新加坡：情人節政府當“月老”
Singapore government plays Cupid for Valentine's Day
Singapore government steps up its official "Romancing Singapore" campaign
In a city where many singles say they are too busy making money to make love, the government plans to step up its official "Romancing Singapore" campaign on Thursday, the traditional lovers' day, to encourage people to take up dating.
The campaign, launched in 2002 and managed commercially by the private sector since 2005, has lined up a series of events throughout February and on Valentine's Day itself to try to reverse the falling birthrate.
And a separate initiative sees the government directly funding efforts to promote romance.
In 2006 it launched the one-million-Singapore-dollar (704,000 US) Partner Connection Fund to support dating agencies that come up with what it called new "social interaction opportunities" for singles.
"A lot of countries, they let nature take its course but in Singapore because of our work and lifestyle, we don't have a lot of time," said Andrew Chow, a manager with Romancing Singapore.
"We are trying to educate the singles that dating is in fact a lifestyle. I think nowhere else in the world does things like Singapore."
Among the events Romancing Singapore has planned to give Cupid a helping hand is an evening date on the newly-opened Singapore Flyer, the world's tallest observation wheel of 42 storeys high.
The Valentine's Day event, billed as "Love In A Capsule," is organised by Romancing Singapore and Clique Wise, another social networking outfit.
Love comes at a price, though -- a date on the Singapore Flyer costs 140 US dollars, which includes a gourmet dinner at a spa resort. All 24 slots have been booked, said Chow.
Violet Lim, co-founder of dating agency Lunch Actually, agreed Singapore's fast-paced lifestyle has made it hard for couples to connect.
"We play the role of an introducer," she said. "A lot of people who join us, they are not exactly people who can't find dates on their own. I would say it's more due to their schedules."
如今，新加坡的很多單身人士稱自己工作太忙、無暇約會，針對這一狀況，新加坡政府計劃於本週四的情人節加大其“浪漫新加坡”官方活動的力度，以鼓勵人們約會。
該項於2002年發起的活動從2005年開始由私人進行商業運作。以抑制不斷下降的生育率爲目的的一系列活動貫穿整個二月和情人節當天。
此外，政府還推出了另一項“促進浪漫”的直接資助計劃。
新加坡政府於2006年推出一項100萬新元（70.4萬美元）的“派對基金”，專爲向單身人士提供“社會互動新機會”的約會中介所提供資金支持。
“浪漫新加坡”的Andrew Chow經理說：“很多國家都是順其自然，但在新加坡，我們的工作和生活方式使得我們沒有足夠的時間來做這件事。”
“我們正努力向單身人士宣傳‘約會是一種生活方式’的觀念。我想世界上其它地方不會像新加坡這樣做。”
在“浪漫新加坡”籌劃的一系列活動中，晚間派對活動“幫丘比特一個忙”將在新建的新加坡摩天觀景輪上舉行，新加坡摩天觀景輪有42層樓高，是世界上最高的摩天輪。
由“浪漫新加坡”和Clique Wise社交中介所組織的“Love In A Capsule”活動在情人節當天舉行。
不過愛情是“有價的”——在新加坡摩天觀景輪上約會需花費140美元，其中還包括在溫泉休閒區的一頓精美大餐。Andrew Chow說，所有24個位子都已被預訂。
Lunch Actually 婚介所的創辦人之一Violet Limy也認爲，新加坡快節奏的生活方式使得人們很難與異性接觸。
她說：“我們充當了一個介紹人的角色。很多求助於我們的人並不是自己找不着對象，而是他們太忙了。”
