“拒绝照骗、非诚勿扰”…看看百年前人们是怎么写征婚启事的

视频网站万万不会想到自己会成为婚恋平台。

早在去年夏天，“人类高质量男性求偶视频”就成为了网梗，此后跟进的人大多是在模仿揶揄原视频人物的外形和神态，整活的性质居多。

直到最近，求偶视频作为一个类别又慢慢浮现，有的点击量高达数百万。

这一次，主人公多为大学生、研究生，朴素直面镜头，在画面中央用平实、正经中带点害羞的语气陈述自己各项基本情况：兴趣爱好、身高、体重、取向、就读的大学、对对方的要求等。

评论区更是有很多人跟帖附上自己的基本情况，有一搭没一搭地征偶。

视频和评论给人的第一印象肯定是整活，但认真和玩笑的界限很模糊。在流量平台上曝光自己来增大找到有缘人的机会，这个做法并不新鲜。

早年主流的大众传播媒介是报纸，而非短视频。不少人会在报纸上刊登自己的个人信息和要求。茫茫读者中如果有人感兴趣，就会联系求偶人。“征婚广告”在英文中被翻译成personal advertisements, contact ads, 或者lonely hearts ads。

300多年来，征婚专栏一直是英国报纸上的一个保留节目。除了让我们窥见过去人们的真实想法和感受外，征婚广告还展示了男女之间的浪漫期望有多么大的差异，以及随着时间的推移，这些期望是如何发生变化的。

Lonely Hearts columns have been a regular feature in British newspapers for over 300 years. As well as providing rare glimpses of what people in the past actually thought and felt, they show how romantic expectations differed widely between men and women and how they have changed over time.

比方说，将近两百年前英国Dorset郡的男性就在当地报纸上征偶了，自己有三个孩子但不希望对方有孩子。

“I do not want a second family.” 

你最好别带孩子。 

- Dorset County Chronicle, 23 August 1832.

"A Bill for a Wife – Charles Warren, Marnhall, Dorset. My family is as follows: the eldest boy is 13 years old – the younger boy is 5 years old – and a girl 8 years old. My house is my own, and I have no rent to pay. I have an acre of potatoes, … I have got 8 shillings a week for my work, and the boy 2 shillings a week, and have constant employ.

求妻子——Charles Warren，来自Dorset郡Marnhall. 我的家庭情况：大儿子13岁，小儿子5岁，还有个女儿8岁。房子是我的，我不用付租金。我还有一亩土豆……我每周赚8先令，儿子赚2先令，工作稳定。

I want a good and steady woman between 30 and 40 years old, for a wife. I do not want a second family."

我想找个稳定的好老婆，30-40岁之间，别带孩子噢。

时间来到1850年，英国巴斯的这位不在乎年龄差，而且不介意戴假发。

上来先是说自己家世——祖上多少个贵族，教会还有不少小官儿亲戚。有点小财、教育不错、懂医学懂音乐（会作曲哦）。自己四十多岁，希望对方不要超过五十岁就好。

“Will wear wig.” 

可以带假发。

- Bath Chronicle and Weekly Gazette, Thursday, 2 May 1850.

"A middle-aged gentleman, of forty, (whose family includes one earl, two baronets, one bishop, and a dozen beneficed clergymen), possessing a small fortune of one thousand pounds, also a university and medical education, with the accomplishment of music (which he also composes), wishes most ardently to meet with a lady who would accept the entire devotion of his hand and heart.

我40多岁，中年绅士（祖上出过一个伯爵、两个准男爵、一个主教、还有几个牧师），财富一千英镑，上过大学，学医，还会音乐（自己作曲）。热切期望觅得一位女士接受我财富上和内心上的付出。

The lady's age under fifty, with the education and manners of a gentlewoman, and either a fortune or industry sufficient for her support. He is bald, but will wear a wig if the lady wishes."

希望这位女士不超过50岁，受过教育，懂淑女礼仪，财富或从事的行业能自给自足。我头上比较秃，如果你介意，我可以戴假发。

时间推移到19世纪晚期，德国报纸上的征婚与现代的求偶行文就颇为相似了。

"A young lady of the highest culture and noblest descent." 

寻找教养非凡、家世显赫的年轻女性。

- Alnwick Mercury, 28 November 1874.

全文槽点密集，名场面很多。许多句子甚至可以在如今的交友场景中找到对应物。

►“人们都说我长得不错”：

A young gentleman, who has often heard that he has a not unprepossessing appearance, 

►

“志存高远、外交公职”：

and who is about to devote himself to the higher branches of the diplomatic service, 

►“征婚虽俗，成功就好”：

wishes to express in this perhaps slightly frivolous, but not altogether unsuccessful manner,

►“求一女子，家世显赫教养非凡”：

his ardent aspirations towards any young lady of the highest culture and noblest descent, 

►“你主动我们才会有故事，私信请带照”：

and will only remark that any such lady who will so far overcome her graceful diffidence as to send her photograph with the answer to this, will most materially facilitate the acquaintance. 

►“非诚勿扰”：

All open and honorable letters will be met with equal frankness and honour; 

►“照骗、假照、不清晰照片等不符合要求者不予回复”：

while photographs which do not attain the standard necessary for courtship will be most honestly returned. 

►“匿名打招呼不读哦，活该被扔掉”：

Anonymous letters will be left unnoticed, as they deserve.

当代年轻人的思路打得很开，交友网站和软件已经不再新鲜。

他们认为，往人多的地方去，比方说流量集中的视频网站，或许有机会。

不信你看弹幕⬇️

编辑：陈月华

实习生：房晓玥

来源：FindMyPast  Bilibili