向前一步:第174期 全能女人是个神话(7)

 Psychologist Jennifer Stuart studied a group of Yale graduates and concluded that for such women, 心理学家詹妮弗·斯图尔特研究了一群耶鲁女毕业生工作后的生活状况，得出结论说，对于这样的女性，

"the effort to combine career and motherhood may be particularly fraught¹. “既要事业又要做母亲，尤其容易导致焦虑和压力。

The stakes are high, as they may expect nothing less than perfection, both at home and in the workplace. 由于她们对工作和家庭都有完美主义倾向，所以面临的风险非常高。

When they fall short of lofty ideals, they may retreat altogether — from workplace to home or vice² versa." 而且一旦达不到理想状态，她们很可能会彻底地往后退——从职场完全回到家庭，或是截然相反”。

Another one of my favorite posters at Facebook declares in big red letters, "Done is better than perfect." 脸谱网的很多海报标语我都很喜欢，其中有一幅海报上印刷着大大的红色字母：“完成，好过完美。”

I have tried to embrace this motto and let go of unattainable standards. 我已经以此为座右铭，终于对不能达到的完美目标选择了放手。

Aiming for perfection causes frustration³ at best and paralysis⁴ at worst. 追求完美，最好的结果便是心生挫败感，最糟的结果则是完全麻木。

I agree completely with the advice offered by Nora Ephron in her 1996 Wellesley commencement speech when she addressed the issue of women having both a career and family. 1996年诺拉·埃夫龙在威尔斯利学院毕业典礼上作演讲，当她谈及同时拥有事业和家庭的女性时，她提出了一个我极其赞同的建议。

Ephron insisted, "It will be a little messy, but embrace the mess. 她说：“生活总会有点儿乱，但拥抱这样的混乱吧；

It will be complicated, but rejoice in the complications. 生活还会有点儿复杂，在复杂里苦中作乐吧。

It will not be anything like what you think it will be like, but surprises are good for you. 事情绝对超乎你的想象，有惊喜是好事，

And don't be frightened: you can always change your mind. 不要害怕，你随时都可以改变主意。

I know: I've had four careers and three husbands." 看看我，我已经有4份职业和3个丈夫了。”

I was extremely fortunate that early in my career I was warned about the perils⁵ of trying to do it all by someone I deeply admired. 我相当幸运，因为事业初期就已经有人提醒过我，要面面俱到是个非常危险的想法。

Larry Kanarek managed the Washington, D C., office of McKinsey & Company where I interned⁶ in 1994. 1994年我在麦肯锡公司实习时，拉里·卡纳里克是麦肯锡公司华盛顿办事处的主管。

 

1 fraught   

adj.充满…的，伴有(危险等)的；忧虑的

参考例句：

• The coming months will be fraught with fateful decisions.未来数月将充满重大的决定。
• There's no need to look so fraught!用不着那么愁眉苦脸的！

2 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

3 frustration   

n.挫折，失败，失效，落空

参考例句：

• He had to fight back tears of frustration.他不得不强忍住失意的泪水。
• He beat his hands on the steering wheel in frustration.他沮丧地用手打了几下方向盘。

4 paralysis   

n.麻痹(症)；瘫痪(症)

参考例句：

• The paralysis affects his right leg and he can only walk with difficulty.他右腿瘫痪步履维艰。
• The paralysis affects his right leg and he can only walk with difficulty.他右腿瘫痪步履维艰。

5 perils   

极大危险( peril的名词复数 )； 危险的事（或环境）

参考例句：

• The commander bade his men be undaunted in the face of perils. 指挥员命令他的战士要临危不惧。
• With how many more perils and disasters would he load himself? 他还要再冒多少风险和遭受多少灾难？

6 interned   

v.拘留，关押( intern的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He was interned but,as he was in no way implicated in war crimes,was released. 他曾被拘留过，但因未曾涉嫌战争罪行而被释放了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• These soldiers were interned in a neutral country until the war was over. 这些士兵被拘留在一个中立国，直到战争结束。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》