Carrie: Miranda suddenly realized she was dating "Catholic¹ Guy." So you think the water serves as a retro baptism kind of thing?

Miranda: Beats me. If I'd known he was Catholic, I never would've gone out with him in the first place. They should make them wear a sign.

Carrie: Single people in New York rarely ask about their dates' religious backgrounds for the same reason they don't ask the number of former sex partners: too scary.

Miranda: I mean, he's a rational², logical guy in every respect but this.

Carrie: Clean. You forgot clean. He's a clean guy.

Miranda: Leave it to me to find the only religious guy left in Manhattan.

Carrie: New York is a city filled with places to worship. But it recently dawned on me the only time I ever heard anyone mention going into one was for a singles mixer. Are relationships the religion of the '90s? Having been raised in the church of "be nice to people and don't talk with your mouth full", I decided³ to check out some more traditional religious types in their natural habitat. As I watched people leaving church, I was amazed at how they looked. Valentino, Escada, Oscar de la Renta. What is it about God and fashion that go so well together? And suddenly, there he was wearing Armani on Sunday. Mr. Big. I admit it was kind of a shock. Up until that moment, I thought he only believed in the Yankees. Hello there, churchgoer.

Big: Hi. What are you doing here?

Carrie: Research. I'm doing a column on closet Presbyterians. You know any?

Big: Actually, I'm an atheist⁴, but don't tell the minister.

Carrie: Who's the mystery woman?

Big: My mother. I take her to church every Sunday.

Carrie: Really? I'm so loving that. How come you never told me?

Big: Well, you write every Sunday, so--

Carrie: So every Sunday-- church.

Big: Right. You know I've got 20 minutes before my racquetball game. Why don't we have a cup of coffee?

Carrie: I can't. I'm on deadline and this cappuccino just kicked in, so--

Big: So?

Carrie: Bye. God bless. It was one of those awkward⁵ relationship moments where you feel like you know nothing about the person you thought you knew everything about.

Miranda: He goes to church with his mother? That can't be good.

Charlotte: Don't listen to her. A man who cares about mother makes a wonderful husband.

Carrie: I think it's sweet.

Miranda: Sure. All religions are sweet until you get to that shower-after-sex phase.

Charlotte: Oh my God, is he still doing that?

Miranda: Please. It's amazing he has any skin left.

Carrie: Have you tried taking a shower with him?

Miranda: No. I'm afraid he'll pull out garlic and a cross.

Charlotte: So, which church does his mother go to?

Carrie: Park Avenue Presbyterian.

Charlotte: Good church. It's one of the best on the East Side.

Carrie: What, are you rating⁶ churches? Is there a Zagat guide for that?

Miranda: Four stars, great bread, disappointing wine selection⁷.

Carrie: The thing is, I'm dying to meet his mother. Can you imagine?

Charlotte:Getting on the good side of his mother is like closing the deal.

妙语佳句，活学活用

1. Dawn on

这个片语也写作dawn upon，意思是"Become evident or understood, to become suddenly clear to (a person)被理解，明白（真相）"，例如：It finally dawned on him that he was expected to call them.

2. Kick in

这里的kick in 的意思是"Begin to operate"，Carrie 的意思是She just started feeling the effects of the coffee，她已经在喝咖啡了。我们来看个例子：Finally the motor kicked in and we could get started.

3. Get on the good side of

这个片语的意思是"get the favor of 得到……欢心，受宠"，例如：Lily has got on the good side of her boyfriend's mother.

4. Close the deal

这个片语的本意是"成交，交易完成"，这里可以理解为"（两个人的）关系确定，朝结婚的方向发展"的意思。