Wife-sharing: An Idea to Help Bachelors in China

AS IT IS 2015-10-28 Wife-sharing: An Idea to Help Bachelors in China

An economics professor in China has suggested that Chinese men share their wives with men who can’t find their own.

This idea comes from Xie Zuoshi, a professor at the School of Economics and International Trade at Zhejiang University of Finance and Economics. Mr. Xie says China has a population imbalance between men and women. This imbalance, he adds, has left about 30 million adult men without wives.

Mr. Xie said, “If we stick to the moral idea of monogamy, we would be condemning² 30 million men to a life of misery³ without wives and children.”

His call for wife-sharing brought him lots of criticism. Tens of thousands criticized his idea in social media. They say Mr. Xie’s proposal is immoral⁴ and an insult to women.

A teacher in Beijing, Yu Baoyu, says the professor is treating woman as if they are a product that a husband can share or rent. This teacher adds, “I am surprised he has the audacity⁵,” or nerve, to say such things in public.

Others said online that if Mr. Xie thinks it is such a good idea, he should share his own wife.

However, Mr. Xie is a professor of economics and is looking at the numbers. He says his idea is meant mostly for low-income families. Most of the men unable to find wives, he adds, do not make much money.

Mr. Xie says those who criticize him are missing his moral point -- that 30 million bachelors are in a difficult situation.

Many blame China’s one-child policy for the imbalance in China’s male-to-female ratio. Chinese officials have recently begun the process of changing China's one-child policy.  

Words in This Story

moral – adj. concerning or relating to what is right and wrong in human behavior (opposite is immoral)

monogamy – n. the state or practice of being married to only one person at a time : the state or practice of having only one sexual partner during a period of time

condemn¹ – v. to say in a strong and definite way that someone or something is bad or wrong

misery – n. extreme suffering or unhappiness

insult – v. to do or say something that shows a lack of respect for (someone)

audacity – n. bold or arrogant⁶ disregard of normal restraints

ratio – n. the relationship that exists between the size, number, or amount of two things and that is often represented by two numbers

1 condemn   

vt.谴责，指责；宣判(罪犯)，判刑

参考例句：

• Some praise him,whereas others condemn him.有些人赞扬他，而有些人谴责他。
• We mustn't condemn him on mere suppositions.我们不可全凭臆测来指责他。

2 condemning   

v.（通常因道义上的原因而）谴责( condemn的现在分词 )；宣判；宣布…不能使用；迫使…陷于不幸的境地

参考例句：

• The government issued a statement condemning the killings. 政府发表声明谴责这些凶杀事件。
• I concur with the speaker in condemning what has been done. 我同意发言者对所做的事加以谴责。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

3 misery   

n.痛苦，苦恼，苦难；悲惨的境遇，贫苦

参考例句：

• Business depression usually causes misery among the working class.商业不景气常使工薪阶层受苦。
• He has rescued me from the mire of misery.他把我从苦海里救了出来。

4 immoral   

adj.不道德的，淫荡的，荒淫的，有伤风化的

参考例句：

• She was questioned about his immoral conduct toward her.她被询问过有关他对她的不道德行为的情况。
• It is my belief that nuclear weapons are immoral.我相信使核武器是不邪恶的。

5 audacity   

n.大胆，卤莽，无礼

参考例句：

• He had the audacity to ask for an increase in salary.他竟然厚着脸皮要求增加薪水。
• He had the audacity to pick pockets in broad daylight.他竟敢在光天化日之下掏包。

6 arrogant   

adj.傲慢的，自大的

参考例句：

• You've got to get rid of your arrogant ways.你这骄傲劲儿得好好改改。
• People are waking up that he is arrogant.人们开始认识到他很傲慢。