Mathematics is probably not a subject that many people find sexy, but it could hold the key to finding true love.

　　数学对于许多人来说可能并不性感，但是它却是帮你找到真爱的关键。

　　Mathematicians have developed a series of theories that can help people find the perfect partner.

　　数学家们推理出一系列定理来帮助人们找到完美的另一半。

　　These include tips such as not trying to hide the less attractive parts of your appearance in your online dating profile pictures and looking for people who had fewer colds as a child.

　　这些定理小贴士包括：不要试图在自己在线约会的简历上掩盖自己的外在不足;寻找儿时很少感冒的对象。

　　They have also proposed mathematical approaches to finding the perfect wife or husband - by not choosing to settle down until after the age of 22 years old.

　　他们同时用数学方法建议大家，要寻找完美的老公或老婆，请不要在22岁前稳定下来。

　　Dr Hannah Fry, a lecturer at University College London and author of a new book on The Mathematics of Love, outlined the theories at the Oxford Literary Festival.

　　Hannah Fry博士，来自伦敦学院大学的学者，同时也是这本名为《爱情数学》的新书作者，在牛津文化节上罗列了一系列的定理。

　　She said that choosing friends who are slightly less attractive than you when going out looking for love could also bring advantages.

　　她说：选择比自己魅力小的人一同出去猎艳对自己来说更有优势。

　　This is known as the Discreet Choice Theory, where the presence of an irrelevant alternative can change how you view your choices.

　　这就是谨慎选择理论，当毫不相干的替代者出现时会改变人们做选择的想法。

　　THE MATHEMATICS OF FINDING TRUE LOVE

　　找到真爱的数学方法

　　In her book, Dr Hannah Fry suggest a number of techniques to help people find true love.

　　在她的书中，Hannah Fry博士提供了一系列帮助人们寻找真爱的技巧。

　　Have friends who are less attractive than you: Known as Discreet Choice Theory, the idea is that if there are two women - A and B - who men rank as being equally attractive, if a third woman comes along who looks like a less attractive version of woman A, then woman A becomes more popular with the men.

　　与比你魅力小的人交友：以谨慎选择定理而闻名，这个主意表明如果同时有俩个女人-A和B，在男人的眼中她们的魅力相同，如果此时出现第三个女人，而她相当于是A的翻版但魅力却不及A，那么A女在男人的眼中就会变得更有魅力，更受欢迎。

　　Highlight your flaws: Analysis from dating websites has shown that often it is not those who are rated the 'most attractive' who get the most responses from other users.

　　亮出你的缺点：据社交网站分析，通常最有魅力的人往往得到来自其它用户的反应并不是最多的。

　　Instead it appears to be those that divide opinion - so those that have something that sets them apart from the rest of the crowds.

　　相反，那些与大众视野不同的人反而更受关注-因为他们与众不同。

　　Men with bald heads, for example, should not wear a hat to cover their pate as their lack of hair will be attractive to some. Those who are overweight should also not use clever photo cropping to hide what they perceive as flaws.

　　例如，秃顶的男人不应该带帽子来遮住他们的头，因为头发少也许在某些人眼中是很有魅力的。对于那些有一点超重的人也不该用图片美化编辑器来裁剪自己认为是缺点的地方。

　　This means people who find these traits attractive will face less competition than messaging those who have 'perfect' profile pictures.

　　这意味着觉得这些特质很有魅力的人可以少花费时间在那些简历照片完美的人身上。

　　This formula produced by psychologist John Gottmann and mathematician James Murray predicts how positive or negative a wife and husband will be when they respond in the next turn of a conversation. The most successful couples are those that allow each other to complain and don't let trivial problems build up.

　　这个公式是由心理学家John Gottmann和数学家James Murray共同完成的，预示了妻子和丈夫在下一段对话中会有多么正面或消极。最成功的夫妇是允许对方抱怨并不会让生活琐事升级成严重问题的人。

　　Choose 'healthy' looking partners: Dr Fry also explained that looking for those who tend to be heathlier are also likely to be more attractive.

　　选择面相健康的伴侣：Fry博士同时解释道选择那些更健康的人，因为他们可能更有魅力。

　　Don't settle down until 37% of your 'dating period' has past: The Optimal Stopping Period theory dictates that people should only start looking for the partner they want to settle down with after 37 per cent of their 'dating period' has past.

　　不要安定下来，直到你约会部分的37%都已经过去：这个最佳安定时期理论告诉人们，如果要开始寻找一个安定下来的伴侣，就选择当你约会时期的37%为时间截点。

　　If, for example, they are looking to get married by the age of 35 years old, and start dating from the age of 15, they should discount all partners they have before the age of 22.4 years old.

　　举个例子，假如人们打算35岁结婚，而15岁就开始约会了，那么人们应该将22.4岁前所有的情侣都按比例打折。

　　After this time has past, marry the first 'best' partner you get: After the 37 per cent period has past, Dr Fry said people should marry the first partner they find that is better than any that came before.

　　当这段时间过去，选择你遇到的第一个最佳伴侣结婚：Fry博士说道，37%的约会时期过去后，你应该选择第一个比其它任何之前的伴侣都好的伴侣来结婚。

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