本书是由吴淑平编写的《一个人的城市：中国单身女性调查》(英文版)，其内容提要如下：

We live in an age of emotionalism, falsity appears true, so that what seems true will be false. How do you know who really has true feelings？ Which man can you believe？ I am really afraid of marriage. I feel more and more convinced that spinsterhood is the only safe option: it avoids trouble, and keeps life safe and straightforward.

本书是由吴淑平编写的《一个人的城市：中国单身女性调查》(英文版)。《一个人的城市：中国单身女性调查》(英文版)的内容提要如下：

Single in the City - A Survey of Chinese Single Women records the lives and emotional experiences of some single women in contemporary China. Its subjects are 2o single women, living in China's major cities,remaining so for different reasons.They include confirmed singleton, iron-willed unmarried mothers, as well as those who depend on rich men Their individual personalities shine through their stories - resilient, kind gentle - as do the multiple and diverse social pressures and problems that contemporary Chinese women face.

Preface  5

A Determined Singleton  7

Interview location: a cafe in Haldian District, Beijing

Interviewee: Liu Yue

Age: 28

Profile: head of the administrative office of a real estate company. From

Sichuan, bachelor's degree, previously a personnel secretary and office

manager.

Love with a Shelf Life  18

Interview location: a restaurant in Chaoyang District, Beijing

Interviewee: Wang Mengmeng

Age: 28

Profile: boss of a culture company, bachelor's degree

Is It Wrong to Be Prudent?  28

Interview location: a pub and a restaurant in Sanlitun, Beijing

Interviewee: Cao Xiaoqi

Age: 33

Profile: a high school teacher, MA degree, from Northeast China,

columnist for some Beijing newspapers

Proof-Reading Error Leads to a Love Affair  36

Interview location: a teahouse in Chaoyang District, Beijing, and QQ

messaging

Interviewee: Liu Qingqing

Age: 29

Profile: from Hubei, junior college graduate, worked for a Beijing

newspaper, now a freelancer.

All Men Are Promiscuous  44

Interview localion: McDonald's in Zhongguancun, Haidian District, Beijing

Interviewee: Deng Na

Age: 29

Profile: from Chongqing, teacher at a Beijing beauty school.

An Unwilling Dependant  50

Interview localion: a care in Pudong District, Shanghai, and MSN messaging

Interviewee: Pan Yanmei

Age: 30

Profile: from Zhejiang, formerly a postage stamp dealer in Suzhou, now a

company employee in Shanghai

Mystery and Innocence  60

Interview localion: a restaurant and cafe in Jingtian in Futian District, Shenzhen

Interviewee: Yang Xiaohui

Age: 27

Profile: from Hubei, associate degree, formerly an administrative clerk and

secretary to a company general manage, currently a freelancer

Beautiful Marriage Obsession  69

Interview localion: a Hakka hotel in Luohu District, Shenzhen

Interviewee: Xu Zijuan

Age: 29

Profile: bachelor's degree, from Guangdong, formerly a computer trainer,

now staff member of a public institution

A Single Mother  75

Interview localion: MSN messaging

Interviewee: Chen Qing

Age: 25

Profile: bachelor's degree, administrative clerk of a company

From Fairy Tale to Myth  92

Interview localion: a meeting room in Shenzhen Times

Interviewee: Zhong Haiyan

Age: 26

Profile: owner of a garment shop

Woman of Fierce Desires  97

Interview location: the offices of Shenzhen Evening News

Interviewee: Jiu-mei

Age: 28

Profile: from Hubei, formerly owner of a garment store in Shenzhen.

Living with Two Men  107

Interview location: the offices of Shenzhen Evening News

Interviewee: Qin Xiangyu

Age: 28

Profile: enterprise employee; currently living in Shenzhen.

Loves that Led Nowhere  116

Interview location: the meeting room of Shenzhen Times

Interviewee: Ma Xiaofei

Age: 36

Profile: from Heilongjiang Province; BA degree; living in Shenzhen as a

company clerk for over 10 years; cosmetics saleswoman; now running her

own company.

The Dazzling City  123

Interview location: meeting room at the Shenzhen Times

Interviewee: Xu Jiaming

Age: 30

Profile: from Shandong Province; BA degree, living in Shenzhen for almost

four years; a website editor in Shenzhen until late 2004; now an enterprise

employee in Shanghai.

Looking for a Holiday Lover  128

Interview location: the offices of Shenzhen Evening News

Interviewee: Cao Zimei

Age: 29

Profile: from Hunan Province; formerly a website chief information officer;

now a company branch manager

United Hearts but Separate Lives  134

Interview location: UBC Coffee House, Futian, Shenzhen

Interviewee: Xu Xiaoting

Age: 27

Profile: from Zhejiang Province; once lived in Xiamen, Dongguan, Shenzhen

and Beijing; now a care manager.

Lovers in Heaven  151

Interview location: The meeting room of Shenzhen Times

Interviewee: Liang Cuiye

Age: 36

Profile: director of teaching and guidance office in a Shenzhen school

Fruitless Loves  160

Interview location: the offices of Shenzhen Evening News

Interviewee: Zeng Miao

Age: 26

Profile: university graduate; living in Shenzhen; enterprise employee

My Life is Like a Screenplay  168

Interview location: numerous e-mail messages

Interviewee: Marry

Age: 21

Profile: from Wuhan; a company employee.

In Flight from the Wealthy  176

Interview location: a Western-style diner in Guangzhou

Interviewee: May

Age: 27

Profile: graduate of a prestigious university; on the staff of a public

institution.