向前一步:第131期 不要身还在 心已远(5)

 Being a stay-at-home parent is a wonderful, and often necessary, choice for many people. 做一个全职妈妈的感觉并不坏，而且很多时候这对很多女性来说也是必然的选择，

Not every parent needs, wants, or should be expected to work outside the home. 因为并不是所有的女性都愿意或是必须在外工作。

In addition, we do not control all of the factors that influence us, including the health of our children. 有许多超出个人控制范围的因素也影响着我们的决定，包括孩子的健康。

Plus, many people welcome the opportunity to get out of the rat race. 当然，一些女性很愿意借此机会退出激烈的职场竞争，

No one should pass judgment on these highly personal decisions. 这些相当个人化的决定不应当被批评。

I fully support any man or woman who dedicates his or her life to raising the next generation. 我完全支持所有决定全身心投入去养育下一代的女性，

It is important and demanding and joyful work. 这项工作不但重要、辛苦，也充满了无穷的乐趣。

What I am arguing is that the time to scale back is when a break is needed or when a child arrives — not before, and certainly not years in advance. 我要申明的是，在职场上退缩，应该是在真正需要休息或是孩子即将出生的时候——但不应该是在这之前，更不能提前好几年就这么做。

The months and years leading up to having children are not the time to lean back, but the critical time to lean in. 在不得不暂停工作之前，你应该更加进取。

Several years ago, I approached an employee at Facebook to manage an important new project. 几年前，我找脸谱网的一个员工谈话，希望由她来管理一个重要的新项目。

She seemed flattered at first but then became noticeably hesitant. 起初她看上去很高兴，但随后明显开始犹豫不决。

She told me that she wasn't sure she should take on more responsibility. 她告诉我，她不确定自己是不是应该负责更大的项目。

Obviously, something else was going on, so I quietly asked, "Are you worried about taking this on because you're considering having a child sometime soon?" 很明显，这是有原因的。于是我平静地问她：“你心存顾虑是不是因为你最近准备要孩子了？”

A few years earlier, I would have been afraid to ask this question.  之前我是不敢这么问的。