向前一步:第237期 为平等而不懈努力(16)

 The goal is to work toward a world where those social norms no longer exist. 我们要为摒弃这些老观念，为创造一个新世界而努力。

If more children see fathers at school pickups and mothers who are busy at jobs, both girls and boys will envision more options for themselves. 如果有更多的孩子看到父亲来接自己、母亲忙于工作，那么不管是男孩还是女孩，都会在未来给予自己更多的选择。

Expectations will not be set by gender¹ but by personal passion, talents, and interests. 一个人对未来的期待，不应该是基于性别，而应该基于个人的热情、才华和兴趣。

I am fully² aware that most women are not focused on changing social norms for the next generation but simply trying to get through each day. 我完全明白，大多数女性并没有想过为下一代去改变旧观念，她们只是在努力撑过每一天。

Too many talented women try their hardest to reach the top and bump up against systemic barriers. 我也知道很多极富才干的女性在为进入高层竭尽全力，极力清除着前进道路上的障碍。

So many others pull back because they do not think they have a choice. 有那么多女性退缩，是因为她们认为自己别无选择。

All of this brings me back to Leymah Gbowee's insistence³ that we need more women in power. 这一切让我想到莱曼·古博韦主张要让更多女性获得权力的观点。

When leadership insists that these policies change, they will. 当领导层坚决地改变政策时，变化就会出现。

Google put in pregnancy⁴ parking when I asked for it and it remains⁵ there long after I left. 比如我在谷歌时申请的孕妇停车位，在我离开后仍旧存在。

We must raise both the ceiling and the floor. 我们要追求更高的目标，但也需要扎实的地基。

My mother had fewer choices than I did, but with my father's support, she has always worked hard. 我的母亲不像我有这么多选择，但在父亲的支持下，她总能尽全力工作。

During my childhood, she chose to be a devoted⁶ mother and volunteer. 在我的童年时期，她选择做一名尽责的母亲和志愿者。

When I left for college, she went back to school to study teaching English as a second language. 当我上大学时，她回到学校，着手将英语作为第二语言的教学研究。

She taught full-time⁷ for fifteen years and felt that teaching was her calling. 她从事了15年的全职教学工作，深深感到教书正是她想要追求的事业。

 

1 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。

2 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

3 insistence   

n.坚持；强调；坚决主张

参考例句：

• They were united in their insistence that she should go to college.他们一致坚持她应上大学。
• His insistence upon strict obedience is correct.他坚持绝对服从是对的。

4 pregnancy   

n.怀孕，怀孕期

参考例句：

• Early pregnancy is often accompanied by nausea.怀孕早期常有恶心的现象。
• Smoking during pregnancy increases the risk of miscarriage.怀孕期吸烟会增加流产的危险。

5 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

6 devoted   

adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的

参考例句：

• He devoted his life to the educational cause of the motherland.他为祖国的教育事业贡献了一生。
• We devoted a lengthy and full discussion to this topic.我们对这个题目进行了长时间的充分讨论。

7 full-time   

adj.满工作日的或工作周的，全时间的

参考例句：

• A full-time job may be too much for her.全天工作她恐怕吃不消。
• I don't know how she copes with looking after her family and doing a full-time job.既要照顾家庭又要全天工作，我不知道她是如何对付的。