隨著寒風陣陣刮起，落葉簌簌飄落，單身的人們開始渴望能有個愛人一起依偎取暖、散步看電影，這就是所謂的“騷動季節”。騷動并不可怕，可怕的是一旦嚴冬過去，天氣轉暖，你又開始懷念單身，甚至決定和伴侶分手。這不光是人品問題，心理學家說，這是一種病。

As winter descends and dark, frosty nights await, the hunt for a yuletide lover begins.
隨著冬日降臨，陰郁的漫漫霜夜即將到來，又有人開始尋找圣誕季情人了。

We are now knee-deep in “cuffing season,” whereby single men and women search far and wide for a companion to keep them warm and sexually satiated during the chilly months.
我們現在都進入了“騷動季節”，單身的男人和女人到處尋找伴侶，為了在寒冷的日子里可以相擁取暖，滿足彼此的身體需求。

什么是“騷動季節”？

Cuffing season is the term used to describe the period during autumn and winter months in which avid singletons find themselves seeking to be “cuffed” or “tied down” by a serious relationship.
“騷動季節”指的是單身人士在秋冬季渴望得到一段能把自己“拷牢”的認真的戀情。

According to Urban Dictionary, the cold weather and prolonged indoor activity causes singles to become lonely and desperate to be cuffed.
根據在線詞典Urban Dictionary，寒冷的天氣和長時間的室內活動讓單身人士感到寂寞，因而渴求被“拷牢”。

However, come summer, said singletons are ready to abandon their adult sleepover buddy for a season of lust, not love.
但是，一旦夏日來臨，這些人又會拋棄自己的床伴，重新踏上欲望的旅程。

This pattern is more than a simple by-product of fickle millennial dating culture, it’s a common trend that's been labelled “Seasonal Dating Disorder” (SDD).
這種模式不只是千禧一代輕浮約會文化的簡單副產品，而是一種號稱“季節性戀愛癥”的普遍現象。

Just like “ghosting” involves no supernatural apparitions; SDD is not a medically-recognised disorder, however, it is no less socially prevalent.
正如ghosting（玩消失）和超自然鬼魂沒有半點關系，季節性戀愛癥也不是醫學意義上的失調，但是，這種癥狀在社會上卻很流行。

It's particularly common in twenty-something daters, notes relationships psychologist Madeleine Mason.
情感心理學家瑪德琳?梅森指出，這種戀愛風氣在二十幾歲的約會者當中尤為常見。

"Singles who display this type of dating pattern are unable to commit," she said.
她說：“表現出這種戀愛模式的單身人士無法做出承諾。”

"They use summer fun and friends as an excuse for this pattern, but in reality it is because they are unable to form lasting romantic bonds.
“他們用夏日狂歡和朋友作為這種模式的借口，但事實上是因為他們無法建立持久的情感紐帶。”

"They may have the illusion they can settle down whenever they want to, but they can’t and until they do decide they want a lasting relationship will they realise they are unable to; that’s when I’ll see them in my office," she told The Independent.
梅森告訴《獨立報》說：“他們也許以為無論何時，只要自己想安定下來，隨時都能做到，但其實這是種錯覺，等到他們終于決定自己想要一段長久的戀情時，他們會意識到自己做不到；這時候他們就開始來我這里就醫。”

Lucinda Burton-Thompson, 25, is a self-confessed SDD sufferer.
現年25歲的露辛達?伯頓?湯姆森坦承自己是“季節性戀愛癥”患者。

"As the nights draw in and crunchy leaves litter the streets, for some reason I always end up wanting a boyfriend,” she told The Independent.
她告訴《獨立報》說：“不知道為什么，每當夜幕降臨，街道上散落著松脆的枯葉，我總是很想要一個男朋友。”

