這兩天微博上瘋傳“經濟適用女”的標準，從身高到收入，可謂面面俱到；之前經濟適用男的標準也曾讓不少人爭相對號。在白富美、高富帥真假難辨的今天，經濟適用男女對很多人來說倒更顯穩當妥帖。

"Budget wife" is the female counterpart of "budget husband," a concept introduced at least four years ago. The 2009 publication of the book Me and My Budget Husband popularized the term, and its 2012 transformation into a TV drama series fueled the term's further spread.

經濟適用女（budget wife）是經濟適用男（budget husband）的對照版，經濟適用男這一概念至少出現在四年前。2009年，一本名為《我和我的經濟適用男》的書讓這個說法得到普及，而2012年這本書改編的電視劇讓這個詞被更多人熟知。

The word "budget husband" originates from the word "budget housing", government subsidized public housing for low-income households. As the name implies, budget husbands' economic power trails that of "diamond husbands" -- intelligent, educated, rich, and well-mannered men from respectable families. Nonetheless, a budget husband is the new ideal among Chinese female white-collar workers.

“經濟適用男”一詞來源于“經濟適用房”，即政府為低收入家庭出資提供的公共性住房。由名字可以看出，經濟適用男的經濟實力不如那些“鉆石男”，即來自上流家庭、聰明、有學識、有錢且有修養的男子。不過，經濟適用男據說是中國女性白領們新近的理想對象。

One of the main characteristics of a budget husband is that he be "normal." Not ugly but not too handsome; neither poor nor rich. In short: mediocre.

經濟適用男一個主要的特點是“普通”。不丑但也不會太帥，不窮也不算有錢。簡而言之就是，平凡。

But this mediocrity promises stability. Budget husbands are reliable, both financially and emotionally. They will loyally stay at home and take care of the house; they will not go out to bars or have extramarital affairs. (Source: .theatlantic.com)

不過，這種平凡卻能保證穩定。經濟適用男們不管從經濟上還是情感上都比較可靠。他們會乖乖待在家，照看家里，不會出去泡吧，也不會有婚外戀。

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（中國日報網英語點津 Helen）

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