In so many ways, cyberspace mirrors the real world. People ask for information, play games, and share hobby tips. Others buy and sell products. Still others look for friendship, or even love.

    在許多方面網絡空間反映了真實世界。人們找尋資料、玩游戲及分享興趣嗜好的秘方。其他人買賣東西。更有人在找尋友誼，甚至愛情。

    Unlike the real world, however, your knowledge about a person is limited to words on a computer screen. Identity and appearancemean very little in cyberspace. Rather, a person's thoughts--or at least the thoughts they type--are what really count. So even the shyest person can become a chat-room star.

    但是不同于真實世界的是，你對一個人的認知只限于電腦熒幕上的文字。身份及外表在網絡空間里沒有太大的意義。反而，一個人的思想或至少他們在熒幕上所打出來的思想才是真正重要的。所以即使一位最害羞的人也可以成為聊天室里的熱門人物。

    Usually, this "faceless" communication doesn't create problems. Identity doesn't really matter when you're in a chat room discussing politics or hobbies. In fact, this emphasis on theideas themselves makes the Internet a great place for exciting conversation. Where else can so many people come together to chat?

    通常這種看不到對方面孔的溝通并不會產生問題。當你在聊天室討論政治或嗜好時，身份并不那么重要。事實上，這種對意見本身的強調讓互聯網絡成為一個精彩有趣的談話場所。世界上還有哪些地方可以讓這么多人一起閑聊他們的興趣？

    But some Internet users want more than just someone to chat with.They're looking for serious love relationships. Is cyberspace a good place to find love? That answer depends on whom you ask. Some of these relationships actually succeed. Others fail miserably.

    但是有些互聯網絡使用者想要的并不只是聊天的對象。他們在找尋認真的戀愛關系。網絡空間是一個尋找愛情的好地方嗎？那要看你問誰。這類戀情有些真的成功，有些則悲慘地結束。

    Supporters of online relationships claim that the Internet allows couples to get to know each other intellectually first. Personal appearance doesn't get in the way.

    網絡關系的支持者宣稱互聯網讓情侶先在思想上認識對方，而個人外表不會造成阻礙。

    But critics of online relationships arguer that no one can truly know another person in cyberspace. Why? Because the Internet gives users a lot of control over how others view them. Internet users can carefully craft their words to fit whatever image they want to give. And they don't have to worry about what their "nonverbal" communication is doing for their image. In a sense, they're not really themselves.

    但是網絡戀情的批評者認為沒有人能夠真正在網絡空間認識一個人。為什么呢？因為互聯網絡讓使用者輕易地掌握別人如何看待他們。互聯網絡使用者可以依據他們想要給的形象精心推敲措辭。而且他們不用擔心他們的形象受到非語言溝通的影響。就某方面來說，他們并不是真正的自己。

    All of this may be fine if the relationship stays in cyberspace. But not knowing a person is a big problem in a love relationship. With so many unknowns, it's easy to let one's imagination "filling the blanks". This inevitably leads to disappointment when couples meet in person. How someone imagines an online friend is often quite different than the real person.

    所有這些都不是問題，如果這個關系只局限于網絡空間。但是在一個戀愛關系中不認識對方是個大問題。這么多的未知數很容易讓一個人的想象力“填入答案”。當這對情侶碰面時，這類情形不可避免地將帶來失望。一個人對網絡朋友的想象通常和真實的情況有很大的差異。

    So, before looking for love in cyberspace, remember the advice of Internet pioneer Clifford Stoll:"Life in the real world is far richer than anything you'll find on a computer screen."

    所以在網絡空間找尋愛情之前，先記得互聯網絡先驅克利佛.斯托的忠告：“真實生活比任何電腦熒幕上找得到的東西都豐富得多。”