“There's something about autumn and winter that makes me want someone with whom to snuggle on the sofa, go ice skating and hold hands on crisp walks.
“秋天和冬天有某種東西，讓我想要一個可以在沙發上相互依偎，一起去滑冰，手牽手咯吱咯吱地踩著落葉散步的人。”

“It's great having a boyfriend through the cold months, but by the time spring rolls round I'm nearly always fed up of them, so break things off.
“寒冷的日子里有個男友感覺很好，但是每當春天快來臨的時候，我也差不多厭煩他們了，于是就分手了。”

“There's nothing better than being single in summer - long balmy evenings are perfect for casual fun and flings."
“沒有什么比夏日單身更愉快的了——悠長芬芳的夏夜最適合隨性的尋歡作樂。”

Burton isn’t alone in her seasonal cravings.
伯頓不是唯一一個戀愛欲望隨季節而波動的人。

Samantha Moore, a 24-year-old from Hertfordshire, has been a seasonal dater for almost a decade and confessed to being single for just one Christmas since the age of 16.
來自英國赫特福德郡的24歲女孩薩曼莎?摩爾近十年來一直都是季節性約會者，她承認自己從16歲到現在只有一個圣誕節是單身的。

“Every autumn, I start looking for a new boyfriend. No one wants to be on their own during winter – it’s depressing,” she told The Sun.
她告訴《太陽報》說：“每到秋天，我就開始尋找一個新男友。誰都不想在冬天孤單一人——這太令人抑郁了。”

By summer, she admits she’s ready to be single again, blaming the hot weather and its synonymously fizzing social scene for her devil-may-care attitude.
到了夏天，她坦言自己又做好了單身的準備，并將自己無所顧忌的心態歸咎于炎熱的天氣和火辣的社交場面。

25-year-old Sian Ryan from Northampton has a similar pattern, claiming that summer “wouldn’t be the same” if she was single.
來自英國北安普敦的25歲女孩西恩?瑞恩也同樣如此。她聲稱如果自己單身的話，夏日“就大不相同”。

“Lads hold me back,” she said.
她說：“小伙子們讓我身心蕩漾。”

However, some singletons will “cuff” in the hope of landing a more permanent partner.
然而，有些單身人士“騷動”是希望找到固定的伴侶。

Laura Ecclestone from Somerset admitted that she finally feels ready to settle down after lifetime of seasonal dating.
來自薩默塞特的勞拉?埃克爾斯通坦言，經歷了這么多年的季節性約會，她終于準備好要安定下來了。

“As summer fades, I start thinking it would be nice to have a partner to stay in, order a takeaway and watch a film with. I’ve done this for years now,” she said.
她說：“隨著夏天過去，我開始考慮，是不是有個固定伴侶更好。可以一起窩在家里，一起叫外賣，一起看電影。我有這個想法已經好幾年了。”

是不是搞不清自己到底是“季節性戀愛癥”患者，是有一顆騷動的心，還是二者皆有？

梅森梳理出了四條癥狀，一起來看看。

1. You can’t bear the thought of being alone over Christmas/New Years and put all efforts in the autumn to find a partner.
你無法忍受在圣誕節或新年孤單一人，因此在秋天不遺余力地尋找一個伴侶。

2. By Valentine's Day (or anywhere from three months of dating) you start to feel bored or trapped within the relationship and start finding excuses to spend less time with your partner.
到情人節前（或約會三個月后）你開始感到厭倦，被這段感情困住，于是開始找借口減少和伴侶在一起的時間。

3. The idea of being single fills you with relief after some time and you break up or act in ways to make your partner break-up with you.
約會了一段時間后，你開始覺得單身更輕松，于是你提出分手，或者故意做一些事，讓對方和你分手。

4. You have done this at least the past three years.
至少在過去三年里，你都是這么做的。

既然已經知道自己的問題在哪，就該出發去尋找那個能把你鎖住的人了。

Vocabulary

yuletide: 圣誕季節；圣誕節期的

英文來源：獨立報
翻譯&編輯：丹妮