向前一步:第25期 职业女性的内在障碍(14)

 I was recently reminded that these patterns persist even when we are all grown up. 近来有人提醒我，这些模式即使当我们都长大成人了也会持续下去。

Not long ago, at a small dinner with other business executives, the guest of honor spoke¹ the entire time without taking a breath. 不久以前，在一次与其他企业主管聚会的小型宴会上，被邀请的嘉宾讲起话来滔滔不绝，丝毫没有停下来的意思。

This meant that the only way to ask a question or make an observation was to interrupt. 这意味着提问或评论的唯一方式就是打断他。

Three or four men jumped in, and the guest politely answered their questions before resuming his lecture. 有三四个男人这样做了，于是这位嘉宾很礼貌地回答了他们的问题。

At one point, I tried to add something to the conversation and he barked, "Let me finish! You people are not good at listening!" 我曾一度试图参与讨论，他却厉声说道：“让我说完！你们这些人太不善于倾听了！”

Eventually, a few more men interjected and he allowed it. 最终还是有不少男人插话，他也默许了他们。

Then the only other female executive at the dinner decided² to speak up—and he did it again! He chastised³ her for interrupting. 随后，当席间除我以外唯一一位女性主管开口说话时，他的表现和之前针对我时如出一辙——这位嘉宾因为她打断了自己的讲话而训斥了她。

After the meal, one of the male CEOs pulled me aside to say that he had noticed that only the women had been silenced. 吃完饭后，一位男性首席执行官将我拉到一边，说他已经注意到，席间只有女性被要求保持沉默。

He told me he empathized, because as a Hispanic, he has been treated like this many times. 他告诉我他之所以对我们表示同情，是因为自己作为西班牙裔的美国人，也曾多次遭到同样的对待。

The danger goes beyond authority figures silencing female voices. 当然，我们面临的危险不仅仅是因为权威人物会压制女性的声音，

Young women internalize societal cues about what defines "appropriate" behavior and, in turn, silence themselves. 年轻的女性也会将定义为“得体”的行为进行自我暗示、耳濡目染，转而让自己保持沉默。

They are rewarded for being "pretty like Mommy" and encouraged to be nurturing⁴ like Mommy too. 她们会因“像妈妈那样漂亮”被称赞，被鼓励像妈妈那样养育孩子。

The album Free to Be. You and Me was released in 1972 and became a staple⁵ of my childhood. 1972年，《做自由的你我》这张唱片发布，它成为我童年的一个重要部分。

 

1 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

2 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

3 chastised   

v.严惩（某人）（尤指责打）( chastise的过去式 )

参考例句：

• He chastised the team for their lack of commitment. 他指责队伍未竭尽全力。
• The Securities Commission chastised the firm but imposed no fine. 证券委员会严厉批评了那家公司，不过没有处以罚款。 来自辞典例句

4 nurturing   

养育( nurture的现在分词 )； 培育； 滋长； 助长

参考例句：

• These delicate plants need careful nurturing. 这些幼嫩的植物需要精心培育。
• The modern conservatory is not an environment for nurturing plants. 这个现代化温室的环境不适合培育植物。

5 staple   

n.主要产物，常用品，主要要素，原料，订书钉，钩环；adj.主要的，重要的；vt.分类

参考例句：

• Tea is the staple crop here.本地产品以茶叶为大宗。
• Potatoes are the staple of their diet.土豆是他们的主要食品。