向前一步:第16期 职业女性的内在障碍(5)

 The workplace did not evolve to give us the flexibility¹ we needed to fulfill² our responsibilities at home. 此外，工作条件也没有改善到可以为我们提供兼顾家庭所必需的弹性时间。

We anticipated none of this. We were caught by surprise. 这一切都让我们出乎意料、措手不及。

If my generation was too naive³, the generations that have followed may be too practical. 如果我们这代人太过天真，那么下一代人也许又太过现实。

We knew too little, and now girls know too much. 我们知道的太少，而现在的女孩们知道的又太多。

Girls growing up today are not the first generation to have equal opportunity, 今天成长起来的女孩们，已不是刚刚获得平等机会的第一代人，

but they are the first to know that all that opportunity does not necessarily translate into professional achievement. 但她们却是明白这个机会并不必然意味着要在职场上大有作为的第一代人。

Many of these girls watched their mothers try to "do it all" and then decide that something had to give. 她们当中有许多人看到自己的母亲先是试图面面俱到，然后决定有所舍弃，

That something was usually their careers. 而“舍弃”的通常是她们的事业。

There's no doubt that women have the skills to lead in the workplace. 毫无疑问，女性在工作中是具备领导力的。

Girls are increasingly outperforming boys in the classroom,  在美国，女孩在课堂上的表现越来越好。

earning about 57 percent of the undergraduate and 60 percent of the master's degrees in the United States. 在本科毕业生与硕士毕业生中，女生的比例分别是57%和60%，

This gender⁴ gap in academic achievement has even caused some to worry about the "end of men." 这些学业上的成就甚至让一些人开始为“男人的末日”而焦虑。

But while compliant⁵, raise-your-hand-and-speak-when-called-on behaviors might be rewarded in school, they are less valued in the workplace. 但是，女孩在学校里被赞赏的“善于服从”、“先举手，被叫到再回答”的行为，在工作环境中并不被倡导。

Career progression often depends upon taking risks and advocating for oneself—traits that girls are discouraged from exhibiting. 事业发展所依赖的通常是敢于冒险和自我表现，然而人们并不鼓励女孩表现出这样的特质。

This may explain why girls' academic gains have not yet translated into significantly higher numbers of women in top jobs.  这也许就解释了为什么女性在学习时期获得的成就，并没有相应地提高女性在高级职位中的比例。

 

1 flexibility   

n.柔韧性，弹性，（光的）折射性，灵活性

参考例句：

• Her great strength lies in her flexibility.她的优势在于她灵活变通。
• The flexibility of a man's muscles will lessen as he becomes old.人老了肌肉的柔韧性将降低。

2 fulfill   

vt.履行，实现，完成；满足，使满意

参考例句：

• If you make a promise you should fulfill it.如果你许诺了，你就要履行你的诺言。
• This company should be able to fulfill our requirements.这家公司应该能够满足我们的要求。

3 naive   

adj.幼稚的，轻信的；天真的

参考例句：

• It's naive of you to believe he'll do what he says.相信他会言行一致，你未免太单纯了。
• Don't be naive.The matter is not so simple.你别傻乎乎的。事情没有那么简单。

4 gender   

n.（生理上的）性，（名词、代词等的）性

参考例句：

• French differs from English in having gender for all nouns.法语不同于英语，所有的名词都有性。
• Women are sometimes denied opportunities solely because of their gender.妇女有时仅仅因为性别而无法获得种种机会。

5 compliant   

adj.服从的，顺从的

参考例句：

• I don't respect people who are too compliant.我看不起那种唯命是从，唯唯诺诺的人。
• For years I had tried to be a compliant and dutiful wife.几年来，我努力做一名顺从和尽职尽职的妻子。