The Supremes once sang "You can't hurry love." As it turns out， scientists have determined it's not advisable to hurry marriage either. Get the scoop on the best age to be wed.

　 We doubt you were shocked when Avril Lavigne announced she was splitting from her husband of three years. But while it's tempting to assume the cause was her bratty persona or rocker lifestyle， comments from her friends suggested that something more universal was at play： She was only 21 when she tied the knot and later told pals that she realized she'd been too young to make such a life-altering decision. Could fellow young celebrity divorceés Reese Witherspoon， Kate Hudson， and Britney Spears have also hit the same age-related issue？

　 The Magic Number

　 There are practical reasons for the mid-20s dividing line， and most of them boil down to two biggies： education and money. Turns out， the more years of higher education a woman has under her belt on her wedding day， the lower the chances that she'll get divorced …… and by 25， you're more likely to have earned a degree or two. "Educated women tend to be more confident about who they are and less willing to settle for a man who doesn't meet their standards，" explains Terri Orbuch， Ph.D.， author of Five Simple Steps to Take Your Marriage From Good to Great.

　 Odds are that by 25 you're also supporting yourself， so there's less incentive for you to rush into marriage because you're seeking financial security from him. But the marriage-related benefits of working and having money of your own go beyond feeling secure， says Pepper Schwartz， Ph.D.， author of Finding Your Perfect Match. Learning to budget your cash carefully when you're single will help you avoid financial problems — one of the main causes of couple fights — for the rest of your life. And juggling responsibilities， dealing with differing personalities， and resolving conflicts on the job force you to develop skills that are necessary for maintaining long-term love.

　 Knowing the Real You

　 At 25， you've had time for some crucial life experiences， including a relationship or two that may have improved your Mr. Right radar. "You've probably dated enough to have a better idea of what you don't want in a man， which makes it easier to know what you can live with and can't live without，" says Orbuch.

　 Perhaps the most important aspect of waiting is that you'll know what your goals and values really are， says Paul Coleman， Psy.D.， author of The Complete Idiot's Guide to Intimacy. While you don't want to marry someone just like you， marriage is a lot easier if you two share a similar outlook on life.

　 Twenty-four and already married to the man of your dreams？ Don't worry： Many young marriages survive. But given the choice， you might consider putting off the big day until your mid-20s or later.

　　「內容簡介」

　　文章第一句以歌詞You can't hurry love開篇，接著解釋了這句話的意思，并提出女人何時結婚最合適這一問題。

　　接著，作者以一些名人的婚姻為例，說明早婚可能會產生一些問題。然后，文章分析了女人結婚的兩大現實理由：教育程度和金錢。并得出女人25歲以后自身條件更成熟，選擇結婚也會更理智的結論。

　　接下來的部分，作者講述了25歲以后女人逐漸獲得的各種生活經驗，并明白自身的目標和價值觀。

　　最后，作者也考慮到早婚女性的感受，安慰她們早婚也是可以白頭偕老的。

　　「詞匯短語講解」

　　①split v. 表示分離，分開。它的過去式和過去分詞都是split.split from sb. 可表示與某人離婚。

　　②tie a knot 原意為打結。在英語俚語中，更常見的短語是tie the knot，表示“結婚”。

　　③boil down 表面面意思是煮濃，壓縮，熬濃，引申義為歸結為，精簡（condense，summarize）。