判者是骨子里缺乏浪漫基因。

　　Revenue will come from advertising⁹. The firm hopes that nice restaurants and sellers of romantic holidays will pay to pitch to loved-up couples. It also plans to offer premium¹⁰ services, such as the printing of photobooks documenting the progress of a relationship.

　　未来，Between的收入将来自于广告。VCNC公司希望一些高品质的餐馆，以及一些以浪漫假期为主打商品的商家可以来它的网站做宣传，VCNC由此收取广告费。VCNC同时计划推出一项付费服务，例如将相片集结成书，以此来记录情侣之间的感情历程。

　　Swingers may be miffed to learn that Between allows only one partner per user. But some cheaters have beaten the system by using multiple identities, laughs Mr Park. He is unlikely to join them. Running VCNC keeps him too busy even for one girlfriend, he laments¹¹.

　　得知Between只允许每位用户拥有一位伴侣，一些滥交人士可能会有些许恼怒。朴先生笑着说，然而有一些骗子却骗过系统的法眼，使用了多重身份。他自己不可能加入这些人的阵营中。他感叹道，经营VCNC已经让他够忙了，一个女朋友足矣。

1 swap   

n.交换；vt.交换，用...作交易

参考例句：

• I will swap you my bicycle for your radio.我想拿我的自行车换你的收音机。
• This comic was a swap that I got from Nick.这本漫画书是我从尼克那里换来的。

2 woe   

n.悲哀，苦痛，不幸，困难；int.用来表达悲伤或惊慌

参考例句：

• Our two peoples are brothers sharing weal and woe.我们两国人民是患难与共的兄弟。
• A man is well or woe as he thinks himself so.自认祸是祸，自认福是福。

3 garish   

adj.华丽而俗气的，华而不实的

参考例句：

• This colour is bright but not garish.这颜色艳而不俗。
• They climbed the garish purple-carpeted stairs.他们登上铺着俗艳的紫色地毯的楼梯。

4 winks   

v.使眼色( wink的第三人称单数 )；递眼色（表示友好或高兴等）；（指光）闪烁；闪亮

参考例句：

• I'll feel much better when I've had forty winks. 我打个盹就会感到好得多。
• The planes were little silver winks way out to the west. 飞机在西边老远的地方，看上去只是些很小的银色光点。 来自辞典例句

5 marketing   

n.行销，在市场的买卖，买东西

参考例句：

• They are developing marketing network.他们正在发展销售网络。
• He often goes marketing.他经常去市场做生意。

6 intimacy   

n.熟悉，亲密，密切关系，亲昵的言行

参考例句：

• His claims to an intimacy with the President are somewhat exaggerated.他声称自己与总统关系密切，这有点言过其实。
• I wish there were a rule book for intimacy.我希望能有个关于亲密的规则。

7 torrent   

n.激流，洪流；爆发，(话语等的)连发

参考例句：

• The torrent scoured a channel down the hillside. 急流沿着山坡冲出了一条沟。
• Her pent-up anger was released in a torrent of words.她压抑的愤怒以滔滔不绝的话爆发了出来。

8 forth   

adv.向前；向外，往外

参考例句：

• The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
• He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。

9 advertising   

n.广告业；广告活动 a.广告的；广告业务的

参考例句：

• Can you give me any advice on getting into advertising? 你能指点我如何涉足广告业吗?
• The advertising campaign is aimed primarily at young people. 这个广告宣传运动主要是针对年轻人的。

10 premium   

n.加付款；赠品；adj.高级的；售价高的

参考例句：

• You have to pay a premium for express delivery.寄快递你得付额外费用。
• Fresh water was at a premium after the reservoir was contaminated.在水库被污染之后，清水便因稀而贵了。

11 laments   

n.悲恸，哀歌，挽歌( lament的名词复数 )v.（为…）哀悼，痛哭，悲伤( lament的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• In the poem he laments the destruction of the countryside. 在那首诗里他对乡村遭到的破坏流露出悲哀。
• In this book he laments the slight interest shown in his writings. 在该书中他慨叹人们对他的著作兴趣微弱。 来自辞典例句