夏天，你最期待的是什么？

是橘子味兒的汽水？亮晶晶的海灘？各種口味的冰棍？還是……怦然心動的約會（date）？

date作為動詞表示“(談戀愛)和...約會”，通常的表達是date somebody；作為名詞表示“約會”或“約會的對象，戀人”，可以說：have a date (with sb)，go (out) on a date (with sb)或者make a date (with sb)。

例句：

Is he still dating Sarah?

他還在和薩拉談戀愛嗎？

I've got a date with one of the boys on my course tonight.

我今晚與班上的一個男生有個約會。

So come on, tell us, who's your date this evening?

得啦，告訴我們，你今天晚上跟誰約會？

在口語中有不少類型的date。但你知道cheap date嗎？難道是“便宜的約會”？

今天我們就來聊聊各種date~

cheap date

cheap date并不是“便宜的約會”，這是一個美式俚語，表達的意思是“一喝就醉的人，易喝醉者”（=cheap drunk）；此外還有“酒吧里容易被搭訕的人”的意思。

例句：

Jack was drunk. I forgot that he was a cheap date.

杰克喝醉了。我忘了他是一喝酒就醉。

All it took was one small sherry，she’s such a cheap date.

總共喝了一小杯雪利酒，她就醉了。她是這么一個一喝就醉的人。

blind date

blind date則是指“從未晤面的男女間的約會”，俗稱“相親”。

an arranged meeting between a man and woman who have not met each other before

例句：

I always made a rule to never go on a blind date.

我一直堅持不去相親。

Ted set Jane and Michael up on a blind date last week.

泰德上周為簡和邁克爾精心策劃了一場相親。

heavy date

heavy date并不是“沉重的約會”，而是表達“重要的約會”，或者“與異性的幽會”。

a planned meeting between two people who are very interested in having a romantic or sexual relationship

例句：

I think Carol has a heavy date - she's been in the bathroom for over an hour.

我想卡羅爾有個重要的約會——她已經(jīng)在浴室里呆了一個多小時了。

double date

double date并不是“兩次約會”，而是“兩對情侶一起出去玩；四人約會（兩對情侶一同赴約）”。

a social engagement in which two couples go together

例句：

Oh, wait. Why--why don't we just make it a double date?

等等，為什么我們不來個四人約會呢？

Jane and I double-dated with two brothers.

我和簡與兩兄弟約會。

其實約會并不限于情侶之間，只要是“事先約定的會面”，都可以稱之為“約會”。那么除了date，還有哪些“約會”呢？

appointment

appointment強調(diào)發(fā)生在固定時間和地點的預約，比如預約看牙醫(yī)、和律師約定見面等，常用搭配是make an appointment。

an arrangement to see someone at a particular time, especially for a business meeting or to get a professional service

例句：

Sue rang up to make a dental appointment.

蘇打電話預約與牙醫(yī)的會面時間。

I have an appointment to see my lawyer next Saturday.

我與律師約好下星期六見面。

engagement

engagement除了表示“訂婚、婚約”，也有“約定、約會”的意思，且十分正式，常用搭配是arrange for an engagement。

an arrangement to do something or meet someone

例句：

I'm afraid I have a previous lunch engagement.

恐怕我已經(jīng)午餐有約在先了。

Official engagements take up about 50% of his time.

公務會面占去了他50%的時間。

（來源：外研社公眾號